The state of Wei laid siege to the city of Guan in Han, but for a long time could not take it. Lou Wu said to the King of Wei: "Your Majesty must wait for me to go and request from Qin the return of Guan; I beg to undertake this matter with a hundred pieces of gold." The King of Wei said: "Very well." Lou Wu then went to have an audience with the King of Qin, and said: "I have heard that the King of Wei intends to use a hundred pieces of gold to request from Your Majesty the return of Guan, and that Your Majesty has not consented. In my humble opinion, if Your Majesty grants Wei's request, then Wei will surely regard Guan as a source of anxiety—strengthening its defenses within, and forming alliances with neighboring states without, in order to scheme against Your Majesty. It would be better for Your Majesty to return Guan to Wei, so as to make Wei proud and complacent. Once Wei obtains Guan, it will surely boast of its success and relax its defenses, whereupon Your Majesty may take advantage of the moment to seize it." The King of Qin said: "Very well." Thereupon he returned Guan to Wei. After Wei obtained Guan, it indeed ceased to maintain its defenses, and Qin, seizing the opportunity, launched a surprise attack and captured Guan.
💡 商战启示录
This strategy reveals the counterintuitive principle of "giving in order to take" in commercial warfare. In modern business, competitors often use "concessions" as bait to lure opponents into strategic blind spots. For instance, an industry giant, seeking to suppress emerging challengers, may voluntarily cede part of its market share, inducing rivals to overexpand and accumulate debt—only to launch price wars or technological blockades with its capital advantage once their management slackens and cash flows tighten, reclaiming lost ground in one decisive stroke. Similarly, tech companies offer basic services free of charge to cultivate user dependence, then monetize through value-added services—a long-term strategy of "giving first, taking later." Managers must remain vigilant against the strategic traps hidden behind competitors' "goodwill," avoiding the complacency that short-term victories can breed in risk management. At the same time, one may draw upon Lou Wu's wisdom of "leveraging momentum," uniting third-party forces to achieve goals at minimal cost. The essence lies in this: commercial warfare is not merely a contest of resources, but a battle of psychology and strategy—one must stay clear-headed at all times, remain vigilant in times of peace, and only then can one stand invincible.