The Ethnic Alchemist

Name: The Ethnic Alchemist
Author: Bright Moon Ten Thousand Miles Away

民族炼金术士

by Bright Moon Ten Thousand Miles Away (万里明月)

Status: Completed
Length: 105k Words
Genre: Modern Romance
Subgenre: Republican-Era Romance
Updated: 8mo ago
Source: Fanqie

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Refreshed 12h ago

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Stats

11Chapters

43Reads

5.8Score

5Listens

1.8kReads · all time

Synopsis

When international gold prices surged by more than 70% in 2025, surpassing U.S. Treasury bonds for the first time in 30 years to become the world's leading reserve asset held by central banks, the real-world rush to “hoard gold in troubled times” echoed the battle over gold in this novel. Amid geopolitical upheaval and the restructuring of the monetary system, gold's value as a safe haven is once again in demand. Yet The Nation's Alchemist had already revealed the truth in its story: what people protected with their lives amid the turmoil of a century ago is the ultimate source of confidence the world is competing for today. Gold can be measured in value, but a nation cannot be measured. In Republican-era Shanghai, a haze of gold hangs over the land. Shen Yanzhi, a chemist who studied abroad and mastered cutting-edge refining techniques, returns home intending to find an old friend and protect cultural relics. Instead, he stumbles into a shocking conspiracy involving the Japanese army's theft of a bronze sword and its efforts to extract a mysterious metal... Gold bars conceal treachery, secret rooms bear traces of crime, and undercover agents lie in wait. People from every walk of life reveal their true selves in the crucible of the times. Should chemistry be used to refine gold, or should a pure heart be forged into a loyal soul? A single bronze sword holds the fate of a nation. A scheme to make gold conceals a life-and-death struggle. When science meets a time of chaos and self-interest clashes with conscience, can they protect the roots of their nation amid flashing blades and gunfire, and let the light of true gold pierce the darkness? Turn these pages and uncover the ultimate meaning of “alchemy” in a time of chaos: refining gold is easy, refining the heart is hard; protecting an object is easy, protecting a nation is hard.

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