The year 2009 wasn’t looking promising for Gao and long-term girlfriend Kara Hurring.

Gao owned an ailing BP service station in New Zealand’s Rotorua and the couple’s relationship was on the rocks - it wasn’t the life Gao had wanted.

Chevi Lambert, who owned a business near the gas station, said at the time that Gao ‘‘dreamt of getting rich’’.

‘‘His one big dream was to make money.’’