Betrayed by My Brother, I Built an Empire Across the Street

After I got out of prison, my brother and I opened an auto repair shop together.

He put up the money, I provided the technical skills, and we agreed on a seventy-thirty profit split.

With my exceptional car modification abilities, I made waves in the local rich kids' circle in the first year alone, netting eight million in pure profit.

But when I went to collect my dividend at year-end, he only gave me a hundred thousand.

"Business is so good because I became friends with those rich kids. Anyone can modify carsdo you really think you're somebody special?"

"Other repair shops pay mechanics six thousand at most. I'm paying you ten thousand a monthI'm already doing you a favor."

I was shocked and furious. I never expected my sincerity to be repaid with betrayal.

I quit on the spot and opened a new auto repair shop right across the street from his.

Six months later, my brother came begging:

"Just come back, and I'll give you five hundred thousand a year. Can we keep working together now?"

Before going to see Ethan, I received a phone call.

"Mr. Hayes, have you thought about what we discussed?"

I refused without hesitation. "Mr. Parker, thank you for thinking so highly of me, but as I've already made very clear, I won't be leaving Starlight Auto Repair."

The person on the other end was the owner of the largest auto repair shop in our area.

What he wanted me to consider was switching jobs.

Three years ago, when I got out of prison, I couldn't find any work because of my criminal record.

That's when my childhood friend Ethan called me, asking if I'd be willing to come work at his repair shop.

I studied aerospace engineering in college and worked at a research institute after graduation. If I hadn't injured someone while defending my parents, I never would have ended up in prison.

Ethan's reasoning for hiring me was simplehe figured if I could fix rockets, fixing cars would be child's play.

He said many mechanics stole parts from the shop to sell, and his small operation couldn't handle those kinds of losses. If I was willing, he'd let me join as a technical partner.

After thinking it over for a few days, I agreed.

After answering Mr. Parker, I was about to hang up when he seemed to sense something and asked me to wait.

"Mr. Hayes, I've looked into it. Ethan pays you ten thousand a month with thirty percent of annual profits. Come work for me, and I'll give you an annual salary of five hundred thousand with fifty percent of the profits. I guarantee..."

Before he could finish, Ethan's call came through, asking if I'd arrived at the shop yet and if I had time to come to his office.

After hanging up, I got excited.

Because yesterday I'd heard that our shop had made eight million in profit this year, and according to our original seventy-thirty agreement, I should get two million four hundred thousand.

Two million four hundred thousand.

Even back when I worked at the research institute, I'd never seen that much money.

But when I entered Ethan's office and received my dividend, I was stunned.

Ethan sat in his oversized executive chair and tossed a bank card onto the desk.

"Mason, you worked hard this year. There's a hundred thousand in this cardyour dividend for the year."

For a moment I thought I'd misheard. "A hundred thousand? Did you calculate wrong? The shop made eight million in profit this year. According to our original seventy-thirty agreement, I should get two million four hundred thousand."

Ethan acted like he'd heard the funniest joke and snorted. "Two million four hundred thousand? Mason, do you really think you deserve that?"

Those words hit me like a bucket of ice water. I froze in place.

"Ethan, what do you mean?" My voice rose involuntarily. "We agreed on technical partnership and a seventy-thirty split. It was spelled out clearly in black and white. Now you're telling me you won't honor it?"

"Black and white?" Ethan's smile was meaningful. "That was just talk. It's not in the contract. Your employment contract says a monthly salary of ten thousand, plus I'm giving you a hundred thousand dividend. That's nearly a full year's salary extra. Look at the entire auto repair industrywhich boss is as generous as me?"

Anger shot straight to my head. "Ethan, don't go too far. You know damn well what this shop was like when we started. You could barely get ten jobs a month and were about to close down. Who kept it afloat?"

I pointed at the yard outside the window filled with luxury cars. "Every single owner of those cars out there comes here for my technical skills. Even Harrison Parker wanted to poach me, offering five hundred thousand a year plus fifty percent profit share. I didn't even consider it before turning him down, and this is how you treat me!"

Ethan's smile finally faded. He stared straight at me. "You think I don't know about Harrison Parker trying to poach you? Mason, you really think you're hot shit."

"You think business is booming because of your little car modification skills? Don't kid yourself. Anyone can modify cars. There are repair shops everywhere with mechanics who have real skills. Why would those rich kids come to our little hole-in-the-wall?"

"It's because of me. This past year I've been drinking, playing ball, and singing karaoke with those rich kids. We're friends now. They come here out of respect for me, Ethan. You're just some grease monkey who fixes cars, and you actually think you're somebody special."

Hearing these words made me want to punch him right in the face.

I'm not bragging, but there are only a handful of people in the country who can match my skill level.

The reason those rich kids choose our shop over the big chains for modifications, and why Harrison Parker wanted to poach me, is all because of my technical abilities.

