The Way of Wine

In his immortal work A Tale of Two Cities, the British author Charles Dickens wrote, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." Those famous words are perfectly suited to China's liquor market in the decade or so after the start of the new century. During those ten years, the liquor market shifted from a planned economy to a market economy, and from conventional marketing to a free-for-all of tricks and unscrupulous tactics. Xu Hongtao, one of the leading figures in the liquor industry, seized the opportunity and was among those who came out on top. In truth, this was not unique to the liquor industry; many others were much the same. But once you have wealth, what do you do with it? That is when your sense of social responsibility and moral character are put to the test. What did Xu Hongtao do? Was he a shrewd businessman or an outstanding entrepreneur? And what is the difference between a businessman and an entrepreneur? As a veteran of the liquor industry and a researcher in the business world, the author reveals the inside story and truth of the liquor business, helping more people understand the secrets of success...

This is a sweeping novel about the development of China's contemporary liquor industry. In 600,000 words, the author portrays the history of a struggling liquor company in western China, from the brink of bankruptcy to its rise, over the three decades from the end of the last century to the start of this one. It depicts Xu Hongtao, Zhang Rui, Yang Mei, and many other characters, along with the changes in society, and reveals the industry's secrets and rules of operation. This is the growth story and entrepreneurial history of a contemporary Chinese liquor company, as well as a business-world version of The Ordinary World. Read it through, and you will understand that the way of doing business is also the way of being human, and the way of wine is also the way of life.