#153 As long as you find the right place (11/05/2025)

Photo: A small token of my appreciation.

The market has indeed been quiet lately. Many senior figures have told me about the past years, from 2010 to 2022, saying that business was relatively easy then (there's no such thing as a "completely easy" business in this world, otherwise everyone would be like Li Ka-shing). Now, I really don't know where people have gone, and money is no longer being spent like it used to. A mattress brand owner told me that many people attribute the current situation to spending in the north or tourists being tight-fisted—but none of that is the reason. In his view, the real problem is—the property market downturn. People are feeling uneasy because their property values ​​have dropped by 30%, so they're tightening their belts. Compared to before, when people subconsciously felt that their property values ​​were rising and making them money, they were naturally more relaxed when spending.

There is a rational theory behind the canal system.

Of course, we can't complain about why housing prices are bad or why life can't always be smooth sailing—that's just how life is. Each of us is just a small character in this world, and we can only keep going and dealing with problems along the way. Sometimes I wonder why my path is so difficult, but sometimes I'm also glad that because I've always walked a difficult path, I've gotten used to it and don't have the same gap as my predecessors—it's always been like this. This business volume and cost structure are always so hard to balance. The requirement has always been to reach this level in order to survive. There can't be insufficient ingredients or insufficient company efficiency. There can't be waste, and every decision we make can't be too wrong—if there is a mistake, we have to work hard to take the blame.

Even now, I still do the same thing.

But I'm glad I was naive and kept trying. Of course, I encountered bad people along the way, but I met far more good people. I had mentors from various backgrounds who helped me or offered advice, pointing me in the right direction. Sometimes I think those with work experience understand that some things are truly " learning alone without friends, leading to ignorance and limited knowledge ." If you try to do it alone, you'll struggle and stumble, but constantly figuring things out is fundamental, and it becomes much more difficult. Having an experienced person help you makes things much easier. Sometimes when I don't understand something or can't figure it out, having an experienced person point it out makes a big difference.

Lately, I've been doing more and more important things, and the difficulty has been increasing. I wish everyone all the best.