I Became an All-round Artist

Wei Long took a deep breath and reread "The Death of a Small Official" from start to finish. After reading it for the second time, his expression became complicated, and he muttered two words:

"Brilliant."

He had completely underestimated Chu Kuang. This wasn't just a simple, humorous little story meant to amuse the reader. Beneath the lighthearted and seemingly comical tone lay something much sharper—satire!

A small, insignificant character accidentally offends a powerful figure. Even though the powerful figure expresses forgiveness, the small character is left terrified, unable to find peace. Because in such a world, a figure of authority can so easily control the fate of those below them. This is the tragedy of the powerless.

Chu Kuang didn’t explicitly describe the setting of the story, but it was obvious: the tale takes place in a time when a general could determine the life or death of a small official. The story seemed to be a critique of a time when feudal authoritarianism oppressed the lower classes...

However, that’s just a surface-level interpretation.

If you think about it, this kind of thing isn’t exclusive to the past. Isn’t it still happening today? Subordinates constantly try to guess the thoughts of their superiors, making assumptions and acting on what they believe is right. Office workers get anxious after just a stern glance from their boss, obsessing over whether they did something wrong. And if someone accidentally offends their superior, their mind becomes consumed with fear of retaliation.

It reminded Wei Long of a recent news story: A sales company manager forced employees to crawl on the floor as punishment for not meeting sales targets—degrading them in front of everyone.

Wei Long was baffled. What was even more baffling was that the employees didn’t resist; they just obeyed. It was eerily similar to how the general in the story held sway over the small official’s fate.

Some things in this world never change.

That's why so many "small officials" continue to die, metaphorically speaking. If you can figure out what your superior wants, you can gain their favor. But if you misunderstand, your future might take a drastic turn for the worse. Often, it’s the "small officials" who shackle themselves with their own submissive chains.

Why did I find this story funny? Why didn’t it feel exaggerated to me?

It’s because these situations are so common in our modern society.

Chu Kuang's insight was profound. This story wasn’t just poking fun; it was using historical critique to make a pointed comment on the present. Through just over a thousand words, he masterfully criticized societal phenomena and expressed his own thoughts. This was the art of satire!

It was shocking to think that while most of the short stories in the competition focused on entertainment or storytelling, Chu Kuang was already using his writing to convey his personal philosophies. That was what made Wei Long so deeply impressed...

But would readers appreciate this?

Wei Long wasn’t sure. After all, every reader has different standards. "The Death of a Small Official" might have the most profound message of all the submissions, but a novel’s depth isn’t its only measure of success.

“Why overthink it?” Wei Long smiled.

Whether readers get it or not, one thing was certain: "The Death of a Small Official" elevated the entire competition. Its inclusion alone raised the bar.

In the days that followed, Lin Yuan visited the art club daily. He worked on his sketches and also taught others, earning both money and reputation—a win-win situation. Each day, he made at least a thousand yuan, which added up to more than his base salary from the music composition department at Xingmang. It was practically a new pathway to wealth!

Meanwhile, more and more students were benefiting from Lin Yuan’s one-on-one guidance, significantly improving their sketching skills. The situation escalated to the point that even the professors in Qin Yi’s art department took notice.

It was hard for them not to.

Every few days, some students in the class would suddenly show a dramatic improvement in their sketching skills, like a mysterious phenomenon. After some investigation, the professors learned that a “sketching master” had recently been teaching in the art club. It turned out that the students' progress was due to this master’s excellent guidance.

When the professors discovered that this so-called master was just a second-year music composition student, they were stunned. But no one stopped it. After all, it was a good thing that the students were improving. Paying for quality teaching was a good investment, as long as there were tangible results. And with the quality of instruction Lin Yuan was providing, these students were certainly getting their money’s worth!

Some professors even recommended that students struggling with sketching go to the art club to seek out this "master" for guidance.

As a result, the number of art students applying to join the club increased. When asked why, they all said it was because they wanted to learn from this sketching master.

Vice President Zheng Liang couldn’t stop grinning. Who would have thought that having Lin Yuan in the club would have such an effect? He was practically a walking advertisement!

Lin Yuan, as always, remained indifferent, his calm demeanor unchanged.

One afternoon, after class, Lin Yuan returned to the art club. The moment he stepped in, someone had already prepared his drawing board, a chair, sharpened pencils, and even his favorite drink.

Yes, this was the treatment Lin Yuan now received at the art club.

As soon as he sat down, a crowd had already gathered. One eager girl raised her hand and said excitedly, “Master, it’s my turn today!”

“Confirmed,” said Zhong Yu, glancing at the reservation list on her phone and nodding to Lin Yuan.

With so many people wanting to learn from him, Lin Yuan couldn’t handle the demand alone. That’s why Zhong Yu, who called herself Lin Yuan’s first disciple, took it upon herself to implement an appointment system. Now, anyone who wanted a lesson from Lin Yuan had to book in advance.

Lin Yuan agreed to this. And after a week, the system was fully in place.

Still, there were far too many people trying to book time with him, and everyone had to wait their turn. That’s why the girl was so excited when her appointment finally came up. Lin Yuan's lessons were hard to come by.

After two hours, Lin Yuan finished teaching the girl.

Zhong Yu, with a smile, handed him a fresh cup of coffee. “That last cup went cold. Here’s a new one, Master.”

“Thanks,” Lin Yuan replied, taking a sip of the perfectly warm coffee.

Just then, a system prompt echoed in his mind: "A true teacher imparts knowledge, resolves doubts, and guides others. You have been continuously teaching students. You have earned the 'Mentor' achievement."

Lin Yuan froze. "What does that mean?"

The system explained: “The 'Mentor' is a special achievement unlocked when the host meets hidden criteria. From now on, any student taught by the host will have double the comprehension ability during their learning period. The more students the host teaches, the greater this comprehension boost will become!”

Lin Yuan was speechless. Was the system pushing him to become an art teacher now?

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