9 a.m. Krypton News: The head chef at a Xibei restaurant claims that some dishes are leftovers from the previous day; The parents of the person involved in the urination incident at Haidilao are ordered to pay 2.2 million in compensation; The release of the iPhone Air in China is postponed.

Today's Hotspot Guide

• Schwarzkopf Apologizes for Translating "Virgin Hair" as "Virgin Hair Quality"
• Tencent Debunks Rumor of "Former OpenAI Researcher Yao Shunyu Joining with Hundreds of Millions in Salary"
• Nezha Automobile Has Only 15 Million Yuan Left on the Books, with Confirmed Creditors' Rights of Approximately 5.1 Billion Yuan
• Xu Hao, Chairman of Guizhou Big Data Group on the Cloud, Under Investigation
• Shanghai Disney Responds to "Unreasonable Price of 15 Yuan for 5 Packs of Sanitary Napkins": Price Adjusted to 7 Yuan per Pack

Top 3 Big News

Xibei restaurant head chef says some dishes are left overnight, Xibei publishes the cooking process of the "Luoyonghao Menu"

The "prepared food" controversy between Xibei and Luoyonghao continues to simmer. On the evening of the 11th, Jia Guolong, the founder of Xibei, clearly stated that he would sue Luoyonghao. Subsequently, Luoyonghao posted a reward notice of 100,000 yuan on social media, publicly soliciting "real evidence" from the outside world to prove that Xibei uses prepared food. On the afternoon of September 12th, Xibei issued a letter to customers, stating that after confirmation, Luoyonghao's accusations against Xibei on Weibo were untrue. Xibei said that regarding the actual cooking methods of the involved dishes at the store level, it will officially publish the "operation manuals" of the specific cooking processes of 13 dishes to the whole society.

On the 12th, a reporter visited a Xibei restaurant in Hangzhou in person to experience Lao Luo's set meal. The head chef of Xibei admitted that some dishes were left overnight. The chef said that the shelf life of the cooked lamb chops is three meals, one meal this morning, one meal this afternoon, and they can still be sold tomorrow morning. The chef also said that using the overnight dishes will not affect the quality of the served food. (Yicai Global, Luzhong Morning Post)

Verdict Reached in Case of Customer Urinating in Hot Pot at Haidilao: Parents of the Involved Parties Compensate 2.2 Million Yuan

In March this year, a short video of someone "urinating in a hot pot" at a Haidilao hot pot restaurant sparked wide public attention. Subsequently, the Huangpu Police in Shanghai issued a police report and imposed administrative detention penalties on the involved Tang (male, 17 years old) and Wu (male, 17 years old).

It is reported that on September 12, the court made a first - instance verdict in the case of disputes over reputation rights and property damage compensation between the plaintiffs, a Sichuan catering management group co., Ltd. and a Shanghai catering management co., Ltd., and the defendants, Tang, Wu, as well as Tang's parents and Wu's parents.

The court ruled that Tang and his parents, as well as Wu and his parents, should apologize to the Sichuan catering company and the Shanghai catering company in designated newspapers respectively while protecting the privacy of minors. Tang's parents and Wu's parents should compensate the Shanghai catering company 130,000 yuan for tableware wear and tear and cleaning and disinfection fees, and compensate the Sichuan catering company and the Shanghai catering company 2 million yuan for business losses and goodwill losses, as well as 70,000 yuan for rights - protection expenses, totaling 2.2 million yuan (if Tang and Wu have personal property, the compensation shall be paid from their own property, and the insufficient part shall be compensated by Tang's parents and Wu's parents). (Jiupai News)

iPhone Air's Release in China Delayed, Three Major Carriers to Provide eSIM Support for Apple

On September 12th, the information on Apple's official Apple Store website was updated, changing the release time of the iPhone Air to "Release information will be updated later" and "All models will be released after approval." Due to the special design of the new iPhone Air using an eSIM card, it failed to be released in China simultaneously with the other three iPhone models this year. In response to this, Apple issued a statement to Sina Technology, saying: We are working closely with regulatory authorities to strive for an early launch in China.

