Man who cryogenically froze late wife's body sparks debate after dating new girlfriend at same time
'Till death do us part' didn't stop one man who famously cryogenically froze his late wife after her death, but he's now sparked debate once again after people discovered his current relationship with a new girlfriend.
The idea of freezing a body to preserve them for a time when scientists are able to unlock the secret of eternal life leans a bit too much into science fiction for most people, yet for the dedicated (and often rich) few it's a lifeline that they're willing to take a risk on.
There have been rumors for decades that Walt Disney was cryogenically frozen after his death, but the most famous individual to have actually take part in the process is former Boston Red Sox baseball player Ted Williams, who underwent the controversial process in 2002.
China had that very same debate back in 2017 when 57-year-old Gui Junmin made the controversial decision to cryogenically freeze his wife, who was dying from lung cancer, in a first for the country as per the BBC.
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49-year-old Zhan Wenlian was given just months to live by doctors after receiving her diagnosis, and her husband opted to use the scientifically unproven process of cryonics to preserve her body after her death that same year.
She's currently still stored in a 2,000-liter vat full of liquid nitrogen that sits at around -190C inside of the Shandong Yinfeng Life Science Research Institute, joining over 500 people worldwide to have undergone the strange process and presumably waiting for the point at which scientists unlock the process of resurrection.
Unfortunately, the view from some that this is the ultimate 'romantic' act from Gui Junmin has since been shattered upon the reveal that he now has a new girlfriend, as shared by Chinese newspaper Southern Weekly.
It was around three years after Zhan Wenlian passed away and was frozen that Mr Gui had a severe gout attack, leaving him unable to move for several days, and this seemingly changed his perspective on enforced solitude.
He believed that he no longer wanted to live alone, and soon after started seeing his current girlfriend Wang Chunxia, who has remained his partner for five years now.
That bond is merely 'utilitarian' though as Mr Gui has asserted that his new partner hasn't "entered" his heart, which is presumably still reserved for his ice-bound late wife.
Some on social media aren't quite convinced though, calling him selfish for his new bond, whereas others have argued that it's right for him to 'move on', adding that he should "let the departed... rest in piece."