Sou Hu Cai Jing·2026-01-16 08:56Core Viewpoint - The article critiques the current state of Chinese companies, particularly platform giants like Ctrip, for prioritizing profit over social value, suggesting that this focus on growth has led to a distorted business ethos [2][4][12]. Group 1: Company Performance and Impact - Ctrip reported a net profit of 19.9 billion yuan in the third quarter, averaging over 200 million yuan per day, which is more than the combined earnings of its upstream and downstream partners in the industry [2]. - The article highlights that the suffering is not limited to Ctrip but extends to other platform companies like Meituan, Pinduoduo, and Douyin, indicating a broader issue within the platform economy [3]. Group 2: Business Philosophy and Values - The growth mindset of Chinese companies has become overly performance-oriented, treating financial metrics as the sole purpose of existence, which is seen as a fundamental misunderstanding of business [4][5]. - The essence of a company should not be merely profit generation but rather solving social problems, as articulated by business theorists like Coase, Schumpeter, and Drucker [6][11]. Group 3: Ethical Considerations and Responsibilities - The article argues that the current approach of companies, driven by metrics and monopolistic practices, leads to societal discontent and a loss of ethical grounding [10][12]. - Companies are urged to reflect on their societal impact and responsibilities, questioning whether their existence benefits the world or merely serves their own growth ambitions [14].