The Painting Club occupied an independent office upstairs.
Luo Wei, the club president, hadn't visited in a while due to a packed schedule. However, upon her arrival today, she found herself accosted by a few students.
"Charging for lessons?"
Luo Wei raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Who's behind this?"
The students, brimming with righteous indignation, stepped forward. "Zhong Yu, Li Jia, Zhao Yanhao, and others often attend Lin Yuan's paid sketching classes, tarnishing the club's reputation."
"For how long?"
"It's been ten days."
Luo Wei pondered for a moment. "Ah, I see..."
The complainants were taken aback. The president wasn't angry? One of them pressed, "See what?"
Luo Wei glanced at the speaker, tapping her finger lightly on the table. "No wonder Zhong Yu and Li Jia's sketching skills have improved so rapidly lately."
"What?"
"They're in my class, you know. In yesterday's sketch test, Zhong Yu ranked fourth, and Li Jia fifth. They weren't that good before, so I was curious about their sudden improvement. Turns out, they've been taking private lessons at the club. Our tutor's skill level is surprisingly high." Luo Wei explained.
"What?"
The complainants were stunned.
Just then, Vice President Shen Liang entered the room.
Luo Wei smiled at him. "Perfect timing. I heard we've got someone offering paid sketching classes at the club?"
"Yes."
Shen Liang glanced at the complainants. "This doesn't violate any club regulations. Besides, I've conducted some research. Students who've taken Lin Yuan's classes have shown rapid improvement. They're investing in self-improvement, and the results speak for themselves."
"I see. You all can go."
Luo Wei waved off the complainants. "Focusing on your art might help your skills. A master sketcher of Lin Yuan's caliber wouldn't teach for money unless he's confident in his students' potential. Do you think Zhong Yu and the others are less intelligent than you? They're savvy enough to recognize a valuable opportunity when they see one."
The complainants exchanged glances before leaving, chastened.
Watching them go, Luo Wei mused, "Seems like he's truly a master. After boosting their skills so significantly in such a short time, I'll have to meet him after my makeup exam."
"It's incredible. I doubt anyone in our club has a higher sketching level than him."
Shen Liang nodded in agreement. "Initially, I thought charging for lessons wasn't right. But seeing how quickly the students improved under his tutelage, I realized they're not paying for nothing. It's about valuing the opportunity. But President, you've missed classes so often, will you be demoted? Will I have to call you 'schoolgirl' from now on?"
"Cut it out."
Luo Wei rolled her eyes.
With the complaints resolved, news of the drastic improvements in sketching skills spread among those who had studied with Lin Yuan.
Zhong Yu proudly flaunted his sketching transcripts, boasting about his progress in the club. He even declared boldly, "I'm the Great God's number one disciple!"
All the controversy surrounding paid lessons dissipated, and Lin Yuan became a sought-after figure in the club. Many members clamored to enroll in his classes.
No one was foolish enough to ignore Zhong Yu and the others' rapid improvement.
Moreover, even if they were fools, witnessing Zhong Yu and the others' progress was proof of Lin Yuan's teaching prowess.
Lin Yuan understood this truth.
Despite the growing demand for his classes and the frenzy among students to enroll, Lin Yuan stuck to his one-on-one teaching strategy.
He would teach only one student per day, focusing on targeted improvement.
To deter excessive demand, Lin Yuan made some adjustments:
He raised his prices!
Previously two hundred yuan per hour, Lin Yuan's one-on-one teaching now cost five hundred yuan per hour.
With few affluent students, the sudden increase in price caused many to think twice.
Yet Lin Yuan still had no shortage of students.
Even at five hundred yuan per hour, many were willing to pay.
In addition to one-on-one teaching, Lin Yuan held open painting sessions once a day, much to the delight of club members.
"This is an open class," they marveled. "The Great God still cares for us poor students."
"Yes, just watching him paint teaches us so much."
"I heard some accused the Great God of profiteering before. But he's so generous. Thankfully, the president didn't reprimand him."
Although Lin Yuan hadn't been in the club long, he had already garnered a certain reputation. During his public painting sessions, club members often treated him to milk tea, coffee, and snacks.
Lin Yuan was pleased.
He noticed that each public painting session boosted his reputation to some extent.
This steady progress toward completing his task was gratifying.
With such positive feedback, Lin Yuan was confident he would reach the one thousand prestige mark required by the system.
"All set."
After today's public painting session, Lin Yuan bid farewell to the admiring club members. It was time to head home and rest.
The end of the month was near.
Lin Yuan hadn't forgotten about the tribal literature essay contest. Tonight, he planned to submit the short story he'd completed.
Whether it would win first place was uncertain.
But Lin Yuan was confident he'd make it to the top three.
With that in mind, he returned home and submitted his novel through the contact provided by tribal literature.
Meanwhile, Wei Long, one of the editors-in-chief at tribal literature, received a notification in his inbox.
"Chu Kuang's draft?"
Curious, Wei Long opened the document. A hint of excitement crossed his face as he read the story titled "The Death of a Junior Official."