Opportunity to make money

I was walking along a dimly lit alley when suddenly somebody poke a knife at my back and whisper to me that it’s hold-up, the knife wielding man

commanded me to give to him my wallet, to avoid getting hurt, I willing gave my wallet and the man disappear in the darkness of the night.

Still trying to be at my normal senses and analyzing my reactions during those incidents, I remember one good line of Sun Tzu’s wisdoms, am not a Sun Tzu fanatic but find that some of his lines are practical and applicable to our day to day decision making.

“To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. “

After about less than one minute, to my surprise the hold-upper return and throw to me my wallet while cursing unholy words because he found out that I don’t have any money in it, shouting at me “you poor bustard, you don’t have any money!” unconsciously I shouted back “where is my five thousand pesos in this wallet!” raising the wallet with my left hand and simultaneously inserting my right hand in one of the side pocket of my jacket, I saw the hold-upper calmed down and focusing at my right hand may be wondering what I was holding inside my jacket’s pocket, I was able to figure out that he is in his late teens. At that instance, opportunity was on my side, I shouted with might and commanded the hold-upper to return my five thousand pesos then I saw he took another wallet from his pocket, most probably another victim’s wallet then he handed over to me three thousand pesos saying “sorry boss, just wait for me here, I will return the rest of the money”.

The truth was, I didn’t have any money that time, and the return of the hold-upper was my opportunity to make money.

Note: the story is fiction, do not do what the character had done; it might do more harm than good.