In 1990, Lin Yizhou quit his stable iron rice bowl job, rented an attic on Ninghai Road in Nanjing, and founded Dingsheng Home Appliances. By pioneering an integrated delivery and installation service, he broke through state-owned appliance barriers and rose to prominence in the 1993 Air Conditioner War. Through rapid expansion, he achieved one hundred stores in three years. In the hegemony struggle between Northern and Southern markets, he defeated his formidable rival Guoli Electric, expanding his commercial empire into home appliances, e-commerce, department stores, and even the football industry. Climbing all the way to become the richest man, he forged a hundred-billion-yuan business empire. In the later stage, through blind and massive mergers and acquisitions, poor investments led to a staggering loss of twenty billion yuan. Coupled with succession troubles plaguing his descendants, the group faced grave crises. Ultimately, burdened with debts as high as 230 billion yuan, Dingsheng ignominiously delisted.