Diary of Saving Money and Turning My Life Around

At twenty-eight, Ma Huilai is unemployed, behind on rent, blocked by his ex-girlfriend, and has less in his bank account than it takes to treat himself to a decent hot pot meal. By a stroke of bad luck, he winds up at a "business owners' self-help group." He only meant to take home a couple of boxes of leftovers, but after saying, "First, get rid of that useless fish tank in your office," everyone mistakes him for a consultant sent in from above. While others talk strategy, he talks about mooching electricity, clearing out excess stock, and cutting deadweight. While they discuss promising industries, he first figures out whether they can switch to double-ply toilet paper. The absurd thing is, these penny-pinching tricks really do save the day. And so, the man who seems least like a boss is hoisted onto the stage by a crowd of business owners. By the time Ma Huilai realizes what's happening, he's already helping people clean up their failing companies while also pulling himself up from the fringes of society to become a winner in life.