Though mislabelled a maladroit student, Jimmy more than made up for it with pure grit. After his national service, he worked as a salesman in an audio business. He would repeat the long strings of model numbers and prices of the audio systems until the information was seared indelibly into his memory, a tedious process he had to repeat whenever there was a replenishment of items. His hard work did not go unnoticed, and he was promoted to director of the company at the age of twenty-four.
At the zenith of his success, two brothers approached him and presented him with a business opportunity: to be a managing director of a new audio business. Lured by the glittering job title and promise of a pay increase, Jimmy left for greener pastures. In the beginning, business thrived, his relationships with the suppliers blossomed, and profits burgeoned. Then, his partners wanted to rope in their elder brother, who would take over as one of the shareholders, and then have control over administrative and financial matters. Jimmy had concerns but was ultimately out-voted two to one.
Tension arose when the brothers began negotiating higher salaries, amongst many other disagreements. The four businessmen eventually parted ways, with Jimmy retaining ownership of one store. But his cyclical business began to suffer in tandem with the economic downturn. Like a victim flailing in quicksand, every step Jimmy took to save the ailing business only sank him deeper into the abyss. He opened another outlet, hoping it would generate more business, but he haemorrhaged even more money, padded by renovation costs to the tune of a hundred thousand dollars.