A Complete Joke?

Master Shen's Weibo account was now managed by Gu Liming. Every so often, he posted a message asking clients to share how satisfied they were with their fortune-telling.

The response came pouring in. Lots of people liked the post and left comments below.

"Putting everything else aside, Master Shen is ridiculously accurate when it comes to fortune. I went to have him read my artistic talent, and he said I didn't have any. I'd waited half a month for an appointment, only to get that result, so honestly, I was a little annoyed. But as I was leaving, he told me, 'Your fortune is especially good today.' That night, I took my son to play the lottery scratch cards, and we won more than five thousand yuan."

"Damn it, how come I never get that kind of luck? I've put my name in the appointment box three times, and never heard back."

"Hehe, here's a tip: go at a time when fewer people are trying. Three of my friends have already managed to get appointments using this trick."

"Is it just me, or has it gotten harder to book an appointment with Master Shen lately?"

"Yeah, it's really hard. If Master Shen hadn't read my fortune before and I didn't know how good he was, I might've given up. It's just too difficult to get an appointment."

"Hehe, the person I'm most impressed by now is the owner of the photography studio next to Master Shen. They must be making a fortune!"

"Photography studio? Where? Isn't there a general store next door?"

"Keep up, people! The general store was renovated into a photography studio two weeks ago."

Master Shen's Weibo account had nearly thirty thousand followers, and plenty of them were now leaving angry comments!!!

"Downvote, downvote, downvote! I'm furious. I've been following Master Shen for almost two months and put my name in the appointment box more than ten times, but I've never gotten an appointment."

"To all you netizens who believe in Master Shen, all I can say is, 'Ha.' I followed him just so I could laugh when you finally realize you've been scammed."

"I got an appointment once, but only gave him a hundred yuan as a tip. I've kept trying to book ever since and haven't heard back. I strongly condemn this behavior. Weren't we told to tip whatever we wanted?"

The internet was abuzz. Gu Liming went through the comments one by one, noting down any genuinely useful suggestions.

Just then, a student showed up at the entrance to Heavenly Secrets Pavilion. Xu Ruifeng's article had convinced him to come, and he had managed to get an appointment.

Zou Botao stood outside Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, hesitating over whether to go in. He'd loved drawing since he was a child, but now that he had to make a real choice, he was losing his nerve. As far as he was concerned, liking to draw and having talent were two entirely different things. If he chose to become an art student, he had to have talent; otherwise, he would never make a living at it.

After reading that article on Deshun City's school forum, he decided to give it a try. Other students had complained that it was too hard to get an appointment, but he'd managed to get one on his first try.

His family had always supported his decision to study art and become an art student, but Zou Botao had been unable to make up his mind because Teacher Xu Ruifeng didn't think much of him.

Teachers were more professional than family, after all. If even his teacher said he had no talent, maybe he really didn't!!!

Zou Botao thought that since he was already there, he might as well go in and have his fortune told. Fortune-telling seemed incredibly mysterious to him; he'd never tried it before.

With Shen Qiong's persuasive patter, Zou Botao first tried throwing darts, then blushed and shouted a couple of times, and finally picked a random picture from a large book for Shen Qiong to interpret.

With a solemn expression, Shen Qiong picked up the thick picture book and pretended to study it. In truth, he had a phone tucked inside it and was using WeChat to look up Zou Botao's information.

Zou Botao looked nervous. He had no idea what his reading would reveal.

About thirty seconds later, Shen Qiong smiled and asked, "All right, I have a general idea of your artistic talent. You said you're moving from your first year of high school into your second and need to choose between the arts and sciences, right?"

"Right. I can also apply to the arts program," Zou Botao added.

Shen Qiong had deliberately left out the arts program. The reason was simple: if the client hadn't been considering it, he would likely have ignored the omission instead of bringing it up. Clearly, this student had come to have his fortune told because he wanted to become an art student.

He was a seasoned hand now. Reading People's Expressions, Language Skills, and Fortune Telling Master's Sayings were all sitting beside his bed, and he had read them so many times he knew them by heart. He could put all sorts of little tricks to use with ease.

Now that he knew exactly why the student had come, and had the information about his actual skills, the rest was easy.

He took out a piece of paper, wrote the word "art" on it, and folded it before handing it to Zou Botao. With a mysterious smile, he explained, "Inside is the answer you're looking for, as well as my interpretation of your reading. If you trust me, you can follow what it says."

Zou Botao was stunned. He hadn't even said what he wanted to ask. Could Master Shen already know?

Shen Qiong thoroughly enjoyed this kind of reaction. Smiling, he said, "You can open the note now, or wait until you get home."

Zou Botao clutched the note tightly. He was afraid it wouldn't contain the answer he wanted, so he said to Shen Qiong, "In that case, I'll wait until I get home to read it."

Shen Qiong raised a hand slightly and smiled. "Whatever you like. Either way is fine."

Zou Botao paid a hundred yuan for the reading, then spent more than an hour getting home, his heart full of anxiety.

He opened the front door and greeted his grandmother, who was watching TV in the living room, before hurrying to his room.

He stared at the folded note and took a deep breath. At last, he decided to open it.

The moment he saw the two characters inside, joy flooded his face. He cried out in shock, "Oh my god!!!"

Art!!!

Master Shen was incredible! He'd somehow known that Zou Botao had been hesitating over whether to apply to the art program...

An excited smile spread across his face. Before going to have his fortune told, he'd imagined all kinds of scenarios and wondered if Master Shen really was as amazing as people said. That's why he had deliberately avoided telling him what he was thinking. But he hadn't needed to say a word; Master Shen had already seen right through him.

Amazing!!!

Zou Botao gritted his teeth, called Teacher Xu Ruifeng, and said resolutely, "Teacher, I've made up my mind. I want to become an art student." He was decisive; he hadn't even told his family beforehand.

Although Xu Ruifeng hadn't thought much of this student, he was still delighted. It meant he might have another chance to make some extra money. He smiled and said, "Great! So you've decided, then? Have you talked it over with your family?"

"I have. I've thought about it for a long time, and Master Shen agrees that I should apply to the art program," Zou Botao said seriously.

At the mention of Master Shen, Xu Ruifeng's eyes crinkled with laughter. "That's good. Your teacher believes you can do it, too."

After hanging up, Xu Ruifeng's lips curled into a slight smile. "Just as I thought. You use encouragement and support to win your clients' trust."

In his view, Fang Yongkang had succeeded because he really did have musical talent, and Shen Qiong had simply happened to benefit from it. Shen Qiong must have encouraged and supported everyone who came to have their fortune told. That way, if a client actually succeeded, Shen Qiong could take the credit.

Hmph! What a low-level trick.

The good thing about this method was that it could win a client's trust in the short term. Only after working hard for a while—maybe half a year or even a year without making any progress—would they realize they'd been fooled by a fortune telling Master.

Xu Ruifeng was convinced he'd seen through Shen Qiong's scam, and his mood grew better by the minute. Even a professional art teacher like him didn't think this student was any good. And Shen Qiong was saying he was suited to painting?

A complete joke...