Zhou Jiangjiang, general manager of the Yantai branch of the Tongzhou Construction Company in Shandong Province, died in a factory fire while trying to save his 10 employees on July 2, 2012.

The fire broke out at around 1:00 a.m. on July 2 in a room on the third floor of the real estate company. Zhou Jiangjiang, the 28 year-old boss of the company, lived nearest to the stairs. He ran out of the smog-shrouded building first, but bravely went back to wake up his employees then sleeping on the floor.

The fire, caused by an air-conditioner short circuiting, quickly engulfed the whole third floor where the 10 employees slept. Zhou managed to go back the first time to wake up eight of them despite the choking smog. When he knew there were still two left on the floor, he rushed back again, ignoring his girlfriend's dissuasion.

All the employees went through the accident unscathed, but Zhou collapsed on the stairs and never fled the fatal disaster. He died after inhaling too much smoke, since there were few burns found on his body, according to local fire fighters.

Born in 1984 in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, Zhou was the only son of the couple Yang Guoxing and Zhou Yuxiang and took his mother's surname. Graduating from the Suzhou University in 2006, majoring in financial management, Zhou Jiangjang came to Yantai to help his father's business. He was a successful businessman and future inheritor to the family firm's substantial wealth.

Zhou's father Yang Guoxing, chairman of the board of directors of the company and a real estate tycoon in Nantong, said his son fulfilled his responsibility as the head of the company. The father still had trouble accepting the misfortune, as his son, also a member with the reserve troops, was just promoted to be awarded as lieutenant on June 30 and the conferring ceremony was scheduled to be held on July 5. Zhou's comrades-in-arms sent the new uniforms and certificate of the appointment to Zhou's father after hearing about the accident.

According to employees of the company, Zhou was an amicable boss who lived and ate together with his staff, and always paid much attention to their difficulties and helped them.

Zhou's heroic deed triggered widespread discussion on Internet micro-blogs. Some postings said Zhou was a typical man among "the rich second generation" -- those Chinese born in rich families after the 1980s, who tend to be eligible to inherit money and assets from their parents. The "rich second generation" is always criticized as being idle, arrogant and even depraved. Zhou's case showed that they can be just as responsible.

Some postings said Zhou set a good example for "the tall-smart-rich" group, another Internet popular word to describe men with fame and fortune. "Benevolence itself has nothing to do with the rich and the poor. Only because people have read too many heartless stories of arrogant management staff, they pay particularly close attention to the identity of the rescuers," a netizen said.

(China.org.cn July 7, 2012)

周江疆是山东省通州建筑公司烟台分公司的总经理，2012年7月2日场区内发生一起火灾，周江疆冲入火海救出10人，自己却不幸遇难。

火灾发生于凌晨1:00左右房地产公司三楼的一个房间。28岁的周江疆离楼梯最近，他第一个跑出烟雾缭绕的大楼，但紧接着又义无反顾地返回去叫醒正在地板上熟睡的员工。

火灾是由空调短路引起的，火焰迅速吞没了整个三楼，那里正有10名员工正在熟睡。周江疆冒着呛人的烟雾在第一时间叫醒了其中八人，当他得知地板上还有两人时，不顾女友劝阻仍两次冲进火场。

所有经历了这场火灾的员工都毫发无损，但周江疆却倒在楼梯上再也没能逃出火海。据消防人员介绍，周江疆的身上并没有被大火烧伤的痕迹，是因浓烟大量进入呼吸道窒息死亡。

出生于1984年的周江疆是杨国兴和周裕香夫妇的独子，随母亲姓周。在苏州大学读完和英国联办的金融管理专业后，周江疆2006年来到烟台，帮父亲料理家族在烟台的产业。他是一位令人羡慕的富商和家族企业的继承人。

周江疆的父亲杨国星是该建筑公司董事长，也是南通市房地产大亨。这位父亲说，作为公司的负责人说，他的儿子履行了自己的职责。老人难以接受这一巨大的不幸，他说儿子还是预备役部队的一员，6月30日刚刚被授予中尉军衔，授街仪式原本定于七月五日举行。周江疆生前部队的战友闻迅后立即赶来，将周江疆的授衔证书和军装转送交给他的父亲。

员工眼中的“周总”谦和低调，与员工同吃同住打成一片，关心员工的疾苦，帮助他们解决难题。

周江疆英雄事迹在互联网微博上引发了广泛的讨论。有帖子说，周江疆是典型的“富二代”： 80后，家境富裕，家产继承人。“富二代”通常被批评为懒散、傲慢、甚至堕落，而周江疆的事迹表明，“富二代”同样有责任感。

有网友说，周江疆为当今“高帅富”们树立了一个好榜样。“高帅富”是网络流行的词，形容那些功成名就的男士。一位网友说：“善行本身与贫富无关，只是人们听了太多为富不仁的传说，才特别注意到救人者的身份。”