Out of prison, does China’s former video-streaming king Wang Xin have a second act?

Wang Xin, one of the pioneers of China’s online video-streaming market, looks to be in search of a second act as he shared his views on artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and other topics in technology following his release from prison on Wednesday.

The controversial Chinese internet entrepreneur was handed a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence and fined 1 million yuan (US$159 million) in 2016 by the Beijing Haidian District People’s Court, which found him guilty of “distributing obscene materials for personal gain” as his online business provided easy access to pornography and various pirated content.

Separate posts by family and friends on Sina Weibo suggested that a comeback could be in store for the 38-year-old Wang, who discussed his views on the latest trends in China’s red-hot technology market at a dinner after his release.

“I firmly believe that in the near future there will be another legendary story of master Wang,” said He Xiaopeng, the co-founder and chairman of electric car start-up Xiaopeng Motors, in a Sina Weibo post on Wednesday.

He described Wang as being “in good health and synchronised mind like us” as the newly freed entrepreneur discussed various hi-tech developments, such as AI, video streaming and blockchain.