I truly never expected these three years of turbulent journey to end with such decisive, unequivocal clarity.
Barring any surprises, what follows will be a gradual reopening — each region moving at its own pace, feeling its way forward step by step, before arriving at full openness around next Spring Festival.
While all of this is, by any measure, good news — after all, the arteries of economic life and wealth will slowly begin to pulse again — we must also understand that this pandemic has fundamentally upended many of the old rules.
The years ahead will be filled with boundless vitality, opportunity, and possibility. But they will equally be filled with confusion, uncertainty, and doubt.
In other words, the road ahead is wide open — but what fortune or misfortune you encounter along the way, no one can say for certain.
What follows are some important reflections I’ve been sitting with these past few days, carefully considered, and want to share with you.
Every word is worth chewing on slowly, on a quiet Sunday evening.
1 — True life opportunity is always hidden in the cycles of breaking down and building back up.
I have always held one conviction: whether we’re talking about the economy or about wealth, both fundamentally follow what I call the “tide of breaking and building.”
The more prosperous an economy appears, the greater the hidden dangers and the risk of the tide going out. Because prosperity is, by definition, the product of overheated capital flows and excessive debt.
And so, every time economic prosperity reaches its peak, the rot and disorder beneath the surface have accumulated equally — until the weight becomes too great, and a thorough clearing-out becomes unavoidable before the channels can breathe again.
But by the same logic — when everything is still and silent, the opportunity and hope buried beneath are equally vast.
Because this is precisely the moment when there is so much that needs to be done, so many openings — large and small — waiting for someone with the courage, the vision, and the wisdom to rebuild from scratch.
And for those who align themselves with this tide, the current of history will give you an enormous push at your back, helping you build — fast, and with extraordinary returns.
Now, I am not telling you to run to a bank right now and take out a loan, or to tighten your belt immediately and launch a startup.
On the contrary — hold your position. At the very least, let this New Year pass first. But once it does, sharpen your eyes and open your ears. Start sniffing out every business and career opportunity that comes your way.
You don’t have to jump in. But you must be aware. Then, based on your own capacity, look for opportunities that don’t require a heavy bet — ones that still let you ride the current. Get your hands warm first.
I will say this plainly: when you look back in 2033, every new wealthy face you see will have started their rise in 2023. You’ll find that though they were still raw and unproven back then, their story will have repeated the classic arc — caught the tide of the times, and soared.
So ask yourself: why couldn’t that person be you?
Are you dumber than they are? Lazier?
Neither. The only difference is that they did it — and you didn’t. That’s all.
Ordinary people, never say the times didn’t give you a chance. The one who truly denied you a chance was yourself.
2 — On wealth: on housing and stocks.
I gave a clear summary of my personal views on real estate and equities in my last article, but I don’t think I distilled it crisply enough. Let me extract the core here, so it lands more clearly:
What comes next will unquestionably be an era defined by major cities. As population flows out of smaller places and industries concentrate, smaller cities are simply suited for off-grid living — for those who have chosen to step back and stop striving.
The gap between major cities and smaller places will widen further — in resources, in wealth, in opportunity.
A decade from now, that gap will make it undeniable: these two kinds of places represent two entirely different destinies.
If you want to build something — only the major cities. If you want a quiet life — only the smaller places. Neither can substitute for the other, and the middle ground has disappeared.
But don’t think building something in the city is suffering — because if you angle your effort correctly, you’ll find that making money is neither slow nor hard.
And don’t romanticize the quiet life either — because you’ll be saying goodbye to abundance, and to many of the conveniences and privileges of modern living.
Think it through clearly. The choice is yours.
All of this, from a different angle, is simply telling you: property in smaller cities will gradually stagnate in value. From meat, to vegetables, to weeds — until it loses any meaningful reason to hold.
While quality assets in major cities, as those cities undergo a new round of expansion and renewal, will become increasingly scarce. And what scarcity means — I don’t need to spell it out.
