Laugh at Airplane Bro, understand Airplane Bro, become Airplane Bro.
Most of us can’t escape this cycle.
I recently rewatched the old Hong Kong film Election (2005). It hit me differently this time.
I saw the shadow of so many real people in one gangster character — including myself.
This person had beliefs, fought hard, and like most people, ended up with nothing.
His name is Airplane Bro (Fei Ji Gor).
Many look down on him. There’s a common saying: “A gangster without brains will be Airplane Bro for life.”
But that’s unfair. He wasn’t stupid — in fact, many details show he was pretty smart.
His mistake is one that many of us make:
He tried to navigate the underworld using an exam-taker’s logic — the same way a corporate drone climbs the ladder.
Today, let’s talk about Airplane Bro and see what this “gangster exam-taker” reveals about the exam-taker dilemma, the rat race trap, and the real rules of the world.
01 Airplane Bro’s Skills Would Make Him Employee of the Month
Airplane Bro’s first iconic scene: eating a ceramic spoon.
Bullied by a triad boss, he doesn’t flinch. He crushes the spoon, pours the shards into his mouth, and swallows. Even my throat hurt watching.
A man this cruel to himself will be even crueler to others.
In later fights, he either holds his own against multiple attackers or wins one-on-one cleanly.
With that level of skill and dedication, in any normal company, he’d be Employee of the Year.
He’d give a speech at the annual party, get a bonus, and have his photo on the honor roll — not the wall of shame, the honor roll.
Smart companies actively promote this career path. They give out free praise and encourage everyone to follow the example of employees like Airplane Bro.
Triads are no different.
They hype up guys like him — because, as we’ve discussed before, even gangsters need ideology. Every meeting, they praise Airplane Bro to the skies: “If you want to be a gangster, learn from Comrade Airplane Bro.”
Because people like him are just too useful.
Good for grabbing turf. Good for internal purges. Bosses — corporate or criminal — love employees like this.
So Lok says: “Everyone knows the baddest man by my side is Airplane Bro.”
And Airplane Bro feels great — just like an office worker praised by their boss.
Say it enough times, and he believes it.
02 The Exam-Taker Mentality: Believing Hard Work Pays Off
We watch the movie with God’s perspective. We see the full picture. Airplane Bro doesn’t.
When you’re inside a system that constantly encourages you, praises you, showers you with flowers and applause — you naturally believe it’s the best system in the world, the truest truth.
That’s why, when Airplane Bro fights a crowd alone, he shouts:
“I’m doing this for the society!”
I believe in that moment, he feels a strong moral superiority. He’s proud. He’s fearless. He truly believes he’s on the right path — the triad’s “right path,” of course.
Exam-takers are the same.
Raised in a world where scores measure everything, and having excelled in that system, they’ve been praised everywhere — the “model child” of every family. Naturally, they come to believe that people should be sorted by their scores.
If you don’t study well, don’t get into a good school — you’re just lazy and deserve elimination.
Airplane Bro also looks down on those who aren’t as fearless and loyal as him.
That’s why, at the start of the second film, he suddenly confronts another gangster: “What’s so great about you?”
What he means: in terms of loyalty and contribution to the society, you’ve done nothing. I’m the baddest beside Lok. You’re nothing.
But sadly, the “contribution” he values most means nothing to anyone else.
Lok only praises him when he wants Airplane Bro to kill someone — dangling a carrot: “Take him out, and you’ll be the chairman.” “No one knows you? Once you’re chairman, everyone will.”
And Airplane Bro believes it.
03 Why Does He Believe? Because It’s His Only Frame of Reference
Many viewers think: “This guy is so dumb. How can he fall for such an obvious con?”
Again — God’s perspective.
In reality, Airplane Bro has no reason to doubt. In his value system — the path to success as promoted by the triad — doesn’t a loyal, fearless, self-sacrificing soldier deserve to rise?
Look at me: I fight hard, I’m loyal, I’d die for the society. If I’m not qualified to be chairman, who is?
It’s exactly like a boss patting you on the shoulder: “Work hard, and when the company grows, you’ll be director, you’ll be VP.”
How many corporate slaves have drunk that Kool-Aid and stayed late voluntarily? Even without the hype, people compete with each other — that’s the rat race.
Airplane Bro and us believe the same thing:
If you do your job well enough, work hard enough, stay loyal enough — sooner or later, you’ll get the future your boss promised.
04 But the Real World Doesn’t Reward Contribution — It Rewards Leverage
In reality, your position and resources are rarely determined by how much you contribute.
You think the biggest slice of the pie should go to the biggest contributor? That’s what the books say, and what people say in public.
