Mastering the Sword Manual, sweeping across the globe

Page 80

"Just for those riders?"

"Just for those riders."

Another silence followed.

"Then why doesn't he just say it directly?" someone asked. "If he had just said it directly, we could have talked. What conditions couldn't we have discussed?"

No one answered this question.

But everyone has their own answer.

If that person had just said it directly, would they have agreed to talk?

meeting.

We will definitely talk.

How long will the talks last? How many rounds will there be? Until when will they end?

They talked about industry conferences, high-level meetings, legal reviews, cost estimates, equity structures, next year's budget, the year after next's plans, and so on...

They talked about how the man lost patience.

and then?

And then... that's how it is.

……

"There's one more thing," the CEO's assistant said, his voice even more serious than before.

Everyone looked toward the cubicle where the assistant was.

"I just received a message that Lao Li from the Investor Relations Department..." He paused, "drank quite a bit at the dinner party, and was so shocked, frightened, tired and exhausted just now that he accidentally fell asleep."

"and then?"

"Then, five minutes ago, I was startled awake."

Wang Xixue personally asked, "How is it?"

The assistant was silent for a second.

"He slept for more than ten minutes, but delivered the goods solidly for three years."

The last glimmer of hope was dashed.

The conference room fell into a deathly silence once again.

The last glimmer of hope was dashed.

Wang Xixue leaned back in his chair and remained silent for a long time.

The squares on the screen lit up one by one, and every face was waiting for him to speak.

"Alright," Wang Xixue sat up straight, "Let's get down to business."

“I suggest,” the operations director spoke first, “that the tech department’s radical proposal be put into action right now. We should fully support Huangleme—full insurance coverage, extreme weather subsidies, free medical check-up equipment, algorithm optimization, and so on. We can handle all of that.”

“That’s not enough,” the technical director chimed in. “If we just follow along, we’ll always be the ones coming back… Nobody knows what that person really wants… but it’s definitely not a watch match.”

“Then we’ll increase the coverage,” the operations director said. “We’ll expand the insurance coverage—not only during delivery, but also during commutes. Riders will be covered from the moment they leave home until they finish work.”

The HR director nodded: "We can add a medical check-up. They offer the basic check-up for free, we'll do it for free..."

Of course, it's impossible to be comprehensive!

"...We are increasing screening for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and occupational injuries. We have partner institutions for this, which gives us a cost advantage."

"What about subsidies?" the CFO asked.

“Extreme weather costs 1.65 times more,” the operations director said. “Nighttime deliveries receive an additional time-based subsidy.”

The CFO quickly did some mental calculations, his brows furrowed and his mouth tightly shut.

"The equipment has also been upgraded," the HR director added. "We have two sets of work clothes for winter and summer, stab-proof shoes, and adjustable helmets—they issue the basic version, we issue the upgraded version."

The CTO raised his hand: "At the algorithm level, we can go a step further. We can publish rules and adjustment records monthly, and establish a rider advisory committee to participate in rule-making."

"Communication channels also need to keep up," the public relations director said. "They have feedback channels, and we've set up a dedicated service hotline for riders. It's staffed 24/7, and complaints and suggestions must be responded to within 48 hours."

The general counsel looked up and said, "No problem. I can draft the script and procedures by tomorrow."

"What about the performance indicators?" someone asked.

Operations Director: "We've set a guaranteed income line for qualified riders. Regardless of the number of orders, if a rider's monthly income falls below this line, the platform will make up the difference."

The CFO felt like he couldn't breathe.

“We also need to speed things up,” the HR director added. “They take two weeks, we take one week… no, five days. Also, insurance and equipment will be effective immediately upon signing the contract.”

Wang Xixue nodded.

"Is there anything else?" he asked.

The meeting room was silent for about ten seconds.

The CFO has finally regained the ability to breathe.

“That’s settled then,” Wang Xixue said. “We’ll develop detailed operational guidelines, modify the algorithm, coordinate with medical examination institutions, calculate the funding gap, prepare the press release, and have the legal team review all the terms.”

"I want to see the complete plan before dawn."

