Peng and Chen decided to help Guo get out of the mental hospital and spent half a year collecting information about him.

They earlier put up on the Internet a posting telling the story of Guo, but received little attention.

The duo then came upon the idea of making up a story about a daughter sacrificing herself for her father.

"Exposure on the Internet needs techniques," said Chen Yonggang. "We, ourselves, were moved by the story, which proved to be a success. Guo was discharged three days later."

Netizens showed mixed feelings towards the post, however.

"It is sad that people have to resort to abnormal ways to solve their disputes," said a netizen named "Xuan Huahua".

Netizen "International Line" said exposure online should be based on facts, otherwise fabricated stunts would only lead to mistrust of the Internet, as it takes advantage of people's sympathies.

Huang Xuetao, a Shenzhen-based pro bono lawyer, said diagnosis of mental patients and their treatment in mental hospitals should be written into laws in detail.

"Mental patients should be carefully dealt with through due process of law and judicial remedy to ensure that their rights are not infringed upon", Huang told Xinhua in a telephone interview.