1 Kr at 8 a.m. | 12306 has rejected 1.056 million tickets booked by ticket-grabbing software during the May Day holiday; Wanda Film announced a name change; DeepSeek was reported to have launched external financing for the first time, with a valuation exceeding 68 billion yuan.
Today's Hotspot Guide
Zhang Xue admits that popularity has become a sweet burden
A life jacket from the Titanic was sold for $906,000
China has dismantled a major counterfeit liquor network in Shanxi with an involved amount of 260 million yuan
Xiaomi Group has made personnel adjustments and appointed a CTO for its automotive department for the first time
Domestic optical fibers have received a large number of orders globally, and the price of optical fibers has skyrocketed by 650%
Top 3 Big News
12306 has rejected 1.056 million tickets booked by ticket-grabbing software during the May Day holiday
According to China Railway, since the tickets for the May Day holiday went on sale, 12306 has accurately identified the abnormal behaviors of 12306 registered accounts that frequently and in large quantities purchase tickets for non-owners and payment accounts that frequently and in large quantities pay for non-owner orders. It has placed 12306 registered accounts with abnormal behaviors in the slow queue and refused to issue tickets for payment accounts with abnormal behaviors. From 0:00 on April 16th to 24:00 on April 18th, within three days, 12306 has cumulatively placed 5.64 million transactions in the slow queue, refused to issue tickets for 704,000 transactions, and rejected a total of 1.056 million tickets, effectively curbing malicious ticket-grabbing behaviors. Buying tickets through "ticket-grabbing software" not only does not increase the success rate but may also result in slower processing or ticket purchase failure. (China News Jingwei)
Wanda Film: The securities abbreviation will be changed to "Ruyi Film" starting from April 20.
On the evening of April 19, Wanda Film Co., Ltd. (stock code: 002739) (hereinafter referred to as "Wanda Film (002739)") issued an announcement on changing the company name, securities abbreviation and completing the industrial and commercial change registration. The company name after the change is Ruyi Film and Entertainment Co., Ltd.; the company's securities abbreviation after the change is Ruyi Film; the securities code "002739" remains unchanged, and the changed securities abbreviation will be officially put into use on April 20.
Wanda Film (002739) stated that the name change is to better fit the company's strategic development direction. On April 15, 2024, the control rights of Wanda Film (002739) were successfully transferred, and the actual controller was changed to Mr. Ke Liming. Shanghai Ruyi Investment Management Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Ruyi Film and Television Production Co., Ltd. jointly hold 100% of the equity of Beijing Ruyi Investment Co., Ltd., the controlling shareholder of the company. (Securities Daily)
DeepSeek Reportedly Launches First - Round Financing, Valued at Over $68 Billion
On April 18th, news that domestic AI giant DeepSeek might be launching its first external financing has been spreading continuously in the industry.
A latest report from a vertical media in the technology and business fields states that DeepSeek is in talks to introduce external capital for the first time, aiming to replenish its capital reserves to gain a more favorable position in the high - cost competition of developing top - notch AI models. Previously, the company had repeatedly rejected investment invitations from leading Chinese venture capital institutions and tech giants. However, according to two sources, the startup has recently started contacting potential investors and plans to raise no less than $300 million at a valuation of at least $10 billion (equivalent to approximately 68.177 billion yuan).
