Investment Life

Description

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If you had a chance to live again, what would you do?

Earn money, hold onto a thick leg, just find someone to live a happy life with? … Stepping on the beat of the times, riding the wind and breaking the waves, strategizing, using your knowledge to change yourself, and everything around you?

Based on reality and distinct historical occurrences in China’s economic history, this novel tells the story of love, redemption and second chances.

Associated Names
One entry per line
[重生]投资人生
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Epiphanies of Rebirth (9)
Transmigrated into a Parvenu’s Ex-wife in the ‘90s (2)
Jubo (1)
Back to the Age of Dinosaurs (1)
Bai Fumei in the ’70s (1)
Dominion’s End (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Farming/Slice of Life/Business
  2. Read again and again
  3. Translations have dropped or hiatus
  4. owners
  5. Personal BL favorites

Latest Release

Date Group Release
06/22/22 Miss Lemon’s MTL c52
04/19/22 Miss Lemon’s MTL c51
04/02/22 Miss Lemon’s MTL c50
03/24/22 Miss Lemon’s MTL c49
03/12/22 Miss Lemon’s MTL c48
03/01/22 Miss Lemon’s MTL c47
02/16/22 Miss Lemon’s MTL c46
02/16/22 Miss Lemon’s MTL c45
01/26/22 Miss Lemon’s MTL c44
01/10/22 Miss Lemon’s MTL c43
12/25/21 Miss Lemon’s MTL c42
12/20/21 Miss Lemon’s MTL c41
05/09/21 The Roving Griot c40
05/02/21 The Roving Griot c39
04/19/21 The Roving Griot c38
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Review
34 Reviews


Delorra
Delorra
Jun 13, 2019
Status: Completed
Wow, what an unconventional BL novel! (What's up with all the 1 stars?!)

I came here after reading Epiphanies of Rebirth. It's a similar setting, set in the 1990s. Both novels have their charms. Epiphanies of Rebirth focused more on family relationship and friendship while Investment Life narrated the economic events of the 1990s.

I recommend reading Epiphanies of Rebirth first to get a rough idea of the 1990s. Investment Life will go more into depth about the major events during that time period.

... more>>
Spoiler

To be honest, I went in expecting something light like Epiphanies of Rebirth. But what I got was the entire history of the US and Chinese financial and technological market of the 1990s. It kicked start with the Shanghai stock exchange, to the development of VCD, CD, DVD, Sony, Times Warner and mobile communication. Readers also got to read about Wall Street, Goldman Sacs, Silicone Valley, Sand Hill Road, Netscape and even Blizzard's World of Warcraft, lol. There's even mention of Gay Pride Parade!

Yes, this novel isn't limited to just China. The MC practically flew to the US every month for investment discussion. If you're into stocks and speculation, then this novel is definitely the one to check out. Hedge Funds, tiger funds, venture capitalism, etc. Most of the details went over my head. (Some got lost in the MTL)

The author handled the MC's interactions with foreigners fairly well, no overtone of racism. The only people who got dished were the Japanese (but that was mainly because the MC was fighting with Sony over the Hong Kong and Southeast Asian market, I think MC gave it up at the end?).

This novel is very slow paced. If you want the romance... hehe, wait like 100 chapters. I was super interested in reading about the market and MC's strategy initially, but the interest waned after like 80 chapters. I started skimming through his business talk and R&D with his partners. But then the romance kicked in and it was totally worth the wait.

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Expect an unconventional ML and unconventional MC. Even their position is unconventional.

Spoiler

They switched position, there's no designated gong or shou here.

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What stood out to me besides the in-depth market discussion is the ML.

Spoiler

The guy came from the a powerful family but he's not OP. When he first shows up, most people wouldn't even expect the pairing just cause he's a second generation master type who only likes to hang out with his friends and drinks. To be fair though, he's still in college. But after meeting MC, who's younger than him and more talented than him, his competitive spirit got sparked. He started becoming more responsible and made his own company. He didn't really manage to win against the MC, financially. But he's the type who would give his all even defeated.

