She is Athena Lia. While her name may not be immediately familiar globally, in China, Athena was a well-known social media influencer boasting millions of followers on her Douyin account.

Her fame extended beyond online content when she participated in the Miss World Macau pageant in 2021, where she placed in the top three.

Her pageant success amplified her recognition and significantly expanded her fanbase, with millions closely following her life events.

Therefore, widespread sorrow and confusion followed her sudden vanishing on August 22, 2023. Her last known location was traced to the Philippines.

Athena’s disappearance immediately fueled numerous theories. Some speculated that she had been sold by her best friend to a criminal organization. Another theory suggested she was sighted at a club in the Asia One Clubs complex in Cambodia.

Furthermore, amidst the intense search, it was curiously noted that another influencer, who also competed in Miss World Macau, was seen wearing the exact same clothes and jewelry that Athena wore. The central question remains: Where is Athena Lia? The case became one of the most publicly debated mysteries in China.

According to the information Athena shared on her social media accounts, she was born in 2000 in Chuyang District, Guangdong Province of China.

She launched her career as a content creator on March 4, 2021, on Douyin, the Chinese counterpart to TikTok. Her striking beauty quickly garnered huge views and followers for her debut video.

Beyond her content creation, Athena developed an interest in pageantry, which led to her placing in the top three of Miss World Macau in 2021, further solidifying her stardom. Her following grew rapidly, surpassing one million subscribers in a short period.

Athena’s social media posts painted a picture of an attractive and affluent young woman. She was frequently pictured dining at high-end restaurants or traveling first-class to various international destinations.

Her content cultivated an image of wealth, high fashion, and sophistication among her followers. Her final social media post was dated June 12, 2023, showing her at an expensive café in Shang Hongju with her best friend and her mother.

However, she stopped responding to comments and messages on her accounts shortly thereafter. Her online platforms went eerily silent—a highly unusual and alarming sign for a social media influencer, whose growth relies on consistent content and engagement.

Just one month later, her mysterious vanishing was officially announced. On June 22, 2023, Chinese police officially received the report of Athena’s disappearance and immediately launched a massive investigation. They hoped to find clues and evidence by focusing on her social media accounts and the people closest to her: friends, family, and acquaintances.

One of the initial theories that captured police attention involved Athena’s best friend, Li Fei, who lived in the United Kingdom. This theory was fueled by a series of concerning social media conversations between them.

On May 30, 2023, a few months before Athena vanished, Li Fei’s mother messaged Athena but received no reply. She sent another message, asking after her, but still, no response. The next day, May 31, Li Fei’s mother attempted to video call Athena via WeChat but failed to connect.

She left a message explaining that her daughter, Li Fei, was distraught over a recent breakup. She pleaded with Athena to accompany her daughter on a vacation, as she herself could not travel due to visa issues. Athena remained silent.

On June 6, 2023, with still no reply, Li Fei herself reached out, inviting Athena on a vacation. She reminded Athena that when the latter had vacationed in the UK, only Li Fei had visited her and listened to her heartaches over her own past breakup.

This appeal seemed to work, as Athena finally replied, explaining that she was busy with back-to-back photoshoots and commercials but promised to make time for her friend.

The two began planning a trip, eventually settling on Boracay Island in the Philippines, and agreed to book a flight for June 16, 2023.

On June 16, Athena was ready to travel when she received a message from Li Fei stating that she could not proceed with the trip due to a family problem. This disappointed Athena, as she had only agreed to travel, despite her busy schedule, to comfort her friend.

Li Fei promised to follow her to Manila the next day. With no other choice, Athena traveled alone, taking a plane from Guangzhou at 2:00 PM and arriving in the Philippines at 4:35 PM that same day.

A WeChat group chat between Athena, Li Fei, and a third person named Neo detailed the original plan: Since Li Fei was not coming, Neo expected only Athena to arrive. A driver was supposed to pick her up at Gate 7 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport, holding a placard.

From the airport, she was to be taken to the Solaire Resort, where Neo had booked a presidential suite and arranged a Korean dinner, planning to greet her personally.

However, upon landing in Manila, Athena did not follow the plan and never went to Solaire. No one seemed to know where she went or who picked her up.

Some close friends of Athena reported that on her first day in Manila, she began sending them messages asking to borrow money, an action completely out of character for the financially stable influencer.

When asked for a reason, she gave no explanation. As days passed, she messaged more friends asking for loans.

More disturbingly, she began blocking her closest friends on social media and ceased all updates. After collecting money from several friends, she vanished, cutting all contact with her friends and family.

Her cellphone remained turned off. The family immediately reported her disappearance to the police. News reports later surfaced that Athena’s family had paid an $800,000 ransom, but her whereabouts remained a mystery.

During the investigation, police grew suspicious of Li Fei’s involvement, especially after learning she did not follow Athena to the Philippines as planned. Investigators spoke with her, but as the news broke about her potential connection to Athena’s vanishing, internet users began digging into Li Fei’s background, uncovering disturbing rumors.

Gossip suggested Li Fei, originally from Wuhan, attended high school in Shenzhen before moving to the UK and living in London. Like Athena, she was portrayed as wealthy and sophisticated, with connections to numerous rich and prominent women.

However, rumors circulated that despite her innocent appearance, she was difficult to deal with and quick to anger. Reports also alleged that Li Fei and her mother were involved in bringing young women to the UK, forcing them to attend alcohol-fueled parties to entertain high-profile guests.

