Preface: “Class stratification” has become a buzzword in recent years — especially beloved by mediocre people drawing monthly salaries, who can’t wait to pin these four characters to their lips as if they’ve finally found an excuse for their failure. If you’ve achieved even modest success, you’ll immediately recognize this for the nonsense it is. Summer insects live too briefly to comprehend winter ice; small-minded people see too little to speak of the world. Today, let’s talk about poverty’s original sin — that unexamined word: “inertia.”
1 — Inertia Is the Cancer of Destiny; Tension Is Its Cure
The reason I’m writing this article today was sparked two days ago by a reader’s suggestion in the comments — a genuinely sincere recommendation to watch a Korean film called Parasite.
In the comment, he said with great conviction that this film deeply exposes the suffering and bitterness of the poor.
As it happened, I was flying back to Shanghai yesterday, so I watched it on the plane.
My only feeling after watching it: it made my skin crawl.
Not from shock at the wealth gap between rich and poor — but from the darkness and short-sightedness of the lower-class family in the film.
What truly frightened me was the chorus of voices online saying: “This film nakedly depicts class stratification! The rich are vile!”
The most absurd thing I encountered was, while browsing reviews, someone actually wrote: “These wealthy people are just so used to their privilege — if it weren’t for them suppressing us, where would class stratification even come from? They deserve to die!”
Below that: a chorus of cheers and a sea of sighs.
To summarize their thinking, it boils down to: “Well, I haven’t succeeded because of class stratification.”
As if their destitution and poverty were purely the result of those above them conspiring to steal their wealth.
Master Chi has always found this kind of thinking utterly contemptible.
As someone on Zhihu once perfectly put it: “Given how low the effort level is for most people, they haven’t even gotten to the point where talent is the deciding factor.”
By the same logic: “For the vast majority of people, they haven’t come anywhere close to the ceiling of their class — let alone having the right to claim they’ve been stopped by class stratification.”
In Master Chi’s view, the core prerequisite for claiming your class has been solidified against you is that you must first have hit the actual ceiling of your current class.
Otherwise, you haven’t even touched the walls of class stratification — how could it possibly be the bottleneck blocking your evolution?
Understand what that ceiling actually looks like: an ordinary white-collar worker who fights his way up to become a company’s core executive, yet can never access those “unimaginable resources.” Or a low-ranking official who climbs to lead his peers, yet always has to wait for certain people to vacate positions above before getting promoted.
Only after you’ve bumped against that kind of “boundary” do you earn the right to complain.
Otherwise, all talk of “class stratification” is absurd. The truth is simply that one lacks ability and talent.
But you can’t say this to those naive souls — and obviously they won’t accept such razor-sharp honesty.
Because they’ll always say: “Look, I work hard too! I’m not lazy at all!”
And they’ll produce endless articles and arguments to support their case.
One of the most typical: the reason the poor can’t turn their lives around is that all their energy is consumed by exhausting work and daily life’s tedium — they have no capacity left for anything else.
Then, for good measure, they’ll cherry-pick a few so-called billionaires, send them to live as society’s lowest rung for a day or two, and have them say: “Wow, turns out the bottom is really exhausting. Rising up is so hard!”
And a crowd of mediocre people feels as if they’ve been pardoned — every instance of their own weakness and cowardice suddenly has an excuse.
Don’t be fooled. This kind of logic is designed to manipulate the herd.
If you don’t believe me: put that billionaire back at the bottom, give him enough time, and he’ll rise again without question. Maybe not as powerful as at his peak, but he’ll absolutely stand out — effortlessly, without a doubt.
Because they possess something that mediocre people don’t. What is that? Allow me to hold that thought — first, let me turn the gun on the fatal wound of the poor.
That fatal wound is not what people call “poverty comes from laziness.”
The fundamental reason a person cannot turn their life around is 惰 — inertia.
Unlike 懒 (laziness), inertia refers to a person abandoning the quality of thinking — the one thing that should accompany them through their entire life.
In practice, this person may appear “hardworking” on the surface. But everything they work hard at is nothing more than completing the same tasks, day after day.
Yet in their mind, they have never reflected on or reviewed their career or life. They have no plans for the future, no ambitions.
They have never once thought about what “strategies” or “moves” might be needed to seize the opportunities that could turn the tide of their entire life’s Chi fortune (气运).
And for that — I’m sorry — but the fate of Luotuo Xiangzi is already waiting for them with their name on it.
