Billion-Dollar Saige Turns into an Empty City: Xi'an Residents Stand Firm!

Billion-Dollar Saige Turns into an Empty City: Xi'an Residents Stand Firm! (Video)

[People's Daily Report] Hello, dear viewers, and welcome to 'Forbidden News Unveiled'. I am Sun Ning.

Xiao Zhai in Xi'an was once regarded as the most daunting 'traffic landmark' in Western China. It was here that a commercial legend emerged, consistently ranking first in Northwest China and among the top ten nationwide—the Xi'an Saige Shopping Center. At its peak, it attracted over 100,000 visitors daily, and during holidays, it was so packed that there was no room to stand.

However, this summer, an unprecedented 'frozen action' is quietly taking place within this enormous 190,000 square meter building.

This situation is not a result of economic downturns or the rise of e-commerce; rather, it is the millions of citizens in Xi'an who are engaging in a city-wide 'collective boycott' against Saige in a manner that is both tragic and resolute.

Regardless of how much money Saige invests in subsidies or how appealing its promotions and benefits may be, the people of Xi'an appear determined to 'fight to the bitter end' against this arrogant giant.

This raises an important question: What egregious actions has Saige taken to incite an entire city's residents to go out of their way to avoid entering its doors? The answer to this question can be traced back to the heart-wrenching events of July 1.

Exorbitant Fines and Bloody Clearances

On July 1, 2026, amidst the sweltering summer heat, at 12:05 PM, during the busiest lunchtime in Xiao Zhai, a shocking incident occurred inside the Saige International Shopping Center.

Mr. Yan Peng, the 59-year-old legal representative of Shaanxi Lihe Commercial Co., Ltd., plunged into despair and anger as he climbed over the railing from the 7th floor of the shopping mall, falling into the flowerbed on the second basement level.

Who is Yan Peng? He is a veteran merchant at SEG, having worked tirelessly with his team since the mall's opening in 2013, representing major brands like Nike and Adidas. He is regarded as a key figure in SEG's journey to success.

Why would a retired military veteran, a respected boss with assets worth tens of millions and managing dozens of employees, choose to end his life in such a tragic manner in a place where he had fought for over a decade?

The answer lies in a social media post made by Yan Peng shortly before his death.

In that post, he poured out his grievances, directly questioning and accusing Zhao Gui, the chairman of SEG Group!

It turns out that during SEG's anniversary celebration in 2020, in an effort to boost sales, Yan Peng's employees split a single product into two transactions while assisting customers, inadvertently using an extra discount coupon from the mall.

While such actions would typically be seen as a minor violation in any shopping mall, at SEG, it became a devastating issue.

In 2021, SEG's legal and management teams imposed a staggering fine of 11.546 million yuan on Yan Peng, a penalty that left him gasping for breath!

Over 11 million! This is an amount that a small or medium-sized business owner would need to save for many years without eating or drinking! Even more troubling, Saige, using its absolute authority as a platform, directly confiscated all of Yan Peng's business funds, severing his cash flow, and even carried out a harsh clearance and withdrawal without adequate communication.

During this four-year struggle, Yan Peng even turned to loan sharks to ensure his employees were paid. He fought tirelessly until the very end, only to realize he was up against a massive entity that he could not challenge. Saige's rules are the law, and its fines are equivalent to judgments. After being pushed to the brink, this strong-willed retired soldier tragically ended his life in the mall that led to his bankruptcy.

However, what infuriated countless netizens and citizens of Xi'an even more was the mall's initial response following the tragedy.

According to several eyewitnesses and videos shared online, after Yan Peng fell, before the police, forensic experts, and emergency medical personnel had fully arrived, Saige's security and property staff quickly sprang into action. Instead of attempting a professional rescue immediately, they set up stanchions and barriers to cordon off the area, then wrapped the body in tape and moved the deceased without permission, trying to erase the 'dead person' from public view as quickly as possible.

In the eyes of capital, someone jumped from a building? No big deal! What matters is that it cannot disrupt my business this afternoon, cannot obstruct my financial interests, and cannot ruin the billion-dollar feng shui of Xiaozhai Cross!

This extreme disregard for life and the brutal violation of the dignity of the deceased instantly ignited the anger of the citizens of Xi'an.

That night, a large crowd of ordinary people gathered outside the mall. They confronted the police at the entrance, denouncing Saige's cold-bloodedness and tyranny.

Nationwide Boycott

When a commercial entity loses its basic humanity, the market's backlash can surge like a tsunami.

Following the incident, the call to 'boycott Xi'an Saige' rapidly spread across the internet and among the citizens of Xi'an. This boycott is not merely an online debate; it represents a genuine 'vote with your feet' that has lasted over a month and continues to this day.

'No shopping at Saige, not giving a single penny to cold-blooded capital!' has become an unspoken agreement among the citizens of Xi'an.

