A Chinese lawyer, Xu Yao, has been executed for the murder of Lin Qi, a billionaire gaming tycoon who played a key role in bringing the sci-fi series ‘3 Body Problem’ to Netflix. The execution was reported by Chinese state media and confirmed by Three Body Universe, the company Lin once owned.

Background of the Case

In 2020, Xu poisoned Lin by giving him pills that he claimed were probiotics but were actually laced with lethal toxins. These toxins were purchased on the dark web and mixed in Xu’s lab. Lin, who was 39 at the time, fell ill while driving home from his company, Yoozoo Games, and died on Christmas Day after being hospitalized for 10 days.

Xu’s motive was reportedly a dispute over company management matters. He had previously helped Lin secure the rights to adapt Liu Cixin’s acclaimed trilogy of sci-fi books, which begins with ‘The Three-Body Problem.’

Details of the Murder Plot

The court revealed that Xu was inspired by the American series ‘Breaking Bad’ and had set up a lab in Shanghai to experiment with toxins. He tested these poisons on animals and even poisoned beverages in the offices of two other executives, causing four colleagues to fall ill, although they survived.

Xu’s elaborate plan included setting up a trading company in Japan to acquire hazardous chemicals and using 160 cell phone numbers to cover his tracks. Between September and December 2020, he replaced the contents of coffee capsules and other beverages with methylmercury chloride, a highly toxic substance.

Aftermath and Reactions

Following Xu’s execution, Three Body Universe expressed gratitude for the justice served by the legal system and paid tribute to Lin, who was an executive producer for the Netflix series released in 2024. Lin was a passionate fan of Liu’s trilogy and had long envisioned developing the franchise.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.