Chapter 966
Changes in Tangdu City
In December, at 6:30 in the morning, the sky was still not fully light.
The sound of footsteps could be heard in the corridors of the High-tech Zone Talent Apartment. One by one, the lights in front of the washbasins turned on, and the hum of the water heaters rose and fell between the thin partition walls.
Li Xiangyang zipped up his work uniform to the collar and straightened the silver "fire" logo on his left chest in front of the mirror.
The mirror was provided by the apartment; it's not big, but it's sufficient.
He has been in Tangdu for more than a few months. He came here from a small county in southern Jiangxi where even the train only stops for three minutes. Now, when he tidies his work clothes in front of this mirror every morning, he still feels a little dazed.
The cafeteria downstairs is already open.
Steam rose from the food serving window, with white porridge, soy milk, fried dough sticks, and steamed buns lined up in a row. The price list read: Breakfast five yuan, lunch ten yuan, dinner ten yuan, pay by card.
Li Xiangyang brought a bowl of plain porridge, two meat buns, and a tea egg, and found a seat by the window.
The streets of the High-tech Zone outside the window were not yet fully awake; the streetlights were still on, and the early morning buses were already picking up passengers.
The shared bicycles were neatly stacked along the roadside, with shared electric bicycles bearing the Galaxy Technology Star Track logo making up the majority of them. These were exclusive perks for Galaxy Technology employees, who could ride them for free with their employee ID, with no limit on the number of rides.
"Xiangyang, which area are you running to today?"
Zhao Lei came over with a bowl of soy milk and three steamed buns and sat down opposite him.
Zhao Lei is from Gansu Province. He worked in an electronics factory in Dongguan for three years before being laid off last year and then came to Tangdu with his fellow villagers.
When he interviewed for a sorting job at Xinghuo Express, the interviewer asked him what his special skills were. He said he could stand on the conveyor belt for eight hours without getting sleepy. The interviewer laughed and said, "Then you've come to the right place."
"Today I'm driving with Lao Zhang, heading to the eastern part of the High-tech Zone." Li Xiangyang took a sip of porridge.
"The eastern part of the High-tech Zone is great. There are many office buildings and elevators, so you don't have to climb stairs."
Zhao Lei took a bite of his steamed bun and mumbled, "I stood in the sorting center all day yesterday. The new automatic sorting machine has sped up again; the conveyor belt is going crazy. It's being managed by the Wa system, something about 'dynamic load balancing,' so it's getting faster and faster, but people are getting more relaxed. Back in the factory in Dongguan, speeding up meant you had to do more work, but here, speeding up means the machines have to do more work."
A middle-aged man in a dark blue work uniform at the next table picked up the conversation.
Li Xiangyang recognized him; he was Lao Zhou from the Tangdu distribution center of Xinghuo Express. He had been driving trucks for twenty years, previously for himself, and now for the company.
“When I used to drive for myself, I would drive for more than ten hours a day. When I was tired, I would chew betel nuts and drink Red Bull. Even when I was so sleepy that my eyelids were drooping, I dared not stop, for fear of delaying deliveries, being charged freight fees, or not being able to pay the loan next month. Now I drive for a company, they pay for my social insurance and housing fund, buy me commercial insurance, and I have fixed days off every month. I even get a red envelope during the Spring Festival. Last year, I didn’t go home for the Spring Festival, and the company gave me several thousand yuan more in retention subsidies. My wife said that my life is finally stable.”
"Old Zhou, did your commercial insurance really cover your back pain when you went to the hospital last time?" Zhao Lei asked.
"I've submitted it."
Old Zhou stuffed the last bite of steamed bun into his mouth, stood up, and patted the crumbs off his hands: "I've been in the hospital for several days, and it cost several thousand yuan. The insurance company reimbursed more than half of it, and the company covered the rest. I only paid for the registration fee myself. Alright, I'm not going to argue with you guys anymore. I have to go to the distribution center. There's a batch of goods coming from the Pinduoduo agricultural product base that needs to be shipped today. They say it's potatoes and apples from Gansu Province, and it needs to be loaded onto the truck before noon."
After finishing the last bite of his steamed bun, Li Xiangyang put his tray in the recycling window and walked out of the cafeteria.
The morning light had already spread from the Qinling Mountains, spreading golden light across the wide roads of the High-tech Zone, shining on the rows of neatly arranged shared electric bicycles, on the rising steam from the newly opened breakfast stalls by the roadside, and on the workers in their work clothes hurrying along.
These people were wearing different colored work uniforms: dark blue for Xinghuo Express, bright yellow for Pinhaofan, gray for Yinhe Supermarket, and silver-white for technicians on the Yinhe Energy production line.
Each work uniform bears the Galaxy Technology star track logo printed on the left chest, like miniature medals pinned to the chests of these ordinary people who have come from all over the country.
Li Xiangyang hopped on the free shared electric bike, twisted the throttle, and headed towards the eastern part of the High-tech Zone.
The wind whistled past my ears, carrying the chill of December, but the work clothes were thick and windproof.
