One of the men identified as Wu, wanted an iPhone 6s but could not afford it. His friend Huang suggested they sell a kidney each for money.
The two found an illegal agent on the internet who asked them to take medical examinations at a hospital in Nanjing, state-run China Daily reported.
However, when they arrived at a hospital, the agent did not turn up as promised.
They later reconsidered selling the organs. Wu told his friend, Huang, to stop the plan but Huang did not listen.