A Chinese fugitive who was living in exile abroad has opted to return to face trial in China rather than risk facing the coronavirus pandemic outside of the Middle Kingdom

On March 23, the 37-year-old man, surnamed Huang, landed at the airport in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province from Cambodia and surrendered to authorities.

He had fled China last May, shortly before police could arrest him for issuing fake tax invoices.

While police had attempted to persuade him to return to China and turn himself in, he was only convinced once Covid-19 went global.

“It’s too chaotic around the world. No one can live and work normally,” he said. “I was in a constant state of panic all day. I wanted to go back to China to save my life.”

It remains to be seen if that sweet talk will get him a lighter sentence. For now, he’s been put under 14-day quarantine and awaits online trial.

Cambodia is now up to 107 coronavirus cases. To stop the spread, the country’s long-time ruler, Hun Sen, has even ordered all casinos closed.