Zhou You had always pondered a question. "Why can't I get rich despite working so hard?" Doesn't hard work lead to wealth? But what about the donkey on the production team? The migrant workers in his village? Including himself—none of them got rich. So who was wrong?
Chen Weijun had come specifically to Luzhou because the documentary was about to be released. On top of that, there was the fund Zhou You had set up later, and Zhao Yun had personally invited him to be an auditor. All these matters combined made Chen Weijun admire Zhou You even more.
The *Analects* once said: In *Xue Er*: "Zi Gong asked, 'What do you think of being poor without flattery and rich without arrogance?' Confucius replied, 'It's acceptable, but not as good as being poor yet joyful and rich yet fond of propriety.'"
Among the wealthy people he had encountered so far, Zhou You was an outlier—full of sympathy for the lower class, and it was the kind of empathy that came from shared experience. Thousands of years ago, Confucius had longed for a world where everyone had dignity, where the poor didn't grovel and the rich weren't arrogant. Going a step further, he wished for the poor to find joy in their poverty and the rich to embrace propriety. Unfortunately, even in modern society, who knew if that had been achieved?
"Teacher Zhou, I'm at your school," Chen Weijun said. Because Zhou You was worried Chen might not know the way, they had arranged to meet on the university campus. Zhou You went downstairs to pick up Chen Weijun, and his first words were, "Director Chen, did you bring the footage?" "I did. Shouldn't you be asking about me first?" Chen Weijun was inwardly pleased to see Zhou You so enthusiastic about the documentary, but he couldn't help teasing him. "Come on, let's go to my place to watch it." Zhou You really hadn't seen a good documentary in a long time. In Zhou You's view, the documentary Chen had worked on was incredibly valuable, but it had been too short back then—he hadn't gotten enough of it.
Chen Weijun sat on the back of Zhou You's electric scooter. Two grown men sharing one vehicle was a bit awkward: "Teacher Zhou, this doesn't quite match your status. So low-key!" "Haha, isn't the point of having money to live comfortably? Besides, do I really care about others' opinions?" Zhou You said nonchalantly. Flaunting when you're poor is just showing off your poverty; when you're rich, it's called showing off wealth. For Zhou You, this was about being carefree and natural. "I envy you, Teacher Zhou. You're so free, unlike me, always running around." Chen Weijun couldn't help but sigh. He really hadn't expected a billionaire to spend his days holed up at school as a teacher, enjoying himself. He didn't fuss over daily life either, riding a little electric scooter—outsiders would never guess his wealth. Still, that kind of life was enviable—being able to leisurely do what you love, that's what makes a life worth living.
In less than five minutes, they arrived at the apartment complex. As they went upstairs, Zhou You said, "This place is too small to have a proper viewing room. I bought a standalone villa nearby, about 1,000 square meters. I'll set up a dedicated viewing room there, immersive style, and also a training room—I've recently gotten into kickboxing." Chen Weijun had just been thinking Zhou You was frugal, but now he felt a bit crushed, though he quickly let it go. This was the normal life of a rich person; Zhou You was just still adapting, or rather, he was so low-key that many forgot his wealth.
"How long is this version?" Zhou You asked with concern. "The theatrical release is an hour, but your version is three hours. Are you satisfied, Teacher Zhou?" Chen Weijun said with a hint of pride. "Satisfied, very satisfied!" Zhou You was genuinely pleased. Others loved food; he loved documentaries. He was endlessly curious about the world, using documentaries as a lens to glimpse into people's lives.
Zhou You started the documentary and settled onto the sofa, watching intently. It was the same familiar characters: a recruitment teacher from a private school, a poor female student who had just finished the college entrance exam, and a graduate from a third-tier college. They were all ordinary people from the bottom rung of society. In a system that valued merit, education was a reliable path out of poverty. But in modern times, could everyone succeed? As the first literate person in their family, how should they choose a university? How could they afford four years of tuition that would take years to save up? What was it like to join the 2 million fresh graduates each year as part of the "ant tribe" struggling to find work? And if the only job available was selling worthless diplomas to others, what then? "All pursuits are inferior; only studying is noble." Was that still true?
Lines of subtitles scrolled past. Zhou You turned to look at Chen Weijun: "Is it airing on any TV stations?" The writing was far too blunt. While this wasn't the full picture of education, couldn't he have filmed it more broadly? Picked more characters instead of being one-sided? Even if it was the truth, he couldn't write it like that.
Chen Weijun scratched his head awkwardly: "No, our station doesn't dare to air it. It'll be broadcast on over 70 stations worldwide, all for free." Zhou You fell silent. This documentary had been viewable when it first came out, but later it almost disappeared entirely. "Next time, at least gloss it over a bit. Don't be so direct!" Zhou You was annoyed. So many good documentaries had vanished because they were too straightforward. Just wrap it in a coat of morality!
With that, he continued watching. Three protagonists, three stories. The recruitment teacher coasting through his targets, The rural poor kid who failed the college entrance exam, The fresh graduate from an ordinary undergraduate school. All three adhered to the same value system: only through studying could you find a good job and escape poverty. The recruitment teacher exploited this mindset to spin lies and deceive, and countless ordinary, poor families fell for it. The third-tier college graduate in the documentary was a microcosm filtered through this system. Even after graduation, they remained lost, busy just scraping by for a living. They had no time to think or enjoy life.
One line from the recruitment teacher in the documentary stuck with Zhou You: "They only fool rural kids, because urban kids' parents are 'too smart' to be tricked!" "The more honest someone is, the easier they are to fool!"
Immersed in the world of the documentary, time flew by. After finishing it, Zhou You let out a long sigh, lamenting the hardships of people's lives. Ordinary people were exploited at every level, with all sorts of opportunists trying to take a cut, until there was nothing left.
"Director Chen, what about that little girl? I'll sponsor her," Zhou You said. He had once struggled to help himself but still couldn't bear to see the poor suffer. Now that he had the chance, he definitely wanted to contribute. Chen Weijun paused, unsure if he was lost in thought, feeling guilty, or overwhelmed by his own helplessness. He was just a documentary director, with no power to change things or offer much help. He silently looked at Zhou You, sensing a faint glow radiating from him—warming himself and others. "Alright, I'll get in touch," Chen Weijun agreed. Zhou You looked at Chen Weijun and said, "I'm not a saint. It's just that when I see it, it hurts a little. If I can help, I will. My ability is limited, so I can only help those I come across."