He might be known as Mr Big, but the name hardly does justice to today's super-rich drug baron. The money involved in his illicit trade is so large it's almost beyond comprehension. Drugs, just like any other in-demand commodity, have boomed on the back of globalisation.
Best estimates value the trade at around US$400 billion a year; a figure that not only dwarves the revenues of the world's major companies, but outranks the gross domestic product (GDP) of almost all nations.
Last week's revelation that 141kg of cocaine had been seized in Zhongshan in March - by far the biggest bust to date on the mainland - demonstrated that the drug syndicates are as optimistic about China's potential as their counterparts in legitimate lines of business.
And the simple dynamics of demand and supply apply. Ever-growing levels of disposable income, huge profit margins and high levels of official corruption prove an irresistible combination for the enterprising drug lord.
'Why should people in China be different to people living in any other country in terms of their needs?' says Mark Craig, an associate fellow at the University of Hong Kong's centre for criminology.
'There is always going to be, and always has been, a demand for illicit products and drugs are no exception.
'The networks and syndicates are already established there, so this is just another way of expanding the business opportunities.'