b.孫子兵法 (計篇第一) (Chapter 1 - 5) (Part 6)

始 計 篇 第 一

孫 子 曰 ： 兵 者 ， 國 之 大 事 ， 死 生 之 地 ， 存 亡 之 道， 不 可 不 察 也 。
 　 　 故 經 之 以 五 事 ， 校 之 以 計 ， 而 索 其 情 ， 一 曰 道 ，二 曰 天 ， 三 曰 地 ， 四 曰 將 ， 五 曰 法 。
 　 　 道 者 ， 令 民 與 上 同 意 ， 可 與 之 死 ， 可 與 之 生 ， 而 不 畏 危 也 。 天 者， 陰 陽 ， 寒 暑 ， 時 制 也 。 地 者 ， 遠 近 ， 險 易 ， 廣 狹 ，死 生 也 。 將 者 ，智 ， 信 ， 仁 ， 勇 ， 嚴 也 。 法 者 ， 曲 制 ， 官 道 ， 主 用 也。 凡 此 五 者 ， 將 莫 不 聞 ， 知 之 者 勝 ， 不 知 者 不 勝 。
  　 　 故 校 之 以 計 ， 而 索 其 情 。 曰 ： 主 孰 有 道 ， 將 孰 有 能 ， 天 地 孰 得 ，法 令 孰 行 ， 兵 眾 孰 強 ， 士 卒 孰 練 ， 賞 罰 孰 明 ， 吾 以 此 知 勝 負 矣 。 將 聽 吾 計 ， 用 之 必 勝 ， 留 之 ； 將 不 聽 吾 計 ， 用 之 必 敗 ， 去 之 。
 　 　 計 利 以 聽 ， 乃 為 之 勢 ， 以 佐 其 外 ； 勢 者 ， 因 利 而 制 權 也 。
 　 　 兵 者 ， 詭 道 也 。 故 能 而 示 之 不 能 ， 用 而 示 之 不 用， 近 而 示 之 遠 ，遠 而 示 之 近 。 利 而 誘 之 ， 亂 而 取 之 ， 實 而 備 之 ， 強 而 避 之 ， 怒 而 撓 之， 卑 而 驕 之 ， 佚 而 勞 之 ， 親 而 離 之 。 攻 其 無 備 ， 出 其 不 意 ， 此 兵 家 之勝 ， 不 可 先 傳 也 。
 　 　 夫 未 戰 而 廟 算 勝 者 ， 得 算 多 也 ； 未 戰 而 廟 算 不 勝 者 ， 得 算 少 也 ；多 算 勝 ， 少 算 不 勝 ， 而 況 於 無 算 乎 ？ 吾 以 此 觀 之 ， 勝負 見 矣 。

Some translation suggested:
"The General stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, courage and strictness."
"By Rule is to be understood the marshaling of the army in its proper subdivisions, the graduations of rank among the officers, the maintenance of roads by which supplies may reach the army, and the control of military expenditure."
"These five common factors should be familiar to every general: he who knows them will be victorious; he who knows them not will fail."

The fourth common factor SunTzu is 將 - the General.

In war terms, it is easily understood.

In business terms, it simply means engaging good workers for the task ahead. I have mentioned earlier that everyone is cunning. Everyone is a liar. Everyone is a trickster. Everyone is selfish. Everyone is a thief. Everyone can be a murderer if forced to be one. Hence, everyone is a killer if ever tested. If driven to the extreme, one will sell their kids for money as child prostitutes or limbless beggars, eat their kids live for food. The stories in the long march in communist china during the 1940s were not well-narrated. They only tell you that they consumed tree bark as food when they are hungry and yet, they can travel on foot for 10,000 km.

In another words, they have created a perpetual machine. No protein input but yet can have protein output for the muscles to march. What a big mind-fuck, trying to immortalize their victory over the imperials and establish their rule. Now you understand why, if ever their rule is threatened, they can roll their tanks over students in tiananmen square. AND later pretended that they are only foot soldiers, merely only obeying orders. How can they release power when they have used blood and sweat to get it in the first place. It is really a kid's dream that human can reason with one another.

How then to work with these people? It is only through honesty and earnestness. Therefore, never try to outfox them. They are extremely intelligent. They exist for a reason. Never try to lie to them. Move them only through honesty. Your one and only choiced weapon is honesty. Many people always ask me what makes them tick? Frankly, I don't give a damn.

