Tragic Tale: A Visionary's Dream for '3-Body Problem' Cut Short by Tragic Fate

Sign up for CNN’s Meanwhile in China newsletter to discover more about the country’s growth and its global impact.

Lin Qi, a billionaire and avid fan of “The Three-Body Problem,” aimed to adapt his beloved Chinese sci-fi novel into TV shows, movies, and video games on a global scale.

After listing his gaming company in 2014, the young entrepreneur had big plans to make China's favorite sci-fi trilogy as popular as "Star Wars" on a global scale.

Ten years later, Lin was getting closer to his goal with a Netflix series based on the award-winning book attracting millions of viewers worldwide. Sadly, the billionaire who played a key role in bringing the show to life passed away before its release.

Lin was tragically poisoned and killed at the young age of 39, as confirmed by Chinese authorities. This devastating event occurred just months after Netflix had announced its intentions to produce the series "3 Body Problem," in which Lin was named as an executive producer.

Shockingly, the perpetrator behind Lin's untimely death was revealed to be one of his own executives. This high-flying lawyer had played a key role in assisting Lin's company, Yoozoo Games, in securing the rights to adapt the highly acclaimed trilogy.

Xu Yao gave Lin a bottle of pills that he claimed were probiotics, but they actually contained deadly toxins purchased from the dark web. This act followed a dispute between Xu Yao and his boss.

The media in China has been captivated by the carefully orchestrated murder, which has sparked discussions online likening it to the popular American TV show "Breaking Bad." Chinese news sources have reported that the crime included the experimentation with over a hundred poisons in a makeshift laboratory in the suburbs.

Xu was sentenced to death for murder by a court in Shanghai on March 22 - the day after the much-anticipated debut of “3 Body Problem” on Netflix.

For Chinese tech entrepreneurs and fans of the books, the sentencing of Xu on the following day was a stark reminder of the tragic loss of a promising figure in China's thriving internet industry. Xu was not only a rising star in the industry but also played a crucial role in the creation of one of China's most successful pop culture exports.

On a winter evening in 2020, Lin was driving home from Yoozoo Games headquarters in Shanghai when he suddenly felt unwell. He checked himself in to the hospital and initially recovered to a stable condition, but died 10 days later on Christmas Day, according to his company.

Meticulous scheme

At least five toxins were found in Lin's body, such as mercury and tetrodotoxin, a powerful poison from pufferfish, as reported by Chinese financial magazine Caixin, who spoke with individuals close to the video game mogul.

Xu was quickly arrested and named as a primary suspect, according to a statement from the police during that period.

Last month, the Shanghai court made a ruling regarding a dispute between Xu and Lin over company management issues. Xu was found guilty of planning to poison his boss by lacing edible items with poison over a span of two days. Additionally, Xu also poisoned beverages in the offices of two other executives he had disagreements with, resulting in four colleagues falling ill. Fortunately, all four colleagues survived the poisoning.

Following Lin's tragic death, Chinese media outlets began to piece together a more detailed and chilling account of the murder. It was revealed that the murder involved meticulous planning that spanned over several months.

3 Body Problem. (L to R) John Bradley as Jack Rooney, Jess Hong as Jin Cheng, Mark Gatiss as Isaac Newton, Reece Shearsmith as Alan Turing, Jenson Cheng as Kublai Khan in episode 103 of 3 Body Problem.

In episode 103 of 3 Body Problem, the cast includes John Bradley as Jack Rooney, Jess Hong as Jin Cheng, Mark Gatiss as Isaac Newton, Reece Shearsmith as Alan Turing, and Jenson Cheng as Kublai Khan.

Xu was a big fan of the American series "Breaking Bad," which tells the story of a chemistry teacher turning to making meth after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. This information was reported by Caixin, who spoke with individuals familiar with the company.

