The Quagmire of Desire: From Gambling Addict and Village Flower to Movie Queen

When Sun Xiaoyan was pushed off the car, she was in front of a dilapidated six-story building.

The exterior wall plaster is peeling off, and several panes of glass in the windows are broken and taped back together.

A faded sign hangs at the entrance, which reads "Huihuang Industrial Co., Ltd."

The man who was picking her up gave her a push from behind and said, "Go inside."

Sun Xiaoyan staggered, and Liu Meiling supported her from the side.

The two exchanged a glance, both feeling uneasy.

But now that we're here, there's no way to escape.

Man B pushed open the iron gate and shouted inside, "They've arrived!"

The iron gate opened, and a sudden sound erupted.

"Welcome! Welcome! A warm welcome!"

Sun Xiaoyan was completely stunned.

Inside the door was a large hall where dozens of men and women sat neatly on plastic stools, clapping their hands in unison with smiles on their faces.

There was a platform in the middle, and a man in a gray suit with slicked-back hair was standing there, smiling at them.

The man gave Sun Xiaoyan a push and said, "Go inside quickly."

Sun Xiaoyan braced herself and went inside. The floor was cement, and it was fairly clean.

The men and women on both sides ranged in age from young to over forty, all dressed in ordinary clothes. Some had calluses on their hands, suggesting they came from rural areas.

The man in the gray suit stood on the podium, clapped twice, and then the applause stopped.

"Come on, everyone, let's welcome our new sister!" he said in a loud, enthusiastic voice. "Let's give her a round of applause!"

The applause started again, and a girl with a ponytail clapped enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling.

Sun Xiaoyan was bewildered by the scene and stood there, not knowing what to do.

Liu Meiling stood to the side, also looking completely bewildered.

The lecturer stepped down from the podium, walked up to the two men, and asked with a smile, "How shall we address you?"

"Liu Meiling," Liu Meiling said.

"My name is Sun Xiaoyan," Sun Xiaoyan said, bowing her head.

"Great! Great!" The lecturer clapped his hands. "Meiling, Xiaoyan, these are nice names! My name is Li Jianguo, and everyone calls me Teacher Li."

He reached out and shook hands with the two of them; his palms were warm and strong. "Come on, say hello to everyone."

Sun Xiaoyan was so nervous that her palms were sweating, and she didn't know what to say.

Liu Meiling raised her head, looked at the dozens of pairs of eyes below, and swallowed.

Teacher Li said with a smile, "It's normal to be a little nervous since it's your first time here! Come on, sit down first, and we'll chat together in a bit."

He gestured to the person next to him to bring over two plastic stools and place them in the front row.

After Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling sat down, Teacher Li returned to the podium.

"Okay, let's continue our previous topic." Teacher Li cleared her throat. "Why are you all here?"

"Make money!" a few people shouted from below.

"What's the point of making money?"

"Change your destiny!"

"That's right!" Teacher Li slammed her hand on the table. "Change your destiny! How much did you earn a month working outside before?"

Someone shouted from below, "Three thousand!" "Four thousand!" "Only five thousand after working your butt off!"

"Okay." Teacher Li nodded. "Then if I told you that you could earn 30,000 a month here, would you believe me?"

There was silence for a few seconds.

"Believe!" several people shouted.

"Speak louder!"

"letter!"

Teacher Li smiled, turned around, and wrote a few words on the blackboard: Earning 30,000 yuan a month is not a dream.

"I know what you're thinking." He put down the chalk, turned around, and looked down at the crowd. "You're thinking, is this guy a fraud?"

Some people below laughed.

"I'm telling you, no," Teacher Li said, emphasizing each word, "I'm here to help you change your destiny."

He picked up the microphone, walked offstage, and paced through the crowd: "Do you know why you can only earn three or four thousand a month? It's not because you're uneducated, it's not because you're stupid, it's because you haven't found the right direction!"

He walked up to Sun Xiaoyan and stopped. "Young lady, what did you do for a living before?"

When Sun Xiaoyan was called out, she was so nervous that she stammered, "I...I'm a farmer."

"How much can you earn a month farming?"

"Sometimes...sometimes I don't make any money," Sun Xiaoyan said.

"Okay." Teacher Li nodded. "Then tell me, would you be willing to earn 30,000 a month?"

Sun Xiaoyan opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Liu Meiling chimed in from the side, "Who wouldn't want to?"

"Good!" Teacher Li looked at Liu Meiling. "This young lady speaks well. Who wouldn't want to? Nobody would." He turned and walked back to the podium. "But why are most people still poor? Because they dare not even dream of it! They feel they only deserve to earn three or four thousand!"

