The intern taught a top-performing class, and the parents wanted to change the homeroom teacher.

Tan Chengyue's words sparked a commotion.

This made Lu Qian feel embarrassed.

"Teacher, please take this painting," Tan Chengyue said.

He loves to draw.

When I was in elementary school, my deskmate bought a booklet called "Zhiyin Manke" and passed it around among the classmates.

When he saw the cover, he was deeply attracted by the comic.

After reading the entire book, he became very interested in drawing. He liked the technique of replicating images in his mind on paper.

So he would always draw things that interested him and also imitate some of his favorite paintings.

I studied on my own from elementary school to high school.

I was touched by what Fan Siwen said a few days ago, so I drew it.

Lu Qian thought for a moment, then accepted Tan Chengyue's painting and glanced at his panel.

Name: Tan Chengyue

Gender: Male

Age: 16

[Talents: Math (Pass), Chinese (Good), English (Average), Physics (Very Poor), Chemistry (Poor), Biology (Pass)... Imagination (Good), Drawing (Excellent)]

His talent is similar to what Lu Qian expected, and his imagination is also quite good.

However, the issue of drawing has gradually become controversial due to the rapid development of AI.

"Teacher, please accept this. Thank you."

Lu Qian patted him on the shoulder, without directly suggesting a private conversation.

If we call this out, it will definitely scare the kid.

He has always believed that teachers should not only impart knowledge, but also answer the questions in the hearts of students who only vaguely understand.

……

During the afternoon physical education class, Lu Qian found Tan Chengyue.

"Teacher, you wanted to see me?" Tan Chengyue asked curiously.

Lu Qian nodded and asked, "Chengyue, what are your plans for the future?"

Asking such a grand question right off the bat left Tan Chengyue speechless.

"Don't be nervous. After looking at your painting today, I think you have a great talent for painting, so I'd like to know if you want to pursue a career in art in the future?" Lu Qian explained.

Tan Chengyue fell silent for a while, then said with a wry smile, "Teacher, I've actually thought about this, and I'm really troubled by it. I have absolutely no idea what to do."

"I don't know if this path is right for me."

Lu Qian nodded. Confusion is a common problem for most high school students, and also for many parents from ordinary families.

It might not be apparent now, but it will all come out when it's time to choose college majors in senior year of high school.

Those who are skilled in other areas besides studying are even more confused about their future.

I want to try, but I'm afraid I won't succeed; if I don't try, I'm afraid I'll regret it.

This is similar to Feng Zhiqiang's path to becoming a professional basketball player.

Once the critical time is missed, the road is practically cut off.

Those students who only know how to study are actually better.

"Chengyue, do you like to draw?"

"I really like it. I've loved drawing comics since I was a child!" Tan Chengyue answered firmly.

Lu Qian nodded slightly. "What do your parents think about your decision to pursue an artistic career?"

Tan Chengyue shook his head. "I haven't told my parents, but they probably won't object. I often show my mom my drawings, and she even says they're better than the originals."

He said this with a hint of pride in his voice.

Lu Qian was somewhat surprised. What enlightened parents! This was an unparalleled positive boost for a student who wanted to pursue art.

For some parents, the only thing students should do is study! Good grades are the only right path!

Thankfully, Feng Zhiqiang wasn't there, otherwise he probably would have cried with envy.

"Are you worried about AI?" Lu Qian asked after a moment's thought.

Tan Chengyue nodded and sighed, "Yes, AI is developing very fast now. I tried feeding an AI to draw, and it drew really well."

It does require some time to develop and some revisions, but for hand-drawn art, that time is negligible.

"AI is what it is now. I can't believe it will develop into something like this in a few years."

"It's hard to say whether most artists can even make a living."

"You've done your homework very well," Lu Qian exclaimed.

"Absolutely. Back in junior high, I used to draw some four-panel comics, but now I can just have AI draw whatever I want."

"And my former like-minded classmates have also given up one after another."

"They even suggested that I try my hand at creating derivative works."

"I'm thinking of just treating it as a hobby, and focusing on studying hard to get into a good university..."

Tan Chengyue said a lot, and it was clear that he had been holding it in for a long time.

"Phew, Professor Lu, thank you. That was much more satisfying to talk about. This is the first time I've ever discussed this much with someone."

Lu Qian smiled. "You're welcome. Your concerns are the same as the reason I came to see you."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "You are a very smart child, you can clearly distinguish between the present and the future."

"What you said at the end: getting into a good university and treating painting as a hobby is actually a viable path. It's just that this path is more stable, but also relatively more mediocre."

Tan Chengyue nodded, indicating that he was listening.

"Teacher, can I ask you what you were thinking when you first came into contact with comics?" Lu Qian suddenly asked.

Tan Chengyue paused for a moment, then squinted as he thought.

His thoughts immediately returned to elementary school.

He remembers it very clearly.

That day, he was listening to a lecture, and his deskmate was reading "Zhiyin Manke". He glanced at it and saw that the page was a comic called "Stealing the Stars in September".

After he borrowed it and finished reading it, he thought the comic was really good...

"This comic is so good... I wish I could draw it too," Tan Chengyue said.

"Then why not give it a try?" Lu Qian said softly. "The art exam isn't as scary as you think, but it is indeed more tiring because the art exam now places more emphasis on academic subjects."

"If you like it and want to draw, then give it a try. You don't want to find yourself one day sitting at your desk doing the same repetitive work every day, and suddenly thinking: 'If I had taken the art exam back then, would the outcome have been different?'"

"And when you take the art exam, you might think in the future, 'If I had taken the regular college entrance exam, would the outcome have been better?'"

Lu Qian spoke very slowly, pronouncing each word clearly.

"At some point in the future, you may regret the choices you make today, but at least in this moment, you have no regrets, and you have dreams. Don't pay the price for the future, because you live in the present."

"If your future self regrets it, don't blame your present self, because it was truly brave of you to make this decision!"

Tan Chengyue stared blankly at Lu Qian, then suddenly pulled out his phone.

"Teacher, you're so eloquent! I want to write these words down. Could you repeat them?"

"Oh, I didn't use my phone in class, could you please not confiscate it?"

Lu Qian looked at Tan Chengyue, tilted his head slightly, and a question mark appeared on his forehead.

.

.