Xu Yao has been executed in China for the deliberate poisoning and murder of Lin Qi, the founder and chairman of the successful gaming company Yoozoo Games. The Shanghai First Intermediate People's Court announced the execution, concluding a high-profile case that captivated public attention due to the victim's prominence in the tech and entertainment industries.
Lin Qi, who was 39 at the time of his death in December 2020, fell ill after being poisoned. Investigations subsequently led to the arrest of Xu Yao, a former executive at Yoozoo. The court's verdict stated that Xu poisoned Lin due to a dispute over his role within the company, specifically after he felt he had been sidelined following his contribution to securing a significant deal with Netflix for the adaptation of the acclaimed science fiction novel, 'The Three-Body Problem'.
The novel, written by Liu Cixin, gained international recognition and its adaptation by Netflix, in collaboration with Yoozoo Games, was a highly anticipated project. Xu Yao's involvement in facilitating this deal evidently led to a belief that he deserved a more prominent position or greater recognition, culminating in the fatal act of poisoning.
In addition to Lin Qi's murder, Xu Yao was also found guilty of poisoning four other individuals. While these four victims did not die, they reportedly suffered varying degrees of illness as a result of Xu's actions. The court's decision underscores China's stringent approach to serious criminal offences, particularly those involving premeditated murder.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the intense competition and sometimes cut-throat nature of the business world, even within rapidly expanding sectors like gaming and entertainment in China. Lin Qi's death was a significant loss for the industry, given his vision in bringing Chinese intellectual property to a global audience through platforms like Netflix.