At the Helm

Name: At the Helm
ISBN: 9787211069019

龙在宇Fujian People's Publishing House · ChinaApr 2026

3.7

Word count: 309K words
Chapters: 55
ISBN: 9787211069019

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Summary

Du Linxiang is middle-aged and his career shows no sign of turning around. How does he seize a fleeting, chance opportunity and stride onto the road to success? Then, in the upward phase of his career, how does he rely on exceptional intelligence to work every angle and maneuver tirelessly, expanding vital connections and using them to build a bigger enterprise and outmaneuver rivals, staging one breathtaking duel of masters after another? Having narrowly won several of these contests, Du Linxiang faces the most dangerous showdown of his life. Against an opponent far stronger and better connected than himself, against an adversary who stops at nothing—open attacks and hidden arrows alike—and who lays careful traps, can he slip through again? Life is like a chess game: those who can read the board survive, those who can break the deadlock endure, those who command the whole board win. This is a hands-on novel about succeeding in the worlds of politics and business; civil servants and businesspeople alike can draw from it the wisdom of managing such relationships and grasp superior arts of leadership and maneuvering.

Editor's review

At the Helm is a business novel by veteran journalist Long Zaiyu, distinguished among books of its kind by its deep real-world insight and nuanced storytelling. It is not a simple pile-up of wealth legends; instead, it places protagonist Du Linxiang's entrepreneurial journey against the grand backdrop of China's economic takeoff and social transformation over the past two decades, profoundly analyzing the struggles, choices, and fluctuating fortunes of private entrepreneurs amid the tides of the era. Drawing on years of experience as a financial journalist, the author depicts government-business relations, capital operations, and human maneuvering with penetrating detail. The plot is tightly linked, offering both the thrills of fierce commercial battles and sober reflection on the philosophy of success and the value of life. Reading this book, readers not only experience the sheer pleasure of fiction but also, beneath the story's surface, glimpse the true texture and operating logic of Chinese business society in a particular historical period, giving it unique reference value for understanding contemporary Chinese business culture.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the operating logic of contemporary Chinese business society
Fans of business novels with serious realist themes and solid plotting
Entrepreneurs and managers who can draw business wisdom and life reflection from it
Observers of the development of private enterprise after reform and opening up

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking light entertainment and pure escapist reading
People with no interest in business or political topics

Reading tips

Read it as a micro-history novel and pay attention to how the era shapes the characters' fates.
Note the author's portrayal of characters' psychology and complex relationships; this is the book's essence.
Do not rush to the plot's outcome; the depiction of business decision-making is itself highly thought-provoking.

About the publisher

Fujian People's Publishing House China · Founded in 1951

Fujian People's Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher focusing on humanities and social sciences, with publishing areas that include politics, economics, culture, education, history, and the collation of ancient texts. Judging from the three titles in the database, the press attends both to the collation and republication of classic literature, such as Yu Dafu's Spring Breeze Drunk Evening in an authoritative revised collector's edition, and to original social novels, such as Long Zaiyu's Zhang Duo series. This selection approach, balancing literary classics with socially engaged fiction, reflects its distinctive publishing profile across classic works and social novels. Due to limited materials in the database, publicly available information is limited, and a fuller account of the press's author resources and series planning cannot yet be provided.

版权信息
第一章空手套白狼
1 洪西首富万顺龙被深夜抓走
2 大生意都是砍价砍出来的
3 做生意只算自己的账，从不算别人的账
4 赤条条对坐，有什么话都能敞开说
5 要不要兑现承诺，把两百万送给一个废人
第二章珍珑棋局
1 怎样才能与土地爷爷搭上线
2 杜林祥冒充起了集邮爱好者
3 卓伯均说话办事，活像包公再世
4 一份毫无亮点的开发方案，竟然喊出了天价
5 钻进了卓伯均布下的迷魂阵
6 土地爷爷出事了
7 万顺龙有后台，咱们没有
第三章闷声发财
1 行走江湖，还是得多结善缘
2 杜林祥的生意经：亏二十万不如亏一百万
3 商机无处不在，重要的是如何发现商机
4 唯有低调，才是王道
5 不出事就是本事，一出事就是大事
6 京城神秘的删帖公司
第四章有舍才有得
1 在中国，有一招叫捧杀
2 找到了一条攀上事业高峰的捷径
3 做生意还是做企业？杜林祥拒绝了唾手可得的两亿利润
4 大师远去，再无大师
5 没有缺点的人，不可不用，但也不可重用
6 久走夜路，难免遇鬼
7 你的缺点是文化知识欠缺，你的优点也是文化知识欠缺
第五章惊天赌局
1 真正干事的人，一定是名满天下，谤满天下
2 从名片分析一个人的性格
3 周玉杰俨然成为一个经历传奇的商界明星
4 应付领导视察，冯广帮杜林祥设计出“十问十答”
5 有人说，赌场得意，商场就要失意
第六章危机来袭
1 高房价，真有那么苦吗
2 做企业是现金为王
3 你只是个精明的商人，不懂政治啊
4 大家都是讲规矩的人，好多事就简单了
5 周玉杰不愿意走吕不韦与胡雪岩的老路
第七章城下之盟
1 一盘残局，究竟如何收场
2 商场里是没有爽快人的
3 商场中充斥着尔虞我诈，最稀缺的东西是实话
4 能用钱解决的问题，就不算是大问题
5 周玉杰把赤身裸体的江小洋拖到小区空地一顿暴打
6 商人怎么可能和官员成为朋友
第八章破解局中局
1 周玉杰丢弃了起码的商道良心
2 “花茶馆”设局，袁凯中招
3 朋友就是你一时还战胜不了的敌人
4 在京城最高的餐厅，赖敬东纵论资本江湖
5 踏上奔丧路

FAQ

Is this book adapted from real business stories?

This is a work of fiction, but the author, Long Zaiyu, is a veteran financial journalist whose writing incorporates extensive observation of real business cases and social insight. It has a strong realistic texture but is not a direct biography of any individual.

What is the core theme of At the Helm?

The core theme is how individuals—especially entrepreneurs—can seize opportunities, meet challenges, and handle complex government-business relations in a rapidly changing era, while achieving self-realization and the search for value, and meanwhile deeply reflecting on wealth, power, and the meaning of life.

Does this book have sequels?

Yes. At the Helm is part of a series, followed by At the Helm 2 and At the Helm 3, which together form the "At the Helm Trilogy" depicting protagonist Du Linxiang's complete business career.

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About the author

龙在宇 Author

Long Zaiyu is a Chinese novelist known for fiction about finance and business warfare. Public information about him is limited, and no reliable record of his life, background, or education is available. Judging from the sixteen works held in the collection, his writing centers on corporate power struggles, capital operations, and the world of business. His representative works include the trilogy Zhangduo, the two-volume Tianxia Shangbang, and the Gold Medal Investor series, as well as a seven-volume collection of his business novels. These works are mostly set against competition in industry and finance, and through their characters' choices among interests, principles, and ambition they portray strategy and human nature in the business world. His works also touch on such categories as social fiction, war and military fiction, and otherworldly fantasy, showing a range of subject matter.