Part 8/10:

Shanghai’s current plight serves as a cautionary tale about the fragility of economic bubbles fueled by high leverage and speculative investments. The Chinese government's response has been criticized as inadequate, with promises to stabilize the market failing to restore citizens' shattered trust or mitigate their crippling debts. The author reflects on how the previous belief that hard work and compliance with government policies would equate to success has been replaced by a haunting recognition of helplessness in times of crisis.