The shifts in these two men's mindsets before and after actually reflected just how consummate Meng Zhao's methods of dealing with people had become.
By now, Meng Zhao had long since moved beyond rudimentary tactics for winning people over. He would not show desperate thirst for talent whenever he met someone, excessively elevate them, and debase himself too much. That would only make it easier for others to lose sight of who he truly was.
Take Li Yuan and Yao Jun, for instance. In Meng Zhao's eyes, their martial arts were like those of ants, nothing remarkable. As for their status, they had no exceptional background either—pure, unadulterated river pirate stock. They were naturally beneath the Meng family in status, and by a great deal.
If Meng Zhao had immediately fussed over them and displayed immense goodwill and tolerance, those two fools might well have failed to recognize their own status, actually thinking Meng Zhao was some soft-boned pushover they could bully, and started putting on airs.
Some people were cheap skins who feared might but bore no gratitude. Appropriately elevating oneself and suppressing others was greatly helpful in managing the relationship between both sides.
Besides, Meng Zhao was not merely cold and overbearing. He continuously adjusted and changed with circumstances as they developed.
For example, after hearing Li Yuan's reply, Meng Zhao smiled faintly. The coldness vanished from his expression, replaced by warmth and calm as he said slowly,
"So you are men of the chief. Then you are not outsiders. Sit down first, and let us talk!"
That was the change. His previous coldness and dominance, followed now by warmth and intimacy—the contrast and the stir it created far surpassed simple humility in recruiting worthy men. It also made it easier to disrupt the other party's little calculations