The Magnate

[fjord]

This was an old drama filmed in 1994. It left a great impression on me though I was still very young then, largely due to the dramatic storyline and good acting from Li Nanxing and his romance with Ivy Lee. The ending was very sad though, with Ivy Lee dying in Nanxing's arm and he became a monk.

I have been waiting for Mediacorp to release vcd for this drama, but they never did. I understand that it was also shown in Vietnam, China and other countries. I would like to know whether there are vcd released in other countries outside Singapore, cos if it did, I would very much like to have a set of it.

Anyone here can please supply any information on the above.

[junzi]

Sorry I can't give you any info but I must say I loved this show a lot! The theme song was quite nice too.

[Sea79]

Yes.. This is a nice show by Li Nanxing which I'll never forget. Other cast like cassandra see, Tang Miaoling.

I managed to hv the main theme song of this show by Eric Moo...lol

[Guo Xiang]

That's the ending? Hmm. I honestly don't remember the ending so I'm quite surprised. But yeah, this is a really good show that I liked. I like the parts where Li Nanxing taught Ivy Lee the importance of money and the usefulness of every single penny.

[beansprouts]

I don't really remember the plot for this show, but I certainly remember following the series faithfully during its run. Oh, there's one part I remember very clearly (which Guo Xiang pointed out), the parts whereby Li Nanxing taught Ivy Lee the importance of money and the usefulness of every single penny. Too bad MCS doesn't produce shows like this anymore...

[nie_feng2002]

Anyone knows whats the chinese title of this drama?

[Guo Xiang]

I think it is '叱咤风云' (Chi4 Zha4 Feng1 Yun2).

[crimson18]

Sorry, I reali canot remember..but is there an instance of a kid separated from his father?

Was very young when I watched it, and at that time I used to be very good with English, so remembered the title.

[The Alchemist]

Anyone know what happened to the 2 scumbags? As in Zhu Houren and Wang Yu Qing? Did they receive the karmic retribution they deserve?

[XWingSuki]

I didnt watch the ending but I saw the part that Li Nanxing tried to give a toy plane to his son but Zhu Houren told his son that Li Nanxing was a bad guy

[convoy]

The opening video on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id3a3vp3zjQ

-----------

A summary of the plot, courtesy of Bohemian at the Mediacorp forum:
http://forum.mediacorp.com.sg/board/...1&pagenumber=2

Li Nanxing plays Song Zhigao. An orphan at birth in Vietnam, he was adopted by a plantation owner Song Bing, who has a daughter Song Liming (Cassandra See). Later, Song Bing passes away. Zhigao and Liming were separated.

Zhigao ends up being adopted by industrial magnate Zhou Huaizheng (Chen Shucheng), and becomes his son Nansheng's (Chen Hanwei) playmate. The Vietnam War strikes, and Zhou Huaizheng intends to transfer his assets and business Singapore with the help of his Singapore-based protege Zhang Yongkang (Zhu Houren). Little does Zhou Huaizheng know that Zhang Yongkang actually betrays him. As Huaizheng and his family, including Nansheng and Zhigao, are on board a ship bound for Singapore, guerilla soldiers attack and sink the ship. Huaizheng's entire family, except for Zhigao and himself, are killed. Utterly desolate, Huaizheng commits suicide.

By a stroke of luck, Zhigao manages to sail to Singapore. Zhigao wants to become a successful stock trader just like Zhou Huaizheng, and he works for Lifeng Company, owned by Zhang Yongkang. He reunites with Nansheng and Liming, and befriends Yongkang's daughter Yijun (Ivy Lee). Zhigao also meets his childhood friend Le Wenyi (Tang Miaoling).

Zhigao falls in love with Yijun, but Liming and Wenyi are in love with him. Liming is furious that Zhigao only treats her as a younger sister, and she deliberately marries and divorces rich men around her in order to cause Zhigao to feel guilty. As a result of the alimonies from the divorces, Liming amasses a significant amount of wealth.

Zhigao marries Yijun, but on his wedding day, he was set up by her elder brother Zhang Tianwu (Wang Yuqing), who wanted to shift the blame to him when he and his father were suspected of insider trading. Poor Yijun returns from her honeymoon only to see her husband go to jail. Zhigao vows revenge against the Zhangs.

Yijun gives birth to a son. When Zhigao is released from prison, he tries all means to see his son but is prevented by Tianwu. An accident kills Zhigao's son, and Yijun goes berserk. She later discovers that it was her father and brother who framed Zhigao and got him imprisoned, and she decided to kill herself as her death would provide Zhigao with a sum of insurance money as he is the named beneficiary.

Zhigao does well as a trader and befriends a stock genius who became his mentor. Once, he pits against Tianwu at SGX and manages to win $400 million by betting on the Nikkei Index. Zhigao, Nansheng and their friends become rich.

Zhigao has a one-night stand with Wenyi, who has stood by him all along. However, things do not work for this couple as it was discovered that Yijun did not die.

Tianwu abducts Yijun to threaten Zhigao to give up a takeover bid against his father's Lifeng Company. Yijun fights, and she is burnt till about 50% body damage. Yongkang further does not acknowledge Yijun in court to protect his son Tianwu (he claims that the victim is someone who resembles Yijun, but not her in person).

Zhigao has given up revenge, and only wants to have Yijun cured so that both of them can lead a happy life together. However, upon Yongkang's instructions, Tianwu tries to kill Liming and Wenyi, who was pregnant with Zhigao's son. Fortunately, Nansheng gets the police to save them. Tianwu is arrested.

Tianwu manages to escape from arrest and tries to kill Zhigao at his house. As Tianwu is about to pull the trigger, Yijun breaks the glass wall of her oxygen room and saves Zhigao. Tianwu flees but is arrested at the pier. Because of exposure to the air, Yijun's condition deteriorates. Zhigao brings Yijun to Yongkang and begs Yongkang to have a meal with Yijun, but Yongkang flatly refuses.

Tianwu is sentenced to death for the murder of Yijun. However, this does not quell Zhigao's resentment. Zhigao is bent on destroying Yongkang. He caused Lifeng Company's shares to plunge and affect the company's properties and shareholders so as to cause a hammer blow to Yongkang.

Seeing that Zhigao has changed, his mentor is disappointed. Zhigao has become obsessed with revenge against Yongkang and he has put it as his prime objective in life.

Eventually, Zhigao realizes his folly and decides to help Lifeng Company tide over the financial problems, thus saving many minor shareholders from bankruptcy. However, Yongkang commits suicide before he could receive news that Lifeng Company is revived.

With the death of his arch-enemy, Zhigao decides to become a monk in Thailand and lead a life away from secularness.

[Guo Xiang]

Bleh. I hates it whenever a character becomes a monk/nun to run away from his/her own past and problems. :\

[cheytan]

i've waited very long for MC to repeat this show too as I remembered it to be a nice show when i was young, but they neva did. Now they are showing it on MOBTV, but you have to pay to watch it. Now that I've watched it, it isnt as fantastic as I rem it to be. Ivy Lee's acting sucked in this show, but again this was more than 10 years back. She's improved tremendously in recent years oredi.