Quitting My Iron Rice Bowl in ’94: Turning the Tide in Business

In 1994, provincial newspaper reporter Wen Jian had a bright future ahead of him. But despite his lover’s objections, he resolutely quit the coveted, secure job and plunged headfirst into business. As soon as his city-level illustrated-book project got off the ground, his rivals began plotting against him. He faced cross-city detention and interrogation, fabricated charges, attempts to seize his project, and late-night ambushes. Attacks came from every direction, both overt and underhanded. With his martial arts skills and unbending pride, Wen Jian endured one setback after another and set off for Shenzhen to find a way forward, rising against the tide in the turbulent 1990s.