By Wang Tao
Both Xiaoliu and I ran auto repair shops. Our shops were of the same size, and the equipment we used was also the same, except that there were more kinds of repair parts in my shop. But in recent years, there arose a great difference in our businesses level: His business was flourishing day by day, and more and more people drove to his shop to get their cars repaired, so much so that some cars had to be parked in front of my shop, while my shop was rather desolate. One afternoon, when I was cleaning a car, I heard a horn blaring from afar. Then I saw a brand-new car was pulled over. To my surprise, it was Xiaoliu who was driving the car! He yelled at me smugly, “Hi, guy, look at my car! It doesn’t cost too much, just about 500,000 yuan. When will you buy one?” Seeing his smug expression, I choked with resentment. Meanwhile I was quite vexed, “We both repair cars. Why is it that his business is so flourishing that he can afford a famous car, while my shop can barely manage to stay in business?” I really couldn’t figure out why! The next day, I learned from Xiaoliu that the goods he stocked in recent years, such as spray paints, lubricants and repair parts, were not high-quality products made in authorized factories but fake and counterfeit ones. I couldn’t help but ask him, “Aren’t you afraid that you will get into trouble by selling fake goods?” He turned his nose up at my question, snorted and said, “Humph. These days, fullness for the bold and famine for the timid! Be they authentic or fake, making profit is the key.”
After I returned home, I felt more vexed in my heart, “How should I continue to run my business? Selling fake goods would make my conscience uneasy, because it might cause fatal accidents. But if I don’t sell fake goods, as the products of authorized factories charge higher prices whereas the knockoffs Xiaoliu sells are much cheaper, those customers who don’t know the fact will certainly choose the cheaper ones. If so, my shop will probably go bankrupt in the next spring….” Torn between the two choices, I thought of what Xiaoliu said, “Fullness for the bold and famine for the timid! Be they authentic or fake, making profit is the key.” Then I said to myself, “Forget it, and I’ll take the risk!”
Before long, Xiaoliu introduced me to some counterfeit sellers. What they sold were all low-grade and fake products, but the prices were really low. In order to continue my business, I betrayed my conscience and stocked many fake goods. After that, my business turned for the better gradually, and later I also made enough money to buy a famous car. However, as a matter of fact, I was not happy at all, because I felt panic in my heart and my conscience condemned me severely. Especially every time on hearing the news reported some people were killed in traffic accidents, I felt anxious and scared, wondering whether the car accident was caused by my counterfeit repair parts. Every time after I installed those fittings on my customers’ cars, I was very regretful. But when I thought of the words, “Fullness for the bold and famine for the timid! Be they authentic or fake, making profit is the key,” I once again sold counterfeit fittings. Just like that, I was lost in the society of money, living miserably, unable to find the light and direction of my life.