Apple's official website now shows that the iPhone Air activates the carrier network through an eSIM and does not support physical SIM cards. China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom will provide eSIM support for this product, and the specific time depends on the approval of the regulatory authorities. (Yicai, Sina Technology)

Big Companies/Big Events

Man Who Secretly Photographed Unreleased AITO M9 Ordered to Pay 250,000 Yuan in Compensation

On September 12, the People's Court News recently disclosed the case of the "AITO M9 Spy Photo Incident":

In July 2023, Chen, a man from Chongqing, sneaked into the Seres automobile factory area through a fence and secretly photographed the interior of the unreleased AITO M9. After being discovered by the staff, he deleted the content, but later recovered the data and posted a video, advertising it as "exclusive first - hand" to attract attention. The "spy photos" revealed the interior design of the AITO M9, including the door panels, steering wheel, center console, and air - conditioning system, disrupting the new car's release plan.

Seres filed a lawsuit, stating that the interior design was a trade secret, and Chen's actions reduced consumers' sense of novelty and affected the marketing strategy. Chen argued that the photographed content did not involve core technologies and that there were management loopholes in the factory area. The court found that after being refused entry through the main entrance, Chen sneaked in through a gap in the fence that was temporarily opened for the car company employees' medical examinations that day, indicating obvious subjective malice.

In January 2025, the First Intermediate People's Court of Chongqing found Chen liable for infringement and ordered him to pay 250,000 yuan in compensation. (Red Star News)

Xu Hao, Chairman of Guizhou Big Data Group on the Cloud, Under Investigation

According to the information from the Guizhou Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Provincial Supervisory Commission: Xu Hao, the Party Secretary and Chairman of Guizhou Big Data (Group) Co., Ltd. on the Cloud, is suspected of serious violations of discipline and laws. Currently, he is under disciplinary review and supervision and investigation by the Guizhou Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Provincial Supervisory Commission. Guizhou Big Data on the Cloud is the sole partner of Apple Inc. for operating iCloud services in the Chinese mainland. (Red Star News)

Nezha Auto has only 15 million yuan left on its books, and the confirmed claims are about 5.1 billion yuan

On the morning of September 12, more than 100 days after announcing the bankruptcy reorganization, the first creditors' meeting of the bankruptcy reorganization case of Hozon New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd., the operator of the Nezha Auto brand, was officially held online.

It is reported that the administrator of Hozon New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd. disclosed the ongoing bankruptcy reorganization and some of its data. As of August 31, a total of 1,631 creditors had filed claims with the court, with a total claimed amount of more than 26 billion yuan. Among them, a total of 1,340 claims have been reviewed and confirmed so far, with a total amount of about 5.1 billion yuan. The book balance of the debtor's account's monetary funds is about 15.4591 million yuan.

In addition, as of the end of August 2025, Hozon New Energy and its affiliated companies currently owe a total of about 460 million yuan in wages, economic compensation, subsidies and benefits, reimbursement expenses, provident funds, etc. to more than 5,000 employees. (Yicai Global)

Enterprise-level AI services embrace business model transformation, and Ant Digital Technology launches "pay-by-results" for the first time

On September 12th, Ant Digital Technology announced at the Bund Summit Forum that it will introduce a new business model of "paying based on results". This model allows enterprise customers to pay according to the actual effects of large model applications (such as business growth or cost savings), rather than the traditional project-based or subscription-based models. Combining Ant Digital Technology's full-stack enterprise-level AI service implementation solution system and its technical capabilities in deeply cultivating large models in vertical industries, enterprises can reap the business value brought by AI without investing high infrastructure costs. In particular, it will help small and medium-sized enterprises access AI capabilities more easily.

China Resources Land Denies "Intention to Acquire Evergrande Property Services": The News Is Untrue

Evergrande Property Services announced a trading halt on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange before the market opened on September 11, pending the release of an announcement regarding the company's inside information. Subsequently, there were reports that the liquidators of China Evergrande had received non - binding acquisition intentions for Evergrande Property Services, and the bidders included China Overseas Group and a subsidiary of China Resources Group.

In response, a relevant person in charge of China Resources Land told reporters that the news was untrue. In addition, a person close to China Overseas Group also said that the news was "false." (Caixin)

Shanghai Disney Responds to "Unreasonable Price of 15 Yuan for 5 Packs of Sanitary Pads": Price Adjusted to 7 Yuan per Pack

Recently, a tourist posted online saying that "a pack of 5 sanitary pads in Shanghai Disneyland was sold for 15 yuan", and questioned the reasonableness of the price, which sparked social discussions and attention.

