For those posted to the more remote rural provinces life was dull with little opportunity to relax and enjoy the finer things of life; that was until Lian-Xi came up with the brilliant idea of ant racing. Not only did it provide entertainment for his fellow conscripts, it also allowed Lian-Xi to leave the army, after 6 months, as a full colonel, buy a large home in Beijing and subsequently acted as the prototype for his nationwide chain of gaming establishments.