Thebusinessexecutivewasdeepindebtandcouldseenowayout.Creditors(债主)wereclosinginonhim.Suppliersweredemandingpayment.Hesatontheparkbench,headinhands,wonderingifanythingcouldsavehiscompanyfrombankruptcy(破产).
Suddenlyanoldmanappearedbeforehim.“Icanseethatsomethingistroublingyou.”hesaid.Afterlisteningtotheexecutive,theoldmansaid:“IbelieveIcanhelpyou.”
Heaskedthemanhisname,wroteoutacheck,andpusheditintohishandsaying:“Takethismoney.Meetmehereexactlyoneyearfromtoday,andyoucanpaymebackatthattime.”Thenheturnedanddisappearedasquicklyashehadcome.
Thebusinessexecutivesawinhishandacheckfor$500,000,signedbyJohnD.Rockefeller,thenoneoftherichestmenintheworld!
“Icansettleallmydebtsinamoment!”herealized.Butinstead,theexecutivedecidedtoputtheuncashedcheckinhissafe,justknowingitwouldgivehimthestrengthtoworkoutawaytosavehisbusiness.
Withrenewedoptimism,hemadebetterdealsandextendedtermsofpayment.Heclosedseveralbigdeals.Withinafewmonths,hewasoutofdebtandmakingmoneyonceagain.
Exactlyoneyearlater,hereturnedtotheparkwiththeuncashedcheck.Attheagreed-upontime,theoldmanappeared.Butjustastheexecutivewasabouttohandbackthecheckandsharehissuccessstory,anursecamerunningupandgrabbedtheoldman.
“I’msogladIcaughthim!”shecried.“Ihopehehasn’tbeenbotheringyou.He’salwaysescapingfromtheresthomeandtellingpeoplehe’sJohnD.Rockefeller.”Andsheledtheoldmanawaybythearm.
小题1:Whatwastheexecutiveworriedabout?