My personal creed has never changed: Hold core, quality assets — and it will serve you better than a lifetime of striving ever could.
On stocks — actually easier to summarize. Remember this always: the market is a pure farming game.
If you want a harvest, you must plant when the big farmers plant — and pick your fruit when they do, load it into your basket, and leave together.
Never act against the season. That violates logic and the natural order.
Right now, I see no big farmer planting anywhere. They’re all hunkering down through winter, sharp and patient, gauging which crop the heavens will favor — and roughly what the weather will look like next year and the year after.
So don’t even think about it for now. Watch. Wait. Don’t rush.
When the opportunity comes, you’ll know. At that point, be a little brave — and I’ll share my own thinking with you when the time arrives.
Whether I’m right or wrong, if you can catch that window, the only question is whether your windfall is large or small. You will not be the fool who wakes up too late, rushes in at the top, and gets harvested.
3 — The new era will richly reward the disciplined and the driven.
I’ve always believed that self-discipline is, in fact, quite easy — because once you truly understand the meaning behind each act of discipline, you’ll pursue it naturally, without forcing yourself.
Why do I love reading books?
Because after extensive comparison, I found that the information density you absorb from a good book far surpasses anything you get from short-form videos or five-hundred-word social media posts.
Read the right books, and any sophisticated domain — no matter how complex — is simply a matter of three to five volumes. Finish those, and you can hold your own against virtually anyone who isn’t a true specialist in that field.
Of course, we don’t read to acquire that kind of petty, coarse arrogance.
We read to gain a comprehensive, elevated perspective — and a sharp, precise judgment.
So for me, reading isn’t discipline at all — it’s love. It’s instinct. That kind of self-discipline is extraordinarily powerful.
The same goes for exercise, for meaningful social connection, for meditation. My self-discipline doesn’t require forcing, because it flows from genuine inner need.
One thing worth noting: by the time you read these words, many people have already long since built these good habits.
They’re spread across every field and every city.
But here’s the thing — starting now is not late. Because the world is vast, and there will always be 99% of people who are lazier, more foolish, slower, and more self-defeating than you.
Cultivate this discipline, and you’ll naturally, quickly find yourself joining that exceptional 1% — connecting with them, resonating, collaborating. And then you’ll discover that what I, Master Chi, said before is absolutely true: once you’re in the right circle, making money is as easy as breathing. It comes from lived experience — a golden rule.
Because the herd is enormous. The predators are always in the minority. Develop even the slightest claw and fang, and you’ll pull away from the pack by a staggering distance.
4 — Confidence is the true, eternal foundation of a life well-lived.
I have always considered myself a pragmatist. What does pragmatism actually mean?
It means that no matter how the world shifts, no matter which way the wind blows, I do not let external forces generate unnecessary emotional turbulence within me.
Rain or shine — I grow, wild and unstoppable.
Especially in the current era, I don’t engage in any meaningless debates. I choose to be a rational, calm observer — watching the trajectory of all change, and continuously adjusting my own position.
I work to protect my health. I take every reasonable precaution. But I also move quickly to embrace the new environment, observe everything that unfolds within it, and seek out those legitimate opportunities that serve my life in the long run.
The one thing I will not do is waste energy trying to convince those who see things differently.
The second thing I will not do is let alarmism that doesn’t hold up to scrutiny interrupt my own progress and growth.
Let me say it again — my pragmatism, my guiding principle: Rain or shine, I grow, wild and unstoppable.
I hope the same is true for you — rain or shine, you grow, wild and unstoppable.
Trust me: the courage and resilience behind this pragmatism will carry you through the next three years, five years, even ten years.
The next three, five, and ten years will be an era where difficulty and opportunity coexist.
In such an era, there is no room for complaint.
Because it will not forget to punish every idler who abandons growth. And it will not forget to reward every pragmatic person who stays the course.
How you walk your path is entirely up to you.
Whatever you choose — I, Master Chi, will continue as always to accompany you, steadily and consistently — through words, through wisdom, through my own lived experience.