8:00, Yike Daily | Xiaohongshu announced the cancellation of the "big and small week" work schedule and non - competition agreements for employees; Hefu Noodles was accused of charging different prices for the same noodles, betraying workers; "Goose Roast Guy" apologized after being rejected when trying to feed Zhou Hongyi.

Top 3 Big News

Xiaohongshu Announces Cancellation of "Big and Small Week" Work Schedule and Non - Compete Agreements for Employees

36Kr learned that on April 24th, Xiaohongshu issued an internal letter to all employees, stating that the company designs mechanisms based on trust and is committed to building long - term relationships with employees. It also announced that starting from May 1st, it will no longer add cash or option non - compete agreements, and all existing cash and option non - compete agreements will be lifted. It is understood that Xiaohongshu is the first among Internet companies to clearly propose the cancellation of non - compete agreements. The internal letter also announced two other changes: Xiaohongshu employees can apply for the repurchase of their stock options when leaving the company; the arrangement of working every other Saturday will be cancelled. Both changes will also take effect on May 1st.

HeFu Noodles Accused of Charging Different Prices for the Same Noodles, "Backstabbing" Workers

Recently, some consumers have complained on the Qingfengxia Youth Protection Platform about HeFu Noodles being a "price difference assassin": They ordered exactly the same products, but the prices varied at different stores. A consumer in Beijing posted a video on Douyin, saying that they paid 29 yuan for the Herbal Sour and Spicy Beef Noodles at the Sanlitun SOHO store, while the same noodles cost 36 yuan at the new Wangjing Huacai store. In addition, there are price differences for multiple products such as Herbal Tomato Beef Noodles, Herbal Spicy Beef Noodles, Shanghai Alleyway Scallion Oil Noodles, and Hokkaido-style Minced Meat Noodles at different HeFu Noodles stores. Consumers said that the same products ordered at different stores were exactly the same with no differences, and they couldn't understand why there was a price difference of up to 20% for the same noodles in the same city. (China City News)

"Goose Roaster Guy" Apologizes for Feeding Zhou Hongyi at the Shanghai Auto Show

On April 23rd, the act of "Goose Roaster Guy" feeding Zhou Hongyi at the Shanghai Auto Show sparked controversy. At the scene, "Goose Roaster Guy" was blocked multiple times, and Zhou Hongyi didn't eat the roasted goose offered by him. Instead, after shaking hands with him, Zhou said that he would visit him after going to Chongqing. Previously, "Goose Roaster Guy" became popular overnight by feeding the American internet celebrity "Hyperthyroidism Guy". However, this time, not only was his offer of food to Zhou Hongyi rejected, but it also attracted a lot of "criticism" from netizens. They thought that "Goose Roaster Guy" was going too far in chasing popularity this time and even lost his composure. On the 24th, "Goose Roaster Guy" posted a video to restore the whole process. He said that he was very excited to meet Zhou Hongyi at a formal occasion. He is also a fan of Zhou Hongyi. By the way, he also wanted to promote his hometown and Rongchang roasted goose. "Now, thinking about it, my behavior at that time was a bit inappropriate. I'll pay attention in the future. Please forgive me." (Jiupai News)

Big Companies/Big Events

Android users can now post Live Photos on Moments

On April 24th, WeChat officially announced that Android users can now post Live Photos on Moments. After posting, a Live Photo circle effect will appear on the Moments pictures. Currently, Android devices are being gradually connected. (Jiemian News)

Nintendo: Demand for Switch 2 in the Japanese market is extremely strong, far exceeding previous expectations

Nintendo said that the demand for its upcoming Switch 2 gaming console in the Japanese market is extremely strong, suggesting that the device may make history in the gaming hardware industry. "In Japan alone, we have received 2.2 million applications for the lottery sales on our official online store, far exceeding our expectations," Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa posted on the X platform on Wednesday. "Therefore, we apologize that a large number of applicants will not be selected." To cope with the high demand in the Japanese market, Nintendo has introduced a lottery system and gives priority to frequent players and users who have purchased online subscription services on the original Switch. Pre-sales will start on Thursday. (Sina Finance)

