How billionaire Lin Qi's murder ties to '3 Body Problem'
Netflix's recent release 3 Body Problem has captivated audiences worldwide, even in China, where the streaming platform is inaccessible. However, amid the excitement, a new detail has emerged. Shortly after the show's debut, Xu Yao, who was involved in the adaptation, was sentenced to death for the murder of Lin Qi—often referred to as China's "billionaire millennial." Lin's company Yoozoo Games holds the rights for film adaptations of the acclaimed Chinese sci-fi epic.
Why does this story matter?
Yoozoo Games, founded by Lin in 2009, is known for developing browser and mobile games. The company also owns the film rights to the namesake Chinese science fiction trilogy by author Liu Cixin. Billed as one of China's most successful literary works in recent years, the novel has been adapted into various forms of media. A Chinese television series titled Three-Body debuted in 2023. Following its success, an English-language adaptation—3 Body Problem—premiered in March on Netflix.
Professional rivalry: Downfall of a professional relationship
In 2017, Lin appointed Xu—a distinguished lawyer—to lead a subsidiary called "The Three-Body Universe," responsible for securing intellectual property rights for film adaptations of the trilogy. However, their professional relationship soured when Lin allegedly sidelined Xu shortly after he played a pivotal role in securing the Netflix deal in 2020. Following this decision, Xu allegedly began plotting against Lin, leading to the tragic events that resulted in the latter's murder.
The poisoning plot and its aftermath
After the fallout, Xu reportedly established a company in Japan to procure lethal substances. He tested these substances on animals before disguising them as probiotic pills and giving them to Lin. Four other people also fell ill from consuming poisoned beverages at the Yoozoo office, but they eventually survived. Lin's condition deteriorated rapidly after initial improvement, leading to his death 10 days later on Christmas Day 2020, shortly after the Netflix deal.
Impact on China's gaming and technology sectors
Lin's death sent shockwaves through China's gaming and technology sectors, sparking widespread speculation. One comment on China's Weibo said, "At least we know that Xu and Lin have read the book...Lose your humanity and you lose a lot." Xu was arrested within days of Lin's death, but it took years for the full details of the case to emerge. Despite his untimely demise, Lin is posthumously acknowledged as an executive producer on the Netflix show.
Meanwhile, know more about the eight-episode-long series
3 Body Problem has been created by David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, and Alexander Woo. Notably, Benioff and Weiss were earlier involved in the creation of the fantasy drama Game of Thrones. It landed on Netflix on March 21 and reportedly amassed 11M views in its first four days. The cast includes Jovan Adepo, John Bradley, Rosalind Chao, Liam Cunningham, Jonathan Pryce, and Ben Schnetzer, among others.
