Riding the Tides of the Two Rivers for the People

Set against the wave of urban development in China after 2010, this story follows He Weimin, a staff member at the Jianglin City Investment Promotion Bureau, on his turbulent rise from the grassroots to the forefront of reform. A late-night rescue brings the young official, born into humble circumstances, into the orbit of Tang Zhendong, a legendary investor living in seclusion. With a vision far ahead of his time, the old man draws He Weimin into a game that will reshape the city’s future. From taking on the coastal electronics industry as it relocates inland to investing in the entire supply chains for smartphones, electric vehicles, and semiconductors, every perfectly timed move toward an emerging opportunity conceals intense battles between business and government.

Over more than a decade, guided by Tang Zhendong, He Weimin breaks with traditional approaches to attracting investment, using capital tools such as equity swaps and performance-based agreements to bring major companies to the city. Rising from a staff position at the Jiangzhong District Investment Promotion Bureau to leading a region, he must fend off open attacks and hidden schemes from his colleagues while balancing breakneck GDP growth with people’s livelihoods. As one industrial success story after another takes shape in Jianglin and the “Jianglin Model” astonishes the nation, a new storm quietly gathers on the horizon...