Stronger by Paying Salaries and I Have 1 Billion Employees

”Sorry, Mr. Ma, but I’ve decided to pull out of joining Cainiao Logistics.”

This time, Chen Yansen didn’t drag things out with Ma Liyun any longer. He decisively rejected the partnership proposal.

Cloud Speed handled over half of the express industry’s package volume and possessed the smart locker technology to solve the ”last 100 meters” delivery problem.

There was no need to open up their data interface to Ah Li just to reduce delivery costs in rural markets.

’They’re just service stations. Couldn’t Cloud Speed build them on its own?’

When it came to digital management and big data analytics, Senlian Capital’s technological foundation was in no way inferior to Ah Li’s.

”President Chen, we can take our time discussing the equity stakes. Establishing Cainiao Logistics is good for all the express companies—not only can we share a nationwide network of warehouses, sorting centers, and transport routes to reduce costs and improve sorting efficiency...”

Ma Liyun was stunned and quickly tried to persuade him.

”I understand the logic, but I just don’t want to open Cloud Speed Express’s data interface to outsiders.”

Chen Yansen leaned back on the sofa, cutting Ma Liyun off mid-sentence.

”No room for negotiation? What if I were willing to give up the controlling stake?” Ma Liyun took a deep breath, fell silent for over ten seconds, and then suddenly asked.

’A controlling stake?’

Chen Yansen smiled and said, ”Then there’s no problem at all.”

’The guy’s got a screw loose!’

’After I worked my ass off to come up with this logistics plan, you expect me to just hand it over to you?’

Ma Liyun laughed in exasperation.

He finally understood. That bastard Chen Yansen never had any intention of cooperating. The previous discussions were just a front; Chen Yansen was busy competing with the ”Three Passes and One Reach” and was afraid Ah Li would jump in and spoil his plans.

Now that Cloud Speed Express had swallowed up and absorbed Yunda and Zhongtong Express, Chen Yansen had nothing left to worry about and was finally showing his true colors.

Once Ma Liyun figured this out, he saw no reason for further pleasantries. His brow furrowed, and he hung up the phone.

”It’s not impossible without Cloud Speed. Besides, Shunfeng, Shentong, and Yuantong have all agreed,” said Lu Zhaoxi, who was sitting across from him, with a sigh.

”That kid shows no consideration at all! Ah Li is a major investor in Kuai Pao and Fast Taxi, after all. Was there ever a time I didn’t support his projects? But when it’s my turn, he just dodges and stalls, and now he wants to steal the nest for himself.”

Ma Liyun snorted, seething with anger.

”In any case, competition and friction between Pinbei and Taobao are inevitable. It’s understandable that he’s worried about data security,” Zhang Yong interjected.

Ma Liyun’s eyes narrowed as he shot a cold glance at Zhang Yong.

His management style was that ability was secondary; the most important thing was for his people to be on his side, to be ’one of us’.

Zhang Yong’s comment had made him extremely displeased.

”Why don’t we support Shentong and Yuantong and help them seize market share from Cloud Speed? As long as Cainiao’s market coverage is high enough, it won’t matter if Cloud Speed joins.”

Catching the coldness in the corner of Ma Liyun’s eye, Zhang Yong instantly realized he had misspoken and hurriedly tried to salvage the situation.

Ma Liyun’s expression softened slightly, but he had no desire to invest in Shentong and Yuantong. Rather than throw money at two incompetents, he’d rather do it himself.

In truth, he had his own ulterior motives. He’d long had the next step planned for Cainiao Logistics’ development.

In his vision, he would first use Ah Li’s order volume to attract companies like Cloud Speed, Shunfeng, and Shentong to join. He’d use the opportunity to accumulate operational experience in the industry, and once the time was right, he would switch to a self-operated express service, further strengthening Ah Li’s influence in the express delivery industry.

But Chen Yansen’s refusal to cooperate meant half his plan had already failed.

”Chen Dejun and Yu Weijiao are not capable enough. Instead of investing in Shentong and Yuantong, we’d be better off increasing our stake in Best Express.”

Ma Liyun said in a flat tone.

As early as 2008, Ah Li had participated in Best’s Series A financing. Two years ago, they invested another 6 million US Dollars in Best.

Compared to Shentong and Yuantong, Best was Ah Li’s true son.

After confirming Cloud Speed’s withdrawal, Ma Liyun quickly began preparations to launch Cainiao Logistics. He brought in Yintai, Fuchun, and Fuxing Group, partly to diversify investment risk, and partly because these three companies possessed deep technical expertise and extensive networks in warehouse construction, management, and land acquisition bidding.

For express companies, Shunfeng, Shentong, Yuantong, and Best joined the alliance.

「Meanwhile.」

Not long after Chen Yansen put down his phone, he received an unexpected call.

”President Wang, what can I do for you?” Chen Yansen asked with a smile.

Ever since Cloud Speed launched its cold chain services, its competition with Shunfeng had grown increasingly fierce.

On top of that, Liao Wei had bought six second-hand planes from Air China and was working around the clock to retrofit them, planning to enter the air freight market.

There was no small amount of friction between the two companies.

The fact that Wang Wei would take the initiative to call him was genuinely surprising.

