Tycoon · Big Boss

Author: Shen Ji (Written by) / Sun Yu (Illustrated)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: The lives of Huang Jinrong and Du Yuesheng span the turmoil of the late Qing Dynasty, Warlord Era, the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and the War of Liberation. In the chaotic, conflicting, and fiercely competitive Shanghai, they rose to absolute power, and their rise and fall reflect the modern history of Shanghai over a century. Shen Ji, the writer of the comic book The Tycoon, uses concise and vivid language and a dramatic structure to record the entire journey of the tycoons from prosperity to decline. Dai Dunbang, renowned for his character paintings, meticulously depicts with his unique brushwork and style, presenting a realistic and vivid reflection of the era, social environment, and the lives of all kinds of people in old Shanghai, offering readers a nostalgic yet innovative realistic of old Shanghai.
Ha Tong relied on the British and French concessions, and the woman who helped him amass wealth was his wife, Ruo Jialing, whom he claimed to be of French descent. Ruo Jialing had once been a maid, a flower seller, and even served foreigners in brothels. After meeting Ha Tong, her strong and fiery personality allowed her to connect with wealthy merchants and gentry, elevating her own status and building a private garden. As the wife of a "big boss" in China, she associated with revolutionaries. Sun Yat-sen once wrote and lectured in her garden, and Zhang Taiyan married here. She also founded a women's university, inviting scholars like Wang Guowei and Xu Beihong to teach, and published a series of culturally valuable books. Meanwhile, she courted warlords and the former imperial family of the overthrown Qing Dynasty, adopting the title of "Imperial Relative."
Ha Tong and Ruo Jialing were prominent and wealthy figures in 1930s Shanghai, who made fortunes through real estate. The life of Ha Tong and his wife is also a microcosm of the history of Shanghai's concessions. Shen Ji, the writer of the comic book The Big Boss, once wrote a 400,000-word work on Ha Tong. Now, with concise and vivid language and a dramatic structure, he records the life of Ha Tong. Sun Yu, known for his Western-style paintings, uses innovative brushwork and style to vividly depict the era, social environment, and urban life of the bustling Shanghai, offering readers a nostalgic yet innovative realistic of old Shanghai.