Chapter 18 Self-Awareness

In the virtual world, in Pang Ze's personal space.

"Let me see your analysis and judgment of Fang Yu's files first." Pang Ze looked at his son's answers, flipped through a few pages, shook his head slightly, and looked up at his son, "You think Fang Yu has limited prospects and can't even make it into the top ten of Xia country's experts?"

"Yes."

Pang Yun nodded, "Dad, you had me receive an eighth-order inheritance. The inheritance clearly stated that the more advanced you become, the more important the mental aspect becomes. Fang Yu has been a favored son of heaven since he was a child, smooth sailing, and hasn't encountered much setback. It will be very difficult for him to grow in terms of mental will... For example, it took him a long time to break through from the third to the fourth order. I think it will be a hundred or a thousand times more difficult for him to break through to the fifth order. In Xia country, does he want to rank in the top ten? I don't think there's any hope."

"I'll give you a zero." Pang Ze shook his head.

Pang Yun stared, "Zero?"

For the answer to Cheng Zihao's file, his father had at least given him 50 points, although it was still a failing grade.

But the answer to Fang Yu's file was 0 points.

"What you wrote is eloquent, and some of the reasoning is correct, but the result is wrong." Pang Ze said, "If the result is wrong, it's naturally 0 points."

"Where am I wrong?" Pang Yun asked.

"Let's talk about Cheng Zihao first."

Pang Ze waved his hand, and a simple video introduction of Cheng Zihao appeared next to him.

"Cheng Zihao is a member of the Cheng family. The Cheng family once controlled the Tiger Shark Group, and the family once possessed hundreds of billions of wealth." Pang Ze said, "Cheng Zihao has attended prestigious schools since he was a child. Even if his grades are very average, he can still get into the best universities."

Pang Yun nodded, listening.

"But getting into a good school doesn't mean you're a good student." Pang Ze shook his head. "If the academic level of a genius college graduate is set at 10, then the academic level of a genius high school student is probably 5, and the academic level of a genius junior high school student is probably 3!"

"And Cheng Zihao's academic level, to put it nicely, can only be considered 2 or 1."

Pang Ze said, "An academic level of 1-2 can represent his level of intelligence."

Pang Yun nodded slightly, "Genius high school students are all perverted, genius college graduates... they can all reach the level of world-class experts, right?"

"Yes." Pang Ze nodded. "The difference in intelligence between people is very large. Genius college graduates are indeed comparable to some top experts, so the academic level is 10. Compared with an academic level of 10, Cheng Zihao is as stupid as a pig."

"People have to know themselves." Pang Ze said, "You have to understand your own level of intelligence, how much ability you have, and do as much as you can."

"Of course, after entering society, people can also learn from society, but it's obvious..." Pang Ze pointed to the video, "After entering society, with all kinds of scandalous news, he didn't learn anything in society, nor did he become excellent."

"On the contrary, he offended many people in society." Pang Ze said, "He relied on the power of the Cheng family, the power of the Tiger Shark Group, didn't care at all, and offended people at will."

Pang Yun nodded slightly.

"What is society?"

Pang Ze looked at his son, "Society is made up of people. And many of the people he offended before are all figures with enough energy. Offending one is nothing, but offending too many... these energies add up, which is actually very dangerous."

"The ancients said, 'Those who gain the Dao receive much help, while those who lose the Dao receive little help!'"

"The ancients knew that they should 'receive much help', but he offended people at will, which belongs to 'those who lose the Dao'." Pang Ze said, "Furthermore, with the arrival of the virtual world, the Cheng family is finished, but his live broadcast company happens to be at the forefront and begins to soar."

"At this time, he massively invests, and in order to raise more funds, he would rather sign a large number of gambling agreements, and even some joint liability clauses." Pang Ze said, "He simply didn't realize what would happen if the gambling agreement failed, and could he really bear the joint liability?"

"He didn't consider the risks, he only thought about higher valuations and more financing." Pang Ze said, "But in fact, his academic level is only 1-2, and he has offended many people, so he has been somewhat blocked in the process of running his business."

Pang Yun listened.

"He only knows how to burn money foolishly, but he can't even figure out the accounts." Pang Ze said, "How long can the cash flow last? Can it form a positive cycle? He doesn't understand any of it, he only knows how to make the plate bigger."

"When the competition gets a little fierce, he can't handle it."

"Once the industry declines, he will collapse immediately."

Pang Ze shook his head, "It is said that the survivor is king! Only companies that can survive in a cruel and harsh environment are truly well-managed companies. And as soon as the virtual world live broadcast industry declines slightly, he is finished."

"All the way down, he is just a playboy without self-awareness, ruining himself." Pang Ze looked at his son.

"Self-awareness?" Pang Yun was thoughtful, "Dad, what is my academic level?"

"A genius high school student is 5, you are considered 4 now." Pang Ze smiled slightly, he had been cultivating his son with all his heart since he was a child, and his son was indeed very good.

"But in this society, the intelligence level of top experts can generally reach 8-10." Pang Ze said, "Competing with such a group of top experts, do you think you can win? There are many things you need to learn."

Pang Yun nodded.

"Actually, no matter what you do, you have to understand what is wrong." Pang Ze said, "What are the reasons for a person's bankruptcy? Gambling, drugs, huge personal debts, bad gambling conditions, joint liability, guarantees... Cheng Zihao has committed many reasons that may lead to bankruptcy. In fact, as long as he avoids these pitfalls, and the company happens to be at the forefront, he can make a lot of money."

"Even if a person's intelligence level is a little worse, if he has self-awareness and doesn't do anything dangerous, he can naturally safely survive the risks." Pang Ze said.