I can not only meet all their requirements but also save them money.

After all, some of these cars would have to be sent overseas if they didn't come to me for modifications.

Without me, Ethan could drink with those rich kids ten thousand times and they still wouldn't bring a multi-million dollar sports car to this dump.

Seeing my displeasure, Ethan stood up from his executive chair and patted my shoulder. "Mason, I know you're upset, but I've got my own difficulties. This shop doesn't just have you as a mechanicthere are several others who've worked here longer than you and done more work than you. They don't get dividends, but you do. People will have opinions about that."

"How about thisI'll raise your salary by another thousand, and I guarantee you a hundred thousand bonus every year. That's pretty generous, right?"

Seeing him act like he was doing me some huge favor made me laugh with anger.

Three years ago when I first came to this shop, there were only three interns and not a single proper mechanic.

Every day we just patched tires and changed oil, bringing in less than twenty thousand a month in revenue.

I paid out of my own pocket to study abroad for six months. During that half year, I didn't take a cent in salary from the shop, and I paid all my tuition and living expenses myself.

After returning home, I pulled several layers of connections before finding a rich kid willing to let me try my hand. I modified an M4 for him. The day after he drove it out, he brought back a group of friends. From then on, the shop really came to life.

This past year, I was the first one at the shop at seven every morning and the last one to leave at eleven at night.

Three hundred sixty-five daysI didn't dare take a single day off, afraid of delaying any customer's deadline.

During that time, I injured my back and had to be sent to the hospital for surgery.

The doctor told me my back couldn't handle high-intensity labor anymore, so Ethan found me a young apprentice.

Even so, after getting out of the hospital, I was still the last one to leave. When I couldn't bend over for heavy work, I'd squat or kneel. If that didn't work, I'd have my apprentice help support the parts.

Those other mechanics only came to apply after business picked up. Even if they had more seniority than me, which one of them hadn't been trained hands-on by me?

Thinking of this, my heart went completely cold. "Ethan, if you don't want to honor your commitment, just say so directly. If you want to fire me, you can say that too. Why go in such a big circle, using 'other people will have opinions' as an excuse? Do you think I'm stupid?"

Ethan waved his hand. "Mason, you're really misunderstanding me. We're brothershow could I fire you? It's just that even brothers need to keep clear accounts. If you want that big of a dividend, you need to prove your value, right?"

I almost laughed out loud.

My value needed proving?

The custom modification parts piled up in the workshopI negotiated with every single overseas supplier to get them. The dozens of modification cases hanging on the wall were all my work.

Ethan dismissed all of this with a single sentence, then said I had no value.

I suddenly thought about suing him.

But the next second I remembered that because of our friendship, all our agreements had been verbalI didn't even have text message records.

If I really sued him, I wouldn't have enough evidence to even file the case.

"Fine, Ethan. Since you've said as much." I took several deep breaths. "Then I quit. I'm resigning."

I thought when I mentioned quitting, Ethan would at least panic a little. Who knew he'd pull out a resignation form directly from his drawer.

"Sure, Mason. I won't try to keep you then. Go to accounting to collect your wages."

Looking at that paper, I suddenly understoodEthan had planned this all along.

I let out a cold laugh, picked up that hundred-thousand-dollar bank card, and left.

I went back to the workshop to collect my things.

Many people saw me and rushed over to ask what happened.

I usually managed all the repair work and got along pretty well with the guys, so I told them about Ethan.

For a moment, everyone was cursing him out.

"Isn't this just using someone and throwing them away? Everyone knows you're the one who built this shop up, Mason."

"Exactly. Mason, everyone sees how much you've sacrificed for this place. If it wasn't for the profit share, just for that little salary, who would work themselves to death for him like this?"

"Just waithe'll regret this sooner or later."

They were all working people who could empathize.

But they still had to work here, so all they could do was say a few words on my behalf.

I thanked everyone, then called over Kyle and asked if he'd be willing to leave with me.

Kyle's family wasn't well off, so he'd dropped out early to work.

I felt for him, constantly giving him spending money and teaching him a lot.

If I took him with me, in probably less than two years he could learn all my skills.

I told him my plan, thinking he'd agree, but Kyle actually refused.

"Master, I'm doing fine here. I don't want to leave."

I said, "You only make three thousand here. Come with me and I guarantee I'll double your salary."

Seeing my insistence, Kyle just came clean. "Master, Ethan already raised me to eight thousand. I don't want to leave."

Hearing that number shocked me. "That's what experienced mechanics make. Why would he give you that much?"

Seeing Kyle hem and haw, combined with Ethan's attitude today, I suddenly understood. "Did you tell Ethan you've already learned all my techniques?"

Kyle's reaction confirmed exactly what I thought.

He had a habit of saying things like that. I'd caught him at it several times.

