A great personality can overcome this era on his own. This famous saying of Nietzsche well explains the life of Chu Shijian (hereinafter referred to as Mr. Chu).
In the eyes of outsiders, Mr. Chu’s life is legendary and awe-inspiring. But in Mr. Chu's own opinion, there is only peace. In his own words: "For reform, you have to pay a price." This kind of belief and attitude towards life requires such a strong inner and dull power to defeat fate.
Mr. Chu’s life is tragic. Born in a peasant family in Yunnan in 1928, his father passed away at the age of 15, his two younger brothers died in infancy, and his mother passed away at the age of 22. He carried a gun and served as a soldier, and his cousin who fought alongside him died. He became a rightist at the age of 31 and took his wife and daughter to the farm. He was reformed through labor and almost died from malaria; he took over a sugar factory at the age of 35 and turned it around; at the age of 51, he was ordered to turn the Yuxi Cigarette Factory, which was on the verge of collapse, into the largest tobacco company in Asia; at the age of 71, he became a prisoner and lost his wife and daughter. After being imprisoned, his daughter committed suicide in prison; at the age of 74, he suffered from severe diabetes and fainted several times in prison, and was later paroled for medical treatment.
His tragic fate further highlights his great personality. He has been in charge of Yuxi Cigarette Factory for 18 years, generating 99.1 billion in tax revenue for the country, and is known as the "Tobacco King"; Mr. Chu, who is in his seventies, is on medical parole for rest. A few months later, more than 2,000 acres of wasteland in Ailao Mountain were contracted to grow oranges. Ten years later, Chucheng had an annual output of 8,000 tons and annual profits exceeded 30 million yuan. Chucheng became a new legendary brand.
In Wang Shi’s words: He has been in Yunnan since he was born, and has almost never left the small place of Yuxi, but everything he does is something that can be sold in the international market. Why?
Perhaps we can find an answer from some of Mr. Chu’s self-summary words:
“Looking back over the years, what I have done most with a clear conscience is: there is no mediocrity. life."
"I am a person who is practical and serious in doing things. I never think that I am a genius, but I have always been a practical person, and I have a very good attitude in everything I do. Respect the rules of that line.
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“I feel that I have not done anything great. All I have done is respect the rules and abide by my duties”