36 Strategies Vernacular Full Translation

Chapter 34
The original canon is defeated by its power, but its momentum is eliminated, and the image of the lower and the upper is replaced.

If the translation cannot defeat the enemy in strength, it can turn to weaken the source of its strength.This is the method advocated by the "Lu" hexagram of Dui Xiagan Shang in the "Book of Changes": stay at the bottom, use softness to overcome rigidity, and move a thousand catties with four or two.

Interpretation of "drawing salary from the bottom of the kettle", as the name implies, means that water boils in the kettle because firewood is burned at the bottom of the kettle.Pumping the "salary" from the bottom of the kettle will naturally stop the boiling of the water.This is to tell people to solve the problem fundamentally.

The beginning and development of many things in the world are the same as those in the water boiling kettle.Competing with opposing forces is also the same as stopping water from boiling.A frontal attack is equivalent to using hot water to stop the boiling, which is useless; but extracting the energy source of the boiling water eliminates the root of survival of the opposing forces, forcing the opponent to lose the source of power supply and favorable conditions, making the opponent "water without source, without water." "The tree of the root" can be put to death if it turns from prosperity to decline.

This plan is used in the military, and it is a "pocket tactic".When confronting each other, when swords are drawn, and the enemy's powerful frontal force cannot be directly confronted, it is necessary to eliminate the source of the enemy's strong force for survival or generation.That is to say, work hard from the opponent's behind the scenes, plot sideways, fundamentally weaken its combat effectiveness, and use softness to overcome rigidity to solve the problem.

At all times and in all over the world, whether in the battlefield, shopping malls, workplaces or on the political stage, there are countless examples of using the method of drawing salary from the bottom to win a siege.When using this timing, the key is to grasp two points: one is to accurately determine what the enemy's "bottom salary" is.This is a necessary prerequisite for the implementation of this plan.Generally speaking, any force that affects the enemy's stamina can be used as a "salary draw" target.The second is to use correct means and methods under the principle of overcoming rigidity with softness.In response to the specific situation of the enemy's "salary from the bottom", use appropriate methods and methods flexibly, and do not copy them mechanically.

And when the other party adopts the method of dredging from the bottom, we should also take the following preventive measures to deal with it.

[-]. Prepare enough firewood to deal with unexpected events.In order to prevent embarrassment after being taken away by the other party, we must prepare enough firewood to ensure that the fire at the bottom continues.Otherwise, the prepared salaries will be small, and even if they are not taken away, it will be impossible to remedy due to insufficient firewood, resulting in the extinguishment of the fire.Therefore, sufficient precautions are to allow oneself to have enough strength to deal with complex and changeable situations, and to avoid running out of ammunition and food, and self-destruction.

[-]. Strictly guard the pot and stove, and prevent the enemy from drawing salary.First of all, only when we clearly understand the importance of the fire under the pot, will we strictly guard against the pot.Only under strict supervision can the enemy be repulsed before they draw their salaries.Or at least it can be discovered in time when the salary is taken away, and corresponding measures can be taken to minimize the loss.In addition, it is also very important to cover the pot tightly.After the salary from the bottom of the pot is taken away, cover the pot tightly and keep the remaining temperature of the water, which can buy yourself a certain amount of time to make a remedy.

[-]. Add firewood in time and face difficulties.After Chai is drawn by the opponent, he should not be at a loss and wait passively. It is not too late to "remediate after a dead sheep".It is necessary to pick up firewood in time to reverse the passive situation.Even after the pot is destroyed, it can be rebuilt elsewhere and revived.

In a word, to use this strategy and guard against it, you need to improve your quality, increase your knowledge, and increase your strategy. This is the key to the effectiveness of this strategy and the key to victory.

Examples of Wisdom
US Army's "Hunger" War
The key to "drawing from the bottom of the pot" is to gain insight into the opponent, know its root, find and aim at its lifeline, and make moves steadily, accurately, ruthlessly, and quickly in order to receive actual results.

During World War II, Japan, as an island country, lacked resources and relied on imports for many materials.After the outbreak of the Pacific War, with the expansion of military industry, Japan's imports of strategic materials and industrial raw materials increased significantly, and the sea line of communication became the lifeline for Japan's survival.