This work uniform was issued by the company. There are two sets each for spring, summer, autumn and winter. It is made of solid material and has a simple design. Wearing it on the street will not make people think that you are a courier, or at least will not make people think that you only deliver packages at a glance.
He recalled the huge billboard he saw at the train station exit when he first arrived in Tangdu, which read, "Once you're here, you're a Tangdu resident."
At that time, he didn't quite believe it and thought it was just a recruitment slogan.
But now he believes it.
In the past year or so, he worked at Xinghuo Express, progressing from a delivery driver to an independent deliveryman. His base salary during his internship was 3,000 yuan, but after becoming a full-time employee, it increased to 4,500 yuan plus performance bonuses and subsidies, bringing his monthly take-home pay to 7,000 to 8,000 yuan.
The company pays his social insurance and housing fund contributions, buys him commercial insurance, provides him with monthly meal and housing allowances, high-temperature subsidies in summer, low-temperature subsidies in winter, and year-end bonuses during the Spring Festival.
He used his savings to buy his mother a new cell phone back home. It was cheap but worked well, bought on Pinduoduo.
He also sent his sister a sum of money for living expenses so that she wouldn't have to be too frugal during her university years.
He stopped in front of an office building and took a package from the back seat.
The Spark Smart Delivery system on my phone has already planned the optimal route, clearly indicating which building, unit, and floor to deliver to first.
This system was created by Nuwa. It can maximize the delivery efficiency of each courier, but it won't force you to deliver the most orders in the shortest time.
Its goal is to be reasonable, not extreme.
While waiting for the elevator, Li Xiangyang ran into another deliveryman, who was wearing a uniform from another company, carrying several packages, and had a layer of sweat on his forehead.
He nodded as a greeting, and the other person nodded back. Then, he looked down at the package in his hand and suddenly gave a bitter laugh.
"Your Xinghuo system is really good. The route is all planned out, and it's clear which building and floor it's delivered to. Our system only shows the deadline, and if it's late, we get charged. Last month, I was charged several hundred yuan and received several bad reviews, all for being late. One customer complained that I refused to deliver to the door, but I did deliver it. However, the system didn't allow me time to go upstairs. The delivery time limit is calculated based on the electric scooter running the whole way, and it doesn't take into account the time I spend going upstairs."
He glanced at his watch, his expression changed, and he hurriedly squeezed into the elevator.
Li Xiangyang didn't join the crowd; he stood still and waited for the next bus.
The Spark Smart Delivery system allocates extra time for him to go upstairs within the delivery time limit, and every order is calculated clearly, so there is no need to compete for delivery.
He thought that was why he stayed here.
It's not just because of the high salary and good benefits, but also because here, he is a person, not a number forced by an algorithm to run faster.
At the same time, on the other side of the High-tech Zone, at the Pinhaofan Tangdu Terminal, rider Xie Tao was having his morning meeting.
The station manager's surname is Liu. She is a woman in her thirties with short hair, a capable demeanor, and speaks very quickly.
She worked at Pinhaofan for more than two years, rising from a rider to a station manager, and was one of the earliest full-time riders at Pinhaofan.
"The weather forecast says it might rain this afternoon. Check all the cameras on your helmets and make sure the waterproof covers are fastened. The roads will be slippery in the rain, so don't cut in line or run red lights. If you're late for work, I'll carry it. Safety first." She paused, glanced at the riders standing in two rows, and her gaze lingered on a few new faces for a moment.
"Also, new guys, please note that the delivery time for group meals is dynamically adjusted based on real-time road conditions. The time limit is automatically extended on rainy days, so don't panic. If there are any problems, such as a broken vehicle, spilled food, or inability to contact customers, report it in the group chat. Don't try to handle it yourself."
Xie Tao stood in the first row, listening attentively.
He recalled the years he had worked for the Yellow Regiment.
Back then, every morning when I opened my eyes, I owed the station several hundred yuan. The car was rented, the battery was rented, the work clothes were bought by myself, and the insurance was deducted separately every month.
Before even starting to place orders, I already owe a ton of debts.
Later, he switched jobs to Pinhaofan. On his first day of work, he signed a labor contract. The HR person explained to him one by one how to pay for the five social insurances and one housing fund, what the commercial insurance covered, how to get the base salary, and how the subsidies were issued. It took almost an hour.
He initially thought it was a scam. When he received his first paycheck, he counted the money against the bank's text message several times before he dared to believe it was real.
Once, while delivering food, he was hit by an electric scooter going the wrong way. He suffered a large gash on his leg, and the scooter was also damaged.
The station manager rushed over as soon as he found out and accompanied him to the hospital. The company covered all his medical expenses, and he received his full salary during his recovery period.
Later, the company's legal department helped him get the compensation from the person who hit him. He didn't spend a penny and even received the compensation in the end.
He thought that was why he was willing to stay here.
It's not because of his high level of education or his excellent skills, but because here, he is a person, not a number that can be replaced at any time.
The morning meeting is over.
Xie Tao hopped on his electric scooter, twisted the throttle, and headed towards the commercial street in the High-tech Zone.
