Age of Legends

Chapter 205 The Scheme in the Park
The next morning, Zhang Chen received a phone call.

The call was from Zhao Tao, who asked, "Brother Zhang Chen, do you have some time lately? Shall we get together?"

Zhang Chen wasn't surprised that Zhao Tao would call him, so he asked, "When?"

"It's up to you, of course the sooner the better."

Zhang Chen said, "How about today? We have our sports meet today, so we don't have any classes."

Zhang Chen's events at the sports meet were finished yesterday, so he can skip class today. Of course, the discipline committee member might remember this and report it to Zhou Ming. But he's a senior now, and Zhang Chen's attendance is just self-discipline. In reality, those rules and regulations can't really restrict him.

He told Wang Shuowei, "Zhao Tao asked me out, I'll be at school later."

"What's up? Is it still about logistics?" Wang Shuowei roughly knew that Zhao Tao and Zhang Chen had gone to Pengcheng during their summer vacation for sightseeing and research. After they came back, Zhao Tao was promoting the idea of ​​gathering the idle and unemployed young people in the old factory area and other areas to do something instead of causing trouble for public order all day.

Wang Shuowei knew that the strategist behind the scenes was Zhang Chen. Wang Shuowei wasn't surprised that Zhao Tao could work with Zhang Chen, just like Wang Bowen listened to Zhang Chen's plans. Although he was playing games on the sidelines and occasionally overheard their conversations, he felt that Zhang Chen's ingenious ideas were endless, which was probably talent.

Being able to recognize his talent and inspire those around him is another kind of ability.

Wang Shuowei felt he had many ingenious ideas, but unfortunately, he couldn't convince others.

Zhang Chen and Zhao Tao arranged to meet at a quiet teahouse in People's Park. Although they could also discuss business in an internet cafe or office, there would always be people coming and going, making it inconvenient. So they chose a teahouse by the lake in the park.

These old-fashioned teahouses are everywhere in Fuzhou, with square tables, old bamboo chairs, and covered teacups—the perfect setting for a leisurely afternoon.

As freshly boiled water was poured into the porcelain bowl, the tea leaves swirled and tumbled, a clear, verdant green. The dense shade of the trees cast dappled shadows, and the clamor of the Yude High School sports meet seemed to fade into the distance, replaced by the focus on business.

Zhao Tao paid six yuan for a cup of three-flower tea and sat opposite Zhang Chen.

After not seeing him for a month or two, Zhao Tao seemed to have changed. Now he was wearing a shirt and dress pants, which he used to dislike the most. He no longer had that hard-edged, rock-hard vibe from his previous T-shirts and sweatpants; he was much more composed now.

Zhang Chen noticed some bruises on his face. Upon noticing Zhang Chen's gaze, Zhao Tao said, "When we went to conduct research, we ran into some local gangsters and got into a few fights. Now we've shaken hands and made peace."

Zhang Chen was speechless. Any market expansion, with the entry of new forces, inevitably leads to some conflict. Not to mention this era of rampant growth, where every path is forged through bloodshed.

Zhang Chen didn't intend to inquire, nor did he want Zhao Tao to tell him, what the real situation was about the so-called "handshake and reconciliation."

Here's the situation: at the People's Park pond with a slight breeze, at a small tea stall, Zhao Tao, who had just taken down the outlaw Boss Xiong and become the number one boss in the East District, even subtly surpassing several other veteran bosses, sat down with Zhang Chen to talk about things.

Zhang Chen looked around, genuinely worried that a few people might suddenly rush out of the bushes and hack them to pieces.

Or, as previously reported, two men were drinking tea at a roadside teahouse when a van stopped and the driver shot them in the temple.

Zhao Tao glanced at him and smirked. "There are no major grudges right now, just some minor squabbles. Don't worry, I'm more vigilant than you. If anything unexpected happens, you're coming with me."

I just want to get up and sit down right now!
But Zhang Chen felt a little embarrassed that Zhao Tao had seen through his thoughts at a glance. People who are in the underworld, and who have reached Zhao Tao's level, are not just about being brave and ruthless. In a sense, he may be smarter, more strategic, more daring, and more vicious than most people.

Such people simply have limited skills and knowledge, and are often overlooked by the times, going astray. In this era, however, those who choose the right path are more likely to succeed.

Zhang Chen chuckled dryly: "Have the preliminary preparations been completed?"

"It's pretty much settled. Right now, logistics is mainly handled by post offices and small freight stations. We want to create 'Speedy Logistics' that offers fast delivery and reliable service, to compete with SF Express. Let's talk about the time I asked you to invest before. My internet cafe business is too small to expand now, so I need you to join us. Also, let's discuss how much initial investment we need and how to do it."

