July 1, 2016
The most common question readers ask us about Young China Hand is: did all this really happen?
It’s quite a natural question. Afterall, the protagonist and one co-author both have the same name: Matt Huang. So it’s easy to assume this book is actually a memoir.
Indeed, this book started out as a journal of sorts, when I scribbled down everything I recollected about my China misadventures and then showed the notes to my co-author Grace. We worked together for roughly a year to package those memories into the novel you now hold in your hands.
After much deliberation, we decided that it might be best to position the book in the space between fact and fiction—a tad bit like movies such as A Beautiful Mind and Argo, which were based on a true, incredible story, but were dramatized to make them even more compelling for the audience. Hence, our legal disclaimer starts with this line: “While this novel is inspired by true events and real personal experiences in China, it is a work of fiction.”
I was attracted by the idea of presenting my story as a novel, because it gave me the liberty to expand on my version of what happened, with pockets of fantasy and imagination and more provocative story-telling. For instance, Rebecca’s trip to the Singapore Formula One race was inspired by my own visit to the exclusive Formula One Paddock Club, the pinnacle of racing, dining and sensory experiences, last September.
All-Stellar did not actually invest in duck farms, so I had to do extensive research on the industry, which I knew nothing about beforehand. Changing the industry to duck farming did not change the essence of the story I wanted to tell.
In fact, the inspiration came from the countless visits to Peking Duck restaurants in Beijing which every friend visiting me in Beijing wanted me to bring them to, enough for me to become curious about the source of the ducks I ate, and the entire poultry supply chain. So, in order to complete the book, I did extensive desktop research, visited farms and interviewed many people, from industry experts and research analysts to the restaurant staff.
I treasure the moments where I could boldly amplify certain scenes and ornament the plot within the confines of what happened in reality. In a country where truth can often remain elusive for a very, very long time, I do not expect you, the reader, to treat this as the definitive true account. While most of what happened in the book is already public knowledge, some previously untold parts of my personal journey are only unveiled through this book.
By changing the names of the companies, places and characters that appear, I can now share my version of the story boldly and candidly without compromising confidentiality, and while ensuring that the identities of the companies and individuals are protected.
What I would like to make clear is that the purpose of writing this book is not to expose any particular company or individual, but to provide a candid first-person narrative of the challenges of an outsider embedded in this vast and complicated country. My adventure, hilarious as it is, actually mirrors the circumstances and challenges that many foreign private equity players currently face, or have faced in China.
Still, friends who have read the book continue to pepper me with questions about what I had really gone through. While I can’t list every single detail, here are some of the main things that are objectively true:
1. All the main events that took place between 2008 and 2013 really happened.
These events provided the skeleton of the plot, and we were careful to stick closely to this chronological order and structure. They include: all the highlights of the story (warning, spoilers ahead), such as the auditor resignation, the aborted IPO, and the hostile takeover.
The subsequent events post our exit, including the eventual sale to a new buyer and the local watchdog investigation, were all authentic.
2. Each character in the book is real.
As far as possible, I’ve kept each character’s personality as close to their real selves and identity without compromising confidentiality. I still maintain contact with the characters in the book, though we never talk about this deal anymore. I did actually trick Chairman Zhou into going to the golf course – he and I still laugh about it when we meet for drinks.
3. My personal experiences are real
I actually did get hospitalized, had a 24-hour bodyguard protecting me during the hostage crisis, and was swindled of my money in a phony hospital deal. Up to today, I have not received any of my investment back. The two accomplices had also disappeared without any trace.
4. Of course, the raunchy KTV encounters and the drop-dead gorgeous hostesses are real. For those who have never had the chance to step into one of these joints, hopefully my descriptions do justice to the experience.
BY MATT HUANG