In response, a person from a large state - owned equity institution told reporters, "According to some channels, the news that DeepSeek is launching its first external financing is very likely to be true, and currently it's impossible to invest in it," and "more information is not convenient to disclose." (21st Century Business Herald, China Securities Journal)
Large Companies/ Major Events
Xiaomi Group Announces Personnel Adjustments, Appoints CTO for Automotive Division for the First Time
On April 17th, Xiaomi Group issued an internal email announcing two important personnel appointments: Hu Zhengnan has been appointed as the vice president of Xiaomi Group and the CTO (Chief Technology Officer) of the automotive division; Song Gang has been appointed as the vice president and chief of staff of Xiaomi Group's automotive division. Public information shows that Hu Zhengnan is a veteran in the automotive industry. He entered the automotive industry in 1997 and has nearly 30 years of work experience. He participated in the engineering R & D of Great Wall Haval H6. From 2012 to 2021, he worked at Geely, serving as the dean of the research institute and leading the development of the Boyue SUV and the Haohan SEA pure - electric architecture. In 2021, he joined Shunwei Capital under Lei Jun and was deeply involved in the R & D of models such as the SU7 as a consultant for Xiaomi Auto. Hu Zhengnan has made public appearances at events including the launch of the SU7, the 2024 auto show, and the SU7 Ultra's challenge on the Nürburgring track. It is worth mentioning that this is also the first time that Xiaomi Auto has appointed a CTO since its establishment was announced in 2021. (Jiemian News)
A huge short position reappears before the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. A mysterious short-seller in the crude oil market makes a profit of $70 million in one hour
According to market trading data and the summary by research institution The Kobeissi Letter, at 8:24 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, the crude oil market suddenly saw a surge in trading volume without any news. Nearly $800 million worth of transactions took place in a short period, accompanied by a sharp drop in prices. Twenty-one minutes later, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced that the Strait of Hormuz was "fully open" to all merchant ships. US President Donald Trump posted a message at 9:06 a.m., thanking Iran for reopening the strait. By 9:10 a.m., the US WTI crude oil futures once fell below the $80 per barrel mark. The Kobeissi Letter estimated that this meant that this transaction made a profit of $70 million in less than an hour. Considering that the overall situation reversed in the evening of Friday, the specific profit situation depends on whether these short positions have been quickly closed. As a background, similar "timed short-selling" has occurred twice in less than a month. (China News Service)
Titanic life jacket sold for $906,000, with historical and collectible value
Recently, a life jacket worn by a passenger on the Titanic who escaped the sinking ship in a lifeboat was sold at an auction for over $906,000. Previously, according to Huanqiu.com, this life jacket belonged to Laura Mabel Francatelli, a 22 - year - old first - class passenger on the Titanic at that time. 114 years ago, this life jacket saved Francatelli's life in the vast ocean. 114 years later, in the long river of history, it carries precious historical memories and is regarded as a very precious cultural relic. This life jacket is currently the only known life jacket of a Titanic survivor to be auctioned. Public opinion believes that this important cultural relic is an important physical carrier witnessing the human historical tragedy of "the sinking of the Titanic" and has extremely high historical and collectible value. (Sina Technology)
Domestic optical fibers have received a large number of orders globally, and the price of optical fibers has skyrocketed by 650%
Optical fiber cables, as an important medium for modern information transmission, are widely used in fields such as data communication, sensing, medical care, and industrial control. Since the beginning of this year, the optical fiber industry has shown a prosperous trend of "both increasing in product volume and price". At an optical fiber manufacturing enterprise in Jiangsu, the staff told reporters that in the first quarter of this year, the production and sales volume of optical fiber products increased by more than 35% year - on - year, and the growth rate of overseas sales exceeded 55%. "The exports are mainly to regions such as North America and Southeast Asia. We now have a sufficient number of on - hand orders, and our production schedule has been arranged until the first quarter of next year." At another optical fiber manufacturing enterprise in Jiangsu, the person - in - charge told reporters that the production and sales volume of optical fibers in the first quarter of this year increased nearly fivefold year - on - year. Meanwhile, the product price has also risen significantly. "The price has increased explosively. The price of G.657.A2 optical fibers was 32 yuan per core - kilometer last year and has risen to 240 yuan this year, a rise of 650%." (CCTV Finance)
Zhang Xue Responds to Performance Balance Rule Restrictions, Admitting That Traffic Has Become a Sweet Burden
In the first round of the WorldSSP category of the 2026 World Superbike Championship (WSBK) at the Dutch Grand Prix, the Chinese motorcycle manufacturer "Zhang Xue Motorcycle" finished fourth. According to news from Hunan TV, Zhang Xue admitted in an interview that traffic has become a sweet burden. He mentioned that from a product and business perspective, Zhang Xue Motorcycle has achieved a vertical popularity equivalent to 2 million fans. He said that he used to be able to commute to work by motorcycle, but now he can't. "There are always dozens of people blocking the factory gate, and I can't have contact with them. Once I do, there will be hundreds of people the next day, and I won't be able to work."
