On May 21, 2026, Xu Yao, former CEO of Three-Body Universe (Shanghai) Culture Development Co., Ltd., was executed. Multiple sources familiar with the case confirmed this to Economic Observer reporters between May 22 and 26. On the day of the execution, one of the victims’ family members posted on social media: “Justice may be delayed, but it does arrive.”
The case dates back to 2020: Courts found that disputes over company management led Xu Yao to conspire with others on December 14–15, 2020, to poison Lin Qi—founder and chairman of Yoozoo Networks—resulting in Lin’s death. Additionally, due to workplace conflicts, Xu poisoned drinks and other items in the offices of two other employees between September and December 2020, causing four people to fall ill. Xu was arrested on December 18, 2020; Lin passed away on December 25 of the same year at just 39 years old. In April 2024, Shanghai No.1 Intermediate People’s Court sentenced Xu to death for intentional homicide and six years in prison for committing acts endangering public safety. Following an appeal and approval from the Supreme People’s Court, Xu was executed on May 21 this year.
Lin Qi’s death coincides closely with the global rollout of the Three-Body IP. In September 2020, Yoozoo announced a partnership with Netflix to produce an English-language series based on The Three-Body Problem; Lin served as executive producer. Just three months later, he died after being poisoned. In 2024, the Netflix adaptation sparked worldwide discussions—yet the visionary behind bringing this Chinese sci-fi franchise to international streaming platforms had been gone for over three years. Spanning more than five years, this case—from crime to arrest, trial, and execution—mirrors the entire journey of the Three-Body IP from project suspension to global acclaim, underscoring how corporate governance disputes in tech and cultural industries can, under extreme circumstances, spiral into tragic criminal outcomes.