Why are the million-dollar store managers so afraid? Let's talk about the 'power game' among the senior executives at Haidilao.

Many people don't understand why those senior executives at Haidilao, who have long achieved financial freedom, still work tirelessly and travel the world visiting stores?

Is it for the ever-increasing stock prices? No, it's for dopamine.

At the top of the power pyramid in Haidilao, there is a mechanism called 'Dian Pao,' which is more primitive and terrifying than any KPI assessment.

A store manager earning 100,000 a month in Shenzhen or 200,000 a month in Taiwan is already seen as a 'king of labor' in the eyes of ordinary people, but to the higher-ups, they are just an NPC that can be reset at any time.

1. The ultimate power is 'identity deprivation.'

Ordinary companies punish by deducting money or demoting.

Here, as long as the higher-ups find you displeasing (even just a service attitude issue), a single word can turn you from a 'local emperor' into a 'runner弟弟.'

This kind of power that can instantly kick you from the clouds into the mud is more addictive than earning a few billion. This is not just management; it is a thrill of 'personality reset.'

2. From 'management studies' to 'theology.'

What are the consequences of this mechanism? It is a religious worship by all.

The preferences of the higher-ups become imperial edicts, with how many slices of lemon to cut, how much ice to add to the water, all recited by everyone. Even in private conversations, mentioning the names of the higher-ups requires sitting up straight, as if the wizards in Harry Potter dare not speak Voldemort's name.

When money is no longer a scarce resource, 'absolute control over others' becomes the new hard currency. What they cling to is not Haidilao, but the platform that allows them to play the role of 'God.'

Money buys freedom, while absolute power buys followers.

Beneath the guise of modern corporate systems lies the oldest game of rulers and subjects.