His personality is the loyal dog type. If a person gets his trust, he's willing to risk all for that person. He was a straight guy before he met the MC. Poor guy, he had to learn how to be bent and do all the chasing cuase MC was never going to take initiative after getting burned by his old flame.

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And seriously, this novel has the best ending on market. If you can hold on till the end, it's a sweet reward of their family life!

Spoiler

They managed to get two kids (twins) via IVF and surrogacy. They DNA test the kids lol to find out which one belonged to MC or ML. They got one each. If you want more details, read the book, haha.

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The MC in this novel really started from rock-bottom, not like the MC from Epiphanies of Rebirth.

Spoiler

His parents were low-income factory workers. Because of money problem, he dropped out of school at 15. To get his starting fund, he drove long-distant truck for like months and moved goods on the side. What turned his fortune was the 1990 Shanghai Stock Market.

By 2000s, he became one of the most famous investors. His company, Lapis Lazuli (at least that's what MTL call it) was famous in both China and the US.

The ML developed in real estate. He never managed to beat the MC, lol. But by then, he didn't really care. He just wanted to spend the rest of his life with the MC.

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Nocturne
Nocturne
Dec 28, 2020
Status: Completed
Salutations everyone o/,

Okay, first things first. Is this novel worth reading? Yes, absolutely. This is an unexpected gem. But not all that shines is gold. You can easily binge read it with MTL, sidenote.

It's your usual Second Chance novel. Chen Yuanming, our protagonist, finds himself yeeted back to his teen years. The story basically chronicles 1990 - 2010 of China's history. I would encourage everyone reading it who is interested in Chinese history between these two decades. It's fairly accurate, when it comes to development and infrastructure.

... more>> The Plot

We gradually learn about his family, his 'background' and his every-day life. If it were up to me, I would put a Slice of Life tag there. The story moves at a reasonable pace - we, the reader, follow the protagonist's thought process, his achievements and we learn what makes him special (but not really). Chen Yuanming does not have a superpower. In a more conservative sense, his 'superpower' is his first life, or more so the experience he made. But and that is an aspect that I enjoyed; he gradually forgets stuff. It is not like he knows and remembers everything and follows through with it in minute detail. He makes mistakes and not everything he does is perfect (somewhat).

Like I said, the novel is pretty Slice of Life-ish, there is no real urgency or events that threaten his life. Most of his decisions and the overall plot progression follow a straightforward approach. The author does not diverge too much from the initial concept, living a fulfilling second life.

Problems

Now, the problems, this novel is not perfect. Since it follows China's history to some extent, it takes, let us say, creative liberties when retelling history. One can see that the author did their research especially when it comes to economics, but not everything mentioned in this book is correct or even remotely true.
Some innovations and research were attributed to the wrong people, or so author claims. Japan and China, I will not go there - but, you see, you should give credit where credit is due. Japan was and is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to innovations and design. Diminishing their contribution to Asia because of "reasons" seems overly petty and s*upid. Also, there are some things that are glossed over, Hong Kong for instance is well, all is good and dandy over there.

The story does not shove its agenda down the reader's throat most of the time, but you can see that it's a Chinese novel written by a Chinese author. Inventions that were not Chinese to begin with suddenly become Chinese, the government is hardly ever mentioned and Chinese Ideals.
Yes, yes - author cannot write more objective because of censoring and stuff and of course readers. I know, I know - I still think it is something worth mentioning.

Spoiler

Business dealings are overly simplistic. The beginning was very convenient. The way he came to money was beyond suspending disbelief. Factoring in his non-existent background and the amount he made, out of nothing, makes it very unrealistic. Also, the fact that nobody asked questions when he invested, seems, well, questionable, more so when factoring in his age. Chinese people were extremely sceptical when it came to the Stock Exchange, more so those that had money to spare. The law of the Jungle reigned supreme. You could make it big, or lose everything. A majority of the rich (at that time) were old money. In the 1990s China could be considered poor, most of the China's populace lived in poverty, like real poverty.

[collapse]

Most of China's problems were conveniently glossed over. If your story borrows heavily from real life events, you better be a little objective. The same goes for writing about e.g. The US as an American citizen, for any media really. No country is perfect, each country has their problems and benefits. If you want to borrow from history, mirror a certain time period (that existed), make certain key events part of your narrative, you better include them faithfully.
Investment Life is a wish fulfilment novel, a decent one, but nothing to brag about.

