This book has fun anecdotes of elite graft, which is entertaining but not particularly useful for those interested in mechanisms of PRC corruption. Guanxi is just age old political patronage networks with Chinese characteristics, it's mundane not revelatory. The seminal book / academic for those interested in understanding PRC corruption systematically is Yuen Yuen Ang, China's Gilded Age: The Paradox of Economic Boom and Vast Corruption. The TLDR metaphor compares corruption to drugs, there are different types of corruption, with different effects. Chinese elite exchange-corruption discussed in the book is likened to steroids that boosts growth [0]. There's a reason why PRC is the only country where increased corruption is correlated to increased growth, as posited by Yukon Huan, World Bank director for China. But ultimately, drugs have harmful side effects that will eventually catch up to the body-politic, hence the anti-corruption drive. The useful takeaway from review:
>In some aspects, Mr Shum’s book supports Mr Xi’s diagnosis of China’s ills. It describes sleaze that largely predates Mr Xi’s elevation as party chief in 2012. Since then, the Xi era has witnessed an anti-corruption drive that has seen more than 1.5m officials punished. Mr Xi himself grumbles about foot-dragging officials who put parochial interests first.
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>It argues that Mr Xi’s anti-corruption drive is as much a campaign to consolidate power as a sincere attempt to reform a rotten system.
Note "sincere attempt". Xi's anti-corruption and power consolidation doesn't have to be mutually exclusive or contradictory. Xi didn't start with 1.5M political enemies, there's no reason to be so comprehensive except sincere need to tackle a widely recognized issue. There's good reason to want to consolidate power if Xi has to step on so many toes. Frankly, a problem as large as PRC bureaucratic corruption in the 2010s can't be tackled without centralizing power.
[0] https://oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Yuen-...
