Chapter 223: The Against the Wind Logistics Station Opens
August 3rd.
Pei Qian brought Lu Mingliang to the Against the Wind Logistics Station near Mingyun Villa.
It had been about three weeks since he'd first come up with the concept. By now, many of the Against the Wind Logistics Station had already opened.
The preparation work was a hassle—100 stations all needed store managers and couriers hired, shelves and office supplies purchased, software customized for package check-in and check-out, and arrangements made with various courier companies.
Fortunately, after all that effort, most of the stations were finally ready to begin official operations.
Pei Qian took this matter very seriously. After all, in his eyes, making games carried too much risk—it was all too easy to accidentally make a profit.
If he really wanted to burn money, logistics was where he pinned his hopes.
To him, this kind of labor-intensive industry was practically a sunrise sector for losing money. His shining example? Moyu Delivery. From launch to now, it has been running at a steady loss.
Of course, that didn't mean nobody ordered from it. Orders had been slowly increasing, with many repeat customers.
But because of its high labor costs—and issues like lost or damaged tableware—only a huge enough user base could spread those costs thin enough to reach profitability.
Even then, as Moyu Delivery's reputation grew and it expanded into new areas, staffing costs would multiply right alongside revenue. A small rise in income meant a matching rise in expenses.
Which was why, even now, Moyu Delivery continued to bleed money—something Pei Qian was quite pleased about.
With that successful precedent, he naturally had high expectations for Against the Wind Logistics.
Today, he brought Lu Mingliang here to familiarize him with the business, so he could take over as soon as possible.
Each of the first 100 stations had at least three staff: one store manager (to stay on-site, receive packages from other couriers, handle check-in and check-out, assist customers with pickup, and promote the brand), and two delivery couriers. Salaries alone came to more than ten thousand per station.
Since they earned a small commission from delivering packages for other courier companies, that income roughly covered rent. Which meant Pei Qian could reliably lose over one million yuan a month just on these 100 Against the Wind Logistics Station.
As for their locations—
They were mostly in populous residential areas and busy commercial districts of Jingzhou City.
Pei Qian saw this as a kind of public service. To serve more people, of course he had to set up in crowded places. The more deliveries made, the more money lost, which is perfect.
Naturally, he also had his own selfish motives. He made sure to open stations near his parents' neighborhood and around Handong University.
That way, wherever he was, a courier could deliver right to his door—no need for him to make a trip himself.
As for Shenhwa's luxury apartments and the Moyu Internet Café, those places already had couriers delivering directly to the front desk, so there was no need to open extra stations there for now.
When he arrived at the station near Mingyun Villa, Pei Qian first inspected its storefront.
It was set up in a regular shop lot behind the Moyu Internet Café—prime location.
Nearby were a newly renovated bar and a soon-to-open chess and card parlor. The area had been quiet before, but with these three businesses opening, it suddenly felt lively!
Why pick this location? Simple. Against the Wind Logistics Station weren't really shops—they were warehouses. Even in a good spot, they couldn't generate profit. In fact, choosing a pricier location only meant spending more on rent.
Lu Mingliang followed Pei Qian to the front of the Against the Wind Logistics Station, and his first impression was… pretty overwhelming.
This place actually looked high-end!
When he'd first heard he was going to be put in charge of logistics, his mind immediately went to traditional courier service outlets.
He'd seen plenty of those X-Tong delivery depots before—sloppy in every sense. Some didn't even bother putting up a sign, and the ones that did were crooked and ugly.
Inside, they were nothing more than dusty warehouses piled high with parcels. Couriers in grimy uniforms would haul and kick boxes onto electric tricycles before rushing off to deliver them.
But that was what other courier depots looked like.
The Against the Wind Logistics Station was completely different.
They'd rented a proper, stylish shopfront. The sign outside was custom-made, even with an English name: Against the Wind Logistics Station. The sense of class practically outshone the bar next door.
Sure, the bar's decor was more flashy—gaudier, even—but Against the Wind Logistics Station's design was clean, tasteful, and understated. In terms of actual quality, it was in no way inferior.
At the entrance, two couriers in uniform and the station's manager were already waiting to greet them.
Beside them were two electric tricycles for deliveries, each costing under 3,000 yuan—part of the startup investment. Even these had been custom-branded with the Against the Wind Logistics logo.
Through the glass windows, the interior was visible. Right by the entrance stood a large counter with a sleek all-in-one office computer where the manager usually worked.
On the counter were some basic office supplies and a special scanner—just swipe a parcel's barcode, and it was instantly logged into or out of the system.
Further inside were neat rows of labeled shelves.
Packages were automatically sorted into different zones based on size for easy retrieval, and oversized items had their own dedicated storage area.
After looking around, Lu Mingliang was left with only one impression:
High-class. Stylish.
The contrast with other courier companies couldn't have been more obvious.
The station manager gave Pei Qian and Lu Mingliang a quick report on the preparations and current operations.
The station followed a standard eight-hour workday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Overtime, if required, came with extra pay.
Each courier's earnings included a performance bonus based on the number of deliveries and customer feedback.
The two couriers' daily job was simple: keep delivering packages from the station directly to customers' doors, and tidy up the place whenever they had spare time.
The store manager's role was more involved. In addition to the basics of logging packages in and out, they had to keep track of package volume, maintain good relationships with couriers from other companies, and even promote the Against the Wind Logistics Station in the surrounding community.
Of course, Pei Qian never made these tasks into hard requirements. If some store managers just wanted to muddle through their days, he didn't really care either.
The store manager and the two couriers all looked very spirited.
They already had prior experience working at other delivery companies, and the main reason they came here this time was because Against the Wind Logistics offered significantly higher pay compared to the others.
On top of that, the working environment here was also a bonus.
Unlike other courier services that required them to run around the entire city, Against the Wind Logistics only needed them to deliver packages within this small district, which made the job relatively less tiring.
After inspecting everything, Pei Qian and Lu Mingliang went back to the Moyu Internet Café and each ordered a cup of coffee.
"From now on, all matters regarding Against the Wind Logistics will be under your management. If any problems come up, just come to me. For smaller issues, make the call yourself."
"As for the one million yuan 'Dream Fund,' I've set it aside for you. If you feel that working at Against the Wind Logistics doesn't suit you, you can still try something else that you truly like."
"As for additional funding later on, if you feel you need it, just let me know. Whatever amount you need, just speak up."
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