Stopped Supplying My Team’s Safety Gear

In my rock climbing team, I'd always been paying out of my own pocket to get my friends the best equipment to keep everyone safe.

Until a new member joined the team.

Twelve hundred for rock climbing gear? Are you robbing us, Elena?

Someone explained, Twelve hundred isn't bad, actually. This stuff goes for seven or eight thousand on the market.

"Elena owns a shop. She only charges us cost price."

Muniz continued, "Cost price? Don't make me laugh. My family owns a shop too. I know exactly how much markup there is."

"Why don't you all order from me instead? I'll give you the real cost pricetwo hundred a set."

Everyone in the group chat was tempted.

"Two hundred? That's way too big a difference."

"Let's have Muniz handle the equipment from now on."

"Elena, don't be upset, but how much have you made off us all these years under the guise of friendship?"

Made money?

All these years, to help the team win, I'd been giving them 1-on-1 custom-made gear.

The kind you couldn't buy on the market even if you had money.

I tapped my keyboard lightly and replied, "OK."

Two-hundred-dollar equipmentas long as they weren't afraid of falling off the rock wall, it was fine by me.

Half a month before the rock climbing competition, my teammates sent me their latest body measurements.

"Elena, we're counting on you for the equipment!"

Before I could respond, Muniz mentioned me.

"Twelve hundred a set for equipment? Am I reading this right..."

"That price... is way too outrageous."

I thought she found the price too low and was about to explain that for the team's overall benefit, I didn't mind taking a small loss.

Instead, she sent a voice message, her tone particularly agitated.

"This stuff costs less than two hundred to make. How can you have the nerve to charge everyone twelve hundred?"

"Elena, even if you're ripping off your friends, this is way too ruthless!"

My typing fingers froze.

Cost of two hundred? The cost of knockoffs on Amazon, maybe?

My teammate Verna explained on my behalf.

"Muniz, you just joined the scene, so you don't understand. Good rock climbing equipment really is expensive."

"Elena owns a shop and only charges everyone cost price. This stuff would be at least seven thousand on the market."

Muniz replied:

"I understand perfectly well. My family owns a shop too."

"Market price is one thing, but the markup is huge."

"When my family buys wholesale, even the best equipment only costs two hundred, but we can retail it for ten thousand."

The group fell silent for a moment. Verna spoke up again, but this time directed at me.

"Elena, why don't you explain to everyone..."

"We understand you want to make money, but isn't a six-times markup a bit... too excessive?"

Other teammates chimed in as well.

"I knew no one gets up early for nothing. No wonder Elena was always so enthusiastic."

"Elena, this is too much. Every time we thanked you for the low prices, were you secretly calling us idiots?"

Muniz sent a hand-over-mouth emoji.

"Oops, should I not have said anything? I'm ruining someone's cash cow..."

"But I really couldn't help it. I can't stand people who make money off their friends."

"I used to provide equipment for my old team too, but I charged the real cost pricetwo hundred a set."

"If you're willing, I can give you all the same price."

The group got even more excited.

"Muniz, you can really give it to us for two hundred? That's such a savings!"

"I won't have to scrimp and save for equipment anymore."

"Ugh, all the money I saved by going hungry ended up enriching a capitalist."

Even the usually fair-minded captain, Johnson, came out and sent a message.

"My fault for not properly researching the market and human nature. I let certain people rip everyone off."

Immediately after, Johnson private messaged me.

"Elena, everyone's pretty upset about this. Can you refund this round of payments?"

"We want to get equipment from Muniz."

"It's not that everyone doesn't want to support you. It's just that your price difference is too big."

I replied with an "OK" and transferred back the seven thousand two hundred I'd collected today.

People in the group were still complaining.

"We got refunds for this round, but what about all the previous ones? We've ordered at least eight times, if not ten."

"She tearfully made a thousand bucks off each of us every time, right? That's six thousand from the six of us!"

"Ten times is sixty thousand. Tsk tsk. I bet we've been supporting her entire shop."

I silently exited WhatsApp without responding.

