36 Strategies Vernacular Full Translation

Chapter 20 Li Daitao stiff (2)
"Li Daitao is stiff" said, "Two benefits are more important, and two evils are lesser." Rockefeller, who runs a famous American consortium, once saved his company from dire straits at the cost of sacrificing his own name.Facts have proved that this sacrifice is necessary and worthwhile.

The U.S. Congress once passed the antitrust bill restricting economic monopoly, after which many large enterprises were forced to dissolve.Mobil Oil Company, which belonged to the huge consortium Rockefeller Corporation in the United States at that time, was naturally also sued.Fortunately, Mobil got through the judicial department in the political circles, successfully prevented the case from being accepted, and escaped unharmed.

However, due to the great reputation of Mobil Oil Company, it has attracted people's attention.Rockefeller's opponents were upset that the Mobil Oil Company was lucky enough not to be disbanded, so they continued to create various public opinions unfavorable to Rockefeller, and exerted pressure on Rockefeller through Congress, public opinion circles, and judicial circles.After 20 years of tenacious operation of Mobil Oil Company, the U.S. Congress finally could not withstand the pressure of public opinion and once again sued Mobil Oil Company.The company's board of directors discussed and studied countermeasures many times, and used various relationships to dredge, but failed to find a good solution.This time, even Rockefeller, the president of the company, felt that he was doomed.

Just as Rockefeller was at a loss and was about to listen to Congress, a young lawyer named Dulles from the Standard Oil Queen's Law Firm proposed to see Rockefeller.Rockefeller agreed out of courtesy.As soon as he met Dulles, he said: "I have a wonderful way to save the company."

When Rockefeller saw that the other party was a young lawyer, he didn't take it seriously, but seeing the young man's confident look, he couldn't bear to pour cold water on him, so he said absent-mindedly: "Tell me about your good method. !"

Dulles said: "The antitrust law restricts large companies. Can't we just let each branch operate independently?" Me?"

Dulles smiled, and he said unhurriedly: "The declaration of independence by each branch is just a change of soup, and it will not affect your power in the slightest. The company will basically have no losses. The only loss is probably It's just your title of president." He went on to say, "We changed the oil companies in each state into branch companies, such as Standard Oil Company of New York, Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, Standard Oil Company of California, Standard Oil Company of Indiana, etc. Each Each company has a nominal boss, but it is still controlled by you as a whole. In this way, the American Standard Oil Company actually still exists, but it does not exist externally. Now, only this method of losing its name can help you survive. Get over it."

Rockefeller nodded in agreement while listening, and praised again and again: "What a plan! The younger generation is awesome, the younger generation is awesome."

With his mind made up, Rockefeller immediately convened a board of directors to make each branch "independent" according to Dulles' suggestion.He personally led his capable men to work day and night, and a huge American Mobil Oil Company soon became the state Mobil Oil Company that sprung up like mushrooms after rain.The move left the Senate speechless, and no indictments have been brought since.

Dulles' facelift is actually a way of sacrificing the superficial status of the president and preserving the actual content of the company.In business competition, when some sacrifices must be made, it should indeed be like this, while not being confused by superficial problems, firmly grasp the relationship between pros and cons, and actively strive for the initiative. "Li Dai Tao is stiff", skillfully sacrifices the surface and preserves the essence.

Li Ka-shing's philosophy of employing people
Enterprise management should pay attention to the introduction and training of talents.Careful planning in terms of employing people, "Li Daitao stiff", constantly weeding out the old and bringing forth the new, so that fresher blood becomes the driving force for the development of the enterprise is the way of survival of the enterprise.Li Ka-shing is a successful businessman who understands this truth well.

A few years ago, Li Ka-shing had been making arrangements for the successor of Cheung Kong, and arranged for two sons who had returned from studying in the United States to enter the company to take up important positions.

The eldest son, Li Zeju, went to the United States to study in middle school, and later obtained a master's degree in civil engineering from Stanford University in the United States. He was immediately recalled by his father to work in Hong Kong. In March 1989, he became the executive director of Cheung Kong Industrial Co., Ltd., and was promoted to deputy managing director four years later. In January 3, he became the group's vice chairman.During this period, he also served as executive director of Hutchison Whampoa Group and director of HK Electric Group.

