At eighteen, Zu Chen struggles through backbreaking labor at the docks of H City, his dignity crushed beneath the cargo he hauls. On the night the foreman absconds with the payroll, he swears to the river that he will break free from the shackles of the lowest rung of society.
By chance, he meets a master of steel-reinforced construction. He studies Western architectural drafting and steadily hones his craft. After a heartbreak, he marries in a state of numb resignation, but unexpectedly meets Zhao Yanfang, who has returned from studying abroad. He heals the pain she has kept hidden with his sincerity, and this connection becomes the key to entering a higher social circle.
At twenty-two, he assembles his own construction crew and learns the preferences of the big names in the project business, bringing under his wing even those who once bullied him. The Xinghe Construction Works rises amid the chaos, navigating among foreign merchants, gangs, and political officials. With steel and concrete as his brush, Zu Chen makes a bold mark on the canvas of his age.
When the smoke of war fills the air and prosperity fades, he and his brothers give away their entire fortunes to build free clinics and schools for ordinary people. In that turbulent era, the words “Fellow townspeople can seek medical care for free” move countless hearts.
Rising from the blood, sweat, and toil of the docks, finding his footing at the peak of wealth and power, and ultimately discovering redemption amid the everyday bustle of life, Zu Chen spends his life living out a legend: from apprentice to kingpin.
