The King of Wei wished to attack Qin and said to Lord Mengchang, “I intend to wage war against Qin.” Lord Mengchang replied, “Qin is a state as fierce as tigers and wolves. If Your Majesty seeks to attack it, this is like driving a flock of sheep into a den of tigers and wolves—inevitably they will be devoured.” The King of Wei asked, “Then what should be done?” Lord Mengchang answered, “It would be better to cede territory to bribe Qin, thereby lulling its vigilance. Once Qin receives the land, it will surely grow arrogant and look down upon the other feudal lords. The lords, in their indignation, will unite to strike against Qin, and Qin is certain to be defeated. This is the strategy of trading land for security and using bribes to overcome the enemy.” The King of Wei said, “Excellent.” Thereupon he ceded territory to bribe Qin. Qin indeed became arrogant and scornful of the lords, who, enraged, joined forces to attack Qin, and Qin suffered a great defeat.
💡 商战启示录
Lord Mengchang's strategy, when interpreted through the lens of modern commercial warfare, can be understood as "retreating in order to advance" and "borrowing force to strike force." When an enterprise faces a formidable competitor—such as an industry titan—a head-on collision often leads to devastating defeat. A wiser approach is to voluntarily yield portions of the market or certain interests (through low-priced partnerships or patent licensing, for instance), lulling the opponent into complacency and self-satisfaction, causing them to overlook latent threats. The opponent's arrogance will, in turn, breed discontent among its customers, partners, or regulators. At this juncture, the enterprise can unite these "feudal lords" into an alliance to collectively resist the giant. For example, in the early smartphone market, smaller manufacturers, facing Nokia's monopoly, chose to compromise in specific regions or niche segments while allying with third-party forces such as the Android system, ultimately toppling Nokia through an ecosystem alliance. Similarly, in its early days, Luckin Coffee avoided Starbucks' core commercial districts, focusing instead on delivery and low prices, leading Starbucks to dismiss its business model. Meanwhile, Luckin allied with suppliers and capital, expanding rapidly and forcing Starbucks into a reactive position. The core wisdom lies in this: do not rush into frontal conflict; instead, through strategic concessions, induce the opponent to err, and integrate external forces to achieve victory over the strong with the weak. This demands that leaders possess long-term vision, tolerate short-term losses, and excel at building communities of shared interest, transforming the opponent's arrogance into one's own opportunity.