Previously, Zhang Chen had given Zhao Tao directions, mentioning that he would contribute 300,000 yuan and hold a 20% stake.

After that, Zhao Tao was in charge of arranging this matter, but he hadn't contacted Zhang Chen until today. It seems that he came to make contact today.

Zhao Tao's cleverness lies in entrusting tasks he doesn't understand to those who do. Zhang Chen is clearly more knowledgeable than him in the current situation. He has also learned some things through his research over the past two months, and he is most likely here to verify his understanding with Zhao Tao.

Zhang Chen reflected on the development of the logistics and express delivery industry. He wasn't entirely clear on the specifics, including the current situation of companies like Shunfeng and Yuantong. He only learned about them by personally visiting the industry with Zhao Tao during the holiday. However, he was, after all, someone who had experienced things in his previous life. After making that trip, he understood some things just by looking at them. By corroborating this information with future data, the entire logical chain became complete.

But Zhao Tao lacks precisely these kinds of experiences.

"Okay, I'll write it down, I'm afraid I'll forget it if I talk about it. Boss! Do you have a pen and paper?" Zhang Chen turned around and called out to the owner of the tea shop.

"A pen? Where did you get a pen... Oh, there's a ballpoint pen and paper on the accounting desk. I'll tear off a sheet from the ledger for you, do you want it?" The boss had just brought over a kettle of boiling water and wiped his hands.

"Okay!"

Zhang Chen went to get the paper and pen, then sat back down.

Zhao Tao watched his actions with a smile, probably amused by the sight of this high school student, still in his school uniform, offering him advice. He wasn't sure if he was just being foolish, or if Zhang Chen was genuinely confident and capable.

But Zhang Chen has a way of drawing you in. What he says makes Zhao Tao forget his age, as if those things are in his mind, as if he has seen them before and he is just reciting them.

If Zhao Tao were to live another ten or twenty years, he would most likely learn from various entertainment programs that this ability is called "words become law".

Zhao Tao saw that Zhang Chen had written down four major categories on the paper: "Market," "Hardware Costs," "Network," and "Technology."

Zhang Chen circled the "market" section with the ballpoint pen and wrote down a few keywords below. "Our clients are mainly local manufacturing companies sending samples, delivering documents, and handling contracts. These are corporate clients. We also have individual clients sending valuables, high-end letters, and gifts. Even locally, the postal system takes two to three days for these. We can deliver in one day. But our advertising needs to emphasize this speed, such as '12-hour delivery' or '24-hour delivery'."

"In this regard, even EMS, with its wide coverage, is rigid and slow. Local freight stations often have private vehicles passing through to help transport some items, but this doesn't create a large scale. There's also no standardized service, so there's no direct competition. Secondly, there are other courier companies, which is the biggest threat, so speed is essential."

Zhao Tao nodded as he listened to Zhang Chen's words.

"So, the biggest cost in terms of hardware is our vehicles. How many cars do you plan to buy?"

Zhao Tao pondered for a moment and said, "For trunk line transportation, I plan to use three five-ton box trucks specifically for the main routes in the southwest, Fuzhou, and Chongqing. I've looked into it, and we can buy some decent used trucks to start with, generally costing between 50,000 and 80,000 yuan each. So, the three main trunk line trucks will cost 250,000 yuan initially. For urban delivery, I plan to provide the delivery drivers with three-wheeled motorcycles and minivans, two for each district, and ten three-wheeled motorcycles and five minivans for the five urban districts and suburban counties. This will total 250,000 yuan. We also need to reserve 100,000 yuan for fuel and maintenance. The major hardware expense—the vehicles—will cost 600,000 yuan."

"Regarding the investment in warehouses and outlets, I plan to set up central stores in the five urban districts and the six nearby counties. The monthly rent for a single store will range from one thousand to two thousand yuan, and the initial investment in the venue will be 50,000 yuan."

Zhang Chen nodded. "Information technology development also needs to keep up. If you have computers, take a few from an internet cafe, or find a channel to buy some basic computers with low configurations. Build an information network at each branch, install a simple order system, record waybill numbers, delivery and receipt times, and make it available for querying. When a waybill arrives, it can be scanned and recorded in the network. This is how you establish your basic information database."

"Use it for now, and once it's up and running, we'll find a software company to create a dedicated system. These future investments can be calculated later. But for now, if you have access to computer networks, the hardware and software costs for IT infrastructure will be around 80,000."