China remains an endearing subject to talk and write about when it comes to both foreigners and natives. One shouldn't take everything at face value, be it from foreign press and/or domestic press.

The Romance

It was okay. I would wager that it is the novel's weakest link. The romance doesn't feel rushed or anything, but I don't know, it also did not feel too real if that makes any sense. Personal taste of course. But to me, it felt not forced but rather shallow at times. Because of the overall Slice of Life nature of the story, I would have preferred some conflicts, be it in his economic endeavours or in that case, in his romantic undertakings. It doesn't make Chen Yuanming an interesting protagonist to read and learn about with things going too flawlessly (my opinion of course). I'd recommend it even for those folks who don't like LGBT+ too much. There are only some mildly explicit scenes, and most can be skipped if that's not up your alley.

Overall

Solid story. I would recommend it to folks who enjoy reading about Business Management, Second Chance and just learning more about China's economy between these decades. It's an informative read with some creative liberties, but most of it holds true. For those that enjoy LGBT+. I wouldn't pick it up if it were the sole reason.

Stay safe out there! <<less
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cleverFool
cleverFool
Jan 21, 2020
Status: Completed
I've read both Epiphanies of Rebirth and this !!!

This one is great !!!

If it gets fully translated, then it would be given much better ratings. As it gets confusing in mtl who don't have proper idea of it.
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Liyu
Liyu
Nov 09, 2020
Status: c87
I hate this novel and the ideas it spreads around, that it's okay for your parents to abuse you and ruin your dreams and you should not retaliate. It's unbearable. The story tries to make this MC strong but I only see a weak person. A child who lets his relatives walk all over him and tries to soothe the relationships with aunts who didn't pay their share in time of need with money, relying on money for affection. And even trying to justify piracy. Did a company rip you... more>> off? Go sign a contract with them. Let's not even talk about the political connotations that were really unnecessary and uncomfortable. The author should have the awareness that he's writing an international story.

As for the story itself, it quickly gets boring. It's just about investments, litterally that (and so badly done someone who never opened a financial book could see it). You could just go read a biography of some random gay entrepreneur and it would be more exciting. It probably also would have less political connotations. <<less
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ylial
ylial
Jul 26, 2020
Status: Completed
Another great slice of life story. ? The ending is good!! Their relationship is not smooth sailing due to repulsive behavior of china law (and culture) to
LGBTs. But they are patient and they didn't give up on each other. I don't even want the story to end!! Even though, some of chapters are boring due to long narration of economics, I do not mind!!! I just keep wanting to see their everyday life. This has a SLOW and LITTLE ROMANCE and focused more on the plot (investment life of... more>> MC). Also, there are a lot of business/accounting/electronics terms (in which I also searched since the author didn't mention what were they). So if u'r not into it, the novel is not for you.

I didn't agree at all with one of the previous comment. The intimate life of MC with ML started around c173. Before, when they were only friends/business companion, they met for 1 or 2x a yr. But after they got together, they met after around 2months, 1 week, or 6months (longest, acquiring Australian mining shares) depending on their sched availability. And the last step of xxx was only reached on c196!!!! It's like I'm reading a historical biography of MC, and it's tiring to be in the MC's position. His golden finger is his rebirth but the reason for his success is his hard work. Thinking and running left and right to invest. (I guess I won't exchange my time for much money). He thought not only for himself but the economy of China as a whole and was even forced to invest to a declining price of metals to balance out the economy. Probably, this is the downside of communism (fortunately, they r also capitalsits). <<less
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mycroft_holmes
mycroft_holm
May 16, 2021
Status: Completed
For those who are curious about its difference and similarities with Epiphanies of Rebirth, the first noticeable thing is that IL is more plot-centered than EoR to the point that MC and ML relationship begun to actually become official during 3/4 of the story. Tbh, the romance of IL is so slow-burning that it would leave the readers just wanting for more... interacrion. There was a time that I even nearly dropped the novel because of my impatience, lol. Anyway it's worth the wait I guess. AND the fast-pacedness of... more>> the plot can actually distract my romance-seeking heart hahaha.