There was no point. Even if I told them my cost price alone was over six thousand, so what?

They'd just accuse me of bullshitting.

I looked at each team member's latest body measurements on my computer and called the factory.

"Don't make those six sets of custom equipment."

The technician, Nelson, let out an excited shriek.

"You've finally come to your senses!"

"Every time you custom-make stuff for them, and you only charge that littleit's not even a fraction of the cost."

"Some people, even if you don't make a cent off them, will still think you're making a fortune."

"This is the right move!"

After hanging up, I laughed at myself.

When I first joined the team last year, my teammates' eyes lit up when they saw my equipment.

"Elena, your shoe soles are amazing. You can tell they have great grip just by looking!"

"Wow, your rope is clearly lighter than mine, but how does it feel sturdier?"

Johnson looked at his own equipment and sighed despondently.

"My set still cost almost three thousand. Elena's set must be over ten thousand, right?"

"Forget it, can't be jealous. My salary can barely sustain even this set."

After spending time with them, I was infected by their passion for rock climbing.

So I volunteered that I could get them the same quality equipment I had, for only twelve hundred.

I said I owned a shop and could get cost price.

Actually, I was the founder of UP Company, the largest rock climbing equipment manufacturer.

The first competition after they switched equipment, our team took first place.

Before that, we couldn't even make top three.

From then on, every time we competed, advertisers even approached us. Everyone got paid while pursuing their hobby.

To help everyone perform better, I asked for their body measurements and started making personalized custom gear for them.

Custom gear couldn't be mass-produced on assembly lines. It required technicians to supervise and adjust every detail.

My factory price for one set was twelve thousand.

The technician advised me not to subsidize like this. I said it was fine, we were all friends.

I never expected the slap in the face to come so quickly.

Johnson's message came again.

"Send our body measurements to Muniz right away. Don't delay!"

"OK."

I sent the team members' data files to Muniz.

Shortly after, she replied:

"Elena, you really are quite the actress."

"Equipment comes in fixed sizes for each model. What do you need body measurements for?"

"Making it all fancy to make scamming easier, is that it?"

I didn't reply.

Someone who dared sell equipment for less than two hundred dollarsexplaining to her would be a waste of breath.

Then the group messages started again.

Muniz: [Elena wants your body measurements to put on a show and tearfully earn a thousand. Actually, this data is completely useless.]

Verna: [We don't really understand this stuff either. We just believed whatever she said.]

Johnson: [If it weren't for Muniz, who knows how long we would've kept getting scammed.]

Diallo: [Thanks, Muniz. You just joined and you're already so real with us, unlike certain people.]

I muted the group chat notifications and pulled up a message on WhatsApp that I hadn't replied to.

It was from Pratt, the captain of another rock climbing team.

They used to always place first, but ever since I joined Johnson's team and provided equipment, Pratt's team had been stuck in second place.

Pratt had contacted me many times.

"Elena, I've looked everywhere on the market and can't find equipment like yours."

"Can you give me a purchasing channel? I won't let you help for nothing."

Yesterday, he somehow found out that I was the CEO of UP.

"Miss Elena, could you also make a few sets of that kind of equipment for us? Name your price!"

I hadn't replied.

Special customization was time-consuming and labor-intensive. If I took their order, I wouldn't be able to finish our team's in time.

Now, I opened Pratt's chat window.

"Nineteen hundred a set. Ordering?"

Pratt replied instantly: "Seven sets!"

Right after, a transfer notification came through. A hundred and forty thousand.

The seven thousand two hundred I'd just refunded Johnson wasn't even enough to cover the.

In the team group, Johnson @ mentioned me.

"Elena, why haven't you paid Muniz to order equipment yet?"

"The competition is coming up soon. Don't delay things!"

I replied: "I have my own equipment. I don't need to order from her."

Muniz sent a wronged emoji.

"Is Elena mad at me for taking your business?"

"Even if you're angry with me, you can't affect the team. We're a unit. It'll look so uncoordinated if you're wearing different equipment from everyone else."

