The Sealing of Fate

Lin was a young student, just entering her first day of high school in China. She had always worked hard in her studies, made good grades, and she constantly seemed to have her nose in a book.

All of the new students had been gathered for an assembly. The short, gray-headed headmaster of the school stepped up to the platform and welcomed the students, he seemed to talk for hours in his dull voice.

Just when the students were almost a sleep, a big, chipper woman took his place, and, in a mysterious voice, began to talk about the grade that would seal everyone’s fate. She talked about how it was necessary to take a ginormous exam that would either grant a seal of approval to enter college or brand a seal of manual labor if the grade requirement was missed.

This news terrified Lin! She had always made good grades and she had never missed an exam in her life but as she sat there, she began to breakout in a cold sweat as a sick feeling arose in her stomach. Just then, a beautiful foreign teacher took her place on the platform with a big smile and began to talk to the students. She encouraged them and told them that they could pass the test and they should have fun. Most students thought she was crazy because she had never taken the test.

Lin thought she was right. After three years of preparing, test day finally arrived. Lin took the test and when she received her grade, she had missed the mark by 3 points, she was branded. Instead of accepting this fate, Lin continued to keep her nose in books and eventually opened her own tech company which is ranked third in all of China.