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Chapter 539 SF Express Logistics, Business Empire

Lin Chuqiao, originally a university lecturer, naturally exudes a scholarly air.

But the gold-rimmed glasses perched on her nose, the business suit she wore, and her long, slender legs encased in flesh-colored stockings added to her air of a capable businesswoman.

Two completely different temperaments blend perfectly in her, forming a unique charm known as "mature woman".

Seemingly hearing the engine sound, Lin Chuqiao looked up, and her beautiful eyes, hidden behind her glasses, instantly lit up.

She strode forward, her serious expression melting away like ice and snow, transforming into a bright smile, and raised her arm to wave vigorously.

"squeak--"

Fang Cheng parked the car steadily on the side of the road, turned off the engine, and got out of the car.

Before he could speak, Lin Chuqiao had already walked up to him with light steps and greeted him cheerfully:

"Brother Cheng, you got here so quickly?"

"Yes, I came right after lunch, and there was no traffic on the way."

Fang Cheng nodded slightly and responded with a smile.

Then, his gaze swept over Lin Chuqiao's high heels, which were slightly stained with mud, and a few inconspicuous gray stains on the hem of her skirt.

Seeing this usually refined and elegant young lady now so travel-worn for his own sake, Fang Cheng's eyes flickered, and his tone became more serious:

"Thank you for your hard work these past few days, Chu Qiao."

"It's not hard work at all. I find it much more interesting than lecturing at school."

Lin Chuqiao smiled and met Fang Cheng's gaze openly.

Then she raised her fair fingers and gently tucked a stray strand of hair that had been ruffled by the wind behind her ear.

A simple word of concern brought a sweet feeling to her heart.

The fatigue from running around for paperwork, negotiating acquisitions, and overseeing renovations these past few days seemed to vanish in that moment.

Lin Chuqiao reached out and pushed up her glasses, concealing the joy in her eyes.

He then turned to the side, making an inviting gesture, his voice warm and cheerful:
"It's windy and dusty here, Brother Cheng, let's go inside first and talk about it."

Fang Cheng nodded slightly, casually locked the car door, and followed.

As the two approached the factory gate, a wave of sound crashed into them.

"Zi-Zi-"

The ear-piercing sound of metal cutting shattered the afternoon tranquility.

The dull roar of the pneumatic drilling rig disrupted the entire factory area, creating a great deal of noise.

Stepping through the rusty iron gate, a pungent smell mixed with cement dust and the acrid smell of welding rods hits you.

As far as the eye could see, a dozen workers wearing yellow hard hats were busy moving around on the scaffolding.

Sparks from welding flew everywhere, and dust billowed freely in the sunlight.

The once quiet and desolate abandoned factory has now been transformed into a bustling construction site, brimming with the vibrant energy of reconstruction.

"Walk this way, watch out for the steel bars under your feet."

Lin Chuqiao turned to the side, leading Fang Cheng away from a pile of messy construction waste on the ground.

Despite the scorching sun overhead, dusty ground beneath her feet, and the considerable effort required to walk on such surfaces in high heels, she was in high spirits.

"Brother Cheng, this is the current plan for the first phase of renovation."

Lin Chuqiao pulled out a stack of neatly folded A2 blueprints from her briefcase and pointed to the red brick factory building where scaffolding was being erected not far away as she walked.

“That was the original main factory area. I originally planned to renovate it inside and out and make it look more impressive.”

To drown out the surrounding construction noise, she had to raise her voice a few decibels.

"But after discussing it with the designer, we decided to only reinforce the load-bearing structure and repair the leaking roof."

Lin Chuqiao pointed to the mottled, peeling wall that revealed the bluish-red bricks, her eyes gleaming with a calculating light:
"Maintaining this rough industrial style on the outside not only saves us a lot of money on renovations, but most importantly, it's inconspicuous."

"In this industrial park full of dilapidated factories, the more run-down it is, the less attention it will receive. That's the best camouflage."

"Anyway, our core office area and training grounds are all in the underground air-raid shelter. These buildings on the ground are just for cover, so there's no need to spend too much money on them."

Fang Cheng nodded approvingly upon hearing this.

For the current Illuminati, low-key development is the key.

The money saved can be invested in more critical internal facilities and equipment, which is the way to spend money wisely.

The two walked one after the other along the gravel path into the western area of ​​the factory.

This is a steel structure building with extremely high ceilings.

The manufacturing workshop, which originally belonged to a textile factory, has long since been stripped of its equipment, leaving only dust and messy waste.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the skylight, casting beams of light into the dim space, where countless tiny dust particles tumbled and danced.

Lin Chuqiao stood in the center of the empty workshop, spread out the blueprints, and traced the complex engineering lines on them with her slender fingers.

"Brother Cheng, according to your plan, our base will be officially registered as 'Shunfeng Warehousing and Logistics Co., Ltd.'"

"But this is by no means just an empty shell. It must be built to meet the standards of a regular logistics park, so the amount of work is quite large."

Lin Chuqiao used the tip of her pen to point to the functional areas on the drawing, explaining them clearly and logically:

"According to the initial plan, two ambient temperature warehouses, one cold chain warehouse, and a cargo transfer area will be built here."

As she spoke, she turned and pointed towards the warehouse door, gesturing to indicate a height:
"Also, we need to cut through the wall here and build three standardized lifting and unloading platforms to make it easier for forklifts to directly enter and exit the containers."

As Fang Cheng listened, he looked around at the enormous space, which spanned over two thousand square meters.

A bustling scene gradually emerged in my mind: this place would be filled with supplies and forklifts shuttling back and forth.

