In brief
In a rare judicial announcement, Shanghai authorities carried out the death sentence against former lawyer Xu Yao. Xu had poisoned Lin Qi in December 2020 after a fallout over company control, leading to Lin’s death nine days later at age 39. The case gained international attention because Lin was a key figure in China’s gaming sector and a post‑humous executive producer of Netflix’s blockbuster sci‑fi adaptation of Liu Cixin’s trilogy. Xu was convicted in 2024, found guilty of murder and other poisoning crimes that left several people ill. His execution on 21 May 2026, confirmed by Lin’s company, was framed as a vindication of justice, with Roman‑inspired statements of gratitude to the judicial process.
In a stark reminder of China’s ruthless approach to high‑profile fraud, Shanghai’s First Intermediate People’s Court confirmed the execution of Xu Yao, a former lawyer who poisoned gaming magnate Lin Qi in 2020. Xu was convicted in 2024 of murder and multiple poisoning offences that left a small number of bystanders sick. In December 2020 Lin, who had recently helped arrange a Netflix deal for the Three‑Body Universe, became ill after taking what was allegedly probiotic pills and later died at the Shanghai Hospital nine days later. The incident was traced to the 39‑year‑old Lin, founder of Yoozoo Games, who had once appointed Xu to run the subsidiary that managed the long‑running 3‑Body franchise.The world‑wide binge of Netflix’s 3 Body Problem has made Lin a household name; he was post‑humously credited as an executive producer, an honour that has thrown a spotlight on the case. Xu’s appointment as lead for the Three‑Body universe had ended when Lin re‑organised the company’s leadership in 2020, a move that supposedly triggered Xu’s lethal plot.According to the court, Xu disguised the poison as a health supplement and then mailed it to Lin, a plan that the judge described as “extremely despicable.” Police acted within days of Lin’s admission to the hospital, arresting Xu and other individuals involved in the poisoning scheme.The sentence, carried out on 21 May 2026, was confirmed by Lin’s company in a statement praising the impartiality of the judicial process. The statement added, Justice has ultimately been served, and issued condolences to Lin’s family.The execution – a rare public spectacle – has sparked debate over the fairness of China’s death penalty in corporate matters, while raising questions about the extent to which internal disputes in top companies can spiral into violence.The case poignantly underscores that even idols of the gaming industry are not exempt from the law. As the industry mourns the loss of Lin Qi, the execution of Xu Yao serves as both a warning and a stark reminder of the seriousness with which the state treats treachery.
