chengdu china child qin lijuan grandfather local communist party boss district live southwestern china one favorite things decidedly capitalistic grandmother run shop around chinese new year flush cash qin love handle money count want rich one day little tell grandma do school take care store say eventually go university southwestern metropolis chengdu qin go english name coco still money mind study animation branch university electronic science technology china qin count pennies dream make 10,000 yuan month could enjoy best thrive city offer time think simplistically eat best chengdu offer see best things say big dream however learn work animator video game movies natural career paths field would earn less half hop decide look elsewhere early 2014 friend help land job sell memberships exclusive golf club branch around china quickly get hang sales learn network within small circle people rich enough join club pick clients though sweep anti-corruption campaign launch president xi jinping gain traction xi target extravagant behavior include golf regard synonymous wealth power 2015 party ban officials hold golf club memberships even happen qin felt effect campaign officials begin quietly return memberships transfer others say golf memberships become liability business good say mother recently minor surgery qin decide good time leave golf company move back hometown nanchong city sichuan province 200 km 125 miles east chengdu move sister get job manage new golf drive range soon felt place five years provincial capital say felt strong sense culture shock basically find similar people term think say chengdu grow accustom coffee start morning colleagues drive range nanchong think pretentious felt outgrow hometown move forward chengdu beckon know need new job interest finance know much enrol wealth management course within months move back chengdu hire consumer credit company work past two years dream cash-counting girl seem back track future remain uncertain quite anxious say main concern whether enough earn power cash coffee young woman 's path change china