Lin Qi, the founder of the gaming company “Youzu Network,” passed away in 2020 due to ineffective treatment of illness. Subsequently, the Shanghai police discovered significant suspicions of wrongdoing by Xu Yao, the CEO of Youzu’s subsidiary “San Ti Universe.” It was understood that Xu Yao, dissatisfied with a job reassignment, purchased over 100 types of chronic poison from abroad and proceeded to poison Lin Qi to death through continuous poisoning.
On Friday (March 22nd), the Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court announced that Xu Yao was sentenced to death for intentional homicide and deprived of political rights for life; for the crime of placing hazardous substances, Xu Yao was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment and the death penalty, with the deprivation of political rights for life.
The court found that Xu Yao, due to conflicts in company management matters with the victim Lin Qi, premeditatedly poisoned Lin Qi’s food items between December 14th and 15th, 2020, leading to Lin Qi’s death by poisoning.
Xu Yao also had conflicts with the victims Zhao A and Zhao B due to work-related reasons. Between September and December 2020, Xu Yao premeditatedly poisoned drinks and other items in their offices, leading to poisoning of Zhao A, Zhao B, and two others. Xu Yao was arrested by the public security organs on December 18th, 2020, at around 6:40 p.m.
The court held that Xu Yao’s intentional homicide resulting in one death constituted the crime of intentional homicide; his actions of placing poisonous substances endangering public safety resulting in four people being poisoned constituted the crime of placing hazardous substances. According to the law, multiple crimes should be punished together. The premeditated poisoning resulting in intentional homicide and endangering public safety showed extremely despicable criminal motives, extremely vicious methods, particularly serious harmful consequences, and great subjective malignancy, and should be severely punished according to the law.
According to earlier reports, Xu Yao gave Lin Qi a box of 30 probiotic pills mixed with poison, and through Lin Qi’s secretary, urged him to take them. After taking them, Lin Qi experienced symptoms such as nausea and headaches. He was hospitalized on December 15, 2020, and passed away ten days later. After Lin Qi’s death, at least five toxins including mercury and pufferfish toxin were found in his body.
Several individuals close to Lin Qi claimed that Xu Yao was obsessed with the American TV series “Breaking Bad” and had set up a dedicated drug manufacturing plant in Qingpu, Shanghai. He purchased hundreds of types of poisons through the dark web and often experimented with various poisons on pets such as cats and dogs. He would poison the pets first before preparing to poison humans.