Erinome: Hello dear friends, today we are going to talk about a very sad and serious topic—the Xiangtan University dormitory poisoning case. It’s really heartbreaking. Have you heard about it, Enceladus?

Enceladus: Oh yes, I did. It’s so terrible. A young student lost his life because of a roommate conflict. When did this happen exactly?

Erinome: It started in April 2024. The victim was Zhang Hailan, a second-year graduate student at Xiangtan University’s Law School. On April 7th, he suddenly felt very sick—dizziness, nausea, and kept vomiting and having diarrhea.

Enceladus: Oh no, that sounds really bad. Did he go to the hospital right away?

Erinome: Yes, he went to Xiangtan Central Hospital that afternoon. The doctors first thought it might be acute gastroenteritis, like food poisoning. But after treatment, he got worse, not better.

Enceladus: Wow, so it wasn’t just a simple stomach problem?

Erinome: Right. The next day, his friends took him back to the hospital, and he was sent to the intensive care unit. The doctors said his liver was badly damaged, and they gave a "serious condition notice." His father came from Jiangxi, and he was so weak he could barely speak. He even told his dad, "Dad, I’m only 25. I want to live." Sad…

Enceladus: That’s so sad. Did they find out what caused it quickly?

Erinome: No, it took a while. On April 13th, after 50 minutes of抢救 (qiangjiu—rescue), Zhang Hailan passed away. Later, tests showed he died from acute colchicine poisoning—his organs failed.

Enceladus: Colchicine? What’s that?

Erinome: It’s a kind of poison, very dangerous. The police started investigating, and soon they found his roommate Zhou Liren was the suspect.

Enceladus: Zhou Liren? Why would he do that? They were roommates, right?

Erinome: Yes, they lived in the same dorm. But their relationship was really bad. Zhou Liren moved into their dorm in June 2023, and problems started then.

Enceladus: What kind of problems?

Erinome: Oh, so many small things. Zhou Liren liked to ask very personal questions—like where Zhang Hailan’s parents worked, his siblings’ jobs. He even commented on Zhang’s family, saying his sister was "too bossy."

Enceladus: That’s so rude! No one likes others prying into their privacy.

Erinome: Exactly! He also criticized Zhang’s things—like his water cup was "too fancy, only for women," his socks were "bad quality," even his lemon water was "too cheap." Zhang felt so uncomfortable he tried to avoid Zhou, even hiding in other dorms.

Enceladus: Oh, that must have been so stressful. Any other conflicts?

Erinome: The biggest fight was about the window. Zhou Liren wanted the window open all the time, even when using the air conditioner, because he said he needed "fresh air." But Zhang Hailan hated it—Zhou often sprayed strong disinfectant and perfume, and the smell was terrible.

Enceladus: Oh right, in 2023, they argued a lot about closing the window. Once, Zhang even recorded their fight with his phone.

Erinome: Yes! And Zhou had other bad habits—like not cleaning the toilet, making loud noises at night, and even using a small gas stove in the dorm to cook, which is so dangerous!

Enceladus: Why didn’t the school help them move out?

Erinome: They tried! In March 2024, Zhang and his two other roommates asked the school to move Zhou out. They even wrote a formal request, listing all his problems—like practicing with a sword in the dorm, sharpening a big knife, and using a blowtorch on the balcony!

Enceladus: Oh my goodness, that’s scary. Did the school do anything?

Erinome: The school talked to Zhou, but he refused to move, saying he would "change." But he didn’t. So Zhang and his friends thought about moving out themselves.

Enceladus: Then how did the poisoning happen?

Erinome: On April 3rd, Zhou found out they wanted him to leave. So he put colchicine into a can of oatmeal that his roommate Zhou某某 (Zhou Moumou) often ate. Zhou Liren’s target was Zhou Moumou, but Zhang Hailan and Zhou Moumou liked to share snacks. On April 7th, Zhang ate the oatmeal and got poisoned.

Enceladus: Oh! So it was a mistake? He didn’t mean to kill Zhang?

Erinome: The court said Zhou Liren wanted to kill both roommates. Zhou Moumou just didn’t eat the oatmeal that day. Zhou Liren even bought colchicine online in January 2024 and studied how to use it—he had a biology background, so he knew it was poisonous.

Enceladus: That’s so planned. What happened in court?

Erinome: In January 2025, the first trial began. The prosecutors said he should get the death penalty. Zhou Liren said he only wanted to "study the drug reaction," not kill. But the court didn’t believe him.

Enceladus: What was the first sentence?

Erinome: In April 2025, the court found him guilty of intentional homicide and sentenced him to death. Then he appealed, and the second trial was in July. He apologized to Zhang’s family, but still said he didn’t mean to kill. His lawyer asked for a lighter sentence, like life in prison.