Johnson sent a message:

"If you're only thinking about yourself and have zero team spirit, then quit the team."

Before I could say anything, Johnson kicked me out.

I looked at the "You have been removed from the group chat" notification and gently locked my screen.

It didn't matter. I couldn't possibly use two-hundred-dollar stuff for rock climbing just to fit in, could I?

I valued my life.

Pratt quickly compiled his team members' body measurements and sent them to me.

"Thank you. But won't your teammates be angry?"

"No, I just got kicked out of the team."

Right after I sent the message, Pratt pulled me into their rock climbing group.

"Elena's joining us! Everyone welcome her!"

I sent a "?"

Pratt said: "I was afraid you'd refuse, so I acted first."

I laughed. The group was buzzing with enthusiasm.

"Elena, you're finally here! Do you know how long we've envied your team's equipment?"

"I knew there was something special about Johnson's equipmentit looked so comfortable, fit perfectly. Turns out it was custom-made!"

"I went everywhere trying to find the same kind and couldn't find it anywhere!"

"How did they kick you out?"

I said: "Because a new member is providing them with two-hundred-dollar equipment sets, and they think I'm a scam artist."

Everyone couldn't help but laugh.

"Two hundred a set? And they dare use that?"

"When I first started, I saw that kind of stuff. Those carabiners aren't as sturdy as wire. Pure scams targeting beginners. Using that stuff for rock climbingaren't they afraid of falling to their deaths?"

"We're guaranteed to win this time. The sponsors should keep investing in us!"

Ever since Johnson's team started winning first place every time, all the advertisers who used to sponsor Pratt's team had left.

Rock climbing competitions had high viewership, and each advertising sponsorship was worth three hundred thousand.

Over these years, Johnson had gone from a working-class guy who had to grit his teeth to buy three-thousand-dollar equipment to quitting his job and earning five figures a month from competitions alone.

That's why he was so eager to kick me out.

Three hundred thousandone less person meant he could get a bigger share.

Before I knew it, competition day arrived.

At the team assembly point, Johnson and the others were waiting for Muniz to deliver the equipment.

I drove up to the assembly point with equipment loaded in my car. As soon as I opened the trunk, Johnson ran over to stop me.

"What are you doing, Elena? Didn't we say we don't want your equipment? Are you still trying to force a sale?"

"Aren't you done making dirty money? You can't sell your stuff without us, can you?"

Verna frowned too. "Elena, your behavior is really ugly."

Diallo pursed his lips. "Still trying to make us your suckers, huh?"

I said expressionlessly, "I'm here to compete. This equipment isn't for you."

Johnson looked completely annoyed.

"Compete? You're not part of our team anymore!"

"Our sponsorship and prize money have nothing to do with you!"

"I'm going to tell the referee right now that you're not a member of our team. Don't even try it!"

"Hurry up and take your stuff back home!"

Pratt ran over with his team members and pushed Johnson aside.

"Elena is our team member. It's not your place to boss her around."

The team members helped me unload the equipment from the car and distributed the bags with their names on them.

"Damn, this feels different!"

"How is this helmet so light yet so sturdy?"

"These shoes are so comfortable!"

Johnson and the others looked embarrassed, but finally turned away with a sneer.

"A bunch of idiots. Getting sold out and helping count the money."

Just then, Muniz's car pulled up.

She opened her trunk and called to everyone: "Come get your equipment!"

Johnson and the others grabbed their gear while shooting us sideways glances.

"Sigh, some suckers are going to be biting their teeth and crying when they see we bought our equipment for two hundred, right?"

Diallo laughed out loud.

"Captain, why are you provoking them? What if they cry so hard they can't climb?"

Verna covered her mouth. "No, they'll lose the strength to climb from beating up Elena."

Diallo picked up the bag with her name on it. "So light and convenient, even lighter than our old equipment!"

Johnson eagerly went to unzip it.

Muniz raised her eyebrows smugly. "What I'm giving you is the best"

Before she could finish, Johnson's incredulous voice rang out.

"What the hell is this pile of crap!"