No matter how hard they work, no matter how early they rise and how late they sleep, they will ultimately become nothing but a rapidly spinning cog — until they wear out.
懒 describes the body. 惰 describes the mind.
This world will never allow a mindless component to become the mastermind directing an entire domain.
Yes — inertia is the true cancer that drains a person of their vitality, willpower, and courage.
As for laziness? That’s not even the most lethal thing.
Sometimes I can’t help but marvel at the depth and richness of Chinese. Especially when you contemplate the pair of antonyms “勤劳 (diligence)” and “懒惰 (idleness).”
Deep reflection reveals this: 勤 (diligent) and 懒 (lazy) correspond to the body — while 劳 (to toil) and 惰 (inertia) correspond to the soul.
Throughout history, every person who has achieved great things — every person who has risen to prominence in their era — which of them did not toil primarily in mind rather than body?
Forget distant examples. Among today’s titans of business: which of them truly sleeps soundly like an ordinary person? And as for those at the very top — which of them is not mentally exhausted, walking constantly on thin ice?
Extraordinary eminence comes only with suffering that ordinary people cannot endure.
When consulting for clients, I often feel a deep sadness — because there are countless “promising young talents” in this world who, for all manner of reasons, never find the right soil and never discover the direction that would truly allow them to grow.
The result: no matter how good the seedling, it withers.
So whenever I read someone’s destiny chart (命盘), I focus heavily on what their “primary destiny” indicates.
Whether this person is meant to lead, to accumulate wealth, to pursue scholarly achievement — whether they’re suited for traditional income or unconventional paths, for independence or for operating within a structure — I make it absolutely clear and require them to hold it firmly in memory.
Sometimes a person may be constrained by reality and unable to make a major pivot in their career. Master Chi fully understands this.
But I always insist they keep a “string” taut inside — every moment, every minute, every day and night.
This string is an unspoken, ever-present compass that quietly circles the mind.
Because of this string, they will ask themselves daily: does everything I’m doing right now — including all the long hours and daily grind — move me toward the direction where I’m most destined to rise?
Does everything I experience each day — the joys and sorrows, the grievances and gratitude — have any bearing on my “ultimate goal”?
In this way, once a clear overarching goal takes shape, a person will naturally learn to choose wisely and reflect honestly.
With that foundation in place — whether they’re a company clerk working dawn to dusk with nothing yet to show for it, or someone who took a wrong path but still carved out a piece of sky by sheer force — one thing is certain:
Once they understand their own destiny framework (格局), they will continuously seek the right circumstances and opportunities to move toward the path that heaven has deemed most beneficial for them.
Wrong turns can be corrected. Losses can be recovered. But the string of persistent striving toward one’s goal must never be cut or slackened.
A person lives by their spirit. Destiny is fought for by a single string.
Cut either one — and you will never rise again in this lifetime.
2 — Blindness Is the Disease of Destiny; Insight Is Its Key
In Master Chi’s early writing, I consistently tried to use my own perspective and knowledge to excavate the truths hidden beneath the surface of this world — to lay bare the operating rules of the game for you to see.
Only then can you, having witnessed the strange and dazzling spectacle of it all, develop both the desire to pursue it and the familiarity to internalize it.
But unfortunately, for various reasons, that style of writing is no longer something I can continue.
Yet I still want you to understand: in this world, insight is often far more important than wisdom.
Because if you only have wisdom, you won’t go far when you’re in your ascending phase.
Why? Simple: even the most flawless calculation will have gaps.
The result is that you will inevitably step into pits you cannot avoid and bring troubles upon yourself that will make your life miserable.
Many problems simply cannot be handled or resolved by so-called “wisdom” — because by the time you’re trying, you’re already deep in the mud.
Only insight allows you, in the very first moment, to know the rules of the game within any given situation and the boundaries that must not be crossed.
There’s an old saying from within the system, which you may have heard: “Help them into the saddle and escort them for a stretch of the road.”
Why not let the junior ride freely on their own? Because they’re afraid the young man, in his haste, will invite catastrophe.
For example: if you’re an elite middle-class professional, in any conflict you genuinely have no reason to fear offending anyone — because at your level, those around you can’t deploy any “killing moves.” At worst, they stir up trouble behind your back.
But once you ascend to the near-upper tier, the game changes completely. You must tear down and rebuild every old worldly assumption you carry — otherwise, when the real players make a move, you’ll be exposed immediately. You’re not a real player; one small move from them and you’ll be sent straight back to the bottom.
