On December 12, 2024, the founder of the Chinese food chain brand “Zhou Hei Ya,” Zhou Fuyu, recently posted a video on his personal social media platform, revealing that he was injured in an explosion while using a camping stove outdoors. This incident involving the Chinese billionaire, who is on the Hurun Rich List, quickly became a top trending topic on Wednesday.
In the video posted on December 10, Zhou Fuyu explained that he was injured in an explosion while boiling water outdoors using a camping stove a few days earlier. He mentioned that he received medical treatment at a hospital and expressed gratitude for the concern shown by netizens.
The video footage showed Zhou Fuyu with his face and arms bandaged and treated. He described his injuries as relatively minor.
In the video, he emphasized the importance of vigilance and attention when purchasing camping stoves and recommended buying reputable brands from legitimate sources for safety reasons.
On December 11, the topic related to Zhou Fuyu’s accident topped the trending charts. Despite his injuries, Zhou Fuyu started a live stream at noon that day, addressing the issue of his injury. He interacted with fans during the live stream, shared brand stories, and answered customer questions.
In a previously published video on December 8, Zhou Fuyu was seen camping at the Longwan Cultural and Tourism Center in Caidian, Wuhan, where various outdoor equipment, including stoves, were visible while he was doing a live stream.
A camping stove, also known as a “cartridge stove” or “portable butane gas stove,” uses butane gas as the main fuel and can also use liquefied gas and other gases as fuel for direct heating during non-fixed cooking outdoors. Camping stoves are commonly used in outdoor activities such as camping and catering establishments.
Currently, Zhou Fuyu holds multiple positions in Zhou Hei Ya, including Chairman, Executive Director, and CEO. Zhou Fuyu and his wife, Tang Jianfang, were once ranked 1179th on the 2023 Hurun Rich List with a fortune of 5 billion RMB.
Public records show that Zhou Fuyu founded “Zhou Ji Guai Wei Ya” in Wuhan in 1997, which was later renamed Zhou Hei Ya in 2005. With the expansion of nationwide direct stores, Zhou Hei Ya established multiple processing plants and logistics centers across the country and went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in November 2016. Its major competitors include Juewei Duck Neck and Huang Shang Huang.
Following its listing, Zhou Hei Ya’s stock price fluctuated several times. Recently, the company has been facing challenges due to declining performance and shrinking store numbers, causing its stock price to hit a historic low.
According to the company’s previous financial reports, in the first half of 2024, Zhou Hei Ya achieved a revenue of 1.26 billion RMB, a year-on-year decrease of 1.095 billion RMB, and a net profit attributable to shareholders of 33 million RMB, down by 67.75% year-on-year. As of the end of June this year, Zhou Hei Ya had a total of 3,456 stores, a decrease of 360 stores compared to the same period last year.