Ye was born in the mountainous region of Zhangzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province. After graduating from high school at the age of 18, he came alone to make a start in Longyan, another city in Fujian.

"I don't like to be controlled by others, so I went about finding work for myself," Ye said.

He started his business with collecting and refining Shan Cang Zi, which grows on mountains and is the raw material for a type of spice. He climbed mountains everyday, returning home late at night and catching the 5 a.m. bus to deliver the spice.

"At the time, I was really compelled to make a living and everyday I thought about how much I could make," Ye said. "At this very thought my body was filled with renewed strength." The money he made-8 yuan per load of Shan Cang Zi--earned him the starting capital for his store in 1990.

10 percent cheaper

After establishing his chemical industrial product shop in 1990, Ye once again began to consider doing something else. Looking at the paint on his own product shelf, he thought, if he could produce paint, he wouldn't have to be restricted by upstream producers.

As a result, Ye, who had some knowledge of the chemical industry, bought many paint-related books to read and hired technicians from state-owned businesses. Additionally, he attended the regular meetings held by the paint-making industry and studied the results of various manufacturers. Finally, he made his first can of paint.

"As long as someone buys paint from my store, I would give him a small can for free," Ye said. "Let him use it first, and he will come back to buy again if he feels that it is good. Additionally, my price was 10 percent lower than that of state-operated businesses. Thus, I slowly gained my footing in the market."

In 1992, at the age of only 21, Ye began operating his first business: The Hao Di Paint Factory.