Gaming Exec Sentenced To Death For Murdering Netflix’s 3 Body Problem Producer
As 3 Body Problem became the latest Netflix sensation with its debut on the streaming platform last week, some of the discussion surrounding the show has been mired in tragic circumstances. Producer for the show Lin Qi died back in 2020 in a situation that authorities determined was due to foul play. An investigation pointed to Qi being murdered through being poisoned by their coworker at Yoozoo Games, Xu Yao, and in light of these findings, Xu was tried and has been sentenced to face the death penalty for his actions.
A Well-Planned Murder
Lin Qi was the billionaire founder of Yoozoo Games, for which Xu Yao was employed as an executive. It is believed that the motivation for the murder was a conflict between the two at the company about how the business should be run. It is unclear what Xu’s intention was if he had been able to execute the murder without being caught.
Whether he planned to take control of the company or was merely enacting blind revenge with no further foresight, it does seem clear his plans did not stop with the 3 Body Problem producer.
Other Victims Were Saved
Four other individuals at the company also wound up being poisoned by Xu. Fortunately, they all survived following timely intervention. These other incidents took place in 2020 as well, between the months of September and December.
Evidence provided shows that Xu also had conflicts with at least two of the people poisoned in these cases. Though the death of 3 Body Problem producer Lin Qi is a horrific outcome, the situation clearly could have been far worse if Xu’s intentions had fully succeeded.
An Argument Over 3 Body Problem
At the time of the poisonings, Yoozoo Games had just worked out the deal with Netflix to help create a live-action adaptation of 3 Body Problem, based on the famous Chinese book trilogy. Lin Qi was the one who owned the rights in this situation, and Xu handled business dealings pertaining to the deal. It is unclear if this specific collaboration is what led to so much consternation from Xu’s perspective or if this had been developing since even before the plans to adapt 3 Body Problem.
It should be noted that despite Xu’s subsidiary, Three-Body Universe, working on the agreement, Xu’s name was not included in the announcement of the deal with Netflix. This did seem to be a point of friction for him.
Honored By The Show
Lin Qi unknowingly consumed the poison that Xu had laced upon items he knew his colleagues would consume. Upon falling sick, he was hospitalized for ten days before succumbing to his sickness on December 25, 2020. Despite his untimely death, the crew behind 3 Body Problem still honored him by listing him as one of the show’s executive producers when it debuted on March 21 of this year.
Worked On A Game Of Thrones Video Game
If the deal over 3 Body Problem was indeed the impetus behind these attacks, it seems likely that Xu felt cheated out of money and fame that he believed he was entitled to. The deal with Netflix was lucrative on its own, and the show was also created in part by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, best known for being the minds behind Game of Thrones. Yoozoo Games has also worked with the Game of Thrones showrunners to make the online game Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming.