Another thing is that IL possesses a more serious tone and atmosphere in terms of events and themes, unlike EoR (though it has its own times too). The graveness of the situations keeps me hooked, and the aftermaths left me awed.

Overall the two possessed similarities and differences, but if you want things thicker, then I would suggest for you to read this one too. (in the context that you read EoR first lol)
Spoiler

Things/elements that I like in the story:

- the MC. I can't find the most suitable adjective for him, but all in all, he's a very mature and capable person. Experiencing failures from his past life left with more determined spirit and greater intellect as we observe from the story. I like the fact that he remains filial to his very flawed family, and his attitude towards the problems he encounters in the story. As for the likeability, imo, he really did ML wrong during 'that time' but I guess that stems from his character (being too responsible and overly analytic lol). So MC is overall a greal lad, flawed but he learns

- the economy aspect. Lol the author even admitted it. Although she indeed did some research about economic history and stuffs, every thing she wrote is mostly written for entertainment, and not to be overthink by readers. And she did the job well. I really enjoyed the economic element of the story, from Shanghai stock arc to the baht devaluation period. And the author wrote it in a manner that readers will find it enjoyable and fun.

- the ML is so adorable. So... if you're looking for a overly domineering CEO type with cold and indifferent attitude (but opens up only with his MC), no, just no hahahah. Out of all characters in the story, ML undergoes character development the most. He is not as intelligent as others or as capable, but he is very determined to the point of our hearthache. Ah his family is rich too, but I like the fact that he doesn't rely too much on them. So yeah MC is borderline sugar daddy and it is ML's responsibility to add sugar to the pain in our hearts.

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Anyway we, the masters, mtl'ed this gem so if you ever feel like learning our cultivation method, feel free to do so. Plot is good, character is good, ending is nice I guess, romance is tagged slow burn, and mtl quality is borderline readable. Thanks for the translators tho <<less
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Muantlau77
Muantlau77
Oct 17, 2020
Status: Completed
Although the translator did a great job, I mtl this one throughout coz I just couldn't wait lmao.

If you like reading rebirths and second chances then you'll definitely love this one although there's not much romance. MC and ML are very suited for each other though and ... more>>
Spoiler

they got kids later through surrogacy so it's pretty cute

[collapse]

I reallt like this novel in that it is pretty realistic and though the MC has a golden finger ie his rebirth, he has to work hard and use his brains a lot for everything to work well.

It's a pretty fun read 5/5 <<less
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xiao_daoist
xiao_daoist
May 11, 2022
Status: c51
    • The ambience of the book is both mature and serious which can be a little boring if you enjoy clich boys love.
    • The historical aspect isn't a 100% accurate. But kudos to the author for researching.
    • You can expect nationalism but not as strong and as biased as other works here.
    • Big thumbs up to the different translators who have worked and is working on this book. They also did research as can be seen from the footnote.
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Knightime
Knightime
Feb 23, 2022
Status: c46
I highly recommend this story if you like empire building. It shows how a penniless teenager can start from nothing and use his knowledge to end up with over 180 million yuan (at this point in the story). Besides showing the MC’s decisions and results, it also reveals the thoughts of other people who interact with him, which helps flesh out other characters as well. Still no ML yet (officially) but I have a feeling I know who it will be!
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YouToon
YouToon
May 08, 2021
Status: Completed
Warning: this has a really good realistic romance. BUT! It's depicted more in the last third of the book.

This book describes a reborn guy who uses his foreknowledge of events to help himself, his made family and his town survive and prosper during the 90s. Without the romance its a good story. But with the romance, its fantastic. Its got intense world building and info dump levels of detail on the financial schemes our kid devises.
Spoiler

The author did a ton of research and used real world events to shape the MC's business around. He's not just an OP CEO who we are told is good at business. You know exactly why this MC succeeds because you are along for every step of the plan. That may be boring to some readers but I really enjoy it.

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Why do I love the romance?

