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Chapter 1 · Winning Stratagems

借刀殺人

Jiè dāo shā rén

Kill with a Borrowed Knife

General Bao acting out Kill with a Borrowed Knife
General Bao demonstrates 借刀殺人 — Kill with a Borrowed Knife.
借刀殺人 borrow · knife · kill · person

Let someone else do your dirty work. Their hand swings the blade; your fingerprints are nowhere.

今 Today

You want the deafening open-plan seating gone but don't want to be the villain. So the new fire-safety auditor "happens" to tour at peak Friday chaos. Facilities condemns the layout. You just nodded along, concerned.

反 When it backfires

Borrowed knives have their own grip. Point the auditor at the open plan and they may flag your whole floor — including the corner desk you love.