Enlight Media: Currently Establishing a Game Company Focused on 3A Games

At the 2024 annual performance briefing on April 23rd, Enlight Media introduced the key directions of the company's IP operation. In terms of games, Enlight Media stated that the company mainly focuses on 3A games. It is currently establishing a game company, and the game development has been underway for several months. The company plans to launch its first game in about three years, and may also initiate other new game projects. (Securities Times)

Xiaomi's Wang Hua Responds to Lei Jun's Absence from the Shanghai Auto Show: Mr. Lei Really Wanted to Come

During the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show, the news that Lei Jun was giving away 5,000 hats worth 129 yuan each for free every day hit the hot search. Previously, Lei Jun, the CEO of Xiaomi, posted on Weibo: "Thank you all for visiting the Xiaomi booth. Friends who received gifts on - site, please post a picture in the comment section."

"This is Xiaomi's first time participating in the Shanghai Auto Show since we entered the automotive industry," said Wang Hua, the general manager of public relations at Xiaomi Group, in an interview with reporters. "When I arrived, the place was already crowded with people, and we had to implement crowd - control measures. We were caught off guard, but for the sake of our users, we still need to give everyone some proper space." Wang Hua said that the entire lineup of the SU7 and SU7 Ultra models was brought to the show. Regarding Lei Jun's absence from the Shanghai Auto Show, Wang Hua said, "Mr. Lei really wanted to come, but his schedule had other arrangements and there was a conflict. He also wants to say hello to everyone and welcomes you all to visit the Xiaomi booth." (The Paper)

Australia Deploys Helicopters to Cull 750 Koalas

Recently, the government of Victoria, Australia, carried out a helicopter culling operation in Budj Bim National Park, resulting in the death of approximately 750 koalas, which has sparked strong protests from animal protection groups. This culling operation stems from a wildfire that burned more than 2,000 hectares of the koalas' habitat. After the fire, the surviving koalas faced problems such as food shortages and dehydration. The state government initially stated that it would implement "euthanasia" to reduce the animals' suffering, but ultimately chose to shoot them from the air, which has raised questions. (Top News)

Reports: Tencent Music Group in Talks to Acquire Ximalaya, with Staff Reduced by Over 60% in the Past Three Years

Ximalaya, a leading platform in the domestic audio industry, has once again been caught up in acquisition rumors. On April 25th, it was learned from multiple sources familiar with the matter that Ximalaya has recently held discussions with Tencent Music Group regarding a potential acquisition, but the potential valuation has been significantly discounted. Public data shows that this 12 - year - old platform is undergoing drastic personnel adjustments. The team, which had 4,342 employees at the end of 2021, has been reduced to approximately 1,500 by 2024, representing a 65% reduction. A large - scale layoff at the end of 2023 affected multiple departments such as content and technology, and multiple rounds of "personnel replacement" were carried out in 2024. (Phoenix Tech)

"Reverse Tourism" Boosts Lesser - known Small Towns, with a 30% Increase in High - star Hotel Bookings in Counties

36Kr learned that Qunar's big data shows that the booking volume of air tickets and hotels during this year's May Day holiday has increased steadily. More than 23 music festivals will be held across the country during the holiday, driving a 3.4 - fold increase in hotel bookings in some popular cities. Reverse tourism has made lesser - known small towns popular. Hotel bookings for the May Day holiday have covered 1,229 counties across the country. High - star hotels in counties are more cost - effective this year, with a booking increase of over 30%. "High - energy scenic spots", "Relaxing tourism", and "Traveling with pets" have become new ways for young people to travel. The new senior travelers are also active. The "strolling vacation" is popular, and the search volume for destinations within a two - hour travel distance has increased by 50% year - on - year. The number of trips made by small families of three plus one or two elderly people, and "lovebirds" traveling with the elderly has increased by 30%.

