Lai’s appointment follows nearly two decades of tenure, during which he served as Chief Financial Officer since 2008. He was instrumental in navigating the company’s capital strategy and overseeing the development of its latest venture, the9bit, an AI-native platform. While the company searches for a permanent replacement, Senior Legal Director Wei Ji will handle interim financial responsibilities.

Zhu, who spent over twenty years guiding the firm through various market cycles, stated that the transition allows him to focus on personal interests including super-longevity science while remaining active as Executive Chairman. For Lai, the immediate priority is scaling the9bit, which has reached 8 million users and hosts over 110,000 games on its proprietary engine. He plans to pivot the platform from its current growth phase toward a more durable economic model, further integrating the company’s digital asset and AI initiatives.