In recent years, sudden death incidents have been frequently occurring among the elite class in mainland China. Recently, two successful middle-aged professionals passed away unexpectedly, causing a great shock and discussion among the general public. Against this backdrop, entrepreneur Yu Donglai’s statement about “one day it might just end” has once again sparked resonance and heated discussions among many internet users.
On March 24, Zhang Xuefeng, a 41-year-old mainland internet celebrity and graduate entrance examination tutor, tragically passed away from “sudden cardiac death” despite rescue efforts being ineffective.
The news sent shockwaves across mainland China, with Weibo data showing that the reading volume related to Zhang Xuefeng exceeded 3 billion hits by 10 p.m. that evening.
Just a day later, the Securities Times reported that Tang Jian, the 55-year-old Party Secretary and Chairman of Guotong Trust, passed away unexpectedly due to a sudden heart attack on March 20.
On March 18, Tang Jian led a team to Hangzhou to attend a tripartite exchange meeting with other trust company leaders.
Tang Jian’s passing was labeled as a tragic news within the financial circle. A person from Guotong Trust expressed that Tang Jian’s sudden death was lamentable.
Tang Jian’s death news came out on the second day after Zhang Xuefeng’s death, two successful middle-aged men passing away unexpectedly one after the other, causing many mainland Chinese to be filled with anxiety.
Data from JD Medicine showed a surge in searches related to heart medication such as fast-acting heart pills, nitroglycerin, and sublingual nitroglycerin on the evening of March 24, with an increase of over 30 times compared to usual. Searches for AED and other cardiac blood oxygen-related medical devices increased by 10 times, while searches for Coenzyme Q10 and other cardiovascular health supplements increased by over 8 times.
Amidst this anxiety, the Daily Economic News reported on the evening of March 25 that during a live broadcast at the 2026 Lian Shang Supermarket, Yu Donglai, founder of Pangdonglai, mentioned that he had been taking medication since the age of 30, undergoing hundreds of CT scans, and experiencing various health issues, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of life. He hoped that people could love and respect their own lives.
What is even more thought-provoking is Yu Donglai’s quantification of “emotional damage” management.
Yu Donglai revealed the price he has paid for “losing his temper” – over these past two years, he has already compensated over 400,000 for showing anger towards his subordinates.
According to him, at Pang Donglai, scolding a superior or showing anger towards subordinates incurs fines ranging from 4,000 yuan to 100,000 yuan. “If I scold any subordinate, I have to pay him 100,000 yuan.” Even if a front-line supervisor raises their voice at a frontline employee, they still have to compensate 4,000 yuan on the spot.
Yu Donglai’s statements have sparked heated discussions among mainland internet users.
“Linlinlin Uncle”: What is the definition of losing temper here? Does criticizing subordinates in a normal superior-subordinate management relationship count as losing temper? Is it considered losing temper when employees are clearly wrong or violating rules and are reprimanded by management?
“丵-丬丱”: Getting angry harms your health, Zhang Xuefeng was often emotional during his live broadcasts.
“RiverFlowsInYou丶” jokingly remarked: People are lining up to be scolded at Pang Donglai.
In recent years, cases of sudden cardiac death have frequently made headlines. Public data shows that tens of thousands of people in China die each year due to sudden cardiac death, with a considerable portion occurring in individuals without apparent medical history. For example, Zhang Xuefeng was an avid long-distance runner before his passing.
The series of abrupt deaths among middle-aged individuals have once again sparked society’s attention and reflection on health management and work pressure.