He never takes narration hints lightly.
One could say that he owes his current standing entirely to that Yunnan specialty sent by an anonymous fan.
Each hint given by the narration when he's faced with choices is actually very important.
For example, the earlier hint about Shen Yi's car catching fire, the police's tips, and so on—these all indeed changed his fate.
If not for those, he wouldn't be struggling, but he surely wouldn't be as successful as he is now.
Not to mention, merely Shen Yi's shortcut saved him at least 20 years of detours.
Of course, the shortcuts available to him back then weren't limited to just Shen Yi. There was also the landlady's shortcut, and now even Tang Nan has become one of those.
Nonetheless, it's undeniable that taking shortcuts really pays off. And, unknowingly, he himself has become a shortcut in the eyes of others, which is only natural.