The answer is plain, but yet no one plays this game properly. I have always been laughed at. Why am I so generous in the first place. I paid for food, I paid for drinks, all the time. My explanation is simple: 3 strikes and you are out. When I finished treating for 3 rounds and yet I don't see any return of treats. I am out of there. No ifs, no buts. It is that simple. If a person is leecher, he will never invest in that relationship and he will not return that treat. Then I would have saved thousands if not hundreds of thousands of future money. I simply can't imagine. If I have trusted them, they wouldn’t pay for my services, they wouldn’t pay for my products when in crisis.

Then, some closed ones asked me, why don't I explain myself to them. NO. I am not a teacher, I don't teach them to be wise.

That's why LIFT explained that to gain a foot-hold into a new society. One has to invest first by being nice to them. Never expect the locals to treat you fairly, not when you haven't even showed them that you are nice and fair. How wisely and fairly put!

For those that passed the test, I would invest a little further. The relationship will slowly blossom. Many closed ones have laughed at me for being so stupid in the first place. What happened is that these people whom I have "invested in" in the first place not only return my treats, they doubled-up for fear of losing me as a friend. They were amused by the things these people do to win my favours. They will invest in my ventures and work tirelessly and honestly for fear that I might not include them in my next ventures. Such is the power of honest generals. They march in my name.

The fifth common factor SunTzu is 法 - the Rule.

By having established rules, the army is disciplined and willing to die for the king.

This is not true. There is only one rule: The rule of fairness.

Never take advantage of them. Once they have done a good job. Reward them. If they have done a bad job, remove them.

You must never reward for bad behavior, no matter what happened, i.e., no past history, no future hope.

If a gal throws a tantrum for not dating me or willing to talk to me. Just leave her alone. It can be 1 week, a month, 3 months or even 6 months. She will turn around and beg me to forgive her ill-behavior. If I had rewarded her instead by buying flowers and pander to her needs, I will be condemned to more evil deeds.

SunTzu said, "These five common factors should be familiar to every general: he who knows them will be victorious; he who knows them not will fail." True.

b.Her Daughter

The mother, 0.50000 has a beautiful daughter, 0.25000. After I have conquered her mother, then I will try my luck on the daughter. Right now, due to timing issue, I can't propose a dangerous liaison for her mother. Soon, I hope, soon ... This is so dangerous that I must tread with care. I don't wish to be murdered before sunrise. Courtship is so fun and yet so deadly. I have no friends to ask for help but yet, I need that little help in each turn. Some times I go into some self-pity. But, what else can I do but to swallow up everything whole and grit my teeth. Life can only be easier each step that I don't ask for help. A little longer way, longer time, longer effort, but yet the shortest path.

四张机。鸳鸯织就欲双飞。可怜未老头先白。春波碧草，晓寒深处，相对浴红衣。

The song is here. 

江城子（乙卯正月二十日记梦）
苏轼
十年生死两茫茫，不思量，自难忘。千里孤坟，无处话凄凉。纵使相逢应不识，尘满面，鬓如霜。 夜来幽梦忽还乡，小轩窗，正梳妆。相顾无言，惟有泪千行。料得年年肠断处，明月夜，短松冈。

b.孫子兵法 (計篇第一) (Chapter 1 - 4) (Part 5)

始 計 篇 第 一

孫 子 曰 ： 兵 者 ， 國 之 大 事 ， 死 生 之 地 ， 存 亡 之 道， 不 可 不 察 也 。

　 　 故 經 之 以 五 事 ， 校 之 以 計 ， 而 索 其 情 ， 一 曰 道 ，二 曰 天 ， 三 曰 地 ， 四 曰 將 ， 五 曰 法 。
　 　 道 者 ， 令 民 與 上 同 意 ， 可 與 之 死 ， 可 與 之 生 ， 而 不 畏 危 也 。 天 者， 陰 陽 ， 寒 暑 ， 時 制 也 。 地 者 ， 遠 近 ， 險 易 ， 廣 狹 ，死 生 也 。 將 者 ，智 ， 信 ， 仁 ， 勇 ， 嚴 也 。 法 者 ， 曲 制 ， 官 道 ， 主 用 也。 凡 此 五 者 ， 將 莫 不 聞 ， 知 之 者 勝 ， 不 知 者 不 勝 。

