Chronicles of a Southwestern Kingpin: Life and Death Are in Fate’s Hands

In 2003, in a small county in southwest China, twenty-year-old Lin Chen opens a construction-site stir-fry stall with his buddies. Vegetables cost five yuan, meat dishes seven. All he wants is to earn an honest living from hard work. At their most desperate, the brothers stand together against local thugs. Step by step, they take over territory, gather followers, sweep aside every gang in the county, and rise to the top of the underworld. Once his power is immense, he gradually withdraws and goes straight, building legitimate businesses. The southwest is in turmoil. As the saying goes: You can't help yourself in the underworld. As for me, life and death are up to fate. (Note: Some of the story is adapted from the author's real experiences.)