The Tycoon's Gambit

A business-war novel set in the Republican era. The story takes place in Jincheng, a major city from 1945 to 1949, modeled on Shashi, and reaches across the Jianghan Plain. It depicts the life-and-death struggle between two tycoons in the textile industry. The story features a cast of vividly drawn characters: patriotic and unscrupulous national capitalists and their children, a clever and perceptive young lady from a wealthy family, a loyal and upright company manager, a newspaper editor-in-chief driven by a strong sense of justice, an entertainer who has fallen into the demimonde, and corrupt officials. It brings to life the political, commercial, literary, and pleasure-seeking worlds of the late 1940s. A sweeping panorama unfolds, depicting the customs and characters of the Jianghan Plain during the Republican era.