But in the real world, what you get depends mainly on: How much trouble would they face if they didn’t give it to you? How much leverage do you have?
Or in Chinese internet slang: your “united front value” (tongzhan jiazhi).
Airplane Bro is like the tech expert in a company.
You throw the hardest, dirtiest work at him. He pulls all-nighters, fixes the crisis with bags under his eyes. The boss is happy — pats him on the back, praises him generously, and promises a future full of… free words.
Is such a person important? Yes.
Indispensable? Not necessarily.
Has leverage? Sorry, no.
Airplane Bro is a knife — a sharp knife, very handy. When you’re done using it, you might say “good knife.” But it’s still just a tool.
How do you treat a wrench, pliers, or a toilet plunger? That’s exactly how Lok treats Airplane Bro.
When he needs you, he remembers you. When he doesn’t, go cool your heels somewhere.
If a tool starts dreaming of sitting at the table to divide the pie? Sorry, you’re thinking too much.
05 That’s Why Tech Founders Often Get Pushed Out
When a startup grows, who usually gets kicked out? The technical co-founder.
And those technical types who remain on the board — their fate isn’t determined by how good they are at coding or solving problems. It’s determined by when they finally lift their heads from the code and understand how the real world works.
Is that fair? I don’t know.
But whether it’s fair or not doesn’t matter. That’s how the world runs.
We’re not here to rage against the machine. We’re here to see reality clearly. If this helps someone remember something when facing a life choice — that’s enough.
06 Airplane Bro’s Biggest Mistake — Same as the Exam-Taker’s
They both make the same error: taking the rules of a limited game and applying them to everything.
Airplane Bro believes “contributing to the society” is the highest truth — whoever contributes more should rise higher.
Exam-takers believe test scores, school rankings, and how hard they can grind at work are the true measures of a person.
Their understanding of the world is fundamentally wrong.
Triads don’t care about contribution — that’s just for public speeches. Triads care about who has more money, more followers, better connections.
While Airplane Bro was hacking away at rivals on the street, Jimmy was recharging himself in the snow.
While Airplane Bro was being loyal to his boss, Jimmy was figuring out how to kill his boss.
In the end, Jimmy — the traitor — becomes chairman, sitting elegantly in his luxury car, watching Airplane Bro, the loyalist, being chased down the street with a blade.
07 The World Isn’t Driven by Exam-Taking
The real world isn’t driven by test scores, academic credentials, or how hard people compete in a rat race.
Many complain: “That guy barely finished school, but he’s rich. It’s just family connections, luck, and help from others.”
Yes — exactly. And in the real world, every one of those factors may be more important than education. So why shouldn’t he be rich?
Similarly, many guys without girlfriends complain: girls choose punks — “women are shallow, they just like sweet talk.” Girls choose rich guys — “women are so materialistic.”
What they’re really saying: girls should sort their boyfriends by college entrance exam scores, from highest to lowest.
That’s still exam-taker mentality applied to romance.
08 Laugh at Airplane Bro, Understand Airplane Bro, Become Airplane Bro
The truth is, both Airplane Bro and the exam-takers are masters of limited games.
They’re not stupid — they’re often very smart. Within the rules of the triad or the exam system, they stand at the top of the pyramid.
And that system encourages them. It’s the path that’s publicly praised.
So they believe it’s the universal measure, the eternal law.
“Chop for the society — take this guy out, and you’ll be chairman.”
“Study hard, get into a good university — you’ll be a winner in life.”
“Work hard, stay late — the company will grow, and you’ll be financially free.”
Airplane Bro isn’t dumb. He’s just like many of us: a little naive.
He’s arguably the only gangster in the entire Election duology with a classical, almost tragic nobility.
Like so many of us, he’s trapped in his own beliefs. He never had a channel like this to help him understand how to build real leverage.
So he made a mistake without knowing it.
Sometimes, making a mistake is more serious than committing a crime.
Laugh at Airplane Bro, understand Airplane Bro, and finally — become Airplane Bro.
Most of us can’t escape it.
Comments Section
Have you ever realized — in some part of your life — that you are Airplane Bro?
Or do you know a “Jimmy” in your workplace?
Share your story below.
