No.203 ✈️ “Phoenix” Lan Shilong

Anchor | Xialai Liu Fei

Lang Shilong, once the richest man in Hubei Province and ranked 70th on the Forbes China Rich List.

He founded Dongxing Airlines and was once called or referred to as the "first person" of private airlines in China. He was also called or referred to as the first Chinese entrepreneur to appear on the cover of Forbes before Jack Ma. He was also one of the entrepreneurs who appeared on the International Criminal Police Organization's Red Notice list. He was also one of the entrepreneurs who received state compensation.

In short, he is a businessman with many stories.

This episode, let's hear the story.

Sit down, have a half-cappuccino, and we'll chat while drinking.

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Timeline:

04:08 - Main character of this episode: Former Hubei Province richest man Lang Shilong

09:02 - Resigned from his government job and founded Dongxing Electronics to venture out

13:58 - Made his first fortune by repairing printers and peripheral businesses

16:32 - Cleverly packaged and sold the 'Dongxing 286', securing a large government contract

27:42 - Diversified into the hospitality industry: The glory and downfall of the high-end restaurant 'East Palace'

32:55 - Transferred to Yichang to do real estate, met resistance from local gangster forces

39:08 - Invested in the Baihe Expressway BOT project, personally intervened to deal with roadblocks

46:59 - Entered the tourism industry, acquired an international travel agency to break through the barrier of outbound tourism

55:04 - Made huge profits during the Spring Festival bus service, bought buses at a discount during the SARS epidemic

58:56 - From tour planes to establishing Dongxing Airlines, received strong support from the government

01:07:38 - Extreme capital leverage: Acquired 20 Airbus planes without paying

01:17:49 - Became the richest man in Hubei Province, forming an ecological loop with Dongxing Airlines and the tourism industry

01:20:24 - Faced with the 2008 financial crisis, Dongxing Airlines faced a funding chain break

01:26:16 - Fusion Group intervened to lend money,陷入了像罗生门一样的股权转让纠纷

01:32:10 - Air China attempted to reorganize Dongxing, but Lang Shilong changed his mind, causing negotiations to break down

01:38:34 - Arrested for attempting to go abroad, Dongxing Airlines became the first bankrupt private airline

01:44:42 - Wrote a suicide note in prison, anonymously reporting Deputy Mayor Yuan Shilan

01:54:31 - Released from prison, began a long and ultimately unsuccessful battle over shares

01:56:59 - Transferred to Southeast Asia to acquire Siamese Airways, launching low-cost Thai tourism services

02:04:11 - Suspected of contract fraud, detained, entered the country illegally with a fake passport, becoming a fugitive

02:09:09 - Cross-border arrest returned home, received an acquittal, and Yuan Shilan was investigated by the supervisory authority

02:16:11 - In prison, conceived of a third business venture: vending machines, convenience stores, and Second Factory Soda

02:20:34 - Capital operations again turned messy, fell into a failed bet and litigation (self-proclaimed normal technical handling by a listed company)

02:25:27 - Summary and listener comments: A controversial business tycoon

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Lang Shilong:

Four-Stroke Typewriter:

East Palace:

Dongxing International Travel Agency Branch:

Dongxing Airlines' Aircraft:

Xiu Life Convenience Store:

Main References:

• 'Dongxing 18 Years' by Lang Shilong

• '"Madman" Lang Shilong: Twice Imprisoned, Starting Over at 63' by Ming Que He Kai,澎湃新闻

• 'Trapped in Your Own "Prison": An Interview with Lang Shilong' by Phoenix News Studio, Phoenix Eye

• 'From "Boss" to "Global Fugitive", A Hundred Billion Asset Prison Nightmare | Conversation with Lang Shilong' by Teacher Da Wu

• 'Three Years After Returning from Prison, I Did Three Listed Companies | Conversation with Lang Shilong' by Teacher Da Wu

• 'Former Hubei Province Boss Lang Shilong Freed Without Guilt: His Hundred Billion Assets Vanished' by Qiyang Jun Phoenix Eye Studio