Insight is precisely the secret to breaking through this barrier. Only when you learn to read how “the great ones” play the game can you, at minimum, learn to protect yourself while observing.
And only with insight will you instinctively, almost by reflex, possess a natural sense of belonging each time you step into a higher social stratum.
Of course, this topic runs quite deep. Let’s bring it back to the insight deficiencies of ordinary young people.
The most frightening “short-sightedness” of those born into humble circumstances is the persistent belief that they are unrecognized talents.
That’s because they haven’t realized: what they possess isn’t talent — it’s a trade skill.
A trade skill is for making a living. For getting by.
What is real talent?
In finance — investing, speculation, leveraged alchemy that turns hundreds of thousands into hundreds of millions.
In real estate — working connections, leveraging other people’s strength, building towers and platforms from nothing.
As a broker — fluent up and down the chain, welcome on all sides, no banquet complete without you.
In the system — reading the right path, following the right person, knowing when to get on the vehicle and when to get off; a steady anchor for someone of humble origins.
To reach that level — that is talent. Otherwise you’re a skilled laborer. Anyone can replace you. The world today is not short of the kind of “components” that come in human form.
So understand this: there is no such thing as “unrecognized talent” in this world.
All those who consider themselves “unrecognized talent” are in fact simply “unwanted talent.” And every circle, every sphere, is always open-armed toward those with genuine, practical ability.
Let me use my own circle as an example — especially once your ability is sufficient to gain entry into a certain tier:
You’ll find that every tier is a small, “tightly-knit yet loosely structured” team. The people within it may have conflicting interests and hidden agendas.
But each role — the lead, the supporting cast, the villain, the clown — is defined with absolute clarity.
Need to make contact with the system? That’s the job of the brother who grew up inside those walls.
Need to sound the horn in the market? Only the one who’s fought and bled in capital markets can do that.
Legal dispute? A small-time lawyer is useless. What carries real weight is a senior counsel who operates across multiple domains.
Even a conflict in the underworld requires the city’s absolute top figures to come out and speak before anyone stands down.
And even more pointedly — reading a chart, judging fortune, mapping timing — only someone recognized by everyone in the circle carries real weight.
You see: almost every person has their own meaning and absolute irreplaceability. That is talent.
It is simply not possible for someone to suddenly, mysteriously, accumulate billions in wealth through “making money” alone.
In the past, present, or future — never.
Their achievements are inevitably the crystallization of a certain power base, or a collective of exceptional individuals working together.
Let me ask you directly: if a major player suddenly gave you an opportunity right now — asked you to handle any one of the things I just described — could you?
Could you reach out and have a conversation with a faction leader of governor-level standing?
Could you mobilize tens of billions from the market directly?
Could you mediate all the competing interests and the silent powers behind the curtain?
Could you suppress all the street-level troublemakers so that no one dares act up?
Could you read the chart and map the fortune — year after year accurate, advancing and retreating at the right moments?
Be honest with yourself: can you do it? No? Then no, you can’t. This world runs on capability alone.
If you can’t — then that’s the fate of a lieutenant. I won’t say whether you have what it takes to lead — that depends on your destiny framework. But for now, you are far, far from being ready to stand on your own.
Seeing this clearly is another function of insight — because it allows you to recognize and honestly internalize your own deficiencies.
Given that certain things can’t be explained too precisely, let me offer you one small suggestion. It’s simple and clear — and worth carrying for a lifetime.
Unless you have become the undisputed master of your domain, or the leader of your own power base — you must, without exception, first find your own “guide.” This person might be your boss, your supervisor, your elder — but they must be someone you cannot yet equal or surpass at this stage of your life.
Then you must observe their every word and action like a clone studying a blueprint — constantly asking yourself: “Why are they doing this? What’s the purpose?”
And at every opportunity, practice stepping into their role to handle situations.
Trust me: within three years, you will have absorbed 60–70% of their ability. At that level, you’re ready to take over their position and begin your own next phase of growth — and the search for your next model to emulate.
Of course, all of this describes a rather ideal scenario — because it requires a phase of noble benefactor (贵人, Gui Ren) luck in your destiny to have the chance to observe such figures up close.
Otherwise, you’ll have to spend a bit more mental energy creating your own opportunities to enter through that door.
3 — Fear Is the Nature of the Defeated; Courage Is the Key to the Dragon Gate
Finally, let me say something about courage — to close out today’s article.