When talking about the fact that many young people now regard Zhang Xue's spirit as an inspiration and see it as a counter - attack, he said that this story has been repeatedly mentioned, but he is not afraid of being accused of rehashing old news. "It's worth it even if it can inspire just one person." (Yicai Global)
Zhangxue Motorcycle Secures 7th Place in the Second Round of the WSBK Dutch Grand Prix
On the evening of April 19th, Beijing time, the second round of the WSBK (World Superbike Championship) Dutch Grand Prix took place. After a fierce competition, Debes, a rider from the Chinese motorcycle manufacturer "Zhangxue Motorcycle", finished in 7th place. In the previous round at the Portuguese Grand Prix, Debes won both the first and second rounds of the main races, helping Zhangxue Motorcycle to break the century - long monopoly of European and American manufacturers. As a result, Zhangxue Motorcycle gained a high level of attention and received sponsorship from several enterprises. Subsequently, the racing motorcycles also got a new paint job. At the Dutch Grand Prix, Zhangxue Motorcycle remained a strong contender for the podium. In the first round of the main race the day before, Debes achieved a 4th - place finish. In the second round of the main race, Debes started from the 10th position and completed multiple overtakes during the race. When there were 6 laps left in the race, a red - flag incident occurred on the track, and the race ended early. Debes ultimately finished in 7th place. (Daily Economic News)
Iran Confirms Participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico
According to CCTV News, on the 19th local time, the media department of the Iranian national football team stated that with the adjustment of the schedules of some league matches, the national team's training work will be carried out in an orderly manner according to the technical arrangements of the coaching staff to ensure the overall plan for the team's preparation for the 2026 World Cup.
The department said that the Iranian men's national football team will conduct phased training camps according to the established preparation plan and improve the overall competitiveness of the team through systematic training to prepare for a good performance in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In addition, the Iranian men's national football team also announced a 30 - man national team roster. (21st Century Business Herald)
New Function of Housing Provident Fund: Withdrawal Based on Actual Property Management Fee Expenses
As of now, more than 20 cities in multiple provinces such as Jiangsu, Hebei, Liaoning, Anhui, and Jiangxi have clearly introduced relevant policies, breaking the old restriction that the housing provident fund can only be used for buying a house and repaying a mortgage. Specifically, although there are differences in policies in different places, they are all very practical: In places like Suzhou and Taizhou, withdrawals are made based on actual property management fee expenses, with an annual upper limit of 10,000 yuan. In places like Changchun, Bengbu, and Hangzhou, annual limits ranging from 3,000 yuan to 10,000 yuan have been clearly set. This wave of policy benefits truly benefits everyone with housing needs. (CCTV Finance)
Author of the Official Biography of Queen Elizabeth II Appointed by the British Royal Family
On the 18th local time, the British royal family appointed British historian and author Anna Keay as the author of the official biography of the late Queen Elizabeth II. It is reported that when King Charles III of the United Kingdom hoped to find a female writer to write a biography for his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, Keay, who is well - known for writing the British chronicle from the 1640s to the 1660s, came into the sight of the royal family. Queen Elizabeth II passed away in September 2022. It is understood that Keay is also a member of the Royal Collection Trust and the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee. Keay said that she will do her best to present the queen's life "objectively". According to a statement from Buckingham Palace, as the author of the queen's official biography, Keay can access the queen's private and official documents collected in the British royal archives and communicate with royal family members, the queen's former friends and servants. (CCTV News)
It is rumored that a large number of Chinese cultural relics lost in France are about to return. The former Chinese ambassador to France pointed out: "Unanimous approval" does not mean "smooth sailing".