Spoiler

One aspect I really appreciate is the author doesn't blindly pretend the world is as it should be with all spectrums of consensual love accepted. The ramifications of being gay in 90s China are explored and are a large obstacle in the MC's heart about embracing the romance. He knows he's gay and believes that dooms him to a lifetime of isolation and unsatisfying encounters. The ML perseveres and makes the MC believe in their future. Highly satisfying ending.

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Regra
Regra
Jan 11, 2021
Status: --
It is a great novel with seriousness pointed toward the economy side and silce of life. While the romance is not that fluffy and its a slow progress it is moving and full if emotions. The greatest part is that there is no definite top or bottom but a compromise and trust between the couple.

Although cause of MTL I skipped most of the economic chapters if translated I would read it in full.

I also cries a lot in the 2nd half
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cmd35
cmd35
Nov 27, 2020
Status: c17
Plot heavy and extensive world building. I think these details are interesting, but I could see some people finding it dull. Personally, I really like reading stories that give you a sense of an era and the lives of the people living in it. Obviously events are manipulated in a way to make a more interesting story, but this style of story telling has a nice quality of depth. I haven't gotten to any romantic plot, so I can't comment on those developments.
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Farika
Farika
Jul 11, 2020
Status: Completed
Five stars to author for his/her background research..

... more>>
Spoiler

Its a bit different from general rebirth novels and I think its quite realistic and the same time a bit of fantasy feel, because the rebirth theme.

I really like MC reaction when he wake up again to the past after car accident. He feels confused, scared and anger. Trying to find which the dream and the reality. Its really unique start point and really logical. Its different from general MC in Rebirth story, that they always know that they got second chance.


There are another unique points, when he tried to convincing a partner he never make reasoning formula with "suddenlygotstrangedreams" instead he tried illustrated his action with his past action.

Although I feel quite bored ? And skipping few chapters here and there, still I am enjoying this ride. This book full of economic event, especially investment event, stock market, etc.

If you want to read romance, I suggested to skip this one. The romance only like 10%-20% from the full story. MC and ML meeting only two times a year ? But, their interactions so sweet and ML vinegars always every where. They got two children, no big family drama and happy ending~

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rhianirory
rhianirory
Mar 20, 2019
Status: c10
i only got through chapter ten with MTL so it's a little early to rate it. I rated it anyways. There's a lot of stuff going on in the story that's really confusing without a basic understanding of Chinese laws and way of life outside of the big cities in the 1990s. MTL makes it even more confusing. I read until he quit school and gave up. There was just too much I didn't understand without knowing the context, like why at age fifteen he was still a junior high... more>> student. Why his parents freaked out so badly when he helped his friends mom sell gloves. Etc. Sadly, I can't comment on the ML because as far as I know, he hasn't met him yet. I don't know how exciting it will be in the future but it was kind of dull up to chapter ten and there's no humor to help it along. If someone picks it up and translates it I might try again. I'm not stressed if they don't. <<less
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greenHills
greenHills
Dec 17, 2023
Status: Completed
I read a lot of reviews before reading this novel, and now that I've read most of it, rereading some of the low reviews gives me the feeling of...did you actually read this? There are a lot of technical terms and historical events, so it's more painful to read via MTL, but what the hell happened to your understanding of media literacy and common sense??? Did you drop them somewhere????

"It's okay for your parents to abuse you and ruin your dreams, and you shouldn't retaliate". This is just ignorant. Please... more>> at least try to understand the context.

Your 15-year old kid tells you they're dropping out of middle school to go gamble for a fortune halfway across the country. Oh, yeah, and maybe do that thing that used to get people jailed and publicly paraded in shame. What are you gonna do?

As any sensible parent would, you're obviously going to encourage them to live their dreams, right?

This is China in the 90s, a developing country right out of a lot of strife and finally coming out of poverty. The MC's parents are two old-fashioned, down-trodden workers that have spent the majority of their lives at a state factory, that have also lived through the Cultural Revolution and the Reform. In their past few decades, the most honourable and reliable type of job has been an "iron rice bowl" from the government, which includes work at state-owned factory, food tickets, et cetera. "Privately-run business" was linked to "capitalism" which was severely criticized for years and was a literal crime, and policies regarding business have only relaxed in recent years. It was punished via public humiliation, imprisonment, or in extreme cases, execution. For years! Many which would've been formative years for the MC's parents! And this is a society where reputation is important and they live in a work compound, and where casual private business (e.g. hawking goods) is still seen as shameful.

