Chapter 166: A Simple Explanation of "Fate and Luck"
Lao Xiao called to say he was visiting with Chairman Chen Yousheng. I chose to host him at home, as Xiao Lin had prepared a private room for me on the balcony.
The so-called elegant seats are just a canopy with a square table, hanging basket and wooden sofa underneath, where several people can chat and drink tea on the balcony.
After many ups and downs, I think Brother Shi is my closest friend in Wuxiang. I didn’t invite anyone else, but only Brother Shi and my brother-in-law to accompany me as guests.
At 10 am on September 28, my brother-in-law, Brother Shi, and I stood downstairs to welcome Mr. Chen and Lao Xiao.
A moment later, a Bentley sped in. It was Lao Xiao who was driving. He parked the car and strode over with a man in his fifties.
The three of us went to meet them.
Lao Xiao introduced Mr. Chen as "Teacher Wan."
Chen Yousheng stood there, looking me up and down: "I didn't expect you to be so young, Master. Let's hug."
We hugged each other symbolically, and then introduced my brother-in-law and Brother Shi to Mr. Chen. My brother-in-law said, "Mr. Chen, Mr. Xiao, you've seen all kinds of hotels, so we'll have a banquet at home. Please come this way."
Chen Yousheng smiled and said, "Eating at home is the highest etiquette."
After entering the living room, I introduced my father and mother to Mr. Chen. Chen Yousheng shook my father's hand and said, "Hello, old man. You are so radiant and healthy. You are blessed, so blessed."
After that, he shook my mother's hand again and said, "Lao Xiao introduced it to me. If you have guests, you can fry a chicken. I am here to enjoy the feast today."
My mother said with a smile: "My dear guest, you really have a lucky face. Look at your ears, they are so big and your earlobes are so thick. You must be a wealthy person."
Everyone laughed.
At this time, I introduced Yifan who was standing aside, and Mr. Chen shook hands with Yifan.
I said, "Upstairs, please." Yifan took the lead and led the guests to the double-story balcony to sit. Fruit was already laid on the table, and Yifan brought steaming hot tea.
Mr. Chen, who has seen a lot of things, said, "Old Xiao has introduced me to the master many times. I've heard of his great name for a long time and have wanted to visit him for a long time. I originally planned to come in July, but I also attended a CEO class and read two books. I only had some time until today. We have been connected for a long time, and today I finally got the chance. Old Xiao said you are young, and I didn't expect you to be even younger than I thought."
I know that big bosses like Mr. Chen, nine out of ten, like to make friends with people in our industry. He makes friends everywhere and has connections everywhere. He must have met many great people. He smiled and said, "Old Xiao loves his hometown, and he loves the people and things in Wu Township. Naturally, he will magnify the people and things in Wu Township tenfold."
Everyone laughed.
Lao Xiao said: "I am from Wu Township. I may not necessarily love Wu, but I do love the red mountains."
There was another burst of laughter.
Mr. Chen said, "I have a few businesses under my name. I started working on them alone, and gradually I built a foundation. Later, I called in relatives and friends to help me grow a little bit. But the more I worked, the more I felt overwhelmed, so I started attending various training courses.
Lao Xiao told me to find a consultant for me who would be no worse than the teachers in this or that class. So, I came all the way here to ask you to be a cultural consultant for our group.
I smiled and said, "To be honest, Mr. Chen, I've been staying in this small place for a long time. I'm afraid I'm not capable enough to run a company as big as yours."
"Don't be modest. I'm sincere. I don't have any ambitions to break into the Fortune 500. I just want to have a few good friends, drink some tea, and chat about the past and the present. When you get there, please come visit me when you're free. Usually, we can just drink tea and chat like we did today."
I thought that this was not his sole meaning, and that capitalists would not keep idlers, so I said, "Let me think about it."
Mr. Chen is indeed a man who can accomplish great things. He smiled and said, "Okay, Lao Xiao and you can discuss the details slowly."
The topic shifted, and everyone started chatting about all sorts of things. Mr. Chen mentioned how, while studying in Beijing, a friend took him to see a fortune teller who accurately predicted past events. The future, however, remained unverified.
Shi Ge interjected, "Brother Shanhong also has a sharp tongue."
Mr. Chen smiled and said, "Then could you please ask Mr. Wan to calculate it for me as well?"
I shook my head and said with a smile, "Mr. Chen, fortune-telling is a procedural thing. Do people have destiny? This thing is complicated to discuss."
