Today’s article was inspired by a news report. Master Chi won’t go into the details of the story itself. In short: a young girl who was quietly studying at home ended up spending extra time on her phone because she needed to attend online classes. When her mother saw this, she launched into a severe and unrelenting attack of criticism and blame. The girl ultimately chose to end her life — she leaped from the building.
Over the past couple of days, I’ve been seeing a great deal of news about the feedback on the “laissez-faire” approach taken by various overseas governments in managing the epidemic. Spain and Italy have been the most prominent examples.
This isn’t a denial of other countries’ efforts to save their citizens. Rather, I want to lay out a complete logical framework — so you understand what strategic trade-offs you would make if you were the head of a foreign nation. A president. A prime minister. A chancellor.
While shallow fools think that spitting on the ground is the mark of someone with no “quality,” we must understand that the spirit of fighting relentlessly for family and career is what true “quality” actually means.
P.S.: Originally, I planned to have a proper discussion today about life choices and investment opportunities in the wake of recent developments. But then I thought back to a dinner gathering a few nights ago.
The longer you walk through this world, the more clearly you’ll see that life’s path is filled with traps and crises at every turn. And you must never assume these crises will come from any single event. On the contrary — whether in your career or your accumulation of wealth — the most dangerous variable in everything you do is always people. The people around you. The people beside you.
(Today’s article — Master Chi strongly urges you to watch the video at the end after reading the text.)
In the course of Master Chi’s destiny readings (命理), there is no shortage of extraordinary and unusual life patterns. Among the most striking are those I call “heaven-blessed golden destiny” (天赐金贵) — individuals who, by any ordinary measure, represent what people dream of as the ideal “life winner.”
Last month, for instance, a friend of considerable standing asked me to look at the road ahead for his child. Without getting into the specifics of this young man’s parents — suffice to say that from the moment he entered the workforce, the positions available to him were already beyond what ordinary people could ever reach. What the world calls “top-tier” — elite financial institutions, internet giants, property conglomerates — he looks at all of them with indifference. His career path runs straight through what I call “policy platforms.”
Allow me to open today with a mildly embarrassing admission: I am not, in fact, close with the Nation’s Husband — known online as “Scallion.” Our acquaintance amounts to exactly two brief encounters, both of which trace back to the opening of Shanghai’s W Hotel. If memory serves, it was the summer of 2017, and I was accompanied by several financial heirs from the Southern circle. Through a mutual introduction, I exchanged pleasantries with Scallion — but we both know that kind of greeting leaves no impression on anyone. A man in his position probably nods at a hundred people every day.
Looking back at the great figures of our temples of power and the titans of commerce, you’ll find without much difficulty that each of them had their own Bole — a noble benefactor (贵人, Gui Ren) who recognized their worth. These titans almost universally showed remarkable talent in their youth, yet it was precisely those who recognized them that gave them the power to part the clouds and see things as they truly are. It’s the same with all the world’s knowledge: any young person fortunate enough to receive the full transmission of wisdom from their elders is destined to walk a hundred steps ahead of the pack in their chosen field. From that foundation, they can then use the prime years of their life — with its abundant energy and instinct for the currents of the times — to break new ground and build something great. The achievement and legacy that follow are simply the natural result. An outside observer watching this process will almost always offer the same praise: this young person hasn’t merely improved — they’ve been reforged.
The characteristic that best reveals a person’s true social tier is, in fact, not their wealth or power alone.
Ordinary people tend to think that judging someone’s class is straightforward — just look at their money and position.
But we all know that while these are important indicators, they’re neither the most reliable nor the most definitive measures.
From my own perspective, I’ve witnessed the rise and fall of far too many so-called big shots and industry leaders to know one thing clearly: the flower that blooms too brightly rarely lasts. True strength is built over one or two generations of dedicated effort — until you’ve genuinely embedded yourself into a tier and its inner circles. That is the real answer.
A few days ago, I accepted a friend’s invitation to visit the new establishment he had just opened in the Jiangnan region. Now, anyone who knows me will tell you that while I tend to carry myself with a certain composed air in public — yes, I do enjoy putting on airs — it is entirely deliberate. Life passes in but a few seasons, and whether you are riding high or weathering a storm, taking pleasure quietly and enjoying yourself with restraint is not only appropriate but necessary. This becomes especially clear once you have accumulated a certain degree of wealth: you begin to understand that this is simply what life is.
Never make the mistake of thinking that every person in this world deserves to have a family. In Master Chi’s view, at least 30% of people in this world are simply unfit for marriage. This group is meant to grow old alone — they do not deserve a family.
Nor should they harm and disappoint the innocent people who trusted them and had their lives wasted as a result. Among them are men and women, spread across every social tier and field. Their appearances vary, their temperaments differ — and some among them are even remarkably skilled at winning the affection and admiration of the opposite sex. But no matter how polished and impressive their exterior may be, they are destined to deliver the deepest wounds to the person who trusted, loved, and ultimately walked into marriage with them.