Stronger by Paying Salaries and I Have 1 Billion Employees

Xucheng, Zhuxianzhuang Science and Technology Park.

Gao Weilin walked into Chen Yansen’s office and gently set down a stack of documents. Then, making himself right at home, he pulled out a container of tea leaves and began brewing a pot as if no one else were there.

”Eleven regional transit warehouses, 23 logistics distribution centers, 300 heavy-duty trucks, 760 medium-duty trucks, and 6,300 employees... Chen Jiahai is only asking for 470 million. The price isn’t bad. Let’s go with this contract.”

Chen Yansen glanced over the asset valuation report and the equity transfer agreement. After a moment of thought, he raised no objections.

”Have Liao Wei handle the handover of the fixed assets and employees.”

Gao Weilin carried over two cups of hot tea, attentively handing one to his boss.

”I’ve already spoken with venture capital firms like Ali, Penguin, and DST. We’re launching Fast Taxi’s Series A funding round next week. Put a team together and come with me to Hang City this weekend.”

Chen Yansen said, taking a sip from his teacup.

Gao Weilin smiled faintly and immediately nodded in agreement, but inwardly, he let out a silent groan. ’President Chen is loaded and throws money around freely. He never skimps on overtime pay or quarterly bonuses... but the amount of work is just insane.’

Looking back on the six-plus months since he’d joined Senlian Capital, he was either on a business trip or on his way to one. If he wasn’t creating financing schedules, he was drafting equity transfer agreements.

”Once we’re through this busy stretch, I’ll give you a long vacation.”

Chen Yansen saw right through Gao Weilin’s thoughts and dangled a carrot.

”Boss, is this ’long vacation’ three days or five?”

Gao Weilin chuckled, pressing for an answer.

The last time Chen Yansen had promised him a long vacation, he had just arrived in Hawaii when his phone rang the very next day. It was his boss.

”Ten days,” Chen Yansen replied casually.

Gao Weilin gave a wry smile. If Chen Yansen had said three days, he might have actually believed him. But ten days? ’He’s totally messing with me. He’s not even trying to pretend anymore!’

”Don’t worry, I absolutely won’t bother you tomorrow or the day after,” Chen Yansen promised with a smile.

Gao Weilin grunted in acknowledgment. ’Whether the promise was real or not, at least the boss was still willing to make it.’

「Meanwhile.」

Inside a courier station in Jinling, the owner, Wang Bin, sat in his office chain-smoking. The room was thick with smoke.

After Quanfeng was sold to Cloud Speed, franchisees like him were left with only two choices: cash out and leave, or be gradually converted to a direct-operation model and absorbed into Cloud Speed.

”Should I take the cash, or the equity?”

Wang Bin frowned, muttering under his breath.

If he took the cash, things would be much simpler. Cloud Speed would send someone to assess his station’s assets and make a final package offer. Quanfeng Express would then handle the payout.

The equity option was far more complicated. He’d asked around and found out that Cloud Speed’s self-valuation was absurdly high.

He had invested 300,000 in this station, and even if he threw himself into the deal, he wouldn’t get 0.01% of the company’s equity.

’Isn’t this a total rip-off?’

Outside the door, the Quanfeng Express couriers’ mood was the complete opposite of Wang Bin’s. The company was sold, and they were sold with it.

But every single one of them was beaming, as if it were the New Year.

”Heard Cloud Speed Express is going to give us full social benefits?”

”More than that! There’s accident insurance, too!”

”A base salary of 3,000, plus a monthly housing subsidy equal to 20% of our salary. With commissions from deliveries and pickups, we’ll be making seven or eight thousand a month at least.”

”And quarterly bonuses, too. We’re all courier companies, so how can the pay and benefits be so different?”

”I was planning to quit this month and jump ship to Cloud Speed anyway. This saves me the trouble. I even get to skip the interview.”

The group of six or seven couriers chattered excitedly, all smiles.

「At the same time.」

Chen Dejun of Shentong also got the news: Quanfeng Express was about to be absorbed by Cloud Speed. In other words, Cloud Speed was about to add another thousand-plus direct-operation stations to its nationwide network.

This development made Shentong’s situation even more grim.

After Zheng Shengyu forced Shentong and Yuantong to raise their minimum price per parcel from one back to one-point-five, merchants quickly made their decision: they gave their business to Cloud Speed.

First, Cloud Speed Couriers delivered right to the customer’s door. Shentong didn’t.

Second, Cloud Speed Couriers were polite and professional. Shentong’s weren’t.

Finally, Cloud Speed had a high on-time delivery rate. Shentong fell short there, too.

Same price, choose the better service. Same service, choose the lower price.

With Shentong having no advantage in either category, it was only natural for its clients to abandon it.

Yuantong, Yunda, and Zhongtong were also having a hard time. Some of their smaller franchise stations had such low business volume they couldn’t even afford to pay their couriers. The franchisees decided to just throw in the towel. They clamored to terminate their contracts while secretly getting in touch with Cloud Speed.

After venting his frustration in his office, Chen Dejun still couldn’t come up with a solution. He knew Cloud Speed was also losing a ton of money. It was now a waiting game to see who would break first.

「Two days later, on a Sunday.」

A procession of four luxury cars departed from Xucheng, speeding toward Hang City.

Liu Zhiping, along with Lin Chenfeng from the Penguin Investment Department and their negotiation team, flew from Shencheng City to Hang City.

「Ali Headquarters.」

Ma Liyun said to Cai Xin, ”Don’t be in a rush to head back to Hong Kong Island. Stay and meet Chen Yansen with me.”

”No problem. I’m very interested in meeting him myself.”

Cai Xin agreed with a smile.

A twenty-year-old multi-billionaire... Not even Hong Kong movies had such a ridiculously talented business genius.

At thirty-two, Ding Lei of NetEase was only worth a billion US dollars.

At the same age, Tesla’s Musk had just sold PayPal to eBay and was worth less than 200 million US dollars.

Chen Yansen was so much younger than them. ’It’s hard to imagine... by the time he’s thirty-two, will he be the richest man in Hua Country?’

After all, with two aces up his sleeve—Orange Technology and Pinbei—his potential for future growth was limitless.