Life is very much like sitting for an exam. Mediocre students rely on grinding through massive volumes of practice questions, building up a numb muscle memory, only to barely scrape by with a passable score.
But top students always pursue the one master trick that solves everything.
With the right master trick, you can tackle any difficult problem the way a hot knife cuts through lard — every challenge simply falls apart before you.
Student Question
I’m currently in Suzhou and in the process of a home exchange (my current home has already been sold). I’m looking for a property in the 4–5 million RMB range that can serve three purposes: personal residence, supporting my child’s education (currently in kindergarten), and investment (hoping the value holds so it’s easy to sell later). I’m currently comparing three options: Suzhou Science and Technology City, Wuzhong Taihu New Town, and older/smaller units in Shishan — though my husband may not accept the last option, as we have differing opinions on it.
The double-standards incident involving a certain auto brand has completely dominated the headlines these past few days — and everyone has seen the full story play out.
Honestly, I think this is a good thing. On one hand, it proves that our self-confidence and self-respect are gradually taking root. On the other hand, it shows that our sense of equality is slowly awakening.
Think about it: if this had happened ten years ago, it most likely would have barely caused a ripple. Back then, most people still tended to see preferential treatment for high-nosed, Western-looking foreigners as “not particularly strange.”
I know full well that neither my destiny chart (命盘) readings nor my knowledge community are accessible to young people from ordinary families. The consultation fee speaks for itself — the vast majority of people who seek me out are adults who have already achieved some measure of success in life. But this also means I’ve been unable to help the many readers still mired in mediocrity.
Well then. Let me write something that distills everything I know.
Today’s article — I sincerely hope that if you’re a parent, you’ll read it through to the end.
Not for your sake, but for your child’s.
Yesterday, a reader came to see me consumed with anxiety, specifically to have me read her child’s destiny chart (命盘).
Parents worrying about their children’s future is the most natural thing in the world — every parent wants their child to grow up safe and happy. But this particular mother left a deep impression on me.
Because you were conditioned to be too obedient from childhood. Every hardship you endure doesn’t become the nourishment that strengthens you — instead, it becomes the capital that fuels someone else’s rise.
That kind of suffering? Better not to suffer it at all.
Let me explain this clearly so you can sit with it.
The truth is, many people are destined to become society’s weak the moment they’re born — not because they lack talent, not because they’re slow to learn, not because their destiny chart is poor. None of that.
Student Question: Hello Master, I’ve been working for about a year since graduating. I’ve read many books about communicating with leadership. I want to get promoted, but in practice I’m not quite sure how to get along with my leader and strike the right balance.
Master Chi’s Response:
How to get along with your leader and advance more quickly is something many working professionals care deeply about.
The most important thing is to first understand: what kind of relationship do you currently have with your leader?
Student Question
Hello Master, I was recently officially promoted to Deputy Director of the Office. I’ve already sent thank-you messages to the senior leader and my direct supervisor.
I’d like to treat the leaders and colleagues to a dinner, but our department has quite a few members — inviting everyone isn’t appropriate. Privately, I’ve dined with the senior leader before. When I invite the senior leader, should I also propose bringing the other two leaders along?
Student Question: Hello Master, I’m 32 years old. I have a journalism degree and work in real estate copywriting. Eight years in, my salary has grown from 3,000 to 15,000 RMB. But I’m unhappy at work, and the overtime is relentless.
I want to quit and go freelance — no more nine-to-five. My time would be entirely my own.
But I’m a little worried about what life will look like after that. I’d appreciate your guidance, Master.
Student Question Master, I perform well at my job, but being introverted, I rarely feel comfortable knocking on my leader’s door to give updates. Over time, I feel like I’m losing out — yet I don’t know how to calibrate the right level of closeness. I want to get closer, but it fills me with anxiety.
Master Chi’s Response The warmth of your relationship with your leader determines the height of your career. There’s one approach that works especially well — and it comes down to a single idea: when good things happen, treat your leader like an ordinary person.