Because the vast majority of those at the bottom share a common trait: they are “too precious about their lives for great ventures, yet too blind to opportunity when petty gains are at stake.”
Look: they cling to their insignificant little jobs, yet dare not take the plunge to fight for the opportunities within those jobs.
Look: they envy the swift, brutal harvest of the capital markets, yet dare not go all in and use leverage to capture real windfalls.
So after burning through a short “thirty-year prime,” they become ordinary people — full of stories, devoid of legend.
Now — at this point you’ll probably say: Master Chi, you’ve got bad intentions, actually telling me to use leverage. Aren’t you trying to ruin me?
Because leverage is the thing where one thought leads to heaven and another to hell. Those destroyed by it have stacked mountains of broken bones; those who mastered it were carried aloft by it.
There are no landed gentry made by farming alone. No fortunes built purely through slow accumulation.
So yes, you guessed right — I want you to see leverage clearly. I want you to fear it, yet know how to use it.
Master Chi may not have the fortune to read your destiny framework, but remember this: leverage is genuinely the one weapon that can decide everything in a single throw.
And this weapon has a price: fail, and you spend a lifetime repaying it. So in Master Chi’s view — ensure that every throw risks only one-quarter of your total net worth.
Win: your net worth doubles, everyone celebrates. Lose: it hurts, but it’s not fatal.
Whether that action constitutes “seeking wealth through danger” or “striking when the moment calls” — that depends entirely on your own ability and skill.
But this is not even the greatest risk in your life. True danger always shadows every brilliant future.
Because as you gradually step onto your proper fortune cycle (正运), you’ll realize: your life doesn’t get easier or warmer as you rise.
The higher one climbs in social tier, the more one walks on ice that could shatter at any step — and the slightest misstep means a fall from which recovery is nearly impossible.
(Unless you find a sufficiently powerful faction or a circle with formidable backing.)
If you’re afraid — if you don’t want this, if you just want a modest comfortable life and peaceful years — there is absolutely no shame in that.
A life of ease, savoring the quiet pleasures of the world — that too is a worthwhile happiness.
But if you’ve decided you want that brilliant achievement, that eminence that others cannot help but revere — then please repeat the following three times:
The carp leaps the Dragon Gate — those who succeed ride the clouds and ascend. The Dragon Gate devours the carp — those who fail die with nowhere to be buried.
Anyone who argues against these words has never truly experienced the ferocity of the world.
Master Chi speaks from lived experience: I can tell you with certainty — those who once made the rankings and have since gone silent are, almost without exception, each living in despair.
Why? When their destiny chart was read at the time, every one of them had the same pattern: “one glorious cycle, half a lifetime of barrenness.”
I still remember the case of Mr. Tang of Delong — the perfect illustration.
So before confirming whether you can obtain something, first ask yourself: do you dare to possess it?
If yes — nothing more to say. Master Chi raises a glass to you. See you at the summit.
Remember: whatever you want — go take it. By any means necessary, without fear. Every great goal, in the end, is just a dream in the distance. The path forward always begins beneath your feet.
Cast aside all hesitation. Step forward. Walk. Then see.
Master Chi has always believed: those who carve out a place in heaven and earth are never the theorists — they are the ones with courage.
Opportunity, opportunity — never let it pass. Don’t be afraid of stirring things up.
At all times, embrace the twin goddesses of “strategy” and “mastery” — they are the tools and secret methods that will tear open the cage of destiny.
To advance without hesitation, you must sacrifice ten thousand ordinary days.
Stability, stability — the “安 (peace)” is the skin, the “定 (settled)” is the bone. Gain the peace, and you will be “settled” — fixed in place — for the rest of your life.
Master Chi has never judged anyone by their net worth. You and I started from different places — so it’s perfectly natural that our final destinations may differ. If you’ve been “fixed in place,” there’s no shame in that.
Even wild animals know how to survive on instinct. As human beings, we should all know how to protect what life we have.
Courage — it’s either in you at birth, or it isn’t. Whether you have it or not: heaven decides.
With that, this article should come to a close.
But on reflection, everything said today can be roughly summarized in three things: mindset, insight, guts.
None of these can be learned from books. All are given by destiny and shaped by lived experience — so if you truly find them beyond reach, don’t lose heart. In the mountains there are always tigers and wolves; on the plains there are always cattle and sheep.
Each of us has our own fortune. May we each walk our own path in peace.
My wish for both of us: that when we reach the end of the road, we will have no regrets.