‘3 Body Problem’ and a murder

The newly-released sci-fi series on Netflix, 3 Body Problem, is a global hit, but it is not just the gripping storyline that has fans on the edge of their seats. It’s the murder of China’s gaming tycoon, Lin Qi (one of the series producers), whose perpetrator was sentenced to death last month by a Chinese court.

Lin Qi was poisoned to death in 2020 in Shanghai by his colleague Xu Yao, a lawyer whom the 39-year-old hired in 2017.

According to the court, Xu became disgruntled and decided to do something about it.

The story behind the murder
Lin wanted to adapt one of the best-selling Chinese sci-fi novels, “The Three-Body Problem,” by Liu Cixin into a show for the global audience. He spent millions of dollars in 2014 for various IP rights related to the books and was able to collaborate with the creators of Game of Thrones to make the Netflix show.

The Chinese gaming billionaire got Xu involved to head The Three Body Universe, a subsidiary of Lin’s gaming company Yoozoo, which has the rights and licenses connected to the original trilogy. But once the Netflix deal was finalized, Xu felt sidelined and reportedly planned to exact his revenge.

Lin’s killing is “as bizarre as a Hollywood blockbuster,” says a Chinese news outlet. Xu purchased several poisons on the dark web and even tested them on small animals in a makeshift lab. He used pills to kill Lin, who died 10 days after consuming the said pills and also poisoned four other colleagues, including his replacement, who all survived.

The show 3 Body Problem debuted on Netflix with 11 million views in its first four days and has remained among the platform’s most-watched programs since its release on 21 March.