A former executive of The Three-Body Universe has been sentenced to death for the fatal poisoning of the parent company Yoozoo Group's founder in a case that has shaken the gaming industry, the sci-fi community and the public.

Xu Yao, former CEO of The Three-Body Universe, appears in court to hear his sentencing in Shanghai, March 22, 2024. [Photo courtesy of the Shanghai First Intermediate People's Court]

Lin Qi, 39, chairman, founder and chief executive officer of Yoozoo Group, died on Dec. 25, 2020 after being poisoned by his colleague Xu Yao. Xu was detained by police on Dec. 18 of that year. On March 22, 2024, the Shanghai First Intermediate People's Court found Xu guilty and sentenced him to death for intentional homicide and the use of toxic substances.

The court said Xu poisoned Lin and 4 other colleagues for a period of three months in 2020 because of differences and conflicts in "company management matters."

The verdict added: "His motive for the crime was extremely despicable, the means of the crime were extremely vile, the harmful consequences were extremely serious and the subjective malignancy was extremely significant, therefore he should be severely punished in accordance with the law."

Upon hearing the verdict, Zhao Jilong, the current CEO of The Three-Body Universe, a subsidiary of Yoozoo Group, posted a few words on his WeChat account: "Justice has been served." Zhao, who was also a victim in this case and recovered, had differences with Xu regarding the development of China's sci-fi crown jewel, "The Three-Body Problem."

It is not yet known if Xu will appeal. Yoozoo Group declined to comment on the case.

According to a previous investigative report by business magazine Caixin Weekly, Lin's case was extraordinarily dramatic, involving toxic substances that were disguised as probiotic health pills. 

As CEO of The Three-Body Universe, Xu's role was diminished by Lin in favor of Zhao, leading to a significant salary cut and impending termination. Amidst this, Xu, a legal expert fascinated with the American TV series "Breaking Bad," reportedly experimented with poisons on animals and used over 160 phone numbers to anonymously purchase chemicals.

"My impression of Xu was that he seemed nice personally, but I felt he had an iron grip in his business approach and no bottom line," former Yoozoo employee Lin Jiandong told China.org.cn.

After Lin's death, the company's leadership was shaken and changed, falling under the management of Shanghai Jiayou Enterprise Management Partnership (Limited Partnership). This shift in control occurred when Lin Qi's three children and their legal guardians intended to transfer the heirs' 12.34% shares to Shanghai Jiayou in 2023.

File photo of Lin Qi in 2017. [Photo courtesy of Yoozoo Group]

Since founding Yoozoo Group in 2009, Lin Qi became a notably young billionaire in China due to the company's success in the online gaming industry, particularly with hits like "Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming." In 2014, expanding into film with Yoozoo Pictures, Lin acquired the film and TV adaptation rights to Liu Cixin's Hugo Award-winning sci-fi trilogy "The Three-Body Problem," and ambitiously planned to invest 1.2 billion yuan ($166.25 million) in six "Three-Body" films. However, following the disastrous failure of the first film, which was shelved and never released in theaters, and several executive resignations, Yoozoo purchased all copyrights to "The Three-Body Problem" for 120 million yuan in 2018. Subsequently, it launched a new subsidiary, The Three-Body Universe, to salvage the project and pursue new opportunities.

The film adaptation, franchise and merchandise development of "The Three-Body Problem" were among Lin's greatest dreams and ambitions when he was alive. Now, the "Three-Body" saga spans publishing, film, TV, animation, digital ventures, exhibitions and more, amassing a co-branded consumer market value at over 2 billion yuan, according to Zhao Jilong. Thus, The Three-Body Universe has evolved into a significant and lucrative business. In September of 2020 , the company granted Netflix the rights to develop an English-language original series called "3 Body Problem." Coincidentally, the Netflix adaptation premiered globally on March 21, just one day before Xu's sentencing.

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