"But the company has to develop, and it has to be financed." Pang Yun said.

"Remember."

Pang Ze looked at his son, "People without ability, borrowing money, will only harm themselves."

"People with ability, without borrowing money, can still thrive."

Pang Yun listened thoughtfully.

"There are also ways to finance, without gambling, without joint liability. Let investors and themselves share the profits and losses." Pang Ze said, "Although the valuation may be lower, individuals don't have to bear the risk."

"If the company grows, investors can also make a lot of money. If the company loses money, the investor's losses are borne by themselves."

"Remember..."

Pang Ze said, "A wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall! Don't let yourself fall into a '困境' (kunjing, predicament). Cheng Zihao is putting layer upon layer of ropes on himself, and he will be finished as soon as any one of the ropes tightens."

Pang Yun nodded slightly.

"Tell me, what did you understand?" Pang Ze asked.

"I understand that the first thing is to position oneself, understand one's own level of intelligence, and have self-awareness. Second, without ability, borrowing money is harming oneself. With ability, you don't need to borrow money. Even if you finance, you must let investors bear the responsibility themselves. Third, don't let yourself fall into a predicament." Pang Yun said immediately.

"Your understanding can only give you 50 points." Pang Ze shook his head slightly, "Go back and think about it carefully, don't look at the surface of everything, look at the essence."

"Just like doing sets in mathematics, excluding the wrong sets, the remaining sets are 'not wrong'." Pang Ze said, "I just said that the reasons for a person's bankruptcy are to collect all the wrong sets. Exclude these... and the rest, you won't go bankrupt."

"And similar set concepts can be extended."

"What are the possibilities for a person's failure? Excluding these, what are the possibilities for not failing?"

"What are the possibilities for a person's low level of intelligence? Excluding these, have you found a way to improve your level of intelligence?"

Pang Ze looked at his son, "For one thing, you have to look at the essence, and you have to understand the most essential way of thinking."

Pang Yun's eyes lit up, and he immediately made inferences about many things, "What are the reasons for slow progress in martial arts, sort out a set of failures. After excluding them... it may be a set leading to success."

"Let's talk about Fang Yu." Pang Ze pointed to the side, and a video of Fang Yu's growth appeared next to him, "You think Fang Yu can't become the top ten in Xia country?"

"I think his mental will is weak and he has suffered too few setbacks." Pang Yun said.

"Haha..."

"But he has also entered the fourth order, and he is even more remarkable in the current limit of the fourth order." Pang Ze smiled, "What do you think is the reason?"

"Just a temporary advantage." Pang Yun said.

"Son, what do you think is mental consciousness?" Pang Ze looked at his son.

Pang Yun was slightly stunned, "In the inheritance I received, there are methods to assist brain evolution, there is visualization, there is tempering of mental will, and there is also reading and practice."

"These are all common." Pang Ze said, "Reading and practice are the core that really determines how far you can go! Foolishly tempering your mental will is of limited use. You must have extraordinary wisdom, the wisdom to see through the operation of all things, and even practice to perceive and sense, and your mental consciousness will become stronger."

"And Fang Yu!"

Pang Ze pointed to the video, "Didn't you find out from his growth process? He has a very big advantage."

"Advantage?" Pang Yun wondered.

"Good at learning!" Pang Ze said solemnly, "Since he was a child, he was taught by his father and other elders, he can study with concentration, and his achievements are even higher than those of his father and other elders. The student surpasses the teacher!"

"He knows how to learn from experts, absorb the advantages of experts, and integrate them into himself." Pang Ze said, "Xu Jingming is his opponent, but he doesn't have proud and stubborn thoughts, he can learn from Xu Jingming, and even break through to the fourth order because of it."

"He even publicly said that he learned Xu Jingming's Nine Martial Arts Lessons, thereby breaking through." Pang Ze said, "If he cared too much about face, even if he gained something from Xu Jingming's courses, he wouldn't say it publicly! But he said it publicly, willingly lowering his status, as if he regarded Xu Jingming as a teacher."

"Good at learning, devoutly learning from one strong person after another." Pang Ze said, "As he comes into contact with more and more strong people, he will continue to absorb nutrients and continue to grow."

"The entire Xia country... I am most optimistic about Xu Jingming! Secondly, it is this Fang Yu who seems to have not experienced many setbacks, but is good at learning and also devoutly learning." Pang Ze said.

"Dad, are you so optimistic about Fang Yu?" Pang Yun couldn't believe it, "What about Liu Hai? Is Fang Yu's potential greater than Liu Hai's?"

"Liu Hai is compatible with all schools, and his life is integrated into martial arts, so his potential is indeed extraordinary. But he has set a limit for himself!" Pang Ze said, "The limit of Taiji! This limit is very big. But the universe is even more vast! The limit of Taiji will allow him to better absorb external nourishment and grow rapidly. But it will ultimately limit his growth."

"Don't limit yourself!"

"Don't limit martial arts either." Pang Ze looked at his son, "Okay, go back and think about it."

"Yes."

Pang Yun nodded, he now had too many thoughts in his mind, and then left.

Pang Ze watched his son leave, and sighed softly, "When I talk about others, am I not talking about myself? My academic level is indeed the highest on Blue Star, reaching level 56! But I also have to have self-awareness... have self-awareness, know what should be done and what should not be done. I wouldn't have taken such a big tumble this time."

"There are countless talents in the universe." Pang Ze then clicked lightly, "Connect to the virtual world network."

Whoosh—

The scene in front of Pang Ze changed.

"Welcome to you, cosmic citizen Pang Ze." A gentle voice sounded in his ear.