”I heard you refused to join Cainiao Logistics, President Chen. But I don’t see any problem with Ma Liyun’s proposal. The infrastructure costs for warehouses and sorting centers are too high. In Yanjing, for example, we all have to buy land and build warehouses. The payback period is too long. A shared, win-win approach is much better.”

Wang Wei was filled with doubt. In his eyes, Chen Yansen was a smart businessman who would never give up a favorable option just because of the competition between Pinbei and Taobao.

”Ah Li was founded in 1999 for B2B; Taobao was founded in 2003 for C2C; Tmall Mall was founded in 2008 for B2C.”

Chen Yansen replied cryptically.

Wang Wei was taken aback for a moment, then he understood. ”You mean Ma Liyun intends to start his own express delivery service? Impossible! Ali Baba has always had an asset-light operating model. They’ve always looked down on Jingdong’s approach of building its own logistics.”

”People change,” Chen Yansen retorted succinctly. After a beat, he asked playfully, ”President Wang, theoretically, you and I are competitors. What’s in it for me, enlightening you like this?”

”Thank you, President Chen. I’ll think about it. If it’s really as you say, then I’ll owe you a favor.”

Wang Wei was also very straightforward, making the promise in a solemn tone.

”We’ll see.”

Chen Yansen had little faith in Wang Wei.

Ma Liyun’s talent for ’persuasion’ was not just for show. In his past life, people like Wang Wei, Chen Dejun, and Yu Weijiao had all fallen into his trap.

Although Wang Wei was the first to wise up, by the time Shunfeng pulled out of Cainiao, four years had already passed.

By then, Cainiao’s wings had fully grown. Before long, Ma Liyun dropped the pretense entirely and simply established his own express delivery brand—Cainiao Express.

Before Chen Yansen was reborn, Cainiao Express’s service area already covered more than 400 cities, with over 3,000 stations nationwide.

Therefore, Chen Yansen had long since seen through Ma Liyun’s schemes.

Just as Ma Liyun had guessed, in the early stages, Chen Yansen had been afraid of Ah Li entering the express industry and disrupting Cloud Speed Express’s expansion pace.

Only after the ”Three Passes and One Reach” were defeated one by one did Chen Yansen reveal his true intentions.

But one thing was true: if Ma Liyun had been willing to give up the controlling stake, Chen Yansen would have immediately put up the money and effort to help Ah Li build Cainiao Logistics’ organizational framework.

Wang Wei didn’t fully believe Chen Yansen. After all, Pinbei and Taobao were competitors. Perhaps Chen Yansen was just saying this because he didn’t want Ah Li getting involved in the express industry.

This was also why Chen Yansen didn’t care much about Wang Wei’s ’favor’.

For one, Ma Liyun had hidden Cainiao Logistics’ ultimate strategic goal extremely well.

For another, Wang Wei was a suspicious person. No matter how Chen Yansen explained it, he would always make decisions based on Shunfeng’s best interests.

After dealing with Wang Wei, Chen Yansen called Liao Wei. The two spoke for half an hour before hanging up.

Next, he opened the weekly financial report from Cheng Weixing. The 90 million US Dollars from their Series A funding was being burned at an extremely fast rate in the subsidy war against DiDi Dache, and now only 30 million remained.

’Looks like it’s time to start the Series B funding round,’ Chen Yansen thought.

As for whether Ah Li would follow up with another investment, he couldn’t care less. Given Ma Liyun’s style, he would most likely succumb to the allure of profit and choose the option that best served his group’s interests.

「At the same time.」

With the entry of DiDi and Fast Taxi, the ride-hailing market in Tangshan immediately entered a period of explosive growth.

At the train stations, bus stations, and airport terminals, crowds of overly friendly drivers gathered, shouting incessantly, ”Free taxi rides!”

”Free rides, hop in and go!”

In the words of the local drivers, ’Who pays for a taxi these days?’

’You’d have to be an idiot!’

”Driver, is the ride really free? Is your taxi company running a promotion?”

At that moment, a tourist from out of town approached and asked.

”Do you have a smartphone? Download Fast Taxi and DiDi Dache, and you can get two free rides every day.”

The driver said with a smile. But he conveniently forgot to mention that the discount was capped at 12 yuan per ride, and after the new-user subsidy was gone, it dropped to a maximum of 8 yuan.

But as soon as most passengers heard the two words ”free ride,” they would download the app without a second thought.

Fast Taxi and DiDi Dache were furiously burning cash to capture territory in Yanjing, Changshan, An Ci, Jinmen, and Tang City, spending over 20 million a day on subsidies.

At this point, everyone was just toughing it out.

Qian Du’s Li Yanhong didn’t even have the interest to open the financial statements Cheng Wei sent him.

He didn’t need to guess to know that last week’s promotional expenses were no less than 70 million. The speed at which they were burning cash made him physically ache.

On July 27th, Senlian Capital initiated Fast Taxi’s Series B funding round. Penguin, Digital Sky Technology, Huake, and Jinsha Venture Capital all chose to follow on with their investments.

After a moment’s hesitation, Ma Liyun sent Ji Gang to represent Ah Li at the discussion meetings for Fast Taxi’s Series B financing.

Compared to DiDi Dache and Cheng Wei, he was more willing to bet on Chen Yansen’s abilities.