What does the gray industry rely on? Is it strength, effort, or purely luck?

I have been in Southeast Asia for three years since leaving China, always engaging in high-level chats with European and American clients. Up to now, the money I've earned is actually just several hundred thousand, which frankly, isn't much higher compared to those with stable jobs in China.

Over these years, I've interacted with all sorts of clients—some making tens of millions a year, and others earning just 100 dollars a week, with million-dollar clients being quite common. However, most of these clients are actually just "middle class", and extracting more from them relies entirely on operational skills and long-term follow-up.

I have always believed that as long as I work hard enough and remain professional, I will eventually make a breakthrough in this field.

That was until recently, when I met someone who completely shattered my perceptions.

A 20-year-old guy, who had only been involved in the gray market for three months and wasn't even very good at chatting, managed to secure over 4 million US dollars from a client. Hearing this really broke me down.

While I am definitely envious, jealousy is inevitable, but more so, it has led me to doubt:

It turns out that effort and skill are insignificant in the face of luck!