The French National Assembly passed the draft bill on the 13th with 170 votes in favor and 0 against. At the same time, it passed several amendments, clarifying that the scope of application of the draft bill is foreign cultural relics obtained by France through illegal means such as theft and plunder between 1815 and 1972. After the passage by the National Assembly, the text of the draft bill still needs to reach an agreement between the two houses of the parliament to complete the legislative process and obtain final approval.
However, at the specific operational level, the draft bill also sets up conditions and procedures for restitution. For example, to determine whether a cultural relic is "illegally obtained", conclusive evidence or "serious, accurate and consistent indications" need to be provided for proof; when a country formally submits an application for the restitution of cultural relics, it needs to establish a joint scientific committee with France to jointly evaluate whether the restitution conditions are met, etc.
Kong Quan, the former Chinese ambassador to France, was not indulged in the optimistic imagination that "a large number of national treasures are about to return". Instead, he calmly pointed out: "Unanimous approval" does not mean "smooth sailing". (Daily Economic News)
China Destroys a Major Fake Alcohol Network in Shanxi with a Case Value of 260 Million Yuan
The State Administration for Market Regulation announced on the 19th that under the unified coordination of the administration, the market regulatory and public security departments of Shanxi and Sichuan provinces carried out a joint operation and recently successfully destroyed a major criminal network involved in the production and sale of trademark - infringing and substandard liquor. As of now, the case value has been identified as 260 million yuan. The public security authorities have summoned 22 people, taken compulsory measures against 11, and transferred 2 for prosecution.
Investigations revealed that Zhao and his wife, the actual operators of Shanxi Wenzhong E - commerce Co., Ltd., were engaged in the liquor sales business on the Internet platform. To obtain higher profits, they approached Pei, the legal representative of Fenxiang Brewing Co., Ltd. in Lvliang City, Shanxi Province, and asked him to produce counterfeit Jiannanchun, Wuliangye and other well - known liquor brands for online sales. Pei entrusted the person in charge of Wuhe Township Winery Co., Ltd. in Lvliang City, Shanxi Province, which has no production qualification, to use edible alcohol and food additives to make blended liquor and pass it off as real liquor. The above - mentioned liquor was labeled with trademarks such as "Jiannanchun", "Wuliangye", "Wuliang Original Liquor", "Wuliang Wine", "Wuliang Qu", "Wuliang Tribute Wine", "Luchuan Laojiao Tequ", "Sichuan Luzhou Laojiao Tequ" and supplied to Zhao and his wife for external sales. (Xinhua News Agency)
Unitree H1 robot participates in the Beijing Humanoid Robot Half Marathon, suddenly loses control of its posture, falls, and is carried off the track
On April 19th, at the finish line of the 2026 Beijing Yizhuang Humanoid Robot Half Marathon, the highly - anticipated Unitree H1 robot suddenly lost control of its posture on the track, staggered, lost its balance, and fell.
The on - site staff immediately activated the emergency plan and carried it off the track on a stretcher. This H1 had achieved excellent results in the previous qualifying race and was regarded as a favorite. Earlier on the same day, Unitree Technology released a message saying that in the qualifying race of the Beijing Humanoid Robot Marathon on the 16th, the Unitree H1 (2023 version) independently completed a more than 1.9 - kilometer winding course in 4 minutes and 13 seconds, breaking the human 1500 - meter world record (calculated proportionally). (Star Market Daily)
Orient Securities Plans to Merge with Shanghai Securities
Orient Securities announced on April 19 that the company is planning to acquire 100% equity of Shanghai Securities Co., Ltd. by issuing A-share shares and paying cash. Given the uncertainty of this matter, to protect the interests of investors and avoid abnormal fluctuations in the stock price, the company's A-share stocks will be suspended from trading starting from the opening of the market on April 20, and the suspension period is expected to be no more than 10 trading days. (NBD)
Samsung Halts Production of Two Major Memory Products
