Heroic Age

• Both the writing and the story vividly convey the grandeur of that era, as well as the profound changes people underwent amidst the waves of reform.

• Heroes stumble, err, and hesitate. Mao Xiaomei is a hero, Jin Yuelan and Shi Tianxiong are heroes. A hero is not someone ordained by bureaucratic decree or endowed with rank, but one who is elevated as a symbol, brought down to earthly reality, yet continues to uphold integrity and shoulder duty amidst the tides of the era.

• It offers a panoramic view of late-1990s China transitioning from a planned to a market economy amid sweeping societal turbulence. It depicts diverse perspectives and values toward power, wealth, and ambition, while addressing crucial challenges that cannot be overlooked in reform. Though bearing certain ideological inclinations common to mainstream works, it remains an outstanding piece of contemporary realism.

• Yesterday I finished Liu Jianwei's Age of Heroes; its protagonists, Shi Tianxiong and Lu Chengwei, kept me company through twelve days and nights. I usually read novels slowly—only Chen Yan's The Protagonist had previously gripped me so completely. Yet with Age of Heroes, the final chapters became utterly impossible to put down. This is the first time I've read a novel set against officialdom and business that feels so close to my own life. Some figures mentioned in the story are still familiar cultural icons today, lending an intimate resonance. Reading this made me reflect deeply on my own growth, hesitations, and struggles over recent years.

• Do heroes shape their times, or do the times create heroes? On the soil of Xiping, scene after scene of intense rivalry unfolds. Driven by interest, some succumb, while others cut through the thorns and stride forward with heads held high. Who is the true hero? Be it Lu Chengwei or Shi Tianxiong, both possess grand ambitions to carve out their domain in Xiping, reach across China, and step onto the world stage. The difference lies in who benefits most: oneself or society. In this turbulent age of heroes, regardless of winning or losing, what truly matters is strength and unwavering conviction.

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