Let me share a story that unfolded right in front of me, Master Chi.
I have a pair of friends — both professors at a well-known Shanghai university, distinguished in engineering and surveying, with considerable reputations across the entire infrastructure and construction industry.
Because they devoted their younger years to their careers, they started a family late. It wasn’t until their mid-thirties that they finally had their only child — a daughter.
The title of “Father” can only be earned by those who have taken on sufficient responsibility and accountability.
Some men, even after having children, remain irresponsible and carefree. They offer no protection or care for their family, live chaotic personal lives with zero self-discipline, and spend their days venting their anger and insecurities on the most vulnerable people in their household.
I’m sorry — men like this do not qualify as fathers.
A reader asked me today: Master Chi, in your view, what level of achievement does a person need to reach on this land to be considered someone who has truly “made it”?
I thought about it, and here’s the answer I gave. Taking everything into account, this is what I’d call the “standard comfortable configuration” for an ordinary person.
Use it as your own benchmark — reaching it is good, surpassing it is even better.
1 — Thanks to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and continued turmoil across the Middle East, the Eagle finds itself unable to concentrate all its force toward any single target — even if it wanted to single us out.
Our resolute defense in recent months, combined with the Eagle’s more subdued posture, confirms they no longer have the stomach to “go all-in just to drag down the Eastern Giant.”
As long as we continue on the path of tao guang yang hui (keeping a low profile while building strength), maintaining a steady, measured pace of development over the next five to ten years — the Eagle will ultimately lose every last bit of leverage it has over us.
Lately I’ve been truly overwhelmed with busyness — so much so that I haven’t had the chance to sit down with you and properly share the deeper, more profound content.
It’s unavoidable. Every day brings a flood of business dealings, investment matters, and networking affairs that need to be coordinated and managed. By the time I’m through, there’s only half an hour — maybe forty minutes — left in the day. And so I can only write lighter, more casual pieces.
Tonight I’m in high spirits, and what I’m sharing with you is the real, unfiltered stuff on wealth and success.
Don’t think Master Chi is being too harsh — the sooner you take these to heart, the sooner you’ll start getting ahead.
1. Don’t go throwing your kindness around, burning your precious energy trying to rescue and help everyone around you. Once you’ve been around long enough, you’ll understand: people in pitiable situations almost always have something about them that brought it on. If you genuinely can’t bear to look away, give a small amount of money — something that won’t affect you — and consider that more than enough. Then turn around and go chase your own future. Do not get tangled up in other people’s karma (因果). There’s nothing in it for you.
Note: some content in this article is extremely candid — not every parent will be comfortable hearing it.
But I believe that parents who can sit down and read this all the way through will watch their children’s futures transform for the better.
If you’re a parent with substantial wealth and social standing — someone who can guarantee a clear path for your child when they enter society, backing them every step of the way with vast financial resources — then you have no need to read this article.
Saving money is changing your fortune. Sleeping early is extending your life. Solitude is nurturing the heart. Reading is awakening wisdom. Exercise is cultivating health. Letting go is lightening your load. Smiling is attracting wealth (招财). Reflection is progress. Listening is gaining wisdom. Meditation is calming the spirit. Eating simply is cleansing the body. Traveling is opening your eyes. Perseverance is breaking through. And gratitude is accumulating karmic merit (福报).
Recently, many of you have been asking me: what does the big picture look like going forward? And what should we be doing?
I’ve shared a lot of investment advice before, and the core takeaway is this: don’t misjudge what’s coming — prepare conservatively.
Cut unnecessary expenses wherever you can, and keep enough liquid capital on hand that you have flexibility. But once your savings reach a reasonably safe level and you can count on steady income, you can allocate around 30% of your monthly earnings toward smart positioning.
Tonight is the weekend — first, I wish all of you peace and joy.
Now, let’s talk about something genuinely interesting: how to make your Chi fortune (气运) grow stronger over time.
Understand this: our destiny is fundamentally like a tree — shaped by its environment. If you’re willing to apply steady, positive force to it, then over time, quietly and naturally, it will begin to improve.
Think back to when everyone still carried cash wallets. Master Chi would always remind people around him: turn your banknotes upside down inside your wallet, and keep a few worn old hundred-yuan notes as “wealth mothers” (财母 — seed money believed to anchor and attract more wealth). That way, wealth energy won’t easily leak out, and you’ll hold onto what you have.