There's an old expression that when something is really expensive, it costs an arm and a leg.

In the case of one Chinese teenager, an iPad was worth a kidney.

According to a story in Shanghai Daily, a 17-year-old student in Huaishan City, China gave up his kidney to afford an iPad. The teenager said he wanted the device and attempted to buy it, but didn't have the money. A broker then contacted him saying he could help sell his kidney for 20,000 yuan.

After getting his kidney removed in a hospital Chenzhou City in neighboring Hunan Province, the boy, who's last name was Zheng, was paid 22,000 yuan. Immediately after, the boy went home and his mother called the police immediately. They couldn't locate the broker. It also turned out the hospital in which the surgery was done was not even certified to remove the kidney.

The case is still under investigation.

Follow Gabriel Perna on Twitter at @GabrielSPerna

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