Outside the window, it was still pitch black.

A new day should have started long ago.

81 It's a bit late

It was exactly 8:00 AM.

Ugly Group's official announcement: "To all our rider brothers, partners, and friends who care about us"

"We have reflected on this for a long time."

"The development of this industry to this day is inseparable from every rider who braves wind and rain."

"Sweat under the scorching sun, loneliness in the dead of night, and guilt for not being able to reunite with family during holidays."

"For many years, we've focused more on growth numbers—order volume, market share, delivery efficiency. We designed algorithms, optimized routes, and reduced delivery times, thinking that was progress. But we forgot to ask: Aren't those driven by algorithms exhausted? Aren't they suffering? Isn't it worth it?"

"We also pay more attention to the demands of merchants—commissions are too high, rules are too strict. We keep adjusting policies, launching activities, and optimizing traffic allocation, thinking that's the solution. But we forgot to ask: what do those merchants who are struggling to breathe really need?"

“We also focus more on the user experience—faster delivery, even faster. We keep shortening time limits, raising requirements, and penalizing late deliveries, thinking that this is efficiency. But we forgot to ask: what about the safety of the riders who run red lights to save time?”

“We have done a lot. But the most important thing—ensuring that everyone who has contributed to us lives with dignity, security, and hope—we have not done well.”

"Today, we..."

--------

Messages are scrolling through the riders' group chat at breakneck speed.

"Holy crap, is this for real?"

"I just woke up, what's going on?"

"Did it fall through last night? Is today just another ugly group? What day is it today?!"

"Insurance covers your commute? I tripped and fell on my way home from get off work last year, and I had to pay over two thousand yuan out of pocket..."

"1.65 times the normal rate, and there's a subsidy for nighttime use?"

"What is the income security line? I don't understand..."

"That means as long as you run enough hours or enough orders, even if you're unlucky, you'll still have a minimum monthly income, and the platform will make up for any shortfall."

"???"

"12 hours a day, or an average of 60 orders?"

"【Link】"

"Holy crap, it's so low!!!"

"impossible?"

"Dream on?"

"The announcement has already been issued, how could it be fake?"

"If Huang posts something, they post something too. Is this competition or something else?"

"Who cares? Let's enjoy a few good days first!"

"Oh my god, I just checked the app, and the insurance terms have been updated..."

"real or fake?"

"Really! I clicked in and checked, the effective date is today!"

The group chat was silent for a few seconds.

Then someone posted:

"Damn it... should I buy a lottery ticket?"

Below that is a row of "+1".

……

The online response was equally swift.

"The Ugly Group has followed suit too? So fast?!"

"Yellow posted last night, but Chou Tuan posted this morning. Was this pre-arranged?"

"It's impossible that they planned this together; these two have been fighting for years..."

"I don't know, but there's definitely more to this story than meets the eye."

"My friend works at Ugly Group, and I heard that the executives had a meeting all night last night, and apparently..."

"What do you mean, 'I've heard'? Tell me!"

"I don't know, and even if I did, I wouldn't dare say. If I did, I'd have no friends left."

"..."

"To be honest, this version of the 'Ugly Group' is even more ruthless than 'Huang Le Me'. The insurance coverage is expanded, the subsidies are higher, and there's even an income protection line..."

"He's a veteran player after all; he has a solid foundation."

"A solid foundation? If you had a solid foundation, why didn't you do that earlier?"

"We've been forced into this situation..."

"The fact that they can come up with this solution when they are forced to means that they are capable of doing it anyway—but they just choose not to."

That hurts.

"In any case, it's good for riders. Hopefully, this is a real implementation and not just empty talk."

"Landing should be fine, the insurance is already in effect, I just checked."

"Holy crap, I'll go check it out too."

……

A chat group for a certain industry.

Have you guys seen the announcement from the Ugly Group?

"I saw it. It's even more intense than Huang Leme."

"What exactly happened? Both companies changed their stance overnight?"

"...I don't really dare to think about it."

"What I'm more curious about is, what will happen to the Far East next?"

"Yeah, two out of the three companies have changed their plans. Will the Far East follow suit?"