Li Fei vehemently denied all accusations, stating she had no knowledge of Athena’s whereabouts and that the trafficking allegations were false.

Li Fei claimed she and Athena had been close friends since elementary school, sharing a mutual interest in fashion and expensive items, treating each other like sisters.

She asserted that she was the only one who truly knew Athena, claiming her real name was King Lee May, not Athena Lia

She alleged Athena was born in 1995 in Guangdong, making her seven years older than Li Fei, and that she dropped out after high school, using her looks to build an influential career.

Li Fei added that during Athena’s March 2023 UK vacation, she introduced her to a Filipino tourist named Benji. Athena allegedly mentioned plans to vacation in Boracay and Bali, which Li Fei declined due to school commitments. She stayed for almost a month before returning to China.

Months later, Athena allegedly contacted her again about the Philippines trip, claiming Benji would reimburse their airfare and personally meet them at the airport. Li Fei claimed she declined the invitation again.

Contradicting the investigators’ findings from their social media messages, Li Fei stated she had no knowledge of who picked Athena up at the airport or where she went. She claimed Athena called her, saying she was at a local casino, and that was the last she heard before the disappearance was reported.

Li Fei’s inconsistent statements raised investigators’ suspicions. Several of Athena’s close friends claimed they tried to contact Li Fei after Athena vanished, only to find she had suddenly deleted her social media accounts.

When they called her, she claimed she was vacationing in Hong Kong, but her father informed them she was in London and had not left. Due to these discrepancies, police requested Li Fei return to China to cooperate.

When she refused, she and her mother were placed on a global ‘most wanted’ list—an online warrant where police release information to the public and nationwide database to aid in the investigation and arrest.

The investigation revealed that Athena’s disappearance was linked to a transnational criminal organization or syndicate that used social media to lure young women before transporting them to Southeast Asian countries for forced illegal activities.

Li Fei and her mother were suspected of being involved in this syndicate, using their close friendship with Athena to trick her into traveling to the Philippines.

The case rapidly went viral, attracting massive public attention. On August 22, 2023, after news broke that Athena had been lured by her best friend and taken to Southeast Asia, many netizens urged the Chaoshan Chamber of Commerce to intervene.

Given the organization’s widespread influence, especially in Southeast Asia, the public saw them as the last hope for Athena’s rescue, as they had previously successfully saved trafficking victims in Myanmar.

Soon after, some media outlets reported that Athena was safely home with the help of the Chaoshan Chamber of Commerce, a claim confirmed by her family.

Reports suggested she had been abducted in the Philippines but was unharmed. Citing safety concerns, the family declined to release details of the rescue publicly.

However, days later, the Vice President of the Chaoshan Chamber of Commerce, Yang Zengwei, issued a public statement denying the reports, urging the public to stop spreading fake news that could be misinterpreted and endanger those involved.

Despite this, netizens noticed an anti-fraud video released by the Ningbo Public Security on August 16, 2023, which included Athena Lia’s name on a list of victims who had been rescued and repatriated.

This revelation immediately went viral, sparking intense debate and raising major questions about Athena Lia’s true status.

Amidst the confusing news, disturbing rumors continued to surface. A photo of a woman resembling Athena, with extensive bruises on her body, circulated on social media, but police confirmed it was not Athena Lia.

As public attention seemingly waned, a blogger known as ‘Old Bai’ from Bangkok made alarming allegations on September 7, 2023.

He claimed Athena Lia had been sold to the Asia One Club, a high-end nightclub in Cambodia. The blogger described it as a luxurious club exclusively catering to wealthy and powerful clients, alleging that it had a dark secret beyond serving drinks.

Old Bai’s allegation was initially dismissed as baseless speculation until a chilling video surfaced online. The video showed a woman forcibly being dragged by a group of men into the back entrance of the Asia One Club.

The video appeared to validate Old Bai’s claim, and he immediately released another statement, alleging the woman in the video was the missing Athena Lia.

Old Bai claimed Athena’s manager was soliciting clients via Telegram, alleging that Athena’s appearances commanded a fee of $10,000 per hour due to her beauty and fame, attracting wealthy businessmen and prominent figures.

Due to mounting public backlash, the Asia One Nightclub deleted its social media accounts on September 12, 2023, but the allegation remains unproven and lacks sufficient basis.

In a separate, strange twist, another social media influencer named Donut drew public attention.

Like Athena, Donut had participated in Miss China World before establishing her social media career through videos and live streaming. In 2023, Donut moved from China to Cambodia and began creating content there.

Donut caught attention during a live stream when she wore a black clover necklace identical to one owned by Athena Lia. In another video, she wore a blue spaghetti-strap dress identical to one worn by Athena in a past video.

On September 12, 2023, Donut posted a photo wearing a white silk dress that was also exactly like Athena’s. Some speculated that Donut was simply an admirer copying Athena’s style.

To this day, numerous speculations persist about Athena’s true fate. Some photos claiming to show a woman working at the Gin Bay Casino in Cambodia as Athena Lia remain unconfirmed.

The truth behind Athena Lia’s vanishing remains a puzzle. Some hope that the rescue rumors are true and that she has started a new life, while other stories suggest she underwent surgery to change her appearance.

Whatever the reality, the collective wish of her followers is for her safety. Police have remained silent and have not released any further updates on the case, deepening the mystery for netizens. Even Athena’s family has reportedly ceased their public search.