According to South Korean media outlet The Elec, it was confirmed on April 17 that Samsung Electronics has officially stopped accepting new orders for LPDDR4 and LPDDR4X, marking the official entry of these two mainstream memory products, which have been in mass production for over a decade, into the EOL (End of Life) phase. LPDDR4 and LPDDR4X have been the most mainstream memory solutions for consumer electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops in the past decade. LPDDR4 and LPDDR4X entered large - scale mass production around 2017. Thanks to their low - voltage design and excellent power consumption performance, they have become the standard configuration for billions of mobile devices worldwide. (Sina Finance)
Five AICs Earned Over 1.84 Billion Yuan in Net Profit Last Year
Against the backdrop of declining interest rates and narrowing profit margins in traditional credit business, the AICs under the five major state-owned banks showed a trend of "mixed profit growth and decline, and steady asset expansion". ICBC Investment ranked first with a net profit of 528.7 million yuan, and ABC Investment achieved the fastest growth with a growth rate of 9.65%. According to the latest disclosed annual report data, the operating performance of the AICs of the five major state-owned banks showed a differentiated trend in 2025. The total net profit of the five AICs reached 1.8436 billion yuan, basically the same as that in 2024. Specifically, three of them achieved year-on-year growth in net profit in 2025, and the net profits of two companies declined significantly. (Securities Times)
NIO Responds to ES9's Continued Use of Hidden Door Handles: Fully Compliant
On April 18th, NIO issued a statement responding to questions about whether the hidden door handles of the ES9 are compliant after the implementation of the new national standard. Currently, all NIO models on sale can use hidden door handles normally and are fully compliant. Regarding the item of "banning hidden door handles", the implementation time requirement of the new national standard is as follows: All new models announced before December 31, 2027, can use hidden door handles, and all current/upgraded models produced before December 31, 2028, can also use hidden door handles. NIO stated that it firmly supports the standardized management of interior and exterior door handles and continuously restricts itself with requirements higher than industry standards. For the design of subsequent models, NIO will rigorously study the requirements of the new regulations to ensure that all models comply with the new rules. The safety of the currently available models has already passed strict tests and is fully worthy of users' trust. (Jiemian News)
International Maritime Organization: Around 20,000 Seafarers Stranded in the Persian Gulf
On the 17th, Dominguez, the Secretary - General of the International Maritime Organization, said that currently around 20,000 seafarers and nearly 2,000 ships are stranded in the Persian Gulf. He called on countries to step up diplomatic efforts to support the International Maritime Organization's plan to evacuate the stranded seafarers in the Gulf region. He said that the conflicts around the Strait of Hormuz are having a serious negative impact on seafarers, shipping, and the global economy. Any disruption to shipping will directly affect global energy and food security. Dominguez said that according to the decision of the Council of the International Maritime Organization, the organization has started to formulate an evacuation framework. Using the existing traffic separation scheme, it will evacuate ships and seafarers from the conflict area under safe conditions. The technical and operational plans for this framework are being formulated, and regional countries including Iran are involved. (Xinhua News Agency)
The "Lightning" robot of the Glory Monkey King Team won the championship of the Beijing Yizhuang Half Marathon
On April 19th, at the 2026 Beijing Yizhuang Humanoid Robot Half Marathon, the "Lightning" robot of the Monkey King Team won the championship with a time of 50 minutes and 26 seconds (net time) (the world record for the human half - marathon is 56 minutes and 42 seconds). (Yicai Global)
International oil prices skyrocketed at the opening, while gold and silver prices plunged
Early on the 20th Beijing time, international oil prices skyrocketed at the opening. As of press time, WTI crude oil futures rose more than 7%, reporting at $88.63 per barrel; Brent crude oil futures also rose more than 7%, reporting at $96.84 per barrel. Both gold and silver prices showed significant declines. As of press time, spot gold fell nearly 1%, reporting at $4,790 per ounce, once again failing to hold the $4,800 mark; spot silver fell more than 1%, reporting at $79.624 per ounce, with the price dropping below $80.