His yellow work clothes stood out in the morning light, and the Galaxy Technology star track logo on his left chest gleamed faintly in the sunlight.
The streets are already bustling with activity, with long queues at breakfast stalls and bus stops packed with commuters.
A young woman in gray overalls rode past him on her bicycle, her basket filled with shopping bags from Galaxy Supermarket. The bags had the words "Welcome Home" printed on them.
He thought that these four words were more than just a supermarket slogan.
For people like him, every day in this city feels like a welcome home.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the High-tech Zone, in the Yinhe Supermarket Tangdu No. 1 store, Zhao Mingyuan was inspecting the store.
He was an old store manager brought over from Pang Donglai, and worked with Yu Donglai for more than ten years. Last year, he was poached by Nie Yun to work at Yinhe Supermarket.
When he arrived, his wife asked him, "What kind of success can an outsider like you achieve in Tang?"
He said there is a bigger place here than in Liancheng, and there are more things that can be done here than in Liancheng.
Yihaodian's customer traffic has been steadily increasing, with a repurchase rate of over 70% and an employee turnover rate of less than one-tenth of the industry average.
Zhao Mingyuan said that achieving this number did not rely on profound retail theories, but on a very simple logic: if you treat your employees well, they will treat your customers well; if customers feel good, they will come back; and if they come back many times, they will become inseparable from you.
In the fresh produce section, a young employee in a gray uniform is helping an elderly person choose apples.
The old man was in his seventies or eighties, his back was a little hunched, and his eyesight was not very good.
She picked out several apples, weighed them in her hand, and then put them back.
The young employee didn't rush her; instead, he bent down and took a bag of unopened Luochuan Red Fuji apples from the bottom shelf and handed it to her.
"Grandma, this is fresh stock that just arrived this morning. It was just brought over from the production warehouse in Luochuan. We've picked out every single one; the sweetness level is over 13%. Your grandson will definitely love it. If you find any bad ones when you get home, you can return them anytime. But there shouldn't be any bad ones. We have very strict quality control for this batch. Every single one has undergone spectral testing before being put on the shelves. Any ones with wormholes or that don't meet the sugar content standards have all been screened out."
The old man took the apple, examined it from all angles, and muttered, "Is this apple really sweet? I've bought several that weren't sweet before."
The young employee squatted down to her eye level, gently tapped the apple's skin with his fingertips, and pointed to a small label next to the price tag with the sweetness level and origin: "Look, this value is what we measured. This bag is 13.something, which is exactly the sweetest level of Fuji apples. If you prefer something crisper, the one next to it from Jingning, Gansu Province is also good; that one is crisper."
The old man hesitated for a moment after looking at the price tag, then put it back somewhat embarrassedly and took a bag of discounted small fruits from the side.
The young employee showed no impatience, helped her pack the bag, escorted her to the cashier, and even slipped her two individually wrapped red dates: "Grandma, these are samples of our new product. Please take them home and try them."
Zhao Mingyuan watched the whole thing from the side without going up to disturb him.
After the old man left, he went over and patted the young employee on the shoulder.
He graduated last year from a third-tier college in Tangdu City, majoring in supermarket operations management.
Only through a dedicated onboarding channel reserved by Galaxy Technology can one be hired.
When he came to Yihaodian for his internship, Zhao Mingyuan noticed his down-to-earth attitude and kept him on. Not long after, he was promoted from stock clerk to team leader in the fresh produce section.
"That action you just did, squatting down to look her in the eye, was that something you came up with yourself?" Zhao Mingyuan asked.
A young employee, a little embarrassed, said, "During training, the instructor said that when talking to the elderly, you should squat down so they feel that you are genuinely talking to them and not just trying to get rid of them. I tried it a few times and found it really works. Before, when I was standing and talking, the elderly would usually ask a couple of questions and then leave; after squatting down, they are more willing to talk. Sometimes, while chatting, they even talk about their family situation, which brand of blood pressure medication is cheap, which community's vegetable market has moved away, and what fruit their grandson likes to eat the most."
Zhao Mingyuan nodded without saying anything more.
But he knew in his heart that this was the real moat of Galaxy Supermarket: it wasn't that they were smarter than others, but that they were more willing to put in the effort.
This dedication doesn't rely on sophisticated retail theories, but rather on meticulous attention to every detail day after day.
The prerequisite for doing this well is that these employees treat this job as a career they can commit to long-term, not a temporary stop where they can leave at any time.
Treating employees as human beings is not just a slogan.
At Galaxy Supermarket, this is reflected in every employee badge with a formal labor contract, in every social security record paid on time and in full, in every promotion path from cashier to team leader, and in every monthly payslip paid on time. Base salary plus performance bonus plus subsidies, every column is clear and there is no ambiguity.
This is even more evident in things that cannot be measured by numbers: a veteran employee squats down to be at eye level with a customer, a cashier remembers the names and preferences of regular customers, and a stock clerk takes the initiative to wipe the shelves clean during their break.
These things cannot be bought with money.
But without the money, these things won't just grow naturally. (End of Chapter)