In late August 2026, a surprising piece of news about the renowned mathematician Wei Dongyi swept across the internet. The associate professor at Peking University's School of Mathematical Sciences, famously known as "God Wei," had uploaded two sets of mathematics exercise books he edited to his Bilibili storefront, selling over one million yuan in just four days before the product links unexpectedly vanished. This sudden disappearance sparked wild speculation, with rumors of "forced removal," "image collapse," and "all traffic eventually leads to selling products" spreading rapidly. But what really happened to this post-90s scholar, celebrated for his unassuming "steamed bun and mineral water" persona and extraordinary mathematical talent?

The saga began on the evening of August 18, 2026, when Wei's Bilibili account, dormant for over a year, suddenly posted a video titled "An Interesting Problem." In the video, Wei did not appear on camera or provide narration—only a solution to a fourth-grade mathematics problem was displayed, with the opening text noting "Mathematics Competence, edited by Wei Dongyi." Viewers flooded the comments section to "check in" and discuss the solution. Simultaneously, two practice books quietly appeared in the account's store: "Elementary Mathematics Problem-Solving Skills Training" priced at 39.8 yuan, and "Junior High Mathematics Problem-Solving Skills Training" at 49.8 yuan. The product pages featured Wei's photo with the tagline "Learn math with Wei Dongyi," both published by Longmen Publishing House in August 2026, with content geared toward advanced training.

News of the "celebrity selling books" spread quickly. Given Wei's reputation for extreme low-profile behavior, the sudden commercial activity raised numerous questions—was the account really his? Were the books truly edited by him? On the evening of August 21, Peking University confirmed to media that the Bilibili account was indeed Wei's own. His relatives also stated the account was not impersonated, the video was published by him personally, and the books were edited under his supervision. The publisher Longmen Publishing House similarly verified Wei's role as chief editor. With this authoritative confirmation, sales exploded. By August 22, the elementary school practice book had sold over 20,000 units alone, with combined sales of both books surpassing 26,000 units, translating to estimated revenue exceeding one million yuan in just four days—a remarkable achievement for a mathematical genius who had twice won gold medals with perfect scores at the International Mathematical Olympiad, was admitted to Peking University without examination, stayed on to teach, earned a tenured associate professorship, and received a National Natural Science Second-Class Award.

However, the phenomenal success was followed by an unexpected twist. On the night of August 22, netizens noticed the two book links had disappeared from Wei's Bilibili store. The products had been "removed." Rumors of "controversy over educational materials leading to forced removal" quickly circulated across social media, fueling debates about scholars engaging in commercialization and fears that "God Wei's image might be collapsing." But was this really the case? Multiple media outlets promptly contacted Bilibili's customer service for clarification. The response was clear and direct: the two math practice books were not removed from all platforms—they had simply "sold out" on Bilibili, and the sales channel was being adjusted. The links were taken down because the inventory was insufficient; the platform's stock was completely depleted.

Further investigation revealed that the same books remained fully available on other e-commerce platforms. For instance, on Douyin, the "Bianxuejiang Official Flagship Store" had already sold over 10,000 units, with more than 150 viewers still watching its livestream in the early hours of August 23. Longmen Publishing House's flagship store was also live-streaming sales of the books. The so-called "complete removal" and "pressure-induced takedown" were simply not true. A more accurate description: Bilibili's inventory had run out, the links were temporarily withdrawn, and consumers could purchase the books from other platforms. For those who had already purchased on Bilibili, after-sales support remained available through the merchant.

Beyond the "removal" controversy, a deeper question emerged: why would this mathematical genius, who had always kept a deliberate distance from massive online attention, choose to sell books? Born in 1991 in Jinan, Shandong, Wei had twice achieved perfect gold medal scores at the International Mathematical Olympiad in high school, was admitted to Peking University without examination, joined the faculty in 2019, and became a tenured associate professor in early 2026. In July 2025, he received the National Natural Science Second-Class Award. To the public, he is the epitome of pure academic brilliance—the unkempt "sweeping monk" carrying a mineral water bottle and steamed buns. The sudden move to market educational materials for primary and secondary students inevitably created a sense of dissonance. Some commentators cynically noted "the end of all traffic is selling products," while others questioned the propriety of a scholar launching commercial educational materials.

Yet from another perspective, this might represent a genuine attempt at "democratizing knowledge." The exercise books edited by Wei are closely aligned with the new curriculum standards, building a learning framework around mathematical ability and methodology, with scientifically graded designs by grade level. Transmitting top-tier mathematical thinking and methods to primary and secondary students—there is nothing inherently inappropriate about that. Notably, Wei's "commercialization" is not a purely personal endeavor. Media reports indicate that a store named "Wei Dongyi Books" appeared on social platforms, with Wei's cousin stating the account name had been authorized by Wei himself. The store is operated by Hangzhou Yishu Cultural Industry Development Co., Ltd., whose legal representative, Cao Enming, also serves as a co-editor of the book series. This suggests the entire book-selling operation operates within a proper commercial and licensing framework.

Looking back at the entire episode, from "listing" to "sold out" to "removal," only four days elapsed. Yet in that short span, Wei's name experienced yet another violent upheaval of public opinion. This is not the first time he has been caught in the currents of online virality. In 2021, a chance street interview video went viral—his simple appearance, carrying a 1.5-liter mineral water bottle and two steamed buns, contrasted sharply with his "mathematical genius" identity. In June 2025, he opened a social media account; a mere 4-second video attracted enormous attention, with followers peaking at nearly 25 million. He was even recognized by a world record certification body as "the person who gained the most followers in the academic field on Douyin within 72 hours." A scholar devoted to mathematical research now faces the magnifying glass of the viral era—every appearance, every action is scrutinized, interpreted, and amplified by countless eyes. The book-selling was no exception, and neither was the "removal."

Public opinion on the matter appears divided. Many netizens expressed understanding and tolerance, arguing that a scholar translating professional knowledge into educational resources is entirely reasonable. But skepticism also persists—some worry whether "God Wei" will be eroded by commercialization, while others question the quality and pricing of the educational content. As of the time of writing, Wei himself has not publicly responded to the incident. This may well be consistent with his usual style—focusing on mathematics itself, maintaining silence amid external noise.

The headline "Wei Dongyi sells books, breaks one million in 3 days, then urgently removes them" captures attention precisely because it touches upon the public's complex imagination of a "genius." We simultaneously wish for geniuses to maintain their ethereal purity and yearn to see them "descend to earth" to connect with us. When Wei actually began selling books, some celebrated "knowledge democratization," while others lamented "image collapse." But the truth may be far simpler than imagined: a mathematics scholar edited several practice books, sold them through legitimate channels, and because they sold so well that one platform's inventory ran out, the links were temporarily withdrawn. That's all. The real "God Wei" was perhaps never the mythic, otherworldly figure we imagined, but an ordinary person immersed in the world of mathematics while also living in reality. He can use his genius mind to solve the most complex equations, and he can also lend his name to carefully crafted educational materials. These two things are not contradictory. The traffic will eventually recede, and the noise will eventually subside. What remains before us is still the young man quietly advancing on the path of mathematics—Wei Dongyi.