Intel CEO Says He Discussed Cooperation Issues with TSMC

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said on Thursday that he recently met with TSMC's CEO to discuss cooperation issues between the two companies. "We obviously regard TSMC as our partner, and we've always been very good partners. (TSMC Chairman) Morris Chang and (CEO) C.C. Wei are my friends of many years. We recently met again to try to find areas where we can cooperate so that we can create a win - win situation," Gelsinger said in a conference call after Intel announced its quarterly results. (Sina Finance)

The three major U.S. stock indexes closed higher collectively, and large technology stocks rose across the board

36Kr learned that at the close on April 24, the three major U.S. stock indexes rose collectively. The Nasdaq rose 2.74%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.23%, and the S&P 500 Index rose 2.03%. Large technology stocks rose across the board. Netflix rose more than 4%, and its stock price hit a record high; NVIDIA, Microsoft, Tesla, and Amazon rose more than 3%, Meta and Google rose more than 2%, and Apple rose nearly 2%. Most popular Chinese concept stocks strengthened. Pony.ai rose nearly 40%, NIO and Futu Holdings rose more than 6%, Pinduoduo, Tiger Brokers, Bilibili, Baidu, iQiyi, and NetEase rose more than 2%, and XPeng Motors and Tencent Music rose more than 1%; TAL Education Group fell more than 18%, and JD.com fell more than 3%.

The total pre - sale box office of new films during the May Day holiday in 2025 has exceeded 10 million yuan

According to the professional version of Dengta, as of 19:21 on April 24th, the total pre - sale box office (including pre - screenings) of new films (including re - releases) during the May Day holiday in 2025 has exceeded 10 million yuan. The films "The Dumpling Queen", "Hunt for Gold: The Game", "A Flying Start in Life", "The Vast Horizon Is My Love", and "The Gale of Death" are currently ranked in the top five. (Jiemian News)

Hyundai Motor Establishes Tariff Task Force, Plans to Move Some Production to the US

Hyundai Motor Company said on Thursday that it has established a special task force to deal with US tariffs, adding that the production of some Tucson crossovers has now been moved from Mexico to the US. The company reported a 2% increase in operating profit in the first quarter and reiterated its annual profit target. It also said that it is considering whether to move the production of some cars destined for the US from South Korea to other locations. (Sina Finance)

Coca-Cola Announces Price Hike in Japan

According to a report by Cailian Press on April 24, Coca-Cola Japan recently announced price adjustments for its major product categories, which will take effect on October 1, 2025. Coca-Cola Japan stated that against the backdrop of persistently high raw material and energy prices and exchange rate fluctuations, the cost of conducting business has been continuously rising. Due to the impact of the market environment, it is difficult for the company to continue absorbing the impact of rising costs through its own efforts alone. The announcement shows that the recommended retail prices of coffee products will be increased by 20 - 30 yen, and those of other products will be increased by 20 yen. (Cailian Press)

Boeing Confirms: China Has Stopped Accepting Boeing Aircraft

According to a report by AFP on April 23, Boeing CEO Calhoun said in an interview with CNBC that due to "the tariff environment," Chinese customers have "stopped accepting aircraft deliveries." Calhoun said that Boeing plans to deliver about 50 aircraft to China in 2025. He said the company won't "wait too long" before delivering these aircraft to other customers. According to a report on the website of Lianhe Zaobao of Singapore on the 21st, citing Reuters, a second Boeing aircraft originally scheduled to be delivered to a Chinese airline returned to the United States on the 21st. The report said that previously, a Boeing aircraft originally scheduled to be delivered to Xiamen Airlines had returned to Boeing's production center in the United States. (Reference News)

Following California, 12 more US states sue the Trump administration for "illegally" abusing tariff policies

On April 23 local time, the states of Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, and Vermont in the United States filed a lawsuit in the US Court of International Trade, attempting to block the implementation of the Trump administration's tariff policies and seeking a court declaration that its new tariff policies are illegal. (CCTV News)

Lucy Guo, Co-founder of Scale AI, Overtakes Taylor Swift to Become the World's Youngest Self-made Female Billionaire

According to Hongxing Capital Bureau on April 24, as reported by Forbes, Lucy Guo, the 30-year-old co-founder of artificial intelligence startup Scale AI, will overtake American singer Taylor Swift to become the world's youngest self-made female billionaire. Hongxing Capital Bureau also noticed that Lu Yiwen, the 37-year-old founder of DR Diamond Ring, ranks 6th among the world's youngest self-made female billionaires and is the highest-ranking Chinese billionaire. (Hongxing News)

Elon Musk on the Underlying Logic of Autopilot: Avoiding Collisions is the Top Priority

36Kr learned that on April 23, Tao Lin, the vice president of Tesla, shared a video of Elon Musk's views on the underlying logic of autopilot. In the video, Musk said that even if the road markings are completely wrong, or even if a UFO lands in the middle of the road, the car must not collide and should continue to do the right thing. "So what really matters, the primary instruction for a self - driving car, is to avoid collisions, which takes absolute precedence over everything else." No matter how the markings are painted or how the roads are built, the key is to get you to your destination safely and comfortably while minimizing the possibility of collisions.

