Punters are hoping the just-opened National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing (see story on page 30) will act to boost the economy and help red chips.
In another high-profile corruption story, Beijing police have seized properties and an Audi car belonging to Gong Aiai, a former Shaanxi banker, China Central Television reports.
But there are fears that this time, at the Beijing edition of the Olympic story, there might not be a fairy tale ending for the team in gold and green.