From 1985 to 1992, in the Chaoshan area of Guangdong, the smuggling trade was active and clan power was strong. Lin Haisheng and his cousin Chen Yongqiang grew up together in the countryside of Chaoshan, and they are brothers. Chen Yongqiang practices martial arts and is the most capable youngster in the village; Lin Haisheng studies and is one of the few smart people in the village who has graduated from high school. After the reform and opening up, smuggling flourished along the Chaoshan coast. Chen Yongqiang brought Lin Haisheng to "go to sea" together. Chen Yongqiang led a group of brothers to pick up goods at sea and grab land on land, relying on force to carve out a niche. He is flamboyant, forthright and loyal, and is the standard Chaoshan big brother style. Lin Haisheng works behind the scenes. He used his deep understanding of clan rules to unite villages with different surnames, establish a "United Clan Chamber of Commerce", and integrate scattered smuggling businesses into an alliance of interests.
The two brothers, both civil and military, gradually became the controllers of the largest smuggling network along the Chaoshan coast. But cracks also followed - Chen Yongqiang felt that Lin Haisheng was becoming more and more "not a brother enough, and had to calculate everything." Lin Haisheng felt...