The Cutting - Edge of AI

Adobe Adds OpenAI and Google's AI Models to the Firefly Platform

On April 24th, Adobe unveiled its brand - new generative AI model set for creativity, Firefly. Adobe stated that it now offers the most comprehensive artificial intelligence creative platform in the industry, featuring the Firefly model series, a selection of partner models including those from Google Cloud and OpenAI, and AI - powered tools integrated into Creative Cloud applications. (Jiemian News)

Meta Launches Real - time Translation Feature for All AI Glasses Users

Tech giant Meta announced on Wednesday that it would push a series of new AI features for its Ray - Ban smart glasses. The translation feature is available to all users and currently supports multilingual conversations in English, French, Italian, and Spanish. If users download the language packs in advance, they can also use this service offline. (Cailian Press)

AI Godfather and Others Issue Joint Open Letter: OpenAI's Restructuring Strays from Founding Mission, Demands Regulatory Oversight

On April 24th, former OpenAI staffers, researchers, and nonprofit organizations jointly released an open letter urging regulators to halt OpenAI's proposed corporate restructuring. The letter contends the transformation would dismantle critical safeguards including profit caps, independent board oversight, and nonprofit ownership of AGI technology, fundamentally contradicting OpenAI's original charter. Historically, OpenAI established a for-profit subsidiary (OpenAI LP) in 2019 for fundraising while maintaining nonprofit governance. The new restructuring plan would transfer operational control to a public benefit corporation (PBC), reducing the original nonprofit entity to a shareholder role without governance authority. (IT Home)

NTT DATA Reaches a Partnership with OpenAI on Generative AI

NTT DATA, a subsidiary of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone, announced a partnership with OpenAI to launch AI - generated tools focusing on enhancing data security for enterprises globally. (Caixin Press)

Financial Reports of Large Companies

Intel Reports $12.7 Billion in Revenue in Q1, Net Loss Widens by 115% Year-on-Year

Intel released its financial report for the first quarter of fiscal year 2025. The report shows that Intel's revenue in the first quarter was $12.7 billion, flat compared with $12.7 billion in the same period last year; the net loss attributable was $800 million, widening by 115% compared with the net loss attributable of $400 million in the same period last year; the adjusted net profit attributable, excluding U.S. GAAP, was $600 million, down 24% compared with $800 million in the same period last year. (Sina Tech)

Google's parent company Alphabet reports $90.234 billion in revenue in Q1, with net profit up 46% year-on-year

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, released its financial report for the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, ending on March 31. The report shows that Alphabet's total revenue in the first quarter was $90.234 billion, a 12% increase from $80.539 billion in the same period last year, and a 14% increase excluding the impact of exchange rate fluctuations. According to US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Alphabet's net profit in the first quarter was $34.540 billion, a 46% increase from $23.662 billion in the same period last year. The diluted earnings per share were $2.81, up from $1.89 in the same period last year. (Sina Tech)

Happy Blue Ocean: Net profit in the first quarter was 70.5301 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 694%

36Kr learned that Happy Blue Ocean released its first-quarter financial report. The report shows that in the first quarter of 2025, the operating income was 332 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 40.40%; the net profit attributable to shareholders of the listed company was 70.5301 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 694.06%. The main reason is that during the reporting period, affected by the strong overall box office performance of the Spring Festival film market, the company's film distribution and screening revenues increased.

Adidas: Global Revenue in Q1 2025 Increased by 13% Year-on-Year

36Kr learned that Adidas announced its preliminary results for the first quarter of 2025, which were better than expected. The report shows that thanks to double-digit growth across all markets and channels, Adidas' global revenue reached 6.153 billion euros, a 13% increase year-on-year on a currency-neutral basis (the same below). Excluding the impact of Yeezy, the revenue increased by 17% year-on-year. The operating profit increased strongly from 336 million euros in the same period last year to 610 million euros, and the operating profit margin rose to 9.9%. It is worth mentioning that by the end of 2024, Adidas had completed the sale of its remaining Yeezy inventory, and this quarter's results do not include any sales contribution from Yeezy.