原文
飞机哥与做题家困境：一个古惑仔教会我的职场真相
嘲笑飞机哥，理解飞机哥，成为飞机哥。
大多数人都逃不脱这个过程。
今天重新看了老电影《古惑仔》，突然很有感触。
我从一个古惑仔的身上，看到了现实中很多人的影子——包括我自己。
这个人跟大多数人一样：有过信念，有过奋斗，最后所有的坚持都化成了一场空。
他就是 飞机哥。
很多人看不起他，常有人说：“古惑仔不用脑，一辈子都是飞机哥。”
但这话真冤枉他了。他不是没脑子——很多细节看得出，他其实挺聪明的。
他犯的错误，是很多人都会犯的：
用做题家的思维混黑社会，用当社畜的路数混帮派。
今天我们就聊聊飞机哥，看看从这个“黑社会做题家”身上，我们能看出点什么。关于做题家困境、内卷陷阱、职场真相——也许比你想的要残酷。
01 飞机哥的业务能力，放到公司里是优秀员工
飞机哥一出场就是名场面：表演吃陶瓷勺子。
面对大佬的霸凌，眉头不皱一下，把勺子碾碎，一把倒进嘴里。看得我嗓子都跟着难受。
对自己都这么狠的人，对别人只能更狠。
后面的几次出手，要么一对多不落下风，要么单对单干净利落。这种业务素质、这种敬业精神，放在一般公司，妥妥是 优秀员工。
每年年会得上台发言，老板包个红包，照片贴在光荣榜上——不是挂墙上那种，是光荣榜。
聪明的公司会刻意宣传这样的职业路径，给这样的员工发各种不要钱的荣誉，号召大家以他们为榜样。
帮派也一样。
内部大概会狠狠表扬飞机哥——就像我们以前聊的，黑社会也要有意识形态。每次开会，把飞机哥这样的人捧上天，反复宣传：你们出来混，就应该向飞机哥同志学习。
因为这样的人，太好用了。
对外抢地盘好用，对内清洗也好用。公司老板也好，社会大哥也罢，爱的就是这样的员工。
所以乐哥说：“谁不知道我乐少身边最猛的就是飞机哥？”
飞机哥听完，大概跟社畜被领导夸了一样——心里美滋滋半天。
说得多了，他就信了。
02 做题家思维：相信“努力就有回报”
我们看电影是上帝视角，知道这些人前前后后怎么回事。但飞机哥不知道。
当你处在一个一直鼓励你、夸奖你、送你鲜花和掌声的体系里，你自然就会认同它，把它当成天下第一棒的体系、最真的真理。
所以电影里，飞机哥一个人单挑一群人的时候，大声喊：
“我为社团做事！”
我相信那一刻，他心里有强烈的道德优越感。他为此自豪，为此无惧。他真心相信自己走在正道上——当然是黑社会的正道上。
做题家也一样。
从小处在分数衡量一切的环境里，又在这套体系里如鱼得水，到哪都是夸奖，都是“别人家的孩子”。自然就会把分数看成一切，从内心认同：人就是应该被分数分成三六九等的。
如果你读书不行、考不上好学校——那说明你自己不努力，活该被淘汰。
飞机哥内心也看不起那些不像他那么敢打敢拼、不为社团卖命的人。
所以第二部一开场，他突然怼东莞仔：“你有啥了不起的？”
他的潜台词是：论忠心、论社团贡献，你东莞仔一点功劳不就抓了个警察吗？跟我比差远了。毕竟我才是乐少身边最猛的。
可惜，他最珍视的“社团贡献”，在别人眼里屁都不是。
乐哥也只有在忽悠他杀人的时候捧他两句，随手画两个大饼：“做掉这个人，你就是话事人。”“没人认识你？没事，当了话事人都认识了。”
然后飞机哥就信了。
03 为什么他会信？因为那是他唯一的坐标系
很多观众觉得：这个货够傻的，这么明显的忽悠，怎么会信？
还是因为我们开了上帝视角。
实际上，飞机哥没有任何理由不信这套忽悠。因为在他信奉的价值观里——或者说在帮派宣传的成功路径里——自己这样的优秀员工上位，不是理所当然的事吗？
你看：我敢打敢拼，忠于大哥，为了社团命都不要了。我没资格当话事人，谁能有资格？
这就像领导拍着你肩膀说：“好好干，等公司起来了，你就是总监，你就是副总。”
一通鸡汤灌下来，有多少社畜干劲十足、主动加班到深夜？别说领导灌鸡汤了，就算没灌，很多人都自发在卷——这就是 内卷 的底层心理机制。
飞机哥和我们一样，都相信一件事：
只要自己的活儿干得够漂亮，态度认真，敢打敢拼，迟早能拿到领导承诺的未来。
04 但真实世界不看贡献，看“统战价值”
