"Cinderella" has supported half of Disney’s empire.
Of course, all this required a huge investment. Sheng Tang now has nothing, yet she could get a return of 100,000 yuan, all thanks to borrowing Jiang Baocu’s fame.
Her article rode on Jiang Baocu’s initial fame. If she had published it herself, it wouldn’t have become so popular; moreover, it enhanced Jiang Baocu’s reputation further.
In this matter, she and Jiang Baocu both benefited.
Jiang Baocu made a phone call, and soon Sheng Tang received a message—the money had been credited.
After school that afternoon, they went to have Japanese food.
Sheng Tang called her mom and briefly explained the situation. Her parents had also seen the article circulating in their social circle and knew Sheng Tang had written it. They had even asked her about it.
"Come back early," her mother urged.
"Okay," Sheng Tang replied.
When Sheng Tang and Jiang Baocu arrived at the restaurant, there just happened to be a spot available. They sat down and ordered.
While ordering, Jiang Baocu was still looking at her phone.
Suddenly, she exclaimed.
"The editor-in-chief of Fairy Tale Valley contacted me. They want your contact information to commission an article from you," Jiang Baocu said, screaming as she spoke, drawing numerous glances.
The waiter also glanced at her.
Unfazed, Sheng Tang continued to order, her eyes focused on the menu. She casually said, "Reject them."
"What?"
Sheng Tang looked up and quietly said to Jiang Baocu, "Reject him. Don’t give him my contact information."
"Why?" Jiang Baocu was surprised. "Fairy Tale Valley is the best-selling fairy tale magazine, founded by Mr. Qiu. Getting published there, the money is secondary; the recognition is what’s important."
Sheng Tang replied, "I want to focus on my studies. I’m rejecting them for the same reason I rejected the school literature club before—I don’t want to divert my attention from studying for now."
Jiang Baocu was quite disappointed, "But, missing this chance..."
"Miss this opportunity, and there will be others. Society is constantly evolving. What seems great now might be outdated in the future," Sheng Tang said.
That made sense.
Sheng Tang continued, "In society, opportunities are elusive, but education is a stepping stone. Many opportunities require a college degree."
If you don’t study hard now and fail to get into a good university, everything else is empty talk. With a top-tier university degree, you can have first-rate, second-rate, and even low-ranking opportunities; but with a third-rate university degree, your chances will always be below third-rate."
Jiang Baocu was stunned.
She stared blankly at Sheng Tang, suddenly realizing she had completely mixed up her priorities.
She had read numerous biographies of famous people, many of whom had dropped out of university or never finished, making Jiang Baocu feel that studying wasn’t a big deal.
Especially since her grades were decent, getting into a foreign university wouldn’t be hard, and she didn’t necessarily need the best one.
She had also been intoxicated by online adulation.
Until Sheng Tang told her, the better the university, the wider and more liberating her future job options would be.
For example, why would a top company hire a graduate from a third-rate school?
If you can’t even manage this, talking about opportunities all the time is simply ridiculous.
Suddenly, Jiang Baocu reached out and tightly grabbed Sheng Tang’s hand, "You woke me up! What have I been doing these days? How could I be so foolish?"
Sheng Tang held her hand back, "On life’s journey, there are always various temptations that are hard to resist and can make one lose direction. You were just tempted by the illusion of popularity."