The MC is, to their knowledge, a 15-year-old kid trying to drop out of middle school and run a business. They do not know that policies will grow increasingly lax regarding business. They're low-level workers with limited connections living hard, debt-ridden lives. At this point in time, being a university graduate is still one of the most honourable things you can be, whereas being a hawker is shameful. Even worse, the MC gets into stocks, and the stock market in China is chaotic and somewhat akin to gambling at this point. In-story, there are plenty of failed investors said to be committing su*cide in the background.

Maybe if this was a fluffier novel, the parents would've smiled and been all, "Oh, wow, you made a little money? You want to enter the cannibalistic stock market? That's great. Go ahead, Chen Yuanming~ We believe in you~!" Maybe if the parents weren't low-level workers saddled with debt, with a limited vision and a lot of "city worker hired by the state" pride, they would've gone, "Wow! This business thing sounds neat. We've been doing the same thing all our lives, but we love change! We're sure you can do it!" Maybe if the MC's body wasn't literally 15 years old, they would've taken him more seriously.

Unfortunately, none of these premises are what's in the novel. As for the abuse part, everyone else in the novel on friendly terms with the MC at that point agrees that the MC's family is going way too far. His best friend's family doesn't agree with it at all, and he doesn't, either. Nonetheless, it's a nuanced issue, and is written with nuance that the other reviewer has evidently not grasped at all.

"The Chinese government is hardly ever mentioned", except there are multiple issues so far that have dealt with
Spoiler

government officials/connected people doing insider trading, manipulating bonds (to the point where really big financial losses are suffered nationally due to the fallout), the effect of fluctuating metal values on state-owned factories and their workers, corruption everywhere and conflicting personal interests of officials influencing business and the unfortunate necessity of having connections

[collapse]
.... like, hello? State-owned enterprises even have "government" in the f*cking name; they're state-owned. At this point in time, a lot of China's larger companies had a more than decent amount of involvement with the government, whether that's in terms of private relationships or official backing, so systematic corruption is often, inevitably, linked to the government. Are we reading the same novel here?

"There are no events that threaten his life and there's no urgency" -- my dude's been in a knife/gun fight >2x in a finance novel. What are you expecting, a battle royale? He's a billionaire investor with bodyguards and a security team, okay? The MC spends most of his time burning the midnight oil and flying across China, HK, and America to deal with sudden events that do occur, so if that doesn't count for urgency, then I want to know what does. Obviously, the urgent issues are generally settled via negotiations or gradual business plan implementations, because as the title indicates, the MC is an investor, not a soldier.

"Hong Kong is good and dandy"... the novel covers tensions during reunification and their effect on his business, actually. There are entrapreneurs in HK that lean towards China that the MC works with, and there are plenty that don't, which is why
Spoiler

the MC loses the HK market to Sony-Philips. Political upheaval and the issue of HK being funded by TW, which is in league with America and Japan, means that there are ramifications for the MC because of the troubles surrounding reunification. While the troubles that arise that the MC deals with himself are mostly relevant to business/investment, the corruption and undercurrents are clearly mentioned, so... like, I don't know what else you expect for him to be doing. He's a businessman/investor with a business focus.

The tumult in HK is also part of the reason why governance is lax enough for him to get caught in a gunfight out in the open, and he has to use his connections to get the criminals investigated smoothly because, unsurprisingly, they also have connections. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't call that "good and dandy".

[collapse]

"Japanese tech contributions to Asia are diminished"... the novel mentions that in real life, a lot of the tech releases were first done by Sony/Philips, though. (Also, Philips is a Dutch company.) The MC's business is in direct conflict with the Sony-Philips ventures, because they're all trying to get as many slices of the same cake as they possibly can. Additionally, he's trying to make a grab for soft power and influence for China, because he's a Chinese businessman.

