* 2024 ACFM Busan Story Market Selection A mystery novel of human entanglements and moral dilemmas, the story revolves around a biotech company’s new drug for vision loss and shady stock trading. Human nature, a search for the truth, and the line where ideals meet reality are explored from a rookie reporter’s point of view.
The story begins with a secretive interview. Rookie reporter Hou Kuan-Nien sits in a news anchor’s seat, wearing a suit. A strange atmosphere hangs over the studio, in which he and Uncle Jung, an industry big shot holding a cane, are the only people present. Uncle Jung advises Kuan-Nien, “You must truly believe in the justness of whatever you do” – a key statement for the entire book.
So that the world’s smartest stock trading platform can manage his investments for him, Kuan-Nien has opened a Plutus app account and copied the investment positions of Third Capital, its high returns derived from highly accurate market predictions. Like most young people, Kuan-Nien doesn’t want to think much; he just wants to earn money, invest well, and live a good life. Market information shows Third Capital’s success comes from drug development at Fu-Ke Biotech, but its new drug for treating vision loss is really just a legal form of gambling.
When the results for the new drug are announced, Fu-Ke’s stock bottoms out for several days. Leaks about the drug and insider trading explode. A victim of this market disaster, Kuan-Nien decides to use an activist group to uncover the truth, but what seemed a matter of blind chance develops into a huge mystery, rife with corporate and political intrigue. Struggling with issues of justice, best interests, and personal ideals, Kuan-Nien gambles everything, including his conscience, on “an unlosable bet”.
When the Faith Is Gone… is a mystery story about gambling and an exploration of beliefs and obsessions. The author also takes a hard look at stock market speculation and Taiwan’s “media chaos”, seamlessly incorporating well-known local fraud cases into a plot packed full of surprises and suspense. When the truth is far from straightforward, what do we really want the world to look like? This book has an answer: a world with more good people who stick to their ideals, whatever comes.