The early years of Justin Yinfu Lin was marked by a legendary "jump". It was a risky "jump", but a turning point in his life, and a decisive move that later enabled him to rank among the top economists in the world. In Lin's own words, it was a "jump" for him to shift from his smaller self to bigger self.

I. A Top Student Who Dropped out of School to Join the Army

On October 15, 1952, alongside the quiet Dongshan River in Yilan County, Taiwan, a chubby baby boy came to the world after much prayer of his family. The baby, who would later be known as Justin Yifu Lin, was then named Lin Zhengyi, literally meaning "justice" in Chinese. His father Lin Huoshu had suffered enough from government corruption and wished that his son would uphold justice when he grew up, as his name suggested. Lin went by this name for the first 27 years of his life.

1. Pursuing Knowledge despite a Tough Childhood

Yilan is a small county in northeastern Taiwan, surrounded by mountains on three sides and with one side facing the sea, where life was rather hard in the 1950s as it was still isolated and underdeveloped.

Born the fourth of six children into a poor family in Yilan, Lin had a tough childhood. At a young age, he began to help his parents with housework, like collecting sweet potato seedlings and firewood. Every day after school, he rode by bicycle a long distance to a relative's home to fetch swill for pigs. Poverty never hindered Lin's hunger for knowledge. Living in a small house with a large family in a noisy city block did not provide the best studying environment, so he would go straight to bed after supper and get up to study in the middle of the night when everyone else had fallen asleep. He would read and do homework until early next morning and prepare himself for school as others rose for the next day's work.

Lin's father spent much effort fostering virtues in his children from an early age. Lin recalled that his father often told him traditional Chinese stories such as The Romance of the Three Kingdoms and The Water Margin. These stories left a deep impression on him and were frequently quoted in his economics lectures later.

Influenced by his father, Lin was determined to be a historian since childhood. He believed that history would make him wise and help him identify the direction of his life. When talking about why he decided to leave his family for the mainland many years later, he explained, "I'm fascinated by history. The trend of history is irresistible, and I wish I could make some contribution to history for my own peace of mind. From the Chinese perspective on 'self', we should try to discipline and eliminate the 'smaller self' in order to cultivate and serve the 'bigger self'. Ever since I read history in my childhood, it has been my belief to transcend my smaller self and step into my bigger self, and what I did is what I've believed in."

Even nowadays, Lin cannot conceal his gratitude toward his parents and brothers whenever talking about his childhood. He appreciates the spiritual wealth with which his family has endowed him.

Lin's childhood was tough. But it was this kind of childhood that forged his toughness, perseverance and conviction, paving the way for his academic success. Lin recalled, "My family was poor, but my parents cared about our education. They taught us to find our position in every relationship, stressing due consideration of needs of others and responsibilities for others. If our self-interest is in conflict with others', we always put others before ourselves; if individual interest is in conflict with collective interest, we should sacrificially restrain our individual interest for the collective good. Fortunately, I grew up into manhood hearing my parents' words and watching their deeds."

2. A Student Leader at National Taiwan University

Lin had a great and fulfilling high school experience. After graduation from high school, he was admitted to the agricultural water conservancy engineering major in the College of Agriculture, National Taiwan University (NTU). NTU is the most prestigious university in Taiwan, which ranked 95th on The Times Higher Education World University Rankings issued in May, 2009 and 124th according to The US News ＆ World Report rankings in February, 2010.

It was in this very university that Lin's legendary stories began.

Lin entered NTU in the unresting year of 1971 when the first Baodiao movement broke out in Taiwan. The movement was launched by patriotic Hong Kong and Taiwan students studying in the United States and local Taiwan students to defend the Chinese sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands.

Given the turbulent political and social situation then, it is fair to say that Lin was an ardent freshman who was deeply concerned for the future of Taiwan and cherished high hopes for the Taiwan authorities. "He was a hot-blooded young man, impassioned and cynical, but also simple, attentive and emotional." commented one of the student leaders who had participated with Lin in NTU's student campaigns for democracy.

Yet Lin's intensive participation in campaigns and social activities cost him too much time and resulted in unsatisfactory academic performance in most courses during the first half of his freshman year, with a barely passing grade as recorded in NTU's database.

3. Dropping Out of University to Join the Army

In December 1971, Lin, along with his classmates, arrived at the Chengkunglin military training base to receive an eight-week winter military training for junior college students. For most students it was nothing more than a regular, mandatory training. However, it was a significant turning point for Lin who held great ambitions for the future of Taiwan.

While most NTU graduates in the 1970s went to the USA for further studies, Lin made a decision, to the complete surprise of his classmates and teachers, to drop out of university and join the army.

