In the complex jungle of the corporate world, we deal with all sorts of people. Some are allies you can fight alongside, while others are ‘demons’ who smile to your face and plot your downfall. Even with years of experience, it’s easy to misjudge someone. My third job taught me a profound lesson about navigating a world of both ‘angels and demons.’
The Landing, the Pawn, and the Four Auras
In 2013, at 33, I was a seasoned professional with nearly a decade of experience. I joined the branch office of a packaging machinery company as a salesperson. I thought my experience would allow me to hit the ground running, but I had unknowingly stepped into a minefield of office politics.
The sales department was a tense environment. Two people had just left, leaving only four employees. I later learned that my arrival was part of a bigger plan. The company had a new general manager, and I was a pawn in his strategy to implement change.
For veteran employees accustomed to the old ways, any change is a threat. Resistance is an instinct, a matter of human nature rather than character. From the moment I stepped into the office, I could feel four distinct auras.
Rita was the most senior domestic salesperson, a top performer who had worked her way up from a sales assistant over six years. She knew the products inside and out, was a powerful speaker, and carried an air of unshakeable authority. She was sharp, direct, and radiated a “don’t mess with me” vibe.
Rain, an overseas salesperson, was petite but wore a massive “diamond” ring to work, rumored to have a handsome and successful boyfriend. She lacked ambition, had a bit of a “princess” attitude, and never minced her words.
Ms. X, the sales assistant, was a fascinating character. Also petite, she came to work every day dressed to the nines, with flawless makeup and a new outfit. I later found out she would buy the latest fashions, wear them once, and then return them. She was perpetually late but completely unbothered, considering herself the “office beauty.” Her worldview was simple: any man who looked at her twice was in love with her, and any woman who did the same was jealous. She was a transparent, petty person, but her simplicity was almost charming.
These three women kept a polite but cold distance from me. One afternoon, during a power outage, they left early and locked me inside the building while I was studying in the workshop. In that moment, a profound sense of isolation washed over me. I felt that making friends with any of them would be impossible.
However, I didn’t realize then that the true “demon” often wears the friendliest mask.
The Helping Hand and the Hidden Agenda
The 4th colleague was Jet. A man in his early thirties with a shaved head and a scholarly appearance. In those early days when the others ostracized me, he was the only one who showed me kindness. He would greet me with a smile, patiently teach me about the work, and share “office secrets.” For a newcomer desperate to fit in, his goodwill was a lifeline. Despite my decade of experience, I saw him as a trustworthy ally.
But gradually, my professional instincts picked up on something beneath his gentle facade. He would subtly hide order information and contact details for important clients. In an era when the company was just starting to use CRM software and management was chaotic, this went unnoticed. He had befriended me only to use me as a cover for his own plans.
Eventually, he resigned. The handover took only a day, a messy pile of scattered documents. When I discovered that the information for our biggest client, H, and another major client, C, was completely missing, even the new GM seemed helpless. He clearly didn’t want to make a scene. As a new manager, he didn’t want anyone to know his transition wasn’t going smoothly. It was then I understood just how cunning Jet’s scheme was.
The real explosion came after I took a few days off for a family emergency. My father-in-law was ill, and I returned to my hometown where the cell signal was poor. One of Jet’s old clients couldn’t reach me and contacted him instead. He seized the opportunity, complaining to the GM that I was unprofessional and irresponsible. I returned from my leave to a barrage of unfair accusations.
In that moment, I was overwhelmed with anger and a sense of injustice. I realized I could find another job, but I couldn’t lose my dignity. I refused to be a silent victim.
What disgusted me most was his practice of “stealing orders”—taking the company’s clients and serving them privately to pocket the difference. I’ve always believed in earning money honorably. I’d rather wash dishes in a restaurant after work than engage in such betrayal. Money earned through honest work is money you can spend with a clear conscience.
I hardened my resolve. I would fight back. If Jet wanted to build his own business on our company’s clients, I would take them back, fair and square.
The Reconnaissance
The first step in my counterattack was intelligence gathering. I began to study every file he had left on his computer about clients H and C and cross-referenced them with physical order forms from the production department, just in case he had deleted or altered key information before leaving.
I quickly built a profile of the two clients:
•Client H: Placed large and frequent orders, especially for spare parts. The upside was that their constant need for communication offered many entry points. The downside was that their high-value orders came with extremely detailed requirements, making it a difficult account for me to handle, having only been at the company for a month or two.
•Client C: Placed one massive order per year, usually a full container of machines and parts. Like H, they were a high-value client. Jet had often bragged that he and the owner of C were “good friends” and that he had even hosted him for dinner at his home. “You’ll never win this client,” he had boasted.
Faced with these two tough nuts to crack, especially Client C, who was deeply tied to Jet through a supposed “friendship,” I decided to tackle them one at a time. I would start with Client H, the one who required the most frequent contact.
My logic was simple: Client H needed constant after-sales support and parts. After Jet’s departure, he wouldn’t be able to solve many of their problems on his own. The client had to be getting anxious. If I could just re-establish contact, I had a chance.
A covert war for information, trust, and business had just begun.
To be continued…
Coming Next: The Counterattack: How I Won Back My Client from a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
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