On the morning of September 12, Shanghai Disney told a reporter from The Paper that the resort team, including the management, highly values and fully agrees with the opinions and suggestions of tourists. An adjustment plan has been introduced, including that as of today (September 12, 2025), the prices of two types of sanitary pads sold in all self - operated stores in the resort have been adjusted to 7 yuan per pack. At the same time, signs will be added at the cash registers of all stores to help tourists more easily find out where the sanitary pads are sold and their prices. (The Paper)

Wumart Releases List of Third Batch of Stores Self-Adjusted by Learning from Fat Donglai, 20 "Stores Adjusted in the Fat Donglai Style" to Open in September

36Kr learned that recently, Wumart Supermarket officially released the list of the third batch of stores self-adjusted by learning from Fat Donglai, covering a total of 20 stores across the country. These stores will be adjusted in batches and reopen with a new look before the end of September. Among the 20 upcoming "stores adjusted in the Fat Donglai style", 9 will be located in Beijing, 5 new stores will be added in East China, and 5 stores will be set up in Tianjin in North China, along with the first store in Langfang, Hebei.

Tencent Debunks Rumor of Former OpenAI Researcher Yao Shunyu Joining with Hundreds of Millions in Salary

Recently, there were reports that Yao Shunyu, a former researcher at OpenAI, joined Tencent with a salary in the hundreds of millions. On September 12th, "Tencent's Blackboard" refuted the rumor, stating that it was untrue. (Blue Whale News)

Gold Price Breaks 1980 Inflation-Adjusted Peak

On September 12, the spot gold price soared to $3,674.27 per ounce at one point, setting a new all-time high and surpassing for the first time the peak of $850 per ounce reached on January 21, 1980 (equivalent to approximately $3,590 after inflation adjustment). The gold price has climbed by around 5% this month and has surged by nearly 40% since the beginning of this year. The market generally believes that this breakthrough once again highlights the status of gold as a safe-haven asset amid persistent macroeconomic uncertainties. (Yicai Global)

Schwarzkopf Apologizes for Translating "Virgin Hair" as "Virgin Hair Quality"

Recently, the international beauty brand Schwarzkopf has sparked a heated discussion for using the term "virgin hair quality" on its product labels. In the early morning of September 11th, Schwarzkopf's official Weibo account responded to the controversy, expressing apologies to the public and promoting a comprehensive rectification of product descriptions.

According to a previous report by Cover News, on September 10th, consumers told reporters that the translation of "Virgin Hair" in the hair quality description on the packaging box of Schwarzkopf's perm products was inappropriate. "Virgin" also means "original", so why must it be translated as "virgin"? This is disrespectful to women.

Reporters further learned that this term stems from the Chinese translation of "Virgin Hair". In the industry, it is commonly referred to as young girl's hair or young child's hair, which refers to natural, undamaged and full - of - vitality hair. (Beijing News)

CSRC Seriously Investigates and Punishes the Serious Financial Fraud Case of Tongtech Co., Ltd.

36Kr learned from the CSRC website that recently, the CSRC issued a prior notice of administrative penalty to Beijing Tongtech Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as *ST Tongtech), a listed company on the ChiNext of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, for suspected false records in its financial data such as periodic reports. After investigation, *ST Tongtech inflated its revenues and profits for four consecutive years, violating the securities laws and regulations. The CSRC intends to fine the listed company 229 million yuan, fine seven responsible persons a total of 44 million yuan, and ban the actual controller from the securities market for 10 years. *ST Tongtech is suspected of triggering the circumstances for mandatory delisting due to major violations, and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange will initiate the delisting procedure in accordance with the law. Regarding the possible criminal clues involved, the CSRC will adhere to the principle of transferring all clues that should be transferred and strictly transfer them to the public security organs in accordance with the provisions of the "Criminal Law" and the "Regulations on the Standards for Filing and Prosecuting Criminal Cases under the Jurisdiction of Public Security Organs by the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Ministry of Public Security (II)".

RT-Mart Responds to Executive Being Taken Away on Suspected Duty-related Crime Charges: The Case is Under Investigation, and the Company's Daily Operations are Conducted in an Orderly Manner

In response to the online rumor that Guan Mingwu, the operation director of RT-Mart, was taken away by the police for assistance in the investigation, RT-Mart responded, "Regarding the matter that the company's executive was lawfully approved by the public security organs to be detained on suspicion of duty-related crime, currently the case is under investigation, and all information shall be subject to the information and investigation results announced by the public security organs." RT-Mart stated that the company has always adhered to the business philosophy of legality and compliance, and is committed to creating a clean and upright corporate environment, with a zero-tolerance attitude towards any illegal and irregular behaviors. "The company has a sound internal supervision mechanism and compliance system. The individual behavior of this executive does not represent the company as a whole. Currently, the company's daily operations and various businesses are all carried out in an orderly manner. The company is continuously improving and optimizing corporate governance and operational efficiency to better serve consumers." (The Paper)

Going Public in Progress

Henkun New Material Technology Co., Ltd.

