In life or at work, there is always a magical inner circle.
Let me share the story of one of our readers and the transformation he went through.
He was once an ordinary teacher at the best high school in the province. Reserved and soft-spoken by nature. After joining our community, he occasionally raised questions and engaged in discussions.
Last year, after being promoted to Director of Admissions, he remained as reserved as ever — but his social circle took a qualitative leap. His school is the best in the entire province, after all.
His dinner tables now include a deputy bureau chief from a provincial department, prominent local entrepreneurs who handle government contracts, section chiefs from the education bureau, and education directors at the prefecture-city level.
These are the people who now make up his close circle.
Many would say this is nothing more than mutual exploitation. Fair enough — everyone involved knows the game. But some people have the rare ability to forge genuine friendships even within these transactional arrangements.
A Director of Admissions holds no particularly high rank — roughly equivalent to a section chief at best. Yet his circle now includes people whose social standing far exceeds his own.
I won’t spell out the secret. You can probably figure it out yourselves.
I’ve said this before: whoever holds scarce resources holds a trump card.
Take that entrepreneur who handles government contracts. If some official’s child wants to get into the best high school but has no connections, and the entrepreneur — who now has that connection — steps in to solve the problem, he has just handled a major family matter. Solve someone’s major problem, and they will look after you.
So if you have genuinely valuable resources — educational access, medical connections, dining privileges, entertainment — guard them carefully and maintain them well.
In this commercial age, almost everything can be exchanged. That’s simply how things work: you help me, I help you get what you want.
There is no such thing as help given for no reason. There is no such thing as purely selfless mentorship or support. Everything carries a hidden price tag. The only question is what you have to offer in return.
Whoever grasps this truth earliest matures the fastest. But understand that from awareness to action to success, the road is still long. There will be failures along the way — lessons that must be learned firsthand. Nothing happens overnight. If it were that simple, success would belong to the majority, not the few.
This principle holds true in the smallest village, and equally at the highest halls of power.
It was true in the past and remains true today. As the ancient saying goes: “All under heaven bustles toward gain; all under heaven strives toward profit.” Most people orbit around self-interest, calculating what to give and what to receive. This is the essential nature of social life.
So, my readers — when a great opportunity comes your way, step onto the stage and show what you have. If you have resources, let them be known. If you have no resources yet, let your integrity and sincerity speak for you. And when the time comes to reveal your resources, do it quietly, choosing the right moment.