周正毅的故事彷彿是一部跌宕起伏的現實版《繁花》。1961年，他出生於上海浦東一個極為普通的工人家庭。在那個年代的浦東，還是一片農田與簡陋平房，沒有人能預料到這塊土地未來會變成國際金融中心，更沒有人能想像，一個出身平凡的孩子，竟能在數十年後躋身「上海首富」之列。

年輕時的周正毅並不安於現狀。他不像其他人那樣安分守己地在工廠裡拴螺絲，而是滿腦子想著怎麼做生意、賺快錢。90年代初，改革開放的風口剛剛開始，他就已經迅速嗅出其中的商機。從倒賣日用品，到涉足灰色地帶如走私，周正毅幾乎什麼賺錢的門路都敢試。這種膽識與野心，成為他之後「爆紅」的前奏。

1993年，他與妻子毛玉萍在上海開一家名為「阿毛燉品」的小餐廳。乍看之下只是再普通不過的街邊店，但該店卻奇蹟般地成為政商名流聚會的場所。在一碗碗燉湯之間，無數筆生意悄悄成交，也為他後來的「財富帝國」鋪下人脈與資源的基礎。2000年，是他人生的高光時刻。掌控四家上市公司，個人資產高達3.2億美元，並一舉登上《福布斯》中國富豪榜第11位，獲封「上海首富」。那時的他鋒芒畢露，開著法拉利穿梭外灘，住豪宅、戴名錶、抽雪茄，舉止高調，風光無兩。幾乎所有人都將他視為商界神話。

然而，正如所有神話總有破碎的一刻，2003年，因虛報註冊資本、操縱證券交易價格等罪名被判刑入獄。一紙判決書如晴天霹靂，將他從財富與權力的巔峰瞬間拉至谷底。那一年，他42歲，正值男人最為意氣風發的年紀，卻要在監獄中度過漫長的十餘年。2020年，59歲的他重獲自由。對許多人來說，這種經歷本足以讓人銷聲匿跡、遠離公眾視野，然而周正毅卻走了完全相反的路。他不僅沒有收斂，反而變得更加高調與張揚。

2021年，他在上海瑞吉酒店舉辦豪華生日宴，邀請多位知名主持人。宴會上因部分言論不當，引發輿論風波，甚至導致幾位主持人被吊銷執照。這一事件再度將周正毅推上風口浪尖，外界批評聲四起，但他本人對此似乎毫不在意。2024年，他以一頭醒目的金髮現身新疆，出席文化旅遊投資座談會。有媒體拍到他戴著價值200萬元的頂級名錶、佩戴耳釘、穿著年輕化，與周遭格格不入卻自信十足。他的形象早已超越年齡與身分，成為一種戲劇化存在。

近日，更有消息稱他乘坐私人飛機前往越南，與身價千萬的企業家聚餐。期間雪茄不離手，談笑風生，不斷提及創業與「商業賦能」。這樣的場景，讓人難以相信這是一位已屆64歲、曾數度跌倒的商人。外界或許質疑他的真誠與野心，但不可否認的是，他始終沒有從商場中真正退出。

值得一提的是，許多觀眾發現，《繁花》男主角「阿寶」的人物原型正是周正毅。劇中那位憑著機靈、膽識與運氣從上海街頭一路打拼至金融圈的男人，其人生軌跡與周正毅驚人地重合。無論是創業初期靠著一間飯店建立人脈，還是後來高調奢華的生活方式，以及隨後的跌落與復出，都與他如出一轍。

周正毅的故事，本質上是一部中國改革開放時代的縮影。在風口之下，他如魚得水；在監獄中，他黯然沉寂；而出獄後，他再度上演逆風翻盤。是瘋狂？是執著？是野心？或許都有。唯一可以確定的是，周正毅至今仍未停止表演，而他的故事，也遠未畫下句點。

Zhou Zhengyi’s story reads like a dramatic, real-life version of Blossoms Shanghai. Born in 1961 in a humble working-class family in Pudong, Shanghai—then still a landscape of farmland and ramshackle houses—no one could have predicted that this once-rural area would become an international financial hub. Even more unimaginable was that a boy from such an unremarkable background would one day rise to the pinnacle of wealth, earning the title of “Shanghai’s richest man.”