As with most rebirth novels, it's a "what-if" story and embodies the butterfly effect -- if he funds better technological development for Chinese researchers, and cooperates with and funds researchers Silicon Valley, what's wrong with him trying to develop more quickly? You're reading a novel about business wars, and you expect him to lie down and wave the white flag for his rivals? Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin both developed effective polio vaccines at around the same time, but Salk is the one often credited with curing polio, because his was the first to be used on a large-scale.

The MC isn't a technical expert, so in story, he's not stealing future inventions and passing them off as his -- he's just aware of the directions that things will move in and is paving the way for others to research. While I assume the author based some of those innovations off of real-life references, that's... pretty normal, dude. They're trying to be the first to release with enough fanfare to conquer.

"It's slice-of-life." We're reading two different novels.

"There are no conflicts in the romantic undertakings".... are you kidding me? It's a "he's gay, in China, in the 90s" story, and not in a "handwaved everyone's okay with being gay!" way, but in a "it's still thought of as a mental illness and Really Bad" way. For a while, he doesn't open up at all, because the ML's eyes remind him of his terrible ex. Their families stand between them; they're both basically the only sons in their lineage, the MC more than the ML, and people around them are expecting them to get married to a woman and have kids. I could go on about this, but I really don't know how someone came to such a shallow conclusion. Bizarre.

Sigh. Anyway.

Really plot/technical-detail-heavy, not a light-hearted danmei nor a light read. I think the problem is actually the info-dumping, but it's hard to really provide context for all of these real-life events otherwise. Again, this one's a somewhat painful MTL.

One thing I do like about the romance -- it doesn't keep them from being who they are. There are a lot of "overbearing whatever CEOs" that get a husband/wife/girlfriend/boyfriend and often drop everything, clear their schedule, etc., to fluff it up. The MC and ML are often still very busy and high-power executives that need to be in 5 places at once, and clearing their schedule like that wouldn't be realistic. <<less
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Alexis001
Nov 30, 2023
Status: --
IT. IS. SO. GOOD.

The world building is solid, you can tell the author go out of their way to research. Wouldnt be surprised if the author has prior education in finance/management, everything was logical and sound, like if you were a business student you def can learn a thing or two from this novel. Also, the joy rush of learning something new from a novel is elite lol.

I was so used of the technicality of everything happening in the background on novels pertaining to high society like this, I sort... more>> of got (happy) whiplash when I read this novel. Like? Children from rich families, expensive cars, banquet, you know the drill. Instead of the usual wish fullfillment urban novel with male protag who bulldozed his way to success (with the tacky face slapping or two), in this novel the MC build his wealth step by step. No one actually looks down on him lol, they just get surprised by his age and respected him for his ability. Its not a smooth sailing journey either, he almost got killed 3 times lol. One time the ML got injured protecting him.

The romance is slow, but you get glimpses of it every now and then since the beginning (probs chap 50-ish or so). And when it start to develop into real relationship, it was SO GOOD. Worth all the wait. They were so sweet #cries. Also, their parents opposition are realest thing lol. Fortunately its HE. Ugh. Wish there is more extra chapter tho, cuz I cant really get enough of the MC and ML romance. <<less
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Avrohom
Avrohom
Oct 21, 2022
Status: C70
It's an excellent novel and well written too although its technical content (China's and worldwide financial markets of the last quarter of a century) might not be for everyone. To me, personally, this time frame is boring. I like either modern, or future or more far away past. Also, if I had to compare this novel to Epiphanies of Rebirth, ER has better characters, its human side is better written so I like it more, but IL is smarter and presents much more powerful ideas. May be the authhor tries... more>> too hard to cover a huge number of issues and overshoots to the point that it no longer reads as a novel, I do not know. But at certain point I got overwhelmed with the size and complexity of the issues and lack of humanity and stopped reading.

Spoiler

A 30 years old man dies and is reborn as his own 15 years old self. His family is very poor, carries a huge debt, and will only get worse. His father is extremely rigid, fearful, exhausted from factory work, angry and violent with his delinquent son who brings home bad marks from school. That is his starting point in 1991.

