"They're posting Luigi like he's Beyoncé."

Pitch Perfect

On China's RedNote social network, alleged CEO killer Luigi Mangione has struck a chord.

As folks on X-formerly-Twitter have documented, the so-called "TikTok refugees" preemptively rushing to Chinese social media ahead of the slated banning of the video app in the states are discovering that their China-based counterparts are super into the suspected killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Affectionately referred to as "Lulu" on the app, Mangione has seemingly become as much of a thirsted-after folk hero in China as he has in the US — and though it's an immense topic with a lot to unpack, the Chinese healthcare system is itself a bit of a mess, where wealth and class transparently buy better care.

As a fascinating side note: the app, which is called Xiaohongshu in Chinese and is sometimes referred to as "Little Red Book," was co-created by a Stanford-educated tycoon named Charlwin Mao. Nominative determinism strikes again — even if the Mao in question worked at Bain Capital.

Sino Sympathy

Still, messages of commiseration are resonating. In a video posted to RedNote that was later shared on X, a user who claims to have lived in the US for five years before returning to China explained why his countrymen "are touched by the story of Luigi."

"It seems American's health system is becoming a tool for those giant companies to [strip] Americans," the user said. "Now in China, the government bears large shares of the medical expenses for us, and we only need to pay around, like, 100 US dollars per month — but you guys are paying, like, a giant part of your monthly income."

"I can't even imagine how anxious you guys are when you get sick, and that's not right," he continued. "You should have to feel safe and secure when you are the most vulnerable... and [that's] the basic responsibility for those healthcare insurance companies to bear as human beings."

"I really feel for you guys," the user declared. "Yes, you have every right to fight for yourself at the end."

For the stateside users flocking to RedNote and other Chinese apps, that solidarity seems welcome — though it's anybody's guess if those apps won't get banned alongside TikTok.

More on RedNote: Man Named Mao Who Started Chinese App Called "Little Red Book" Was Actually Inspired by Stanford University and Mitt Romney


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