As a young man, Zhou was never content with staying in his lane. While others dutifully tightened screws on factory assembly lines, he was scheming about business ventures and how to make fast money. In the early 1990s, just as China’s reform and opening-up was gathering steam, he sensed the winds of opportunity. From reselling daily goods to dabbling in the murky gray areas of smuggling, Zhou would try almost anything that promised profit. This boldness and ambition would eventually set the stage for his meteoric rise.

In 1993, Zhou and his wife, Mao Yuping, opened a modest eatery in Shanghai called “Ah Mao Stews.” On the surface, it seemed like just another small restaurant—but miraculously, it became a meeting place for political and business elites. Over bowls of soup, deals were quietly struck, and Zhou began building a network of powerful connections that would form the foundation of his financial empire.

By the year 2000, Zhou reached the peak of his career. Controlling four publicly listed companies and boasting a personal fortune of $320 million USD, he climbed to 11th place on the Forbes China Rich List, earning the title of “Shanghai’s richest man.” At the time, Zhou was the very picture of success—racing through the Bund in a Ferrari, living in a lavish mansion, wearing luxury watches, smoking cigars, and surrounding himself with admirers who called him “Boss Zhou.” To many, he had become a legend in China’s business world.

But like all legends, his story was destined for a fall. In 2003, Zhou was sentenced to prison for falsifying registered capital and manipulating stock prices. The court’s decision struck like lightning, dragging him from the heights of wealth and power into the depths of disgrace. He was only 42, an age considered the prime of a man’s life—but instead, he would spend the next decade behind bars.

In 2020, at age 59, Zhou was released from prison. Most people, after such a dramatic rise and fall, would choose to disappear from the public eye. But Zhou did the opposite. He didn’t fade away—he became even more flamboyant.

In 2021, he threw an extravagant birthday party at the St. Regis Hotel in Shanghai, inviting several well-known television hosts. The event sparked public outrage due to inappropriate remarks made during the party, leading to the suspension of several hosts’ professional licenses. The scandal thrust Zhou back into the spotlight, drawing harsh criticism—but he appeared unfazed.

By 2024, Zhou appeared in Xinjiang with striking bleached-blonde hair, attending a cultural tourism investment forum. Media captured him wearing a luxury watch worth 2 million yuan, with an earring, and dressed in youthful, flashy clothing—an image at odds with his age but exuding unabashed confidence. Zhou had become something of a theatrical presence, defying societal expectations of how a man in his sixties “should” behave.

Recently, reports surfaced that he traveled by private jet to Vietnam to dine with multimillionaire entrepreneurs. Throughout the flight and the meal, he puffed on cigars, chatted with ease, and spoke enthusiastically about entrepreneurship and “business empowerment.” It was hard to believe that this was a 64-year-old man who had fallen from grace more than once. People may question his sincerity and ambition—but what’s undeniable is that Zhou has never truly exited the business stage.

Interestingly, many viewers have drawn direct parallels between Zhou Zhengyi and “A Bao,” the protagonist of Blossoms Shanghai. That character, a clever and daring young man who rose from the streets of Shanghai into the financial elite, mirrors Zhou’s life remarkably. From building connections through a small restaurant to living lavishly, then falling, only to reemerge again—it’s a reflection of Zhou’s journey almost beat for beat.

Zhou Zhengyi’s story is, in essence, a microcosm of China’s reform and opening-up era. He thrived when the timing was right, fell hard when his empire collapsed, and staged a comeback with characteristic flamboyance. Is it madness? Persistence? Ambition? Perhaps all of the above. One thing is certain: Zhou Zhengyi’s performance isn’t over yet, and his story is far from finished.