Nokia's net sales in the first quarter were 4.39 billion euros, in line with expectations

Nokia's net sales in the first quarter were 4.39 billion euros, with an expected 4.4 billion euros; the adjusted operating profit was 156 million euros, with an expected 279.6 million euros; it still forecasts an adjusted operating profit of 1.9 billion to 2.4 billion euros for the whole year. (Jiemian News)

Hyundai Motor's operating profit in the first quarter was 3.63 trillion won, a year-on-year increase of 2.1%

Hyundai Motor announced its first-quarter results on April 24. The operating profit in the first quarter was 3.63 trillion won (approximately $2.52 billion), a year-on-year increase of 2.1%; revenue increased by 9.2% to 44.4 trillion won. (Jiemian News)

Proya: Net profit in Q1 reached 390 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 28.87%

36Kr learned that Proya released its Q1 financial report. The report shows that in Q1 2025, the company achieved an operating income of 2.359 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.13%; the net profit attributable to shareholders of the listed company was 390 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 28.87%. The basic earnings per share were 0.99 yuan.

Renault Group: Revenue of 11.7 billion euros in the first quarter, a year-on-year increase of 2.9%

36Kr learned that Renault Group released its first-quarter financial report. The report shows that in the first quarter of 2025, the revenue reached 11.7 billion euros. The group's automotive products performed strongly, with sales reaching 564,980 units, a year-on-year increase of 2.9% compared with the first quarter of 2024. Renault Group's electrification strategy has been aggressive, resulting in a significant increase in sales. Meanwhile, the Renault brand under the group far exceeded the market level in Europe. Looking ahead to the fiscal year 2025, Renault Group expects an operating profit margin of ≥7% and free cash flow of ≥2 billion euros.

Investment and Financing

Zhongzheng International Investment (Hainan) Co., Ltd. Completes 80 Million Yuan Series A Financing

36Kr learned that recently, Zhongzheng International Investment (Hainan) Co., Ltd. completed a Series A financing of 80 million yuan. This financing was led by a certain institution, with two investment institutions participating as follow - on investors. The financing funds will be mainly used to deepen the layout of core business, discover more high - quality investment projects, improve the professional capabilities of the team, and increase investment in cross - border business and key industries in the Hainan Free Trade Port.

Shanghai Zhishang Information Technology Co., Ltd. Completes 20 Million Yuan Angel Round Financing

36Kr learned that recently, Shanghai Zhishang Information Technology Co., Ltd. completed an angel round financing of 20 million yuan. This financing was jointly invested by three domestic institutions. The funds from this round of financing will be used for online and offline business expansion, scale growth, talent recruitment, business model innovation, etc.

Xiamen Qianyao Technology Co., Ltd. Completes 5 Million Yuan Angel Round Financing

36Kr learned that recently, Xiamen Qianyao Technology Co., Ltd. completed a 5 million yuan angel round financing, which was invested by Shenzhen Guocheng Investment Consulting Co., Ltd. This financing will be used for core technology R & D, product matrix improvement, and market channel construction to accelerate its transformation process from technology exploration to commercial implementation.

Call for "Derailment Moments"

Have you ever had moments of "breaking away from the norm"? Two weeks ago, the sudden gale in Beijing blew with such force that it hit the pause button on our non - stop hustle. From childhood to adulthood, we've been methodically striving to become "accomplished adults". As kids, we were expected to top the class; as grown - ups, we're in the rat race of the workplace. Young people are fed up with KPIs, overtime, and emotional exhaustion. You must have secretly relished such moments—a planned - out "deviation".

It could be the "misdemeanor" during evening self - study in school; the courage to "slack off" when the deadline is looming; a long - planned but yet - to - visit "escape destination"; or perhaps, a moment of zoning out when you suddenly discover the beauty of the world. On the eve of the May 4th Youth Day, we invite you to participate in a special collection. Welcome to fill out the questionnaire and share your "derailment moments"!

Scan the QR code to participate in the survey

Compiled | Su Yuhan