Chengguan, also known as Urban Administrators in charge of enforcing local bylaws, have asked the public to sympathize with the stress and strain of their job after one was stabbed seven times by a peddler in Guangzhou’s Tianhe District on March 17, Sina News reports.

Shockingly, no bystanders came to the aid of the 26 year-old, named Su Jiaquan. As a result, the peddler was able to flee the scene.

When Su was eventually taken to hospital, he was bleeding profusely, especially from the head where he was stabbed 5 times. Although doctors expect Su to survive, his face will be scarred for life.

Su’s parents have not yet been informed. They both have heart conditions and may not be able to handle the news, media reported. Su also has a 1 year-old son.

Su’s boss Wei Weihan emphasized that Pojie, the jurisdiction Su worked under, covers 5 square km and has a population of over 200,000. With a staff of only 9, the local Chengguan never get the weekends off, and according to Wei, could do with a bit more understanding from the public.