Mr. Chen became interested and said, "Teacher Wan, could you please tell me more about it?"
I said, “That’s fine.”
Everyone listened attentively.
"We call it destiny. What's innate is called fate, and what's acquired is called luck. For example, Mr. Chen, you drive a Bentley, while others drive a Magotan. This is fate, because the materials of the Bentley are better than those of the Magotan. In other words, your fate is better than theirs, and your innate conditions surpass theirs.
Now let’s talk about luck. Luck refers to opportunities, times, environment, etc.
For example: Mr. Chen, you drive a Bentley, you have good luck, but you are unlucky, which is like driving a Bentley on a bumpy country road while others are driving a Passat on the highway. This is called luck.
You have good fortune but bad luck. A Bentley can't outrun a Magotan. This is why so many people born on the same day, month, and year can have such different destinies.
Of course, if you're lucky and have been driving on a bumpy road, then you find the highway entrance and the Magotan can't outrun you. This is why some people suddenly become rich and take off."
When everyone heard my simple analogy, they suddenly understood.
Mr. Chen said, "According to Teacher Wan, a good fate is the foundation, but good luck is also necessary."
I smiled and said, "Your understanding is correct. For example, I had a good chance of going to university, but I was born weak in English and math, so I couldn't get in. That's called bad luck. But I was lucky enough to meet Master Hongyi, and I'm more comfortable than my classmates. I don't have to worry about being fired by my boss every day."
Everyone laughed. Lao Xiao said, "I earn more than them."
Only then did I directly respond to Mr. Chen's question, saying, "That expert calculated your fate and said you have a good life. You're now attending a CEO training class. You weren't given the title of CEO by anyone; you earned it through your own hard work. He looked at your fate and calculated that you spent the first half of your life traveling on bumpy country roads. Now, you're on the highway, traveling at a rapid pace. You were destined to lose your grandfather at the age of three and your mother at the age of seven. With both of your grandparents gone, you'll have to live a life away from home. If he gets a few key points right, you'll be willing to give him a lot of money."
Mr. Chen nearly fell out of his seat as he leaned closer to me, his butt barely touching the edge. He adjusted his posture and nodded, "Teacher Wan is truly a master. He explains fate and destiny in such a simple and understandable way. It's truly insightful."
Shi Ge said, "This is the first time I've heard you say that. My classmate is the director, and I'm the teacher. We were born on the same day, month, and year. Now that you've said that, I understand."
I said to Yifan, "Bring a few bottles of champagne."
Yifan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly understood. He brought a few cups and placed them on the table, then brought a few bottles of mineral water. Everyone was puzzled. I handed the mineral water to Lao Xiao and said, "Mr. Xiao, you pour it."
Lao Xiao hesitated, tried to unscrew the bottle cap, and asked, "You haven't touched this yet?"
"Twist it, give it a little force, and it'll open."
Everyone guessed about 70% of the answer, and when Lao Xiao poured it, they picked up the cup and drank. Everyone was dumbfounded. Even my brother-in-law didn't know I had such a skill.
Mr. Chen took a sip, then another sip, and then drank it all in one gulp.
After Lao Xiao finished drinking, he asked, "Did you conjure this?"
“Originally I bought champagne, put it back in, and screwed the lid back on.
Everyone laughed, and Lao Xiao pointed at me and said, "Master Shanhong, you are making fun of me too."
At this time, Yifan said something to Brother Shi, and Brother Shi stood up and said, "I'll go downstairs to help in the kitchen, you guys chat."
I introduced him, "Brother Shi has excellent cooking skills. If he had chosen not to teach but to become a chef, he would definitely be a top-notch chef in China. This is called having good luck but bad timing."
Mr. Chen said, "That makes sense. If you are good at cooking, come and be my food consultant."
I thought to myself, this is exactly what I was expecting. If I could promote Brother Shi's braised dishes through Mr. Chen's platform, he would really only need consultants, and his business would definitely be booming.
The atmosphere became much more relaxed. Just as Master Chen said, if you learn this art, you can make a lot of friends. Around twelve o'clock, Yifan came up and said, "Everyone, please have dinner on the first floor."
I criticized Yifan: "You can't say you're having a meal. If you want to say you're dining, Mr. Chen and Mr. Xiao are both honored guests."
Yifan said, "Please invite Mr. Chen and Mr. Xiao to have dinner on the first floor."
Everyone laughed.
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