Shanghai judicial authorities carried out the death sentence against a former corporate executive convicted of murdering a prominent gaming billionaire. Authorities identified the condemned man as Xu Yao, a 43-year-old legal professional who was found guilty of poisoning Lin Qi, the founder of Yoozoo Games, in late 2020. The execution, confirmed on May 26, 2026, concludes a high-profile criminal case that revealed a lethal dispute over the adaptation rights for a global science fiction franchise.
Xu Yao was convicted of premeditated murder after a trial that exposed how professional resentment led to a targeted assassination within the upper levels of the Chinese technology industry. Lin Qi died at age 39 on Christmas Day after consuming what he believed were probiotic supplements given to him by a colleague. Investigators discovered that the capsules had been tampered with and filled with a lethal cocktail of toxins. Prosecutors alleged that the motive stemmed from a bitter managerial conflict after the executive felt his contributions were being erased during critical negotiations.
International attention focused on the case because it involved the intellectual property of Liu Cixin's "The 3-Body Problem," a novel that eventually became a high-budget series for Netflix. Court records from the Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate People's Court detailed an elaborate preparation process involving a clandestine laboratory. The defendant reportedly rented a suburban space to experiment with chemical compounds and tested the effects on small animals. He acquired prohibited substances from overseas through dark-web channels to bypass local chemical regulations.
A Deadly Corporate Conflict Over Netflix Rights
Intense friction between the two men developed after the gaming tycoon reduced the defendant's salary and delegated his core responsibilities to other managers. Lin Qi had originally hired the U.S.-educated lawyer in 2017 to resolve complex legal hurdles surrounding the adaptation of the Hugo Award-winning book series. While the lawyer helped broker a major production deal in 2020, he grew angry when his name was omitted from official promotional materials and corporate credits. Corporate filings indicate that his annual compensation was cut by several million yuan shortly before the poisoning occurred.
Five other employees at the firm also fell ill during the same period after consuming contaminated beverages in the Shanghai headquarters. Medical evaluations confirmed that the defendant targeted colleagues whom he perceived as rivals for influence within the company hierarchy. While most of these individuals eventually recovered, two suffered meaningful physical injuries that required long-term specialized care. Forensic experts identified traces of tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin derived from pufferfish, in drinking water dispensers used by the executive team.
"The defendant Xu Yao poisoned the victim Lin Qi due to a dispute over company management and development," the Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate People's Court stated in the official case record.
Finality in Shanghai High Court Case
Carrying out the execution marks the final chapter in a case that rattled the Chinese technology and entertainment sectors. Yoozoo Games, also known as Youzu Interactive, saw its market valuation fluctuate wildly as news of the founder's hospitalization reached the public. Shareholders expressed deep concern over the stability of the management team and the future of its most valuable intellectual property. The firm eventually transitioned to new leadership but struggled to regain its previous peak valuation of nearly 15 billion yuan.
China maintains a strict policy regarding capital punishment for cases involving premeditated murder and serious public endangerment. Although the country does not release specific annual figures on executions, legal experts note that the death penalty is frequently applied in high-stakes crimes that result in loss of life. Supreme People's Court officials reviewed the evidence and upheld the original sentence earlier this year. No further appeals were available to the defense once the highest judicial body in the nation ratified the verdict.
Netflix released its adaptation of the story in 2024, years after the original tragedy occurred in the company's executive suites. Producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss continued with the project despite the ongoing legal turmoil and corporate restructuring in Shanghai. The series remains one of the most expensive productions in the history of the streaming platform, with an estimated budget of 20 million dollars per episode. Lin Qi is posthumously credited as an executive producer on the show, reflecting his early efforts to bring the franchise to a global television audience.
Judicial officers did not specify the method of execution, though lethal injection is the standard practice for high-profile figures in major urban jurisdictions. Records of the case will remain part of Shanghai's legal history because the murder linked corporate governance, intellectual property and capital punishment in a single public proceeding.