Chapter 4 · Chaos Stratagems
混水摸魚
Hún shuǐ mō yú
Fish in Troubled Water
混水摸魚
muddy · water · grope · fish
Stir up confusion, then reach in and grab what you want while nobody can see clearly.
今 Today
A reorg already has everyone unsure who owns what — and you keep the water muddy, a vague reply here, a breezy "oh, I thought you had that" there, while you fold the three leftover projects your team always wanted into your own group. By the time the water settles, they're yours.
反 When it backfires
Muddy water hides everyone's hands, not just yours. Stir the pot and a bolder fisher may grab the thing you were reaching for — or grab you.