After nearly five years since his arrest, 44-year-old Xu Yao awaits the final legal verdict. The former CEO of Three-Body Universe (Shanghai) Cultural Development Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Three-Body Company") was sentenced to death by the Shanghai No.1 Intermediate People's Court in March 2024 for intentional homicide and given six years in prison for spreading dangerous substances. The combined penalties resulted in a death sentence and lifetime deprivation of political rights. Xu appealed the verdict, but the Shanghai High People's Court recently upheld the original ruling. The case has been submitted to the Supreme People's Court for final review, with no decision announced as of November 20, 2025.
The case dates back to December 2020. Investigations revealed that Xu Yao deliberately poisoned his boss, Lin Qi, then Chairman and General Manager of Yoozoo Interactive Co., Ltd. (002174.SZ), leading to Lin's death. Four others—colleagues Zhao Yuyao and Zhao Jilong, Zhao Jilong's wife, and a client surnamed Song—were also poisoned.
Xu meticulously planned the poisoning, forging seals and renting a warehouse to purchase various toxins online under false identities, spending hundreds of thousands of yuan. He conducted experiments in his office and the rented warehouse. Before executing the poisoning, Xu surveilled the offices of Lin Qi, Zhao Jilong, and Zhao Yuyao in Shanghai and Beijing, recommending probiotic supplements as a vehicle for the lethal toxins.
After a period of slow poisoning targeting Zhao Yuyao and Zhao Jilong, Xu escalated his actions when Lin Qi notified him of his impending dismissal, administering a fast-acting lethal toxin that ultimately killed Lin. During Lin's hospitalization, Xu suggested forming management and oversight committees, even volunteering to lead the latter.
Police identified Xu as the prime suspect within a day of Lin's family reporting the poisoning. Upon arrest, authorities found four dark green glass bottles containing highly toxic substances in Xu's possession. While detained, Xu conspired with a fellow inmate to stage a fake suicide attempt to fabricate a heroic act and evade the death penalty.
Throughout the five-year legal process, Xu maintained his innocence, claiming his toxin purchases were for suicide and later developing an addiction to toxin research. His defense argued that Lin Qi might have died from a stroke, but the court dismissed these claims.
Xu Yao, born in March 1981 in Guiyang, Guizhou, came from a family of civil servants. After studying law in France and the U.S., he worked at Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP in Hong Kong before joining Fosun Group's legal department in Shanghai. Known for his formal attire and foreign language skills, Xu was described as ambitious but lacking in legal expertise. Colleagues noted his adeptness at office politics and gift-giving to superiors.
Lin Qi, born in 1981 in Zhejiang, founded Yoozoo Interactive, which became a leading gaming company listed on the A-share market in 2014. A fan of the sci-fi novel "The Three-Body Problem," Lin invested heavily in adapting the IP into films and games, though progress stalled due to rights issues. Xu Yao joined Yoozoo in 2017, playing a key role in securing the "Three-Body" IP rights in 2018 before becoming CEO of Three-Body Company. However, tensions arose over Xu's demand for equity and the company's poor financial performance.
In 2020, as Lin Qi consolidated control over subsidiaries, Xu resisted surrendering financial authority, leading to further conflict. Investigations revealed Xu began researching toxins in May 2020, renting a warehouse near Shanghai Hongqiao Airport to store purchased poisons. By September, he had acquired various toxic substances and tools for administration.
On December 16, 2020, Lin Qi ingested poisoned probiotics recommended by Xu and fell critically ill, dying nine days later. Forensic tests confirmed lethal doses of tetrodotoxin and α-amanitin. Four others—Zhao Jilong, Zhao Yuyao, Zhao's wife, and a client—were also found with elevated mercury levels from slow poisoning.
Despite Xu's claims of innocence and attempts to shift blame, courts at both levels found him guilty of premeditated murder and poisoning, citing overwhelming evidence of his meticulous planning and execution. The Shanghai High People's Court emphasized the severity of Xu's crimes, his lack of remorse, and the need for stringent punishment.
As of November 2025, the Supreme People's Court's review of Xu Yao's death sentence remains pending.
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