The second son, Li Zekai, decided to study business after graduating from Stanford University in the United States.First, he worked in a Canadian investment bank to learn banking knowledge and gain investment experience.Two years later, he was recalled to Hong Kong by his father and joined the Hutchison Whampoa Fund Management Committee as a managing director. He also served as the vice chairman of Satellite Broadcasting Co., Ltd. and was in charge of satellite TV.

Under the influence and teaching of their father, the Li brothers are steady in doing things, and at the same time have a series of characteristics of the new generation: they like to engage in creative and challenging jobs; ;With amazing courage and keen business acumen, they are a pair of "little supermen" in the Hong Kong business community of the new generation.

Li Zekai, known as a new generation of IT wizards, has attracted much attention after entering the technology industry.His outstanding achievements in this field have made him an idol sought after by the younger generation. In 1999, Li Zekai was selected as the world's top 50 information technology elites, becoming the only Hong Kong native on the list.In the second year, he was selected as one of the "International 50 Powerful Persons", and he was the only Chinese on the list, winning glory for the Chinese all over the world.

Seeing the rapid growth and outstanding performance of his two sons, Li Ka-shing can finally announce his retirement with relief.The eldest son Li Zeju, who is calm and down-to-earth, was appointed as the new head of Cheung Kong Industrial Group.Li Zekai, the second son who advocates freedom and innovation and likes to show his face, started another IT business.The "Li Ka-shing Foundation", which mainly invests in education, medical care, culture, and public welfare undertakings, is regarded by Li Ka-shing as the "third" son.A paragraph of Li Ka-shing’s text on the foundation’s website fully expresses his love for his third son: “In life, you can contribute to society when you can, and at the same time seek and build a better life for the helpless. A good life, I will feel very meaningful, and regard this as a lifelong ambition."

In a speech at the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, Li Ka-shing revealed for the first time his two idols.One is Fan Li in China, and the other is Franklin in the United States.He said that the former distributes wealth to neighbors, while the latter pursues wealth for the world; the former achieves a transcendent state of selflessness with an attitude of selflessness; the latter achieves the highest state of pursuing self-sacrifice with an attitude of enthusiastic self-promotion.This is why Li Ka-shing abandoned his ego and "Li Daitao stiff" to help his two sons achieve their careers and become famous all over the world.

False Earl Goes to the Guillotine

In animals, there is such a survival skill: when caught by a hunting tool, they will first try to break free.When such efforts are ineffective, they discard the trapped limb in an attempt to escape.Because they know that life is more important to them.And human beings have a higher realm: "a strong man breaks his wrist" and throws his head for the feat of others.

In 1775, Charles Saint-Elemond, a descendant of the aristocracy, was dissatisfied with the arrogance and brutality of the French nobility, especially the viciousness of his uncle, the Earl of Saint-Elemond, and exiled to England under the pseudonym Charles Darnay. Teach French for a living.Soon, he married Lucy, the only daughter of a French doctor.

When the French Revolution broke out, Charles took the risk of saving one of his family's loyal servants from the revolutionaries.So he returned to Paris, however, unfortunately, he was arrested and imprisoned not long after.An innkeeper, because he had been ruined by Charles' uncle and his wife was separated, caused troubles, which eventually led to Charles being sentenced to death.

The British lawyer Sydney Carton, who arrived in Paris with Charles, paid a lot of money to Charles' prison guard, Bagshot, in order to rescue Charles.Just hours before Charles was to be guillotined, Bagshot led Cartoon to Charles' cell.At Toon's insistence, Charles changes into his boots and tie, and messes up his hair on purpose.The cartoon then put on Charles' clothes, tied a Charles headband, and injected Charles with an anesthetic, rendering him unconscious.

After everything was ready, Cartoon called Bagshot and asked him to put Charles on the back of a carriage that had already been prepared.In the car sat Lucy's father and a friend, holding cartoon passports and passes.In this way, Charles left Paris safely under the name of Cartoon, and Cartoon went to the guillotine for him.

In the tragic story of Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities", the cartoon is the "plum tree" in "Li replaces the peach tree", and Charles is equivalent to the "peach tree".The power of two interests is the most important, and the power of two evils is the least important. Cartoon saved the nobleman Charles with his own life.
(End of this chapter)