The Third Kind of Survival: Wang Zhigang's Social and Economic Observations

Author: Wang Zhigang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-02-01
Features: The observations and reflections in this book cover various fields such as entrepreneurs, merchant guilds, scholars, regions, cities, and real estate. The reason I dare to criticize current issues and speak my mind is not because I possess extraordinary talent, but ultimately because of my detachment, because I am an independent "third party." It is precisely this "third-party" perspective that allows me to express the voice of an intellectual who is unique yet not isolated, who aligns with the times yet remains untainted, and who is detached yet not eccentric. This is a legendary era, a time of constant change. This era can turn people into gods, and it can turn people into demons. I am fortunate to have lived in this era. Looking back at over a decade of social transformation from the early 1990s to the present, the entry of intellectuals into the market can be said to be one of the most dramatic, compelling, and thought-provoking chapters in this period of turbulent rise and fall.
In the past, countless intellectuals who once guarded their spiritual homes were moved by the times and fled the confines of the system, wholeheartedly plunging into the tide of the market economy. I, too, became one of them. After ten years of market baptism and experience in the "jungle," I have become a true wild animal, an unidentifiable flying object in the eyes of many. The market economy has completely transformed the fate of Chinese intellectuals over thousands of years. Under the feudal autocratic system, there was only one path since ancient times—"study well and serve in the government." But in a state-centric social structure, only one in a thousand or even ten thousand could truly succeed on this path. Once a scholar failed to secure a government position, they could only seek solace through self-reflection, self-cultivation, and self-reliance. This determined that whether an intellectual stood high in the court or far away in the wilderness, they were merely an appendage to the bureaucratic system, a decoration in the officialdom—just as the saying goes, "If the skin is gone, how can the hair attach?" Even figures as unrestrained as Li Bai, upon hearing the summons of the emperor, could not help but express their excitement and urgency with the lines, "Farewell to Baidi under the colorful clouds, returning to Jiangling a thousand miles in a single day."
Finally, overnight, the tide of the market economy crashed into the doors of ancient China, bringing a historic turning point and liberation for Chinese culture and the fate of intellectuals. In this once-in-thousands-of-years transformation, intellectuals could finally arrange their own destinies, choosing their modes of survival with their wisdom and knowledge according to their own will. However, the entry of intellectuals into the market economy was far from easy. The rule of "winners are kings and losers are thieves" is the of the market economy. Under this cold, hard rule, some intellectuals unleashed their full potential in the game with the market, gradually evolving from sheep into wolves, but becoming even fiercer, more ruthless, and more mercenary than wolves. Others "learned to howl like wolves in a pack of dogs," completely transforming themselves from "gentlemen" into "ruffians." Some, due to their lack of adaptability, returned empty-handed. Others, aftering a few mouthfuls of water,, began to observe everything around them with a pure critical realist perspective. Thus, it is inevitable that we see, when intellectuals who had been suppressed for thousands of years suddenly gained the freedom and opportunities of multiple choices, as they began to evolve from domesticated animals into wild ones, and when they finally no longer bowed their heads for five bushels of rice and could stand tall, the inherent qualities and brilliance of intellectuals were gradually worn down by the harsh reality. Most of their former spiritual homes became nothing more than beautiful memories, reflections of souls that seemed familiar yet distant.
This seems like a great paradox. When intellectuals enter the market, their first task is to learn to dance with wolves. But only by daring to enter the pack of wolves and being accepted by the market can they learn to dance with them. And only by dancing skillfully with wolves can they realize the value of their knowledge and wisdom in the market. Yet in the process of dancing with wolves, they are inevitably assimilated by the pack. So, is it possible for intellectuals to find a path that achieves both financial and intellectual success without distorting their personalities? Since entering the market, I have strived to explore and solve the path of market-oriented survival for intellectuals. While constantly engaging in the game with market forces, dealing with entrepreneurs, and dialoguing with government officials, I have also been reflecting on and seeking answers to the question: Does knowledge truly possess independent value and possibility? In today's market economy, do intellectuals still possess independent personalities? More importantly, in the chaotic world where "all else is inferior, only wealth is supreme," can cultural figures achieve confidence and dignity in independent survival, independent thinking, and speaking out with independent voices? Despite this sounding a bit like Don Quixote's overconfidence, I persisted and ultimately succeeded.
Looking back at the ten years since entering the market, I have increasingly felt that such a path not only exists but is also a broad and expansive highway. In the process of dancing with wolves, I have always strived to explore a path of "round on the outside, square on the inside," not becoming a true wolf but retaining the nature of a sheep—its kindness, simplicity, and detachment. Perhaps by fate, as a sheep, I was destined to be a sheep, a wolf in sheep's clothing. There is one thing that sets me apart from most intellectuals who entered the market: over the past ten years, my team and I have always been in a seller's market. As a part of China's consulting industry, we possess a deep understanding of the national conditions and macro trends, an almost bone-deep familiarity with businesses and markets, and a unique way of understanding and integrating various political, economic, social, and cultural resources, constantly evolving with the times and truly achieving "leading market trends and enjoying the thrill of surfing." It is precisely because of our unique methodology, confidence, rich experience, and daily market refinement that I have always maintained a detached mindset, an independent perspective, and even a personalized way of expression in the market's game. Therefore, in the process of providing consulting services to the ever-growing Chinese entrepreneurs and the increasingly mature government officials, I like to jokingly call our role "the third party," rather than "the client."
First and foremost, I must thank this era for providing intellectuals like me with a third option for survival—an option that is neither dependent on high-ranking officials nor on the wealthy class, but instead interacts and stands on equal footing with both. I firmly believe that only by maintaining this third-party existence can one hold a third-party perspective on people and things, and only with this third-party perspective can one see what others fail to see and express the views of "the third party" without hesitation. As the readers will see in this book, the observations and reflections on entrepreneurs, merchant guilds, scholars, regions, cities, and real estate are all examples of this. The reason I dare to criticize current issues and speak my mind is not because I possess extraordinary talent, but ultimately because of my detachment, because I am an independent "third party." It is precisely this third-party perspective that allows me to express the voice of an intellectual who is unique yet not isolated, who aligns with the times yet remains untainted, and who is detached yet not eccentric. I think the reading value of this book lies precisely in this.
Wang Zhigang
Late 2004 in Shenzhen