China executes gaming exec for poisoning billionaire Lin

A former gaming executive in China has been executed for the 2020 poisoning murder of billionaire entrepreneur Lin Qi, the founder of Yoozoo Games, a company linked to the global Netflix adaptation of "The Three-Body Problem." Authorities confirmed that Xu Yao was executed on May 21 following his conviction for intentional homicide.

Xu, who previously headed a Yoozoo subsidiary called Three-Body Universe, was found to have poisoned Lin in December 2020. According to court proceedings and local media reports, the murder stemmed from a professional dispute after Xu was sidelined from key business operations related to the science-fiction franchise. Investigators said Xu orchestrated a deliberate poisoning scheme, purchasing highly toxic substances, including a lethal compound found in poisonous mushrooms, and disguising them as probiotic pills, coffee capsules, and in beverages.

Lin fell ill on December 16, 2020, and died nine days later on Christmas Day at the age of 39. The court also found that four other company employees were sickened by poisoned items between September and December of that year; all of them recovered. Xu was detained by police shortly after Lin's...