He established a laboratory in a suburban area of Shanghai where he purchased over a hundred toxins from the dark web for experimentation. He frequently tested combinations of poisons on cats, dogs, and other pets before turning the deadly substances into pills, which he then gave to Lin as "probiotic pills," as reported by Caixin.

As per Phoenix News, a Chinese news source, Xu possessed 160 cellphone numbers and established a trading company in Japan to procure dangerous chemicals, including those he used to harm his coworkers.

Xu swapped the coffee capsules, whiskey, and bottled water in the offices of two executives with replacements injected with methylmercury chloride between September and December 2020. Caixin reported last month, citing court documents, that methylmercury chloride is an acute toxic substance that can be fatal if swallowed, inhaled, or touched.

Falling out

The Shanghai court did not provide specific information about the disagreement between Xu and Lin. However, Chinese media reports, based on sources within the company, indicated that the issue stemmed from Lin's desire to adapt "The Three-Body Problem," a part of a trilogy by Liu Cixin, China's most renowned science fiction writer.

Lin had expressed interest in transforming the Three-Body IP into a global cultural franchise for a long time. Unfortunately, the rights for adapting the books were owned by a Chinese business couple who had acquired them from the author back in 2009.

Lin's resolve to protect the rights grew stronger when a film adaptation project with the couple fell through after years of working together.

In 2017, Lin enlisted the help of Xu, a seasoned lawyer with an international education and ten years of experience at a Chinese conglomerate, to overcome the obstacles.

Xu managed to obtain the rights for adaptations. In the next year, he was chosen to lead a Yoozoo subsidiary called The Three-Body Universe. This subsidiary was responsible for working on the development of the Three-Body IP.

3 Body Problem. Episode 101 of 3 Body Problem. Cr. Ed Miller/Netflix © 2024

3 Body Problem. Episode 101 of 3 Body Problem. Cr. Ed Miller/Netflix © 2024

Netflix

Related article

Netflix blockbuster ‘3 Body Problem’ divides opinion and sparks nationalist anger in China

But Lin was not impressed by Xu's performance. As a result, he was sidelined and key projects were given to another executive, Zhao Jilong. It was later revealed that Xu had poisoned Zhao by spiking his drinks, as reported by Caixin.

Zhao was discovered to be suffering from chronic mercury poisoning, with his body containing a concentration of mercury that was more than 10 times the safe level, according to the report.

Xu's yearly salary decreased from 20 million yuan ($2.76 million) to approximately 5 million yuan after he started working at Yoozoo, as reported by Phoenix News.

When Netflix revealed its plans to adapt "The Three-Body Problem" in September 2020, Lin and Zhao were named as executive producers, but Xu's name was noticeably absent.

Yoozoo staff informed Caixin that the Netflix deal was negotiated by Lin and a group of young employees. According to a source close to Lin, Xu Yao's involvement in the deal was minimal. It was suggested that Lin had decided to stop working with Xu Yao from that point onwards.

In a November 2020 interview, Xu highlighted his significant contribution to Yoozoo's acquisition of the Three-Body copyrights.

"We legal professionals are here to help resolve conflicts, find solutions to problems, and be brave enough to make a difference," he said.

Later on, it was revealed that Xu was already strategizing an action that would alter his and Lin's destinies.

A month before Lin’s death, he mentioned in an interview that the Three-Body project could be his lasting legacy. He believed it would be something he would think about even at 90 years old when saying goodbye to the world.

Lin expressed his fear of having a moment of extreme clarity before death. He worried that his last thoughts would be about how he ruined 'The Three-Body Problem.'

Editor's P/S:

The murder of Lin Qi, a visionary entrepreneur, is a tragic and disturbing tale that casts a shadow over China's thriving tech industry. Xu Yao's meticulous planning and experimentation with deadly toxins reveal a chilling level of calculation and disregard for human life. The fact that Xu was a high-ranking executive within Lin's own company adds a layer of betrayal and intrigue to this already shocking crime.

The case has sparked widespread discussion and fascination in China, highlighting the risks and challenges faced by