Magic City

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Magic City (魔都)
Type	City / primary setting
Alias(es)	“City that never sleeps”; China’s “window city” 173 334
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Geography and Cityscape

Magic City is an international financial and commercial metropolis built around the Huangpu River. Its PDX district faces the Bund across the river, while the urban inner ring road encloses much of the Lujiazui Financial Trade Zone. 1

• The Bund — A major riverside destination with views of Financial Street’s neon-lit skyline; Number 22 Restaurant is located nearby. 173
• PDX District / Lujiazui Financial Trade Zone — Home to Financial Street and a national-level financial-trade development zone covering 2 million square meters. 1
• Financial Street — Contains 108 completed buildings and serves as the city’s principal financial center. 1
• Commercial Street — A high-end shopping district containing global luxury brands; later described as belonging to Fan Yu. 8 172
• Tomson Riviera — A waterfront residential complex near Financial Street, consisting of four residential towers and a high-end clubhouse. 11
• Nansheng Garden — An older southern district slated for redevelopment into a new commercial center. 105 115
• Sheshan Manor — A villa development in Sheshan National Forest Resort, with 72 villas spread across 20 small islands. 72

Financial Street

Financial Street is Magic City’s most important financial district. It ranks fourth globally in the novel’s setting and is presented as a core center of wealth convergence, behind Hong Kong’s Central, Shengjing International Financial Street, and Wall Street. 1

Feature	Details
Location	PDX district and Lujiazui Financial Trade Zone, along the Huangpu River 1
Development status	China’s first national-level financial development zone 1
Completed buildings	108 1
Primary business	Foreign financial institutions and financial-trade companies 1
Notable tenants	HSBC, Citibank, Standard Chartered Bank, DBS Bank, and Bank of East Asia branches 1
Owner	Fan Yu, following his first Sign-in System reward 1
Annual rental income	Approximately 20 billion yuan 1

Fan Yu’s acquisition of the entire district immediately establishes him as Liu Jian’s employer through Caesar Property Management Company. 1 The district later remains a major source of Fan Yu’s prestige, business connections, and real-estate holdings. 119 126

Economy and Development

Magic City is depicted as a place where wealth, institutional connections, real estate, finance, and technology intersect. Its financial and commercial sectors attract domestic elites, foreign institutions, underground figures, and competing chambers of commerce. 1 102 251

Nansheng Garden Redevelopment

Nansheng Garden is acquired by Fan Yu as a major urban-development project. It is intended to become a commercial district valued at one trillion yuan, combining high-end residences, commercial space, and an elite club. 119

• The district is described as a future commercial center with a major location advantage over the city’s southern area. 115
• Its demolition process is contentious because residents fear compensation will not cover Magic City’s high housing prices. 372
• Haitian Group, Tianlong Group, Du Rufeng’s side, and Biyuan Group participate in the project’s construction arrangements. 165
• The completed development includes the Dingsheng Group building and a finance-commerce street that becomes the city’s Second Financial Street, second only to the original Financial Street. 271 323

Dingsheng Group

Dingsheng Group becomes one of Magic City’s leading enterprises under Fan Yu’s influence.

• Its headquarters is located in the Nansheng Garden development and features intelligent security, facial-recognition elevators, rotating cameras, and automated utility-inspection systems. 271
• The group’s activities are stated to have contributed several percentage points to Magic City’s GDP growth. 367
• The construction of the second financial center is claimed to have the potential to increase the city’s GDP by 20 percent. 280
• The group develops and launches Hyper-Dimensional Game, a highly immersive simulation game that receives a perfect five-star rating after release. 355 370

Social Life and Elite Culture

Magic City’s nightlife is portrayed as extensive, with Financial Street, commercial streets, bar streets, food streets, and the Bund remaining crowded after dark. 173 364

Number 22 Restaurant

Number 22 Restaurant is an elite dining venue and social hub.

• It is regarded as Magic City’s benchmark restaurant and a symbol of wealth and status. 172
• Membership requires a net worth of at least 100 million yuan, and membership cards are limited in quantity. 172
• The restaurant hosts wealthy heirs, business leaders, celebrities, and figures connected to the Magic City Chamber of Commerce. 102 363
• Fan Yu and Su Xi use the venue for Su Xi’s birthday banquet and for meetings with prominent guests. 172 363

Underground Activities

Despite its corporate wealth and luxury districts, Magic City also contains an active underground sphere.

• An illegal racetrack on the outskirts is frequented by wealthy second-generation racers and high-end sports-car owners. 38
• Wang Hu’s betting operation demonstrates the influence of underworld-backed bookmakers at the racetrack. 42
• Cang Lang is identified as one of Magic City’s Eight Vajras and later works under Liu Jian. 102 365
• Yan Xu is stated to have gained control of the city’s bar street from Wang Hu. 368

Story Role

Magic City is the principal base of Fan Yu’s business empire and the setting for most of his political, financial, technological, and personal conflicts.

• Fan Yu’s first Sign-in reward grants him ownership of Financial Street, making the city the foundation of his rise. 1
• The city’s leading groups—including Tianlong, Biyuan, Haitian, Dingsheng, and later the Magic City Chamber of Commerce—compete and cooperate over major projects and influence. 148 251 363
• Fan Yu announces plans to organize a Magic City business seminar around commercial collectivization and his ambition to chair the Magic City Chamber of Commerce. 174
• The conflict between the Magic City Chamber of Commerce and the Chaoshan Chamber of Commerce ends in a private settlement after Fan Yu’s side prevails. 363
• Fan Yu’s public influence leads to him being called the “King of Magic City.” 280
• During Su Xi’s birthday celebration, a brief city-wide blackout, fireworks, helicopters, and electronic billboards transform Magic City into the backdrop for Fan Yu’s display of wealth and influence. 173
• Fan Yu later openly claims dominance over the city during his confrontation with Duan Chengzhi. 396

Notable Associations

• Fan Yu — Owner of Financial Street and Commercial Street; his enterprises and alliances reshape the city’s financial and commercial landscape. 1 172 323
• Su Xi — A major elite figure through Tianlong Group, her marriage to Fan Yu, and her role as honorary vice president of the Magic City Chamber of Commerce. 379
• Liu Jian — Former general manager of Caesar Property Management Company; later manages 70% of Magic City’s properties as a property tycoon. 1 365
• Du Rufeng — Influential elder figure whose organization includes Cang Lang; his influence declines as Fan Yu promotes his own confidants. 102 365
• Magic City Chamber of Commerce — A business coalition associated with Fan Yu that defeats the Chaoshan Chamber of Commerce in their struggle for influence. 251 363