Saige quickly faced the consequences of its arrogance. According to insiders from the mall, after the incident escalated, the daily revenue of Saige mall saw a dramatic drop, plummeting from over ten million yuan during peak times to less than one million.

Small businesses that once thrived under the 'shade of the Saige tree' also became innocent victims. A restaurant owner secretly posted online: 'I used to have daily sales exceeding ten thousand, but now it's only a few hundred a day, not even enough to cover material costs. Yet we cannot close, as we fear Saige will seize our deposit and equipment.'

Not only are consumers participating in the boycott; stars and influencers within the commercial ecosystem also chose to 'cut ties' with Saige at the earliest opportunity.

On July 4, just three days after Mr. Yan's fall, young actress Wang Yuwen was scheduled to participate in a public commercial brand event at Sege. Following the announcement, over 70% of fans and netizens flooded the official comment section to protest, collectively refusing to attend the event at Sege. In light of the overwhelming public backlash, the organizers and the artist's studio were compelled to urgently cancel the event.

Local top influencers, who had been taking street photos and live streaming on the first floor of Sege for years, quickly noticed the change in public sentiment. Visiting Sege for a check-in had become viewed as 'shameful and heartless' in Xi'an. Consequently, the influencers hastily packed their equipment and relocated overnight to Xi'an MixC, Joy City, or SKP.

Sege in Xiaozhai, once the most prominent fashion trend center in Northwest China, suddenly transformed into an island isolated by public opinion.

Confronted with an empty mall and a cash flow on the brink of collapse, the typically aloof Sege finally found itself in a state of panic.

On July 23, the Sege commercial operations team unveiled their self-rescue strategy - a 'hundred million yuan subsidy for the summer consumption season.' This time, Sege's generosity was astonishing: no-threshold consumption vouchers were distributed as if they were free, with values ranging from 50 yuan to 500 yuan; the parking lot, which previously charged 10 yuan per hour, was made free for the entire day; the mall even erected a stage at the entrance, inviting a circus troupe to perform a free grand circus.

In previous times, such generous offers would have caused a traffic jam at the Xiaozhai intersection. However, this time, Sege miscalculated.

The 'hundred million yuan subsidy' not only failed to draw in customers but also sparked a 'second boycott' and widespread ridicule across the internet.

In the WeChat circles and local forums of Xi'an, there is an unprecedented consensus among the people. Some have openly mocked, saying, 'Where does this billion-yuan subsidy come from? Is it being taken from General Yan's funds? Issuing coupons at the expense of merchants' livelihoods means that anyone who spends is essentially consuming blood buns!' 

Others joked about the free parking at Saige, stating, 'Free things are the most expensive in the world; people of Qin, we must not be deceived!' Some netizens commented, 'I won't go; in ancient times, cars were like horses, which had a spirit. I don't want my horse to be tainted by filth.' 

A free circus is being staged in the spacious hall, with clowns energetically performing on stage, while only a few cleaners and security personnel watch from below. This scene has become a poignant symbol of the Saige commercial giant teetering under a nationwide boycott. 

Zhao Gui's Hundred Billion Empire 

However, as Saige sways daily in the massive waves of public resistance, a significant question begins to arise in everyone's minds. 

After such a serious incident that has sparked a severe national public opinion storm, and even allegedly involved the illegal unilateral movement of a body, why is the Saige mall still able to operate normally? Why has it not been shut down for rectification? There hasn't even been a single administrative fine imposed? 

This leads us to the mysterious man behind Saige, who is 'powerful beyond measure'—the chairman of Saige Group, Zhao Gui. 

In Xi'an's business circle, Zhao Gui has always been known as a formidable character. 

He and his childhood friend Liu Yaowen both hail from the state-owned Xi'an Xifei Aluminum Door Factory and began their early careers by reselling electrical appliances.

Around the year 2000, during a nationwide entrepreneurship wave, two individuals left their jobs to enter the then-scarce field of computer software and hardware. They transformed a half-finished building into the Xi'an Saige Computer City, capitalizing on the IT boom and quickly monopolizing over 60% of the IT market in Xi'an, thus achieving initial capital accumulation.

Zhao Gui truly transitioned from being a 'computer city boss' to a 'top capital tycoon' with a business empire worth billions in 2010, when he used extremely cunning, even underhanded methods to take over the unfinished project of Zhejiang businessman Lin Sunzhong without any initial investment.

Just three days after Yan Peng fell to his death, on July 3, 2026, Lin Sunzhong, the executive vice president of the Shaanxi Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce, publicly released a video online, holding his ID card and officially accusing Zhao Gui and Liu Yaowen of Xi'an Saige Group of serious criminal offenses!

According to Lin Sunzhong's account, in 2007, Chang'an University, located in a prime area at the Xiaozhai intersection, planned to comprehensively develop its West Campus by constructing a 'Comprehensive Technology Development Building' to preserve and enhance the value of state-owned assets.