Now Zhang Chen is speaking, and Zhao Tao is taking notes with paper and pen.

"There are also personnel costs. If you drive a truck, you need to hire drivers, at least two shifts, day and night. A long-haul driver earns 1200 a month, and a store operator's salary is about 800. Couriers can earn a base salary plus piece-rate commission. The estimated monthly salary is 30,000."

“我看看这些总计是多少钱了，60+5+8+3，这都76万了。料敌从宽吧，80万，然后每月运营成本是4万到5万，所以还要预先留出20万的预备金。差不多要100万启动。”

"How much blood can you get transfused at an internet cafe right now?"

Zhao Tao said, "The internet cafe's monthly revenue can basically cover its operating costs. So once it's up and running, there's not much to worry about."

Zhang Chen narrowed his eyes. Indeed, internet cafes were booming right now. The only concern for internet cafes was occupancy rates, which was practically nonexistent in this era. Machines could be used to their maximum potential, and there were even students from nearby schools booking overnight. It usually cost around ten yuan, and even at its lowest point, it was still around ten yuan. He'd never heard of it dropping below ten yuan, at least not personally. Later, with the widespread adoption of personal computers, it became impossible for people to stay up all night online.

Zhao Tao's internet cafe is still quite profitable.

"How much have you raised so far?"

"I currently have 500,000, and various other sums. I expect to receive nearly 100,000 more in a few days, bringing the total to 600,000. It's still a bit short of a million..."

Zhang Chen knew that Zhao Tao had invested in some shares; for example, Wang Shuowei had invested his New Year's money, but it wasn't much—his small stake was negligible. Zhao Tao had a falling out with his family and probably hadn't reconciled with his father, so he likely didn't have much support from family and relatives.

Zhang Chen said, "Then let's do it this way. Once your money is in place, I'll make up the difference of one million. As per the previous agreement, this amount will still represent 20% of the shares."

Zhang Chen had previously planned to invest 300,000 yuan to acquire a 20% stake. Now, Zhao Tao is clearly short of funds, but he doesn't intend to take any more shares.

Zhao Tao pondered for a moment and said, "I will calculate your shares according to your investment ratio."

Zhang Chen shook his head. "No need."

However, Zhao Tao's expression changed. He said, "What are you thinking? You're my cousin, so how could I possibly take advantage of you? You invest 400,000 and take 27%, is that alright?"

Zhang Chen was stunned for a moment, not expecting to be scolded by Zhao Tao instead.

However, it's understandable. He's always played the role of the elder brother, and Zhang Chen's investment and support for his business was already a lifeline. Now that he's short of money, he needs Zhang Chen to make up the difference, which is already quite a difficult and humiliating thing for an elder brother to do. If he were to accept Zhang Chen's kindness and take his money and shares, he felt he wouldn't be able to continue working for him. This is his fundamental principle. Perhaps he doesn't yet have the concept of principles, but Zhao Tao always knows where he's drawn his line.

Moreover, how could he have the nerve to accept Zhang Chen's favors repeatedly?

Zhang Chen thought for a moment and understood, then said, "Okay!"

"Give me your bank account number. I'll transfer the money to you later. I'll also provide you with the relevant maintenance policies and contracts. You can take a look at them and raise any questions you may have."

Instead of worrying about the initial cooperation between the two parties, it would be better to improve the contract and system first. Many startups are troubled by loopholes in the initial system and contract. Since he decided to help Zhao Tao and also invested in the company, Zhang Chen felt that he should improve the initial aspects of Shengfeng, including the subsequent fundraising of the contract and the exit mechanism.

Zhang Chen certainly didn't expect Zhao Tao to replicate the success of the express delivery industry in later years, because there are many variables involved. He was just saying that if Zhao Tao could seize the opportunity and ride the wave, there was a great chance of success.

There are countless variables to come, such as Zhao Tao changing industries, or a huge sum of money being poured in to acquire him. There are all sorts of temptations and storms. Of course, Zhang Chen still needs to protect his interests as an investor and ensure that the future will not be affected by the injection of capital. He needs to use his advantages from his rebirth to build the framework from the beginning.

"Okay, could you send me the contract and some related rules and regulations as well? I'll wait for your message on QQ. How about this Sunday?"

"Row……"

Zhang Chen sighed. Another huge project; he could only squeeze in time from his studies...

After finishing his discussions with Zhao Tao and having lunch together, he hurriedly went back to work.

Zhang Chen checked the time and strolled over to Yude.

I have an appointment with Shen Nuoyi today.

(End of this chapter)