　 　 故 校 之 以 計 ， 而 索 其 情 。 曰 ： 主 孰 有 道 ， 將 孰 有 能 ， 天 地 孰 得 ，法 令 孰 行 ， 兵 眾 孰 強 ， 士 卒 孰 練 ， 賞 罰 孰 明 ， 吾 以 此 知 勝 負 矣 。 將 聽 吾 計 ， 用 之 必 勝 ， 留 之 ； 將 不 聽 吾 計 ， 用 之 必 敗 ， 去 之 。

　 　 計 利 以 聽 ， 乃 為 之 勢 ， 以 佐 其 外 ； 勢 者 ， 因 利 而 制 權 也 。

　 　 兵 者 ， 詭 道 也 。 故 能 而 示 之 不 能 ， 用 而 示 之 不 用， 近 而 示 之 遠 ，遠 而 示 之 近 。 利 而 誘 之 ， 亂 而 取 之 ， 實 而 備 之 ， 強 而 避 之 ， 怒 而 撓 之， 卑 而 驕 之 ， 佚 而 勞 之 ， 親 而 離 之 。 攻 其 無 備 ， 出 其 不 意 ， 此 兵 家 之勝 ， 不 可 先 傳 也 。

　 　 夫 未 戰 而 廟 算 勝 者 ， 得 算 多 也 ； 未 戰 而 廟 算 不 勝 者 ， 得 算 少 也 ；多 算 勝 ， 少 算 不 勝 ， 而 況 於 無 算 乎 ？ 吾 以 此 觀 之 ， 勝負 見 矣 。

Some translation suggested:
"Heaven signifies night and day, winter and summer, times and seasons. Ground comprises far and near; danger and secured; open and narrow; the chances of life and death."

The second common factor SunTzu is 天 - the Heaven.

The factors within the Heaven cannot be dictated by the warrior. SunTzu respected this. He recognised that regardless of how powerful a warrior we try to be, we can never fight the Heaven factors. These factors maybe random or have a fixed pattern. They come and go like wind. Some times they favour the warrior, most other times  they favour the enemies, the deeply entrenched.

Those who have not watched the show - The Longest Day. Please watch it. The Allied forces invaded in the worst weather and on the most impossible beach, Normandy. In exchange, the Germans did not even believe it, not even mobilize their panzer tanks  to counter the attack. Any retaliations from the Germans within the first 24 hours of landing. The Allied landing would have failed and we all will be speaking Deutsch or Japanese. The world would have been very different from now. Luckily, the Allied Forces has won the battle and bought with them at least 100-200 years dominion over the world. This is only good news for the first 100 years, after that the Allied is no different from Germans or Japanese during war. They simply have not enough to feed themselves.

In business terms, never choose a Heaven timing or element that the enemies expects. Choose the worst possibilities. This was how I started, as at that time, no one dares to venture into the business alone. I did it during the worst recession. The factors of production were unusually cheap and that gave me time to establish my base. When the recession was finally over, I was also already established. At the same time, the high cost of start-up created a beautiful barrier of entry for me and warded off many of the young start-ups. That again gave me time to play with the established players. Bit by bit, I encroached the established players and worn them down. Some weaker established players were removed from their games. My ranking has improved steadily over the years.

The third common factor SunTzu is 地 - the Ground.

The factors within the Ground can be dictated by the warrior. He suggested that there is always a path that makes the ground of engagement easier.

During the Normandy landing, the Allied forces, instead of choosing the simplest path of leaving from Dover, cross the narrowest part of the English channel and land in Calais during the beautiful month of stormless month of May, chose instead to invade in Jun (the worst month where the channel is so stormy that I vomited during the entire journey, the waves were more than 6 storeys high during my short trip to Paris in Jul) and land in cliff-infested Normandy.

In business terms, we are free to choose the ground elements to engage our enemies. Always choose the elements that the enemies wouldn't believe we will engage them in. That way, we will always maintain a surprise approach for the enemies.

Like the business trade type I chose, I chose the business type where no established players dare to tread, as it was the hardest and the smallest pie. The established players were complacent on the easier and bigger pies. So I sneaked in and do all the small and hard pies. Once established, my forte cannot be invaded as it was hard and little profit (but I was nimble and willing to take smaller fees), I then started to invade their juicy pies. Little by little, their fat pies are now reduced by me and some established players closed their doors and sired their entire pies to me.

The first chapter in SunTzu's Art of War is key to his entire life-experience. Mastering this chapter alone would have helped gain great inroads into our business conquest. Be Pleasantly Surprised !!!