His voice grew louder and louder, and the people below became excited as well.

"Let me tell you, life isn't about money, it's about mindset!" Teacher Li slammed his hand on the table. "You become like the people you surround yourself with!"

He pointed to himself: "If you stay with me, I'll tell you how to make money, and you'll be able to make money! If you stay with those paupers, you'll be paupers your whole lives!"

Someone below shouted, "Yes!"

Some people applauded.

Sun Xiaoyan felt a warmth in her heart as she listened.

She recalled her life over the years: farming, playing mahjong, losing money, being bullied, and never imagining she could earn 30,000 yuan a month.

Thirty thousand.

She glanced at Liu Meiling, who was staring at Teacher Li on the podium, something flickering in her eyes.

Teacher Li spoke for almost an hour, covering everything from success stories and wealth secrets to mindset change and life planning, speaking with great enthusiasm.

The people below applauded and shouted slogans from time to time, creating a lively atmosphere like a big party.

As Sun Xiaoyan sat there listening, she began to waver.

Maybe... this time it's for real?

Perhaps there really is a chance to change my fate?

As she was thinking, Teacher Li suddenly said, "Come on, everyone, let's welcome our new sister up and say a few words!"

The applause rang out again.

Someone grabbed Sun Xiaoyan's hand, pulled her up from the stool, and pushed her toward the podium.

Sun Xiaoyan was pushed a few steps, then looked back at Liu Meiling, who was also pushed to the other side of the stage.

Teacher Li handed the microphone to Sun Xiaoyan: "Tell me, why did you come here?"

Sun Xiaoyan held the microphone, her hands trembling.

Her mind went blank; all she could think about were the hardships she had endured over the years.

"I...I want to make money," she said, her voice trembling.

"For what reason?"

"In order to...in order to live a better life," Sun Xiaoyan said.

"Great!" Teacher Li led the applause. "Living a good life! That's so well said!"

Thunderous applause erupted from below.

Liu Meiling took the microphone, her voice trembling, but much calmer than Sun Xiaoyan: "I came here... so that I wouldn't be bullied."

"For what reason?"

"So that people won't look down on me anymore!" Liu Meiling raised her voice.

"Great!" Teacher Li clapped enthusiastically. "That's fantastic! This is the attitude we want! Not to be bullied, not to be looked down upon!"

He took the microphone and looked at the two of them: "Don't worry, in this big family, no one will bully you, no one will look down on you! From today onwards, you are one of us!"

The people below stood up in unison, clapping and cheering.

As Sun Xiaoyan stood on the podium, looking at the smiling faces below, she felt a warmth in her heart.

After finishing her presentation in the morning, Teacher Li asked someone to bring her a boxed lunch.

Each person receives a serving of stir-fried green peppers and pork, a bowl of seaweed and egg drop soup, and unlimited rice.

Sun Xiaoyan hadn't had a hot meal for several days, so she ate heartily from her bowl.

Liu Meiling was also hungry, so she ate while chatting with a girl with a ponytail next to her.

"How long have you been here?" Liu Meiling asked.

"I've been here for two months," the girl said. "I'll be almost done with my apprenticeship."

"Completed the apprenticeship?"

"Yes," the girl said in a low voice, "Teacher Li said that everyone should learn this set of sales techniques. Once you learn it, you can lead your own team and easily earn 50,000 to 60,000 a month."

Liu Meiling's eyes lit up: "Really?"

"Of course," the girl smiled. "Do I look like I'm lying to you?"

Liu Meiling didn't say anything and continued eating with her head down.

Sun Xiaoyan, who was listening nearby, was also a little tempted.

She earns fifty or sixty thousand a month; she's never earned that much money in her entire life.

After lunch, Teacher Li came over and patted the two of them on the shoulder: "I'll take you to see the boss this afternoon."

"Boss?" Liu Meiling looked up.

"Yes, it's our company's big boss. He comes every month to personally train new employees," Teacher Li smiled. "You're lucky to be here today."

Liu Meiling's eyes lit up, and she nodded.

Sun Xiaoyan nodded, feeling a little nervous yet expectant.

The two looked at each other, and for the first time, their eyes lit up.

In the corner, a woman with gray hair sat there, holding a bowl, slowly eating her rice.

She was wearing old clothes with frayed cuffs, and her hair was messy; she looked to be in her fifties.

Sun Xiaoyan glanced over unintentionally, and the woman looked up and looked at her.

That one glance made Sun Xiaoyan's heart skip a beat.

The woman's eyes no longer held the fervor of those men; instead, they held only one thing—fear.

She looked at Sun Xiaoyan, her lips moved, and she silently uttered two words.