Heaven to the left, Shenzhen to the right

Author: Murong Xuecun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: I am trying to describe the lives of these people. During the writing process, I often feel a powerful, tragic force surrounding me. Both the living and the dead are present. Everything seems accidental, yet everything is as if it were pre-arranged. Life on earth is merely a scene in this play. And who will be the final curtain call?—Author's Note
Billionaires are found dead in the streets, wayward nobles enter monasteries, and honest people guard the dazzling years that will never return. This is the best of times, this is the worst of times. The gods are all dead, the heroes are fading, yet the mundane life still holds a profoundly moving power.
This is a book of illusion. Ambition and ideals, youth and love, eventually all turn into inner emptiness. Therefore, searching is the ultimate theme. Heaven is to the left, Shenzhen is to the right, and you are in the middle.
After the (depression) following the completion of Chengdu, Forget Me Tonight, Murong Xuecun remained silent for over a year before finally releasing his new work. Murong Xuecun will lead readers to bid farewell to Chengdu and join him in Heaven Is to the Left, Shenzhen Is to the Right.
The story begins in 2002, when billionaire Xiao Ran died in the early hours of Shenzhen after a drunk driving accident. At that time, he was at the peak of his career, renowned far and wide, and as rich as a king. People had various opinions about his death—some said it was murder, others said it was an accident, while those who knew insisted it was suicide.
Then, the story flashes back to 1992, when Xiao Ran and his girlfriend Han Ling, Liu Yuan, and Chen Qiming—a group of ambitious young people with their own dreams—arrived in Shenzhen from all over the country. They started businesses, struggled, survived, and stumbled forward against the harsh reality.
Regarding the urban stories that always choose tragic endings, Murong Xuecun stated that he has always been a pessimist, hoping to reveal the cruelty behind the superficial glamour of the city and the shattered dreams of young men and women through this novel.