He was indeed smart and had real talent for car modification, but he also had obvious flawshe was sloppy in his work.

The cars we usually handled were all luxury vehicles, worth at least several hundred thousand, with parts that were hard to source. The slightest mistake could ruin an entire car.

So normally when he worked, it was only because I was watching that he didn't make mistakes.

Out of goodwill, I told him all this and asked him to clarify things with Ethan.

Ethan had fired even me without hesitation. If something went wrong in the future, Kyle's fate would definitely be worse than mine.

Kyle's expression immediately changed. "Mason, I call you 'master' out of respect, but you really think you're all that? You're saying all this because you're bitter I took your job."

"What's so special about your techniques anyway? It's just the same few things over and over. I learned it all long ago! You think the world stops spinning without you?"

"And you know who I am? I'm Ethan's wife's cousin. He'd fire anyone before he'd fire me. Stop worrying about me and worry about yourself."

My head buzzed like someone had hit me with a club.

Kyle was Ethan's wife's cousin.

No wonder Ethan insisted on making Kyle my apprentice.

No wonder Ethan never said anything when Kyle made several mistakes.

No wonder Ethan dared to turn on me today.

From the very first day I started teaching Kyle, Ethan had already been preparing for today.

There was nothing more to say at this point.

I turned and went to accounting. After collecting my things and reaching the workshop entrance to leave, someone grabbed my arm.

"Mr. Hayes! Finally! You're here!" A young guy with silver-gray dyed hair blocked my path. "What about that car you were supposed to modify for me? Why are you having some apprentice kid blow me off? He doesn't even know what model my car is!"

The person in front of me was Derek.

The most extreme rich kid locally, absolutely crazy about cars.

His Porsche 935there weren't more than five in the entire country. He'd been on the waiting list for half a year and specifically requested I personally handle it.

"Mr. Shaw, I'm sorry." I told him. "I've been fired. I can't modify your car anymore."

"Fired?" Derek's voice shot up. "Is your boss crazy? I waited half a yearhalf a year! Now you're telling me it can't be done?"

His shout drew everyone nearby. Several mechanics who'd been working stopped and looked over.

Ethan quickly walked over from his office, his face full of smiles. "Mr. Shaw, what's going on? Why so angry?"

Derek pointed at me and asked, "Ethan, why was Mr. Hayes fired? I said half a year ago that I wanted him to personally modify this car. What's the deal with swapping in some apprentice now?"

Ethan glanced at me with a warning look, then smiled at Derek. "Mr. Shaw, please calm down. Mr. Hayes resigned on his own. We're very sorry too, but rest assuredKyle is his personally trained apprentice. His skills are no worse than Mr. Hayes'. Your car will be in excellent hands with him."

Kyle sidled up at this point. "Mr. Shaw, don't worry. I've learned everything my master knows. I guarantee I'll modify it beautifully for you."

Derek looked skeptically at Kyle, then at me.

I didn't want to say another word, but my peripheral vision caught that 935. The full carbon fiber body kit alone was worth seven figures from the factory, with parts air-shipped from Germany.

Any mistake at all would mean hundreds of thousands in losses.

I sighed and turned to Derek. "Mr. Shaw, take my advicefind another shop to do the modification."

Ethan's expression changed instantly. He pointed at my nose and cursed. "Mason! You've already resigned! What are you saying here? If you keep messing with my business, don't blame me for forgetting our friendship!"

Then he pulled Derek aside and whispered something in his ear.

A moment later, Derek looked at me differently, muttering under his breath, "Really? How could that be?"

Then Derek walked over to Kyle and handed him the car keys. "I'll leave it in your hands then, Kyle."

During the entire process, Derek never looked at me again, but his body language couldn't hide his disgust.

I wanted to try persuading him again.

Then I thought, forget it.

It wasn't my car anyway. Let them do whatever they wanted with it.

I knew Ethan hadn't said anything good in Derek's ear that day.

But I didn't expect the news to spread so fast.

A few days after leaving Ethan's place, I contacted Mr. Parker to ask if he was still willing to have me.

Mr. Parker hemmed and hawed for a long time before finally being honest. "Mr. Hayes, did you... serve time in prison?"

I froze. "Did Ethan tell you? Mr. Parker, I can explain. Back then my parents were being bullied..."

"Of course I believe you had your reasons." Mr. Parker interrupted me. "But I'm not the only one who has a say in my shop. The other shareholders don't agree to bringing in someone with a criminal record. They say it affects the company image."

Not only that, but Mr. Parker also told me that news of my prison time had already spread throughout the circle. It would be impossible for me to continue working in this industry.

Mr. Parker asked if I'd be willing to go to another city. He could introduce me to a repair shop elsewhere.

Hearing this, I felt like I'd fallen into an ice cave.

I'd been brothers with Ethan for so many years. I never thought he'd be this ruthless.