实际上，谁取得什么位置、获得多少资源，主要看的从来就不是一个人的贡献有多大。
你觉得功劳大，就应该分最大的蛋糕？书上确实这么写的，明面上也是这么讲的。
但在真实世界，你能获得多少好处，最主要的取决于——如果不给你分那么多蛋糕，可能会造成多大的损失？你能给分蛋糕的人带来多大的麻烦？
换句话说：你的统战价值有多大？
飞机哥这一类人，特别像公司里那种技术专家。
有什么苦活累活，辛苦你上去顶着。等你熬完几个通宵，顶着熊猫眼把问题解决了。老板一开心，拍着你肩膀狠狠夸一顿，然后许给你一堆不要钱的未来。
这样的人重要吗？重要。
不可或缺吗？不一定。
有统战价值吗？抱歉，这个真没有。
飞机哥就是社团里的一把刀——一把快刀，用起来特别顺手。用完了心情好，没准还夸两句。但本质上，它就是一个工具。
大家对待家里的扳手、老虎钳、皮搋子是什么态度？乐哥对飞机哥就是什么态度。
用得着你的时候想起来了，用不着了，哪凉快哪待着去。
如果这把工具还幻想着上桌分蛋糕？不好意思，你想太多了。
05 这就是为什么技术骨干总被踢出局
几个人合伙开公司，等公司壮大以后，一般是谁被踢出局？技术骨干。
而那些还在桌上的技术派们，最后的结局不取决于他们的技术有多好、能攻克多少难题，而是取决于——他们什么时候能从技术里抬起头来，去领悟社会运行的真实规律。
你说这公平吗？我不知道。
但公不公平不重要，世界就是这么运行的。
我们聊这些，不是为了怨天尤人、怒斥世界有多操蛋。而是认清现实。如果小伙伴将来面临人生选择的时候，能想起今天的内容，那可能就是意义所在。
06 飞机哥最大的问题，和做题家一样
他们犯的是同一个错误：把有限范围内的博弈标准，放大到万事万物。
飞机哥把“为社团做贡献”当成天字第一号真理——谁贡献多，谁就应该上位。
做题家们把学习成绩、考什么学校、工作后有多能卷，当成人才的标准。
他们对世界的理解，从根本上就是错的。
帮派看的从来就不是谁贡献大——这种事最多放到台面上想想。帮派比的是谁更有钱、谁小弟更多、谁路子更广。
飞机哥在街上砍人的时候，吉米仔在大雪里给自己充电。
飞机哥为大哥效忠的时候，吉米仔在琢磨怎么干掉大哥。
最后，欺师灭祖的吉米仔上位当了话事人，优雅地坐在豪车里，看着一心为了社团的飞机哥在马路上被人追着砍。
07 世界不是靠做题驱动的
同样的，这个世界也不是靠做题、靠会读书、靠一帮人内卷来驱动的。
很多人喜欢说：“那谁谁谁书都没读几年，怎么一下就发财了？不就是靠着家里、靠着运气好、靠着有人帮吗？”
对，没错。但现实里，上面说的每一条，可能都比读书重要。所以人家凭什么不能发财？
同样，很多人没女朋友也喜欢抱怨：女孩子跟小混混在一起了——“女人肤浅，就喜欢花言巧语”；女孩子跟有钱人好了——“现在的女人太现实、太拜金”。
他们的潜台词是：女孩找男朋友，应该把高考成绩单拿出来，从高到低择优录取。
——这依然是 做题家思维 在感情中的投射。
08 嘲笑飞机哥，理解飞机哥，成为飞机哥
其实，不管是飞机哥还是做题家，他们都是 有限范围内的博弈高手。
这样的人不但不是傻子，往往都特别聪明。分析社团？做题？他们都是那个圈子里站在金字塔尖的佼佼者。
同时，这套叙事又是被鼓励的——是明面上最被推崇的路径。
然后他们就真觉得，这是万事万物的标尺，是亘古不变的法则。
“为社团加油砍人，做掉这个人，以后你就是话事人。”
“为了将来努力学习，考上好大学，未来你就是人生赢家。”
“为了前途好好加班，公司起来了，将来你就财富自由了。”
飞机哥不傻。他只是跟我们很多人一样，有一点单纯。
甚至可以说，飞机哥是整部《黑社会》电影里，唯一一个带着古典主义色彩的古惑仔。
他跟我们很多人一样，困在自己的信念里。他没有机会来我们的频道看看“怎么建立基本盘”。结果就是，他犯了一个错误而不自知。
在很多时候，犯错可能比犯罪还要严重得多。
嘲笑飞机哥，理解飞机哥，最后成为飞机哥——
可能大多数人都逃不脱这个过程。
讨论区
你有没有在某个瞬间，发现自己就是“飞机哥”？
或者，你身边有“吉米仔”那样的人吗？
评论区聊聊你的故事。