In view of this situation, the U.S. military decided to strike at Japan's vital points, strangling its lifeline, and subduing it in one fell swoop.This battle code-named "Hunger" is tantamount to drawing salary from the bottom of the pot for Japan's economic potential and military industrial production.

At the beginning of the US military operation, it encountered difficulties.Because the Japanese army deployed a large number of mine barriers and anti-submarine nets in the coastal waters of Kyushu, Shikoku, and Honshu, coupled with the threat of coastal defense artillery fire, it was difficult for US submarines and surface ships to enter Japan's coastal waters to carry out mine-laying missions.But what is gratifying to the U.S. military is that with the development of strategic bombing, the Japanese military's aviation power has been severely weakened, and the air supremacy in Japan's offshore areas has been firmly in the hands of the U.S. military. The conditions for using aircraft to implement aerial mines are ripe.

In January 1945, the U.S. military dispatched B-1 bombers to lay 29 mines in the waters of Cam Ranh Bay, Saigon and Singapore in Vietnam.This was the first large-scale aerial mine-laying operation carried out by the U.S. military in World War II, and it was also an actual combat exercise for the upcoming large-scale mine-laying against Japan.

The US military's "Hunger" campaign lasted a total of four and a half months. Its successful implementation almost completely destroyed the sea transportation that was crucial to Japan. From March to August 1945, the transportation volume of the Shimonoseki Strait dropped by 3%; and the import of materials in the Seto Inland Sea also dropped by 8%, because only small ships such as motor sailing ships could pass, and oil, coal, and food, etc., were urgently needed for the war. The supply of strategic materials was almost interrupted.In addition, due to the shortage of raw materials, Japanese military enterprises stopped production or shut down one after another; a large number of Japanese aircraft and ships were forced to ground and suspend flights due to the extreme lack of fuel, which directly affected the combat effectiveness of the troops; due to the interruption of shipping, 98 million tons of rice They are piled up in the port of North Korea and cannot be transshipped.The food supply in Japan is extremely difficult, because the needs of the army must be prioritized, and the food supply of the Japanese people is reduced to a minimum. People are starving and struggling on the hunger line.

When the U.S. military carried out this strategic offensive to mine mines, it was fully prepared and well-planned.The coordinated cooperation of sea and air forces, the concentration of input forces, the vast sea area of ​​mines, and the intensive intensity of mines are unprecedented.Especially in the last two and a half months, the U.S. military dispatched 878 sorties and laid 7 bombs. It achieved unprecedented and remarkable results, and finally realized the complete and complete blockade of Japanese maritime traffic. All suffered extremely heavy blows, which greatly accelerated Japan's complete defeat.

The "Hunger" campaign can be said to be the largest and most effective battle example in which the strategy of "drawing wages from the bottom" was used in the Second World War.This move of the U.S. military hit the Achilles heel of Japan, and finally sent the Japanese army to the point of no return.

The ship king directly hits the "bottom salary"

The strategy of "drawing salaries from the bottom of the pot" is used in military struggles.Similarly, it can be used flexibly in business warfare to achieve miraculous effects. In the early 20s, the Greek shipping tycoon Onassis used the strategy of "drawing wages from the bottom of the pot" and almost won Saudi Arabia's oil shipping rights, realizing his dream of becoming an oil king.

At that time, the American oil company Aramco and its shareholders not only monopolized the right to exploit Saudi Arabian oil, but also tightly protected their privilege with tangible and invisible walls.Attempting to get involved in the oil exploration here is simply whimsical.Onassis, who dreamed of becoming an oil magnate, carefully studied the operation of Aramco and the monopoly contract between Aramco and the King of Saudi Arabia for oil exploitation.According to the contract, Aramco will pay Saudi Arabia a considerable amount of royalties for every ton of oil produced.After the oil is extracted, it is shipped around the world by Aramco's fleet.Onassis also found that oil wouldn't get the market value it deserved if it wasn't shipped out of Saudi Arabia.At that time, the cost of land transportation was too high to compare with the advantages of sea transportation.

Therefore, Onassis concluded that Aramco is prosperous because of its maritime rights.As long as it manages to monopolize Saudi Arabia's oil shipping rights, Aramco's power will be greatly weakened, and it will be able to force it to transfer part of the company's shares.In this way, he can realize his long-cherished wish to directly intervene in the oil industry.In short, Onassis decided to single-handedly withdraw the "salary" under Aramco's pot.

(End of this chapter)