In 1978, the tide in Xiangjiang still carried the residual warmth of the old era. At that time, the name of "Superman Li" had not yet been crowned the richest man in China; the glory of Hollywood was still firmly grasped by the eight major companies; and the apple that was later bitten was still hanging quietly in the Garden of Eden of technology, waiting for a destined fall and rebirth.
This is the best of times - every inch of land is soaked with untapped desire, the sparks of technology are quietly rekindling in the ruins, and gold is everywhere, waiting for a hand that dares to grab it. This is the worst of times—capital has quietly put on silver gloves, interest has become the only grammar, and greed and ambition have signed a floating contract under the neon lights. This is a chaotic era in which dragons and snakes rise, and heroes emerge. Rules are being rebuilt, order is being reshaped, and fate is being re-dealt in the whirlpool.
The story begins in 1978 in a corner of Xiangjiang, a village surrounded by salty sea breeze and fishermen's chants. On a night of heavy rain, Lin Chen, a young fisherman, was born amid thunder and lightning. Many years later, he stood alone on the Peak of Victoria Peak, with the Pearl of the Orient about to awaken at his feet, and the surging clouds of the times in front of him. The wind blew away his forehead hair, but it couldn't blow away the iron determination in his eyes. He made an oath to the city at his feet and the undecided world:
"When a man is born in heaven and earth, he should be like a thunderclap, not a gnat's low cry. In this life, he will either be burned into a blazing fire that illuminates the times, or he will be shattered into dust that no one cares about - and I choose the former."
"In this game, I want to be the one playing chess."
"In this era, I want to become its tycoon."
