A man from the city of Wen journeyed to the Eastern Zhou, but the people of Eastern Zhou would not receive him. The visitor then said to the gatekeeper, "I am a master here." The gatekeeper asked him in which lane he resided, yet he knew not, and so the officials imprisoned him. The ruler of Eastern Zhou sent someone to question him: "You are not a Zhou person, yet you claim not to be a guest—why is this?" He replied, "In my youth I recited the *Book of Songs*, which says: 'Under the vast heavens, there is no land that is not the king's land; within the four seas, there is no subject who is not the king's subject.' Now that the Zhou king rules over all under heaven, I am indeed his subject—how then can I be called a guest? Therefore, I said I am a master." The ruler then ordered the officials to release him.
💡 商战启示录
The story of the man of Wen who entered Zhou reveals the wisdom of identity recognition and the game of rules. In modern business, when enterprises enter new markets, they often face the label and barriers of being "outsiders." The man of Wen cleverly invoked the "universal rule" that "all under heaven is the king's land," transforming himself from a "guest" into a "host." This strategy can be likened to enterprises dissolving their foreign identity through localization strategies or the establishment of industry standards. For instance, Alibaba in its early days succeeded in building a foundation for dialogue in international markets by emphasizing the global mission of "making it easy to do business anywhere," rather than merely presenting itself as a Chinese enterprise. Similarly, when Uber entered various countries, it often emphasized the novel concept of the "sharing economy" rather than being an "invasive outsider," thereby blurring geographical boundaries and gaining legitimacy. Furthermore, the fact that the man of Wen was released without answering the specific lane name suggests that in business negotiations, if one can persuade the other party from a macro perspective, minor flaws in details may be overlooked. Modern enterprises often break through entry barriers by crafting narratives of an "industry community," such as participating in the formulation of technical standards or advocating shared values. However, it must be noted that this approach requires solid support from products and services; otherwise, it remains mere verbal play and cannot endure. In sum, the core of this strategy lies in redefining the context, turning the "away ground" into "home ground," thereby seizing the initiative.