Today I heard a story that really hit home.

A 30-year-old man, who had good luck for 22 years, started his own cross-border e-commerce business.
In the first year, he earned over 1.3 million yuan, and in the second year, another 1.5 million.
At that time, he truly thought he had finally gotten his life on track.
But after moving to a new house at the end of 2023, his store’s business suddenly started to decline.
Now, he hasn't gone to work in almost four years, relying solely on his own efforts.
He used to think not working was very free, but now he realizes that behind freedom are all the risks.
What he fears most now isn’t hardship, but not knowing what to do next.
He wants to find a job again, but is afraid others will think he's too old,
afraid that these years of not working will become a blank, and afraid he won’t find a suitable opportunity.
Every day, his mind is filled with the worst possible outcomes, and the more he thinks, the more anxious he becomes.
Two years ago, he had a baby, and he wanted to give his wife and children a better life.
But just before the New Year, he got caught in a gold investment trap, and he doesn’t have much money left.
Recently, his account had issues again, and he almost has no income coming in.
The hardest part is that he still has to pretend everything’s fine at home.
He’s afraid to let his family see his struggles, afraid to bring pressure to his wife and kids.
On the surface, he appears normal, but inside, he’s almost at breaking point.
He says he’s not unwilling to work hard, but suddenly he doesn’t know which way to go.
Many middle-aged men’s breakdowns happen like this.
It’s not that they suddenly collapse one day.
It’s that no one sees the risks when they’re making money, and no one knows they’re close to tears when they can’t hold on anymore.