Actually, he did not rush into such a decision but after careful consideration since the fourth week's training started. A week later, he reported his decision to his superior, stressing that although there were many other ways to serve the country, he believed military service would be his first choice.

A purpose for the military training then was to steel college students for difficulties and hardships. Drudgery as it was for most spoiled students, Lin saw it differently. He even complained to his instructor one day, "The way our winter training instructors trained the students is not as strict as that for real soldiers in the army. It doesn't suit the training purpose." He also said, to wear the military uniform was an ideal way to achieve his dream, despite his deep emotional attachment to the liberal academic atmosphere of NTU and the azaleas on campus.

Lin hoped that his action would arouse sympathy and support from students and their high patriotic spirit and loyalty to their country. As he weighed in his mind, if he had chosen to continue college education in agricultural engineering rather than to be enlisted in army, he might make a larger contribution to the development of Taiwan in future; but if his choice of military service could stir up patriotism and responsibility in every young man, his contribution to Taiwan would be immeasurable. On Feb 25, 1972, at the graduation ceremony of Chengkunglin winter military training, Lin's request to join the army was approved and he was given the floor to voice his opinions and ambitions at the ceremony.

Lin's decision to become a serviceman was not just a personal matter. Reporters of major media in Taiwan swarmed to interview him and made positive coverage of his action.

On March 4, 1972, Taiwan's military authorities awarded Lin an "Excellent Youth Medal", making him a "model young officer".

4. From a Serviceman to an MBA Student

Lin finally fulfilled his wish to become a serviceman. However, instead of serving in an army unit as a professional soldier right away, he chose to study first at the Republic of China Military Academy, an authoritative military college in Taiwan, the predecessor of which was the Whampoa Military Academy established in mainland China in 1924.

Hearing about the story of Lin as a NTU student with such patriotic enthusiasm and independent thoughts, Chiang Ching-kuo, the then political leader of Taiwan was so gratified that he arranged a meeting with Lin and spoke highly of Lin's patriotic action. At that time, as the message that Taiwan was expelled from the UN was spread out, both the government and the public of Taiwan were experiencing low morale. Many young people, losing faith in Taiwan's future, quitted the intent of joining the army. Lin's story just happened to be the best promotional material for Taiwan's military authorities to enlist new recruits. Taking full advantage of this opportunity, the military went to great lengths to publicize Lin as a heroic figure on the mass media in Taiwan.

Two days after Lin forewent college to join the army, a student from NTU also reported to officers at the Chengkungling winter military training base requesting to be transferred to the Republic of China Military Academy. The media commented that this student was "echoing Lin's action."

After being admitted to the military academy, Lin changed his name Lin Zhengyi ("林正义") to Lin Zhengyi ("林正谊"), signifying that he was different from his old self.

In August, 1975, Lin graduated from the military academy, achieving the second highest cumulative grade point, only 0.01 point lower than the highest among all graduates.

Deeply impressed by Lin, Chiang Ching-kuo had attentively followed Lin's development path, taking him as a promising candidate for leadership grooming. Therefore, after graduation from the military academy, instead of being deployed to a field force to train soldiers like other graduates, Lin attended the MBA program at the College of Commerce, National Chengchi University, while keeping his army post. During Lin's college years, Mr. Chiang asked a director of the General Political Warfare Department to take special care of Lin, which also indicated Chiang's high expectation of Lin.

5. The Company Commander of Mashan Company in Kinmen

Lin got his MBA degree from National Chengchi University in the summer of 1978. Then he was assigned Company Commander of Mashan Company in Kinmen, on the frontline of the cross-strait confrontation.

Kinmen, located on the west edge of the Taiwan strait, has long been one of the frontline islands of cross-strait tensions and seen many battles such as the Artillery Bombardment on August 23, 1958, also known as the 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis.

The Mashan Company stationed in the Northeast of Kinmen Island was the most important and best equipped in the whole division. All officers and soldiers in this company were carefully selected, enjoying greater welfare than their counterparts in other companies. For the Company Commander of Mashan Company, briefing senior officers and foreign guests on their inspection visits was a routine task, which required that whoever held the position should be a proved capable officer. Lin's appointment as the Mashan Company Commander showed Chiang Ching-kuo's trust and confidence in this Taiwanese young man starting from the grass-root level.

Against the backdrop of the cross-strait confrontation, Lin started to rethink his future. When he decided to quit college and join the army in 1971, he had indeed been a hot-blooded young man concerned about Taiwan's future. However, as he served as the Company Commander of the Mashan Company in Kinmen, he found the political situation and social realities had strayed him too far away from his goals.