36Kr learned that the China Securities Regulatory Commission has approved the registration application of Xiamen Henkun New Material Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Henkun New Materials") for its initial public offering of shares and listing on the Science and Technology Innovation Board.

Figure Technology

On September 12th, the blockchain financial infrastructure platform Figure Technology was officially listed on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol FIGR, becoming the world's first listed platform with RWA (Real World Assets) as its core business. Wall Street investment banks such as Goldman Sachs and Bank of America Securities served as the lead underwriters for this IPO. Figure was founded in 2018 by Mike Cagney, the former founder of SoFi. Early investors include LM Ventures, DST Global, DCM Ventures, etc. (Jiemian News)

Mosen Tech Automotive Technology Co., Ltd.

36Kr learned that according to the disclosure on the website of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, Wuhu Mosen Tech Automotive Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Mosen Tech") completed the registration for counseling with the Anhui Securities Regulatory Bureau on September 11, 2025. It plans to publicly issue shares to unspecified qualified investors and list on the Beijing Stock Exchange. The counseling brokerage is Guotou Securities. The counseling registration report shows that Wuhu Investment Holding Group Co., Ltd. is the controlling shareholder of Mosen Tech, directly holding 42.87% of the shares and indirectly holding 2.29%.

The Cutting - Edge of AI

Global First: Albania Appoints AI Robot "Dijela" as Government Minister

On September 11 local time, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced the list of the new cabinet, which included the appointment of an artificial intelligence named "Dijela" (meaning "sun" in Albanian) as the Minister of Public Procurement. This makes Albania the first country in the world to appoint a non - physical artificial intelligence as a government minister.

Previously, "Dijela" had provided government services to the public as an AI assistant, and its virtual image is a woman in traditional clothing. Rama said that "Dijela" will review every tender contract signed between the government and private companies to ensure objective evaluation, with the goal of achieving "zero corruption" in public tenders. Rama said that a special department will be set up to support its operation, but he did not mention the human supervision of "Dijela" and the risk of human manipulation. (Caixin Press)

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission Launches Investigation into AI Chatbots of Seven Companies Including Meta and OpenAI

On Thursday (September 11th) local time, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it had issued orders to seven companies, requesting them to provide information to understand the potential negative impacts of artificial intelligence chatbots on children and adolescents.

The seven companies are Alphabet, the parent company of Google, OpenAI, Meta, Instagram (a subsidiary of Meta), Snap, xAI, and Character Technologies Inc. (the developer of Character.AI).

The regulatory agency said that artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots may be used to simulate human-like communication and build interpersonal relationships with users. Therefore, it is necessary to understand what measures these companies have taken to "assess the safety of the chatbots when acting as companions." (Star Market Daily)

Investment and Financing

ZhuiMi Auto Completes Its First Round of Financing

36Kr learned that on September 12th, ZhuiMi Auto completed its first round of financing. It is understood that currently, ZhuiMi Auto is selecting a site for a new factory adjacent to the location of Tesla's German factory. The area of the new factory is expected to be 1.2 times that of Tesla's Berlin factory.

Cool Products

The "Jay Chou Concept Stock" Joins Hands with Unitree Technology to Create the "Superstar Dog", Which Will Make Its Debut on September 13

On September 12, reporters learned from Star Legend that the "Superstar Dog" jointly created by Star Legend and Unitree Technology will make its debut at the float parade of the opening ceremony of the Shanghai Tourism Festival on September 13. This "Superstar Dog" is a combination of star IP, trendy toys, and technology, with companionship functions and social attributes.

Videos show that, different from the robotic dogs on the market that highlight a mechanical feel and have a cool style, the "Superstar Dog" has a more "affable" appearance. It is mainly in light colors, with softer lines, and its shape combines the cuteness of pets with the sophistication of technological products.

Public information shows that in 2017, Star Legend was established with the support of Jay Chou and his "friends and family group". Its four founders are Jay Chou's mother Ye Huimei, his manager Yang Junrong, and his long - time work partners Chen Zhong and Ma Xinting. It was later listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in July 2023. (Yicai Global)

Compiled | Purple

This article is from the WeChat official account “36Kr”. It is published by 36Kr with authorization.