Control

Name: Control
ISBN: 9787811397277

Xu Dahui中国人民公安大学出版社 · ChinaJun 2023

3.6

Word count: 203K words
ISBN: 9787811397277

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Summary

The anti-drug campaign in Sanjiang City repeatedly meets setbacks, and several informants mysteriously die one after another. The city's public security chief, Ming Tiangang, secretly arranges for a veteran criminal investigator on a special mission to retire early so he can approach the suspects. The Ministry of Public Security's Narcotics Control Bureau reports that someone in Sanjiang has developed a formula for a new drug, K2, for overseas drug lords... The 'Spider-Catching Operation' commanded by Ming Tiangang officially begins. Just as the police close in on the drug network, the Hongdou Film and Television Company arrives at Sanbao Film City in the Bailwolf Mountains to shoot an anti-drug blockbuster, 'Undercover'. Core members of the drug ring infiltrate the crew and, under the cover of legitimate identities, hire anti-drug police officers to play roles in the film, using the needs of on-location shooting to set up a drug-production workshop, turning fiction into reality to manufacture the new drug. The operation is redeployed, ranked by spider names... At the top of the drug-lord sequence, the 'Black Widow' is beautiful and frail-looking, yet in fact the number one drug lord of Sanjiang City, with the pharmaceutical research institute director, the deputy anti-drug detachment leader, and corporate bosses all in her hands.

Editor's review

Control is a novel by Xu Dahui, published by the Chinese People's Public Security University Press. It is not a fast-paced suspense thriller of the kind popular today, but a serious work of literary fiction grounded in the social realities of northern China, using criminal investigation as its backdrop to portray with depth the struggles of human nature and the contest of fate. Xu Dahui, a writer long attentive to social reality, writes with a substantial, solid touch; he does not pursue the bizarre or the sensational case itself, but uses the case as a mirror reflecting the conditions of existence and inner worlds of various figures against a particular historical backdrop.

The book's core value lies in its multidimensional examination of the theme of 'control.' It refers both to the police's pursuit and command of criminal behavior in investigative work, and, more profoundly, serves as a metaphor for the intangible control exercised over others and over oneself within social relationships, the desire for power, and even personal destiny. The storylines may revolve around one or several criminal cases, but the narrative's center of gravity tends to fall on the complex social relationships and emotional entanglements of those involved and those handling the cases, showing how, within a net woven of law, human feeling, and interest, each person tries to control the situation and how each loses control before greater forces. This excavation of the depth of reality elevates the book beyond an ordinary police story and gives it the quality of a social allegory.

Reading Control, one senses a rough and authentic atmosphere of the times. The author's depictions of northern customs and social ecology are meticulous, the characters are flesh and blood, and their trajectories of fate are both poignant and thought-provoking. It will not suit readers seeking sensory stimulation, but it can offer lasting resonance and reflection to those who favor realist subject matter and long to perceive complex human nature and society through the written word. The book is like a pot of strong tea: it requires quiet savoring to appreciate the deep power contained in its bitter aftertaste and sweet return.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literary readers who enjoy realist subject matter and care about profound social depiction
Readers interested in the public-security criminal-investigation genre but who value characterization and social background more
Novel lovers who appreciate steady narration, substantial writing, and attention to atmosphere
Reflective readers who hope to think through stories about the relationships among human nature, power, and fate

Not a good fit for

Lovers of suspense and mystery fiction who seek high-intensity stimulation and fast-paced reversals
Readers inclined toward light entertainment and stylishly written urban stories

Reading tips

It is advisable to enter the reading in a relatively calm frame of mind; the book emphasizes atmosphere and the gradual unfolding of character rather than rapid plot propulsion
Pay attention to the book's depictions of northern regional landscape and social environment; this is an important background for understanding the characters' behavior and fate
As you read, consider how 'control' manifests in different character relationships and situations, and where it ultimately leads

About the publisher

中国人民公安大学出版社 China · Founded in 1985

In addition to professional publishing in public security and law, the books in our catalog from the Publishing House of People's Public Security University of China also extend into psychology applications, social fiction and suspense and mystery for general readers. Representative titles include Li Meijin's Who Is Committing Crimes, Zhang Ce's Relentless Pursuit (the original novel behind the spy-catching drama starring Lei Jiayin and Hu Ge), Xu Dahui's Control and Ding Yihe's Insatiable Desire, with themes centering on criminal psychology, investigation and pursuit, and social reality. Its author resources consist mainly of writers working in public security practice and criminal psychology research. As public information is limited, the overall scale and series system of its general-interest publishing cannot yet be fully presented; this introduction focuses on the publishing directions and author characteristics reflected in the catalog.

FAQ

Is this book a pure criminal-investigation mystery?

Not entirely. Criminal investigation is an important background and thread, but the novel's core is to use it as a point of departure for deeply portraying the rise and fall of the relevant characters' fates, the complex networks of social relationships, and the multidimensional display of human nature under pressure. Its literary and social reflection outweighs the design of the case's tricks.

Does the author Xu Dahui have other well-known works?

Xu Dahui is a prolific writer, especially skilled in realist subject matter. In addition to Control, he has written several novels related to the public-security and political-legal fields, including Undercover and Sweeping Away Crime. His works are distinguished by solid accumulation of life experience and profound social observation.

How difficult is this book to read?

Linguistically it is standard modern Chinese narrative, with no obstacles to comprehension. Its 'difficulty' lies in the demands it makes on the reader's patience and depth of thought. It requires readers to immerse themselves in a particular historical and social atmosphere and to follow the author's detailed, even dense, narration in order to experience the characters' inner lives and the trajectories of their fates. It is not suited to fragmented reading or to those in a hurry for results.

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About the author

Xu Dahui Author · Chinese · 1956

Xu Dahui, who also writes under the pen names Yanweizi and Zhengyan, was born in September 1956 in Shuangliao, Jilin. He is a member of the China Writers Association and holds a second-level literary creation professional title. He graduated from the Jilin Writers Advanced Study College in 1987 and has served as deputy editor-in-chief of the magazine Guandong Writers and as vice chairman and secretary-general of the Siping Writers Association. He began publishing in 1976 and has written 42 novels, including Undercover, Fleeing, The Rival and Snow Wolf, several of which have been adapted for television. His work spans otherworld fantasy, social fiction, mystery and suspense, and documentary literature. Representative titles include Risking Life, Snow Wolf, Huazi House, Control, Betrayal, Gunpoint, The Last Opium Pipe and Wolf Smoke, with 22 titles held in the collection. His writing tends toward tight plotting and sharp conflict, often moving between suspense and social reality.