There are two sources of conflict at the beginning. His dad rejects his very first attempt to earn money by selling homemade gloves and making one year worth of father's income, over a thousand dollars, in a flash. He beats him severely, prohibits speculation (free market activity, capitalist behavior) and locks him up. In his mind, shaped by the horrors of Cultural Revolution of 15 years ago, the only honest work is being a salaryman, a collective farm worker or a factory worker, a soldier, a government employee. The rest is criminal and dangerous.

And the boy is handsome, the boy is gay, which is also a terrible thing to be in the 1991-2010 China.

So, these are two main story lines in the plot.

A talented businessman and a financial genius grows from rags to riches while dealing with his poor family issues and limitations. This is different from the usual greedy relatives trope, they actually are afraid of him and for him, they are poor but not money driven. More like they are poor by their very cherished identity, uncomfortable with money. At the same time, they are OK with borrowing huge amounts of money to spend on things or services they clearly cannot afford, for example, to treat the grandma. With terrible consequences: the granny was beyond help and dies anyways and because they cannot return that money, their little niece does not receive treatment, she grows up as an invalid and the entire clan falls apart and much more. So, the reborn ML feels that money is the solution and pushes himself to the limit to make a lot and to give away a lot.


The ML (Xiao Junyi) appears in ch.27. His uncle is the MC's benefactor and wants the 21 years old ML to learn from the 16 years old MC his exceptionally successful investment strategies.
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trash_generalist
trash_genera
Sep 17, 2022
Status: c80
This novel really opens your eyes on the state of the financial economy in the 1990s~ It's evident the author did their research (I mean, this novel is apparently primarily based on life experiences -- including some cameos from real life people, although the author gave them different names). I enjoyed it a lot~ Unfortunately, the TL is incomplete. And, while the MTL is a lot readable than most (at least 85-90% readable, which is astounding), due to the use of technical terms and the author's propensity towards info-dumping, it... more>> can be a bit of a pain to read T.T so I gave it up in the end. In any case, let's move on to the preliminary overview (I'm not going to give a full review this time and will leave the novel unrated cause I didn't even read the halfpoint mark T.T).

This novel is really similar to that one novel about the medical field in the 1990s. As in, it's main focus is exploring those times. There is a reborn MC (Chen Yuanming) changing things up, but his story is secondary. At least, in the first 1/3rd of the novel that I read. If you like poor-to-rich novels, then this one is definitely a novel that you'll want to check out. The MC works his way up from having nothing at 15 years old, until he's making hundreds of millions of dollars as an 18yo. The progress is a bit slow at first, but the author does eventually speed things up as his projects get bigger and bigger.

As for our ML, he really doesn't appear much in the first 1/3rd of the story. His main goal is to catch up to the MC, which is almost impossible because of the MC's golden finger (his knowledge of the future and his hard-earned skills in stocks and investments). This is definitely not your typical danmei novel -- since the romance is wayyyyyy undeveloped in the beginning and will remain as such for a long time (I imagine). But there's an appeal to the way the ML is striving to reach the MC's level. Especially when most MLs are usually wayyy ahead.

All in all? Worth the read, too bad the TL is unfinished T.T I would have liked to have read the rest. Maybe I'll give it another shot in the future, when I have a bit more patience. <<less
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Rinkyx
Rinkyx
Nov 26, 2021
Status: Completed
very much enjoyed this. Both MC and ML were well written. No dramatic misunderstandings. I did skip a lot of the businesses investment stuff near the end though as there was too much lol 5 solid stars. Loved the extras.
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aryl
aryl
Sep 27, 2020
Status: c195
oh boy what to say. I mean this is the 1st book in 90's era that connect with everything that is happening at that time. I really got frustrated when author smooth over things in this kind of storyline. I mean most of them are HE so I know what happens in the end. I read this type of novel to read the process. So m very happy to read this. And also the romance part is not forceful. They have reasons to like. I kind of wish someone write... more>> this kind of story with female lead. There are tons of story where FL have an idea then they open store it gets popular and then bam internationally famous. Buisness is not done like this. So I really appreciate the nuances like region, copycat, govt. Etc in this book. I know everything is not perfect here but overall its a good book. Do give it a try. <<less
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