Illustration: Hang Dachuan/Global Times

On a high-speed train one day after the end of the Spring Festival holidays, all the passengers heading back to the big cities after having visited their families sat watching their mobile phones. Although each had their own small screen, most of them were watching the same TV drama, The Knockout, which became a huge hit during the Chinese New Year holidays. 

The show's fascinating story about China's successful crackdown on criminal gangs and the great acting on display have become a hot topic. In particular, one of the lead actors, Zhang Songwen, who plays a gang leader, has been praised for his excellent acting, making him one of the hot topics on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo.  

In the 39-episode drama, Zhang plays the role of Gao Qiqiang, who changes from a bullied fish vendor into the strongman of a criminal gang in a fictitious South China city. His meticulous and in-depth acting has been cheered by audiences, who say he feels so much like "a real gang head" that there should be an "investigation into Zhang Songwen himself."

It seems Zhang has finally found success in his middle age. On Twitter, he admitted that he failed "800 auditions," due to his appearance, in the three years after graduating from college. It is true that he is not as "handsome" as some young male actors, or xiao xianrou (Lit: small fresh meat), but he has passion and persistence. So his successful performance in The Knockout shows that all his effort has paid off and that he deserves the recognition and favor he has gotten from audiences. This phenomenon shows that the top priority for an actor is good acting and years of hard work instead of just an attractive appearance. 

The fever for this realistic drama is also attributed to a story that echoes the voice of the general public, making it the hottest program in the beginning of the new year. The TV drama vividly depicts a battle between local police, with a focus on police officer An Xin (another lead character), and the organized crime network headed by Gao. During their 21-year relationship, they go from good friends to deadly enemies with Gao's shift from a fish vendor asking for An's help to a gang head trying to evade being arrested by An. It shows the occasional change of fate and complexity of human nature with a realistic and flowing story. It is worth noting that the character of Gao is no longer a stereotypical role seen in other similar dramas thanks to the actor's adept acting. 

Additionally, the drama also shows other characters, including government officials,  businesspeople, villagers, drug vendors, the homeless and ex-convicts, all of whom are played by actors who give their excellent performances in the drama series. The show also touches upon many social issues such as collecting sales tax, land requisition, illegal business operations, drug trafficking and online lending, allowing the show to be regarded as a chronicle of China's crackdown on organized crime and gangs from 2000 to 2021.

Furthermore, the drama digs out the root cause behind the rise of these evil gangs. It discloses the conflict between the modern law-based society represented by An and the traditional society based on human relationships represented by Gao. It also shows China's tenacious efforts and fruitful results in rooting out illegal activities. This may best explain why the drama is so intriguing right now.