While the parents were busy with their own stalls, Tan You led the students in selling small desserts. Compared to the other savory snacks, these sweet treats were far more appealing to the girls. Especially after Tan You mentioned they were low-sugar, the food cart saw a never-ending stream of customers.

In the end, their dessert cart was the first to close up for the day. The six students didn’t remain idle, either; they went to help their parents. Among them, Jin Li and Zheng Xue were the most excited. After all, hadn’t Tan You bought two sets of red bean pancake makers for them?

Their two families each received one, which was perfectly fair. ’As for the food street itself, it only has so much capacity,’ she thought. ’I guess some people will have to find other places to set up stalls. But there’s nothing wrong with running a food truck and moving around. It’s more flexible and mobile, as long as they can handle the hard work.’

She had already shown them the way. Tan You wasn’t going to hold their hands forever. After all, they were all adults; they had to be responsible for their own lives.

Everyone was smiling as they left the food street. Driving the food truck, Tan You glanced at the two girls sitting beside her, then at the four boys on their bikes off to the side, chasing each other back and forth like playful puppies. The sight brought an involuntary smile to her eyes.

Back at Tan You’s house, it was time for the customary money-counting session. The difference this time was that the parents were counting their own earnings, while the students counted the profits from Tan You’s little dessert cart.

After a long while, Zheng Xue finally spoke up. "Teacher, this is so much money! It’s over a million."

Tan You raised an eyebrow slightly. "Oh, really? From now on, you can do this on the weekends. It’s good for students to have some spending money. Just deduct the costs, and you can split the profits among yourselves."

Song Yuan didn’t stand on ceremony. "Thank you, Teacher. We’ll work hard. The more I earn, the easier things will be for my parents."

The other students nodded in agreement. They all came from low-income families, so they knew how hard it was for their parents to make money and were especially understanding.

Song Yuan’s father was more eloquent. He bowed to Tan You. "Thank you, Teacher Xu. We truly don’t know how to thank you. You not only guide them to grow into capable adults, but now you’re helping us like this..."

Tan You thought for a moment. "I’m a teacher. If they have the drive and are willing to work hard, I’ll naturally lend them a hand. But if they’re not motivated and expect me to be there to push them along, that won’t work. My goodwill isn’t that cheap."

"As for all of you, this is just a small thing. Ultimately, all I did was give you an idea. What happens from now on depends on your own hard work; it won’t have much to do with me."

"Besides, I enjoy my current role as a teacher. It has its limitations, but making money isn’t that important to me." Tan You shrugged. "There are many things in this world more important than money."

Song Yuan’s father thought for a long time before replying, "That’s true. But for us, making money is the most important thing."

"I know. That’s why I never tell other people not to focus on money; I only hold myself to that standard," Tan You said with a smile. "It’s getting late, so I won’t keep you any longer."

She then looked at the students. "Be here at eight o’clock sharp tomorrow morning. Don’t be late."

"Don’t worry, Teacher, we’ll definitely be on time!"

"Goodbye, Teacher!"

"We’ll miss you, Teacher!"

The small snack businesses were handed over to the students’ families. As their families began to earn money, and with a fixed schedule of running the stall three days a week, the students also started saving up a little. As a result, their once-confused hearts gradually found a sense of stability.

They became more focused on their studies, and their grades naturally skyrocketed. But Tan You could also tell something was wrong. With Jin Li, for instance. She had been very conflicted lately.

"If something’s wrong, just tell Teacher. She’s so capable, I’m sure she can give you good advice."

"Exactly! Do you really think the entertainment industry is some easy place to make it?"

"We don’t have any power or connections..."

On Saturday, as Tan You came out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of pork rib soup, she saw the students sitting together with worried expressions. Jin Li, in the middle of the group, looked conflicted and hesitant, but there was also a hint of yearning in her eyes.

Tan You, of course, knew what had happened. She simply placed the pork rib soup on the table. "Let’s eat first. Whatever it is, we can talk about it after lunch."

Zheng Xue was the most perceptive of the group. She stared at Tan You. "Teacher, do you know what we’re going through?"

"Not you. Jin Li," Tan You said with a small smile. "You’re my students. I know exactly what you do, who you see, and what you say on a daily basis."

"Even if Jin Li hadn’t asked me today, I was going to talk to you anyway. Let’s eat first. It’s a complicated situation, and it will take a while to explain."

Realizing that Tan You already knew what she was dealing with, Jin Li’s expression immediately brightened. She trotted over to Tan You. "Teacher, I’ll do whatever you say. I know you would never do anything to harm me."

Tan You let out a soft chuckle. "Alright. In a little while, I’ll let you see for yourselves that it’s not so easy to make it in that circle."

Her words piqued the interest of the other five students. During lunch, they all devoured their food, eager to finish quickly so they could hear their teacher explain just how treacherous that ’circle’ really was.

Tan You didn’t deliberately keep them in suspense. Once the students had cleared the dining table, she brought over her laptop. They watched as she typed a long string of code on the keyboard, and then a series of videos, financial records, and other files appeared on the screen.

Zheng Xue covered her eyes. "My eyes are tainted!"

The smile had vanished from Tan You’s face. "Do you think these women are doing this willingly? They’re all being coerced. With these videos in hand, the higher-ups can constantly blackmail and force them to do their bidding."

"The man who approached Jin Li—his surname is Zhao, isn’t it? He has a nickname in the industry, ’Gui Ge.’ A lot of girls are introduced to that life by him. His main job is to scout young, beautiful women for powerful conglomerates or high-level executives. If the target isn’t already in the industry, Gui Ge gets paid even more."

A shiver ran down Jin Li’s spine. "So... when he said he wanted to sign me... it was for this?"

"Of course," Tan You said, her fingers still moving across the keyboard. "The powerful elites here can practically blot out the sky with one hand. You’re just an ordinary girl. You’re pretty, but not exceptionally clever. What do you possibly have to fight them with?"

"Even if you made it into the industry, even if you met a decent boss, what talents do you have? The waters of the entertainment world run too deep. One misstep and you’ll drown."

"And look at these records. On the surface, these entertainment companies seem to be locked in a life-or-death struggle, but behind the scenes, they all have connections to each other. There’s an endless stream of dinner parties and social functions you’d have to attend. Are you sure you want to live a life with no dignity, no freedom, and no principles?"

Then, Tan You delivered the final blow. "There are quite a few artists in this industry who have committed suicide. As far as I know, three of them were brought into the business by Gui Ge."