In 2008, Lin Sunzhong's Shaanxi Zhele Commercial Trade Co., Ltd. successfully won the bid for the project, backed by strong financial resources, with a total investment of approximately 230 million yuan. Lin Sunzhong sold off his assets and raised 200 million yuan to invest in this land.

However, the project faced delays due to coinciding construction with the underground works of Xi'an Metro Line 2 and Line 3, leading to a halt after construction began, resulting in a temporary cash flow gap and leaving the project unfinished for nearly three years.

Just as the project was plunged into silence, Zhao Gui emerged with the Saige Group, taking on the role of a 'white knight.' He confidently assured Lin Sunzhong (林孙忠) that Saige had 'extremely extensive connections' in Shaanxi, and if Lin Sunzhong were to transfer 51% of the controlling shares to Saige, the company would cover all subsequent construction funds, financing, and guarantees!

Believing he had found a great savior, Lin Sunzhong was unaware that he was actually inviting trouble.

Once the partnership was established, Zhao Gui, using his status as a major shareholder, initiated a series of oppressive 'divine operations.' He first marginalized Lin Sunzhong, forcibly seizing all the seals, accounting books, and bank accounts of Zhele Company, effectively excluding Lin and his team from any management roles. When the shopping mall opened in October 2013, Lin Sunzhong, as the project's founder, did not even receive an invitation to the opening ceremony.

The Saige International Shopping Center went on to achieve remarkable success, generating nearly 58 billion yuan in revenue within five years. As a founding shareholder with 49% ownership, Lin Sunzhong was entitled to nearly 5 billion yuan in project profits.

However, Zhao Gui employed shocking tactics, such as establishing his own affiliated companies, fabricating massive debts, and signing fraudulent agreements, to internally transfer and short the assets of the cooperative company, deliberately creating a false impression of the company being 'insolvent.'

Through a series of seamless maneuvers, founder Lin Sunzhong was completely ousted. He began his fight for rights in 2014, engaging in a decade-long legal battle against Saige. From the Xi'an Intermediate People's Court to the Shaanxi High People's Court, Lin Sunzhong faced repeated setbacks and consecutive losses. Unyielding, he escalated the case to Beijing. After reviewing the case files, the Supreme Court of the Communist Party of China identified significant issues with the original ruling, intervening to overturn the Shaanxi High Court's decision and ordering a retrial!

However, just as the Supreme Court was correcting the error, a shocking instance of 'local judicial manipulation' occurred: the Xi'an Intermediate People's Court unexpectedly and swiftly declared Lin Sunzhong's 'Zhe Le Company' bankrupt, directly canceling the company in the business registration system!

With the litigation subject eliminated, the Supreme Court's retrial ruling became nothing more than a piece of paper! Several leading judicial experts in the country expressed their deep dismay after reviewing this case, stating that it was a 'false bankruptcy drama' orchestrated through deep collaboration between local judicial powers and Zhao Gui's performance.

The final outcome of this lawsuit was that Lin Sunzhong, as the founder, not only lost his initial investment of 200 million yuan but also had the 5 billion yuan in dividends he was entitled to completely appropriated.

The ability to mobilize local judicial power to counter the Supreme People's Court's decisions and manipulate 'false bankruptcy' right under the law raises questions about the level of protection that Zhao Gui enjoys.

It is rumored that Zhao Gui has boasted internally: 'Meeting provincial and municipal leaders is just a phone call away, a matter of minutes.'

In Xi'an, Zhao Gui's influence can only be described as 'power that reaches the heavens.'

Erupting in silence.

Zhao Gui, a powerful figure, seems to have finally stumbled in the face of overwhelming public sentiment this time. However, isn't this a striking irony upon closer reflection?

In a system that professes 'people first,' a commercially monstrous entity, which is inherently illegal, has managed to steadily cede national educational land in the most prime area of a provincial capital city, profiting for over a decade. Throughout this period, despite numerous real-name reports filed by founding shareholders and retrial orders issued by the Supreme Court, local officials remained deaf to the calls for justice. They even orchestrated a 'lightning bankruptcy' judicial myth at critical moments, conveniently eliminating the litigation subjects for the capitalists.

It was only after a vibrant life took a desperate leap from a high building and the collective outrage of the internet completely exposed the situation that the 'relevant departments,' who usually operate from a position of authority and are accustomed to giving orders, suddenly awoke from their slumber and hastily formed a large joint investigation team overnight.

The escalators in Xiaozhai, Xi'an, continue to run empty, but the awakening of the people of Xi'an has sounded the alarm for all those who act recklessly. Water can support a boat, but it can also capsize it. A system that profits from the people while undermining their livelihoods and demanding their lives does not deserve to exist!

Justice may be delayed, but it will never be absent.

That concludes today's content. If you enjoyed our program, please like, subscribe, and turn on the notification bell. If you have thoughts on the Xi'an Saige incident, feel free to leave a comment in the comment section. We'll see you in the next episode!

(‘Forbidden News Decoded’)
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