This happened seventeen years ago, but it still feels vivid in my memory. Many people fall into pyramid schemes not because they have grand dreams, but because they trust their friends, and then those friends betray them.

That year, I worked in Jimo, Qingdao, in a farmer's workshop. I remember they were processing a part for Haier refrigerators. It involved simple lathe work, where they would use a lathe to re-process the mating surfaces of semi-circular, curved iron pieces stamped on a lathe, ensuring a perfect fit.

At first, because I had some pseudomyopia, my work efficiency was not as good as my other colleagues. Later, the small boss of the workshop said he would take me to get glasses. I thought it was to get glasses in a regular place, but he drove me to a market in Jimo and let me choose at a stall. I remember it was the kind that cost five or ten yuan a pair.

Once I understood it clearly, my work efficiency improved, and I quickly became an excellent lathe operator. The key to work efficiency lies in two aspects: one is the skill in sharpening lathe tools, and the other is the material of the iron and the proper placement of the lathe tools.

I worked like this for a year, during which time people from my hometown came to join me, bringing fresh energy to the workshop.

Before the end of the year, they said they would reward people based on their output in the last month. I worked very hard that month and predicted I would be number one. However, the boss was too lazy to calculate our actual output and just assumed that the output of the previous month would be used as the ranking basis. As a result, I was frustrated and ended up in second place.

The reason I was frustrated by being ranked second last month was not because I didn't work hard, but because the small workshop owner took it for granted and made us exchange our lathes, which seriously interfered with our work efficiency. In particular, he made me exchange for a faulty lathe, and then he broke my lathe.

After I switched back, I frantically increased my efficiency. However, after becoming number one, the boss's sister and brother-in-law told me to go to my room to rest, saying that I was too efficient and too tired, and then I watched helplessly as others caught up with me.

Therefore, these real-world contradictions left me feeling exhausted, and I began to consider changing jobs. However, I still managed to improve my efficiency in the last month, surpassing others by a significant margin, and I estimate my salary should be over three or four thousand.

Later at the end of the year, I told the big boss that if he settled all my accounts, I would definitely come back next year; if not, I wouldn't come.

The big boss, being the head of their household, believed me and urged me to settle the accounts. However, his wife shouted, "If you settle accounts with Old Zhao like this, he won't come next year, and I'll cut off your head!" His son, the smaller boss, also opposed his father's decision, arguing that the accounts were too messy to calculate right now.

At that moment, I felt a chill run down my spine. I am a person of my word, and I am willing to suffer losses for it.

Just then, a friend who had studied technology with me in Qingdao called again, saying that he was now working in Tianjin in logistics, delivering goods every day and easily earning around four thousand yuan a month.

I was somewhat tempted; it would earn more than what I was doing working myself to the bone, and I hated my current job even more. However, after doing some research, I discovered that delivery workers through legitimate recruitment channels didn't earn much, usually less than a thousand yuan, which made me doubt his words. But, I was utterly disappointed with this workshop in Wangjia Village, Jimo, so I decided to take the risk and give it a try anyway.

After the Spring Festival, the sister and brother-in-law of the small business owner in Jimo drove all the way to our village to pick us up. I had left for Tianjin before they arrived. Later, the head of that workshop called, but I didn't answer, or if I did, I hung up without thinking. I'd rather suffer a loss than break my promise. However, the two apprentices I had initially taken with me were indeed picked up.

Then they partnered with a young man from Pingdu to work for them, but later this small business owner had a business disagreement with his sister and brother-in-law, so his sister and brother-in-law separated. Then, under his management, the small workshop went bankrupt in less than half a year, and it is said that he and his father had a physical fight over it.

Yes, apart from someone like me who's dedicated to hard work, everyone else cuts corners. With me around, they're willing to treat me as a pillar of support and work properly. When I'm not there, they all resort to their own methods.

After I arrived in Tianjin, I called a friend who said he would come right away. However, thirty minutes passed and I still hadn't seen him. At this point, some people trying to solicit business started saying, "Young man, have you been scammed? There are a lot of pyramid schemes around here."

Just as they were arguing about whether it was a pyramid scheme, my friend finally arrived on a covered motorcycle. He picked up my luggage, got me on another open-top motorcycle, and drove off. Strangely, however, we were getting further and further away from the logistics park, and into increasingly remote areas. I asked my friend why we were heading towards the countryside.

My friend's eyes darted around a little, but he remained calm and said that they were staying in the countryside and came to the logistics park for work, and today was their day off.

I neither agreed nor disagreed, nor did I raise any questions directly. I figured I might as well make the best of it, and so I arrived at a village, then wandered around until I reached a courtyard. He knocked on the door, and heard someone inside ask, "Who is it?"

My friend said it was me.

Hearing the familiar voice, the person inside opened the courtyard gate and led me into a room. Upon entering the room, I discovered there were no beds; the floor was covered with plastic cubes, and neatly folded blankets lined the bedroom side.

At this point, I was pretty sure it was indeed a pyramid scheme operation. However, I'd never experienced anything like it before, so I figured it would be good to try it out.

My friend stayed here that night, and we all slept on the ground under our own blankets. But the next day, my friend left under the pretense of having something to do, and then I was left with a stranger.

This is all part of their tactics. The person accompanying me chose a stranger to avoid potential conflicts. He patiently guided me, then took me out for a stroll, seemingly unintentionally, but actually deliberately leading me to their classes.

I attended their classes, and the students were very enthusiastic, as were the instructors. The whole process created a harmonious and caring atmosphere. However, after attending a class, they would assess you, and then take you around to meet with supervisors or similar people to evaluate you.

Of course, before you even meet these managers, they'll craft their personal stories and success stories to make you think they're incredibly capable. The so-called assessments are just simple questions, and in the process, they're trying to lure you into their mental trap.

However, what truly touched me was that these children from the lower classes all had their own painful and unbearable pasts. They would rather stay here and hold onto their dreams of poverty than wake up from this state.