US stock futures showed a significant correction, in sharp contrast to the sharp rise in the US stock market in the previous trading session. As of press time, the mini Dow Jones futures fell nearly 1%, the mini Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.8%, and the mini S&P 500 futures fell 0.8%. On Friday (April 17th) Eastern Time, the three major US stock indexes all rose sharply. The Dow rose 1.79%, the Nasdaq rose 1.52%, and the S&P 500 index rose 1.2%. The Nasdaq recorded 13 consecutive days of gains, setting the longest consecutive rising record since 1992. The S&P 500 index and the Nasdaq continued to hit new highs. (China News Service)
The Cutting - Edge of AI
Head of Sora Leaves the Company
On April 18, Bill Peebles, the head of OpenAI's video generation platform Sora, announced his departure. The company is adjusting its strategy to reduce "side projects" and shift its focus to programming and enterprise applications. Peebles' departure is part of this series of adjustments. (Cailian Press)
Financial Reports of Large Companies
HNA Holdings Turned a Profit of 1.98 Billion Yuan Last Year, with Four Subsidiaries Achieving Profitability
On the evening of April 17th, HNA Holdings released its annual report for 2025. Last year, it achieved an operating revenue of 68.471 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.96%. The net profit attributable to the parent company reached 1.98 billion yuan, and the net profit after deducting non-recurring gains and losses was 930 million yuan, turning from a loss to a profit and ranking first among the four major airlines in terms of profit. Last year, the net cash flow from operating activities reached 16.051 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 13.57%, mainly due to the continuous improvement of the civil aviation market and the increase in aviation sales. According to Wind data, HNA Holdings' operating revenue has been increasing year by year in the past three years. It achieved profitability in 2023 and 2025 after the pandemic, and the net profit in 2025 was at a medium level in history. HNA Holdings operates 8 airlines in six major regions in China. The financial report shows that among its subsidiaries, Urumqi Air, Fuzhou Airlines, Beibu Gulf Airlines, and HNA Technology turned from losses to profits last year, with net profits of 127 million yuan, 38 million yuan, 100 million yuan, and 75 million yuan respectively. (The Paper)
Investment and Financing
Second Life Secures Tens of Millions in Financing to Boost Full - Color 3D Printing and World Large Model
36Kr learned that Hangzhou Second Life Technology Co., Ltd., a trendy toy technology company (hereinafter referred to as "Second Life"), recently announced the completion of tens of millions of equity financing, exclusively invested by individual investor Yu Zhengxuan. Second Life has achieved a full - link closed - loop of "AI generation - 3D printing - 3D cloud dataization of all things". The funds in this round will be mainly invested in the iterative R & D of full - color 3D printers and the construction of the world large model.
FF: Secures $45 million in new financing
On April 18, Faraday Future (abbreviated as "FF") announced on its official Weibo account that the company has secured $45 million in new financing from an institutional investor in the United States. This is the lowest-cost financing deal the company has achieved in recent years. As of April 12, FF has shipped a total of 34 robots, with a cumulative shipment target of over 1,000 units by 2026. In addition, FF plans to hold its annual general meeting on May 22 to consider a series of proposals aimed at supporting the company's global EAI strategy implementation and long-term growth. (Jiemian News)
AI Map
Another 21-kilometer test: Can robots directly break human records?
Call for Entries: The First Internet "Office Vibe" Contest
Those who have worked know that as soon as they arrive at their workstations, an inexplicable smell starts to emanate from their bodies.
Its top note is the smell of the meeting - room's decoration, the middle note is the smell of coffee from the tea - room, and the base note is the smell of greasy hair that hasn't been washed for three days and is trapped under a hat. The "fragrance" usually lingers for 8+ hours, and in some cases, it can even exceed 12 hours.
This workstation - exclusive "fragrance" is generally called the "office vibe".
As the May Day International Labor Day is approaching, 36Kr is launching the first online "Office Vibe" Contest. What are the most practical or disgusting outfits you wear during your work commute? Where have you worked in the most outrageous places? What's the biggest blunder you've made since you started working?
Welcome to sign up and participate in the three competition areas of "OOTD", "Office Vibe Spread", and "Making Blunders" with your stories or pictures!
Call for Entries: The First Internet "Office Vibe" Contest
Compiled | Chi Yu