Chapter 5 Fifth letter: have the determination to compete

Motto: I do not welcome war, I destroy competitors. Even if you lose, the only thing you should do is to lose openly. Crutches cannot replace strong and strong feet, we have to stand up on our own feet. (These is no retreat but in submission and savvy! Our chains are forged! The war is inevitable, and let it come) February 19, 1901 Dear John: I have some bad news for you. Mr. Benson passed away, just last night.I am very depressed. Mr. Benson, my old rival and one of the few opponents whom I respected, impressed me deeply with his extraordinary ability, tenacity of will and grace.

To this day, I remember the joke he made to me after our alliance, he said, "Mr. Rockefeller, you are a relentless and perfect predator, and it would make me very sad to lose to those scoundrels. Because it's like being robbed, but playing against someone who plays by the rules like you, win or lose, it's fun." At the time, I couldn't tell whether Benson was complimenting me or complimenting me, and I told him, "Mr. Benson, if you could replace the predator with the conqueror, I think I'd be happy to take it." He laughed. I greatly admire those warriors who are still fighting bravely in the face of the enemy, and Mr. Benson is such a person.Before Benson turned me into an enemy, I had just defeated the largest railroad company in the United States, the Pennsylvania Railroad, and successfully subdued the fourth and last major railroad company in the United States, the Baltimore Ohio Railroad.In this way, together with my most loyal allies-the Erie Railroad and the New York Central Railroad, all the four major railroads in the United States have become tame tools in my hands.

At the same time, the Standard Oil pipeline was gradually extended to the oil field, and I gained absolute control of all the major oil pipelines connecting the oil wells and the main rail lines. Frankly speaking, at that time my influence had extended to every corner of the oil industry, such as oil production, oil refining, transportation, and market. They are rich, and it can also make them worthless.But there are people who ignore my authority, like Mr. Benson. Mr benson is an ambitious businessman who wants to build a pipeline from bradford to williamsport to rescue the independent oil producers who are eager to break free from my shackles, lest they be crushed by me , Of course, the idea of ​​wanting to make a fortune out of it is more dominant in his foray into my territory.

The oil pipeline, which connects northeastern Pennsylvania to the west, has been advancing at an astonishing speed since the beginning.This caused me great concern.John, any competition is not an easy game, it's a dynamic game that requires close attention, constant decision making, otherwise, if you don't pay attention, you lose. Mr. Benson is causing trouble and I have to tell him to stop.At first I started to compete with Benson with a set of obviously unwise tactics: I bought a long and narrow piece of land along the Pennsylvania state line from north to south at a high price, trying to stop Benson from advancing, but Benson took a detour The way I used to defuse the heavy punch I hit, and as a result, I became a landlord who did nothing, but made the farmers there rich overnight.Then I mobilized the power of my allies and asked the railway company not to allow any oil pipelines to cross their railways. Benson followed suit and successfully broke through again.In the end, I wanted to use the power of the government to stop Benson, but I didn't succeed. I just watched Benson become a hero.

I know that I have encountered a formidable enemy, but he cannot shake my determination to compete, because the 110-mile pipeline is my biggest threat. If crude oil is allowed to flow unhindered there, it will flow to New York , then Benson and the others will replace me as the new owner of the oil refining industry in New York, and the same amount will cause me to lose control of the Bradford oil field.This is something I cannot allow. Of course, I don’t want to kill them all and trap them to death. My real goal is to get what I want without too high a price—I can’t let Benson and the others mess around and destroy the market I’ve worked so hard to build Order, destroy my control over the Petroleum, which is my life.So, when the snake was about to start surging, I proposed to Benson that I wanted to buy their stock.But unfortunately, they refused.

This pissed off a lot of us.Mr. O'Day, who runs the company's pipeline operations, is going to destroy it by force to punish those who don't know what to do.I hate this kind of evil and despicable idea. Only incompetent people would do such despicable things. I told O'Day: Kill your stupid idea!It never occurred to me that I would lose, but even if I did, the only thing I should do is lose openly. Anyone who can get behind the scenes without getting caught will almost certainly gain a competitive advantage.However, evil and immoral behavior is very dangerous and it can cost him a loss of dignity and possibly even imprisonment.And any deceitful and unethical behavior cannot last long and become a solid business strategy. It will only destroy the overall situation and make the future more difficult or even impossible.We must pay attention to rules, because rules can create relationships, relationships will bring long-term business, and good deals will create more deals, otherwise, we will end our good luck early.

In my nature I do not welcome competition, I destroy competitors.But I don't need an ugly victory, I want to win well, thoroughly and decently.Just when Benson was complacent and enjoying his success, I launched a series of offensives against him that made it difficult for him to parry.I sent people to send large orders to oil storage tank manufacturers, asking them to guarantee production and deliver on time, so that they have no time to take care of other customers, including Benson. Without oil storage tanks, oil producers can only dump the extracted crude oil into the wilderness Then Mr. Benson secretly accepts not the oil to be shipped, but a loud complaint.At the same time, I drastically lowered the price of pipeline transportation, attracting a large number of refiners who rely on Benson to transport crude oil and turned them into our customers. Before that, I had quickly acquired several refineries in New York to prevent them from becoming Benson. Sen's client.

An excellent commander will not attack a bunker that has nothing to do with him, but will try his best to destroy the bunker that is enough to capture the whole city.Every time I strike where Mr. Benson is out of luck, I am the victor.Less than a year after the construction of what was said to be the longest oil pipeline in the world, Mr. Benson capitulated, and he offered to make peace with me.I know this is not their intention, but they know very well that if they continue to fight against me, what awaits them will only suffer a worse defeat. John, every vital rivalry is a fateful battle, "Back back is surrender! Back up is slavery!" War is inevitable, let it come!And in this world, competition will never stop for a moment, and we have no time to rest.All we can do is go out to the challenges and competitions that come with steely resolve, and with high spirits and enjoyment, otherwise, no good results will come.

If you want to win in the competition, the most important thing is that you have to stay alert. When you keep seeing your opponent trying to weaken you, that is the beginning of the competition.At this time, you need to know what you have, and you need to know that friendliness and warmth may harm you, and then it is the skill of using all resources to win. Of course, if you want to win the competition, courage is only one aspect of winning, and strength is also needed.Crutches cannot replace strong and powerful feet. We have to stand up on our own feet. If your feet are not strong enough to support you, you should not give up and admit defeat. Instead, you should work hard to hone, strengthen, and develop your feet. Let them work.

I think Mr. Benson would agree with me in heaven too. love your father