• 'Can "Hubei Province Boss" Handle It? By Gao Yan Wild Horse Finance

• 'The New Business Story of Former Hubei Province Boss Lang Shilong Stumbles After Selling "Second Factory Soda"' by Hongxin Capital Bureau

• 'Accused of Fraud and Breach of Contract, "Second Factory Soda" Abandoned by Borrowed Shell Company' by Li Huanhuan Food Industry Insights

• 'Raffles Interior Limited Confidential Information —— Sale of Entire Subsidiary' Announcement by港交所披露易 (December 31, 2024)

• 'Raffles Interior Limited Annual Performance Report for the Year Ended December 31, 2024' by港交所披露易 (March 28, 2025)

• 'Dongxing Airlines: The Death Trajectory of a Private Enterprise' by Guo Haifei Jinghua Weekly

• 'Dongxing Airlines Bankruptcy Liquidation Investigation —— The First Failure of a Private Airline' by Caixin Weekly

• 'Dongxing Airlines vs Fusion Group —— The Origin and End of the 315 Million RMB Loan Scandal' by Phoenix Finance

• 'Series of Commercial Failures: Dongxing Airlines' by NetEase Business 'Business Legend' Special Topic

• 'Unveiling the Speed of Lang Shilong's Dongxing' by Beijing News

• 'Lang Shilong's Rise and Fall: From Grassroots Boss to Fugitive' by China Civil Aviation Network 'Aircraft Transport Headlines'

• 'Lang Shilong's Turbulent Life: Once a Hubei Province Boss, Now a Fugitive' by Liu Jialing China Entrepreneur Magazine

• 'Lang Shilong Reports Yuan Shilan Out of Necessity' by Beijing News

• 'Behind Lang Shilong's Suicide Note' by Guo Haifei Jinghua Weekly

• 'Dongxing Airlines Founder Lang Shilong Reports Wuhan Deputy Mayor' by Guo Xu Legal Weekend

• 'Official-Entrepreneur Enmity Behind Wuhan Deputy Mayor's Reporting' by Chu Zhaoxin Huang Sai Southern Weekend

• 'Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission Exhaustively Investigated Yuan Shilan, Feeling Pressured Makes Him Feel Cold' by Southern Weekend

• 'Grand Corruption via Options and Invisible Corruption, Wuhan Original Deputy Mayor Yuan Shilan Removed from Party Membership' by Cui Xiankang Caixin Net

• 'Notice of Removal from Party Membership and Transfer to Judicial Authorities for Yuan Shilan' by Hubei Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission

• 'Evading Tax Collection, Former Hubei Province Boss Will Be Sentenced to Jail for the Fourth Time' by Huaxi Daily

• 'Former Hubei Province Boss Says Flying an Airline Was Not Regrettable, Wrote 300,000 Words in One Month in Prison' by Guangzhou Daily

• 'Original Fugitive, Former Hubei Province Boss Lang Shilong Found Not Guilty, Accused of Contract Fraud Prosecuted' by Zhu Yueyi Beijing News Baidu Finance

• 'After 902 Days in Custody, Former Hubei Province Boss Lang Shilong Freed Without Guilt, Received State Compensation of 590,000' by Chen Xushou Cao Min Pampnews

• 'Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs Notice Revoking Citizenship of Mick Davies' Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs Immigration & Checkpoints Authority

• 'Lang Shilong Entry' Wikipedia

• 'An Unexpected Turn for a Former Top Boss, Golden Dragon Oil: Denied Charges!' by Feng Jiaguo Qiu Kangzheng Nanfang Metropolis Daily South China Weekly

• 'Lang Shilong Declares War on Golden Dragon Oil — Reconsideration Application and Media Conference Transcript' by Lang Shilong Douyin Weibo Video Number Official Accounts

End Credits Music:

Xialai 'Awakening Not Empty' Selection

Episode Production:

No Milk Tree