A young man's journey begins at a factory under the guidance of a wise old technician, who imparts crucial work ethics.

• The young man starts his career at a factory and is mentored by an experienced old technician.
• The mentor teaches him to speak less, work diligently, and continuously improve his skills.

Over time, the young man rises to become a technician himself but struggles with lack of recognition and promotions.

• Ten years pass, and the young man takes over as technician after his mentor retires.
• He maintains his dedication to work but becomes unhappy with his career progress.

The young man consults his mentor about being overlooked for promotions, and the mentor suggests taking a day off.

• The young man expresses frustration at being passed over for promotions despite his silent hard work.
• His mentor advises him to take a day off to understand his worth at the factory.

The young man's absence from work leads to operational issues at the factory, and management recognizes his value.

• After taking a day off, the young man returns to find out that his absence caused many unresolved problems at work.
• His manager promotes him to senior technician in recognition of his importance to the factory.

The young man misinterprets his mentor's advice, leading to his eventual termination from the factory.

• The young man repeatedly takes days off to force recognition of his work, which initially seems successful.
• His overuse of this tactic results in his employment being terminated, leaving him confused and seeking his mentor's counsel.

The mentor reveals the full lesson about reliability and balance, and the young man learns the importance of being indispensable without being replaceable.

• The mentor explains that while it's important to be recognized, frequent unreliability will lead to replacement.
• He emphasizes the importance of not taking for granted or being taken for granted, in work and in personal life.