"Once the hardware is done, it's time for the software."

Lin Chuqiao closed the blueprints and continued:

"Once the infrastructure is completed, I will have Xiaosa go to the used car market to find a few heavy container trucks in decent condition, and then we will give priority to recruiting a team of veterans as drivers."

"This fleet of vehicles is ostensibly operating independently, but in reality, it will serve as a downstream support service for our trading company in the Jinshui Fish Market."

At this point, Lin Chuqiao adjusted her glasses, a hint of smug satisfaction in her tone:

"At the commercial level, trading companies are responsible for the flow of import and export documents, while logistics companies are responsible for the physical movement of goods."

"We usually have the fleet run empty trips between the city and the port, or pick up some odd jobs."

"In this way, the flow of funds and the flow of goods can form a closed loop, and even if someone conducts a special investigation, they will not be able to find any problems."

“In critical moments, this convoy can also be used to transport special supplies, transfer personnel, or carry out tasks assigned by the organization.” Fang Cheng stopped and glanced at several workers in the distance who were measuring the ground.

After a moment of contemplation, he shook his head and offered a different perspective:

"Chu Qiao, your idea is good, but you haven't done enough."

"not enough?"

Lin Chuqiao was slightly taken aback and looked at him with some confusion.

Fang Cheng turned around, meeting her gaze, his tone becoming serious:
“The current tax audit data is very powerful. If our logistics company only runs empty trucks or takes small orders all day, with only fuel expenses but no substantial cargo throughput, it is easy to be judged as an abnormal operation.”

“If we’re going to put on a show, we have to go all the way. This place is so big, it’s a waste to leave it empty.”

He pointed to the empty factory buildings around him:

“We can leverage the channels of trading companies to take on some real business and truly develop this place into a warehousing and logistics center.”

"In the future, we not only need to take more orders, but also improve our service. We need to ensure that there are a large number of trucks coming and going here every day, and that there is normal sorting, warehousing, and outbound of goods, and that every account can withstand the most stringent audit."

At this point, Fang Cheng's gaze fell on the highway outside the factory that stretched into the city, his voice steady and powerful:
"As for the convoy, we can't just think about how to cover it up."

"On the contrary, we need to continuously expand our vehicle fleet, not just heavy trucks, but also Iveco vans, minivans and even delivery motorcycles."

“On ordinary days, these drivers drive around the city delivering goods, and they are the best mobile intelligence stations.”

"As the number of people in the convoy continues to increase and the transportation routes cover the entire city, a huge intelligence network can be formed, and no matter what happens, it will not escape their keen ears and eyes."

"In case of emergency, no matter where in the city, whether it is to transport personnel, provide weapons, clean up the scene, or carry out emergency evacuation, they can be on call at any time to achieve the highest operational efficiency."

Fang Cheng spoke in a deep voice, outlining a blueprint for the future.

What came to mind, however, was the society of my past life, one that was responsive and had a highly developed logistics system.

At this point, he turned his gaze back to Lin Chuqiao, who seemed lost in thought, his eyes becoming deep and distant:

"Moreover, Chu Qiao, if we want to build a truly powerful organization, we can't just sit around and do nothing with that 50 million in start-up capital."

“Organizational development is not child’s play. We need a constant flow of cash to keep it running. Purchasing equipment, paying staff, expanding our influence—all of these require money.”

"We must treat this logistics company and that trading company as legitimate businesses. We need to build our own complete sphere of influence, possess our own commercial revenue-generating capabilities, and achieve 'using commerce to support warfare'!"

These words were like a key, opening a new door for Lin Chuqiao.

She had indeed fallen into a mental trap, only thinking about how to use the company as a shield and incidentally find some auxiliary role.

However, it overlooked the most important point: the vital role that business itself plays in providing financial support to organizations.

Upon hearing this, Lin Chuqiao's beautiful eyes flashed with a hint of realization and admiration.

She quickly took out her notebook, wrote down these key points, and nodded vigorously, saying:
"I understand, Cheng-ge. I didn't think things through long enough."

"Then I'll adjust the plan and headhunt a few professional operations managers to increase business contact."

She closed her notebook, her eyes sparkling with excitement:
"It just so happens that I heard the Pan family is planning to invest in an e-commerce platform. With the rise of online shopping, the supporting warehousing and logistics may become a hot topic in the future."

“If managed properly, our company could very well develop into a logistics giant and become a ‘cash cow’ for the organization.”

The two walked and talked, bypassing the mountain of building materials, and arrived at the relatively quiet backyard.

The noise level is much lower here, with only the occasional hum of a drilling rig coming from afar.

Lin Chuqiao rubbed her slightly sore neck and gently exhaled a breath of stale air.

"But Brother Cheng, if we're going to treat both companies as legitimate businesses, then my workload will have to double."

She raised her hand to wipe the fine beads of sweat from her forehead, her tone carrying a rare hint of complaint:
"Right now, I'm just overseeing the projects at the two bases. We need to negotiate equipment procurement, register companies, handle tax matters, recruit people... The cash flow records are making my head spin."

"I'm so busy I feel like I have to split myself into three parts. I'm both a project manager and a financial director. If this keeps up, I'll be the first to collapse from exhaustion."

As she spoke, her eyes sparkled, her alluring peach blossom eyes filled with a hint of reproach and grievance as she stared intently at Fang Cheng.

Seeing the tired look on this usually beautiful and elegant woman's face, Fang Cheng couldn't help but feel a pang of tenderness in his heart.

He had indeed gotten used to being a hands-off manager, placing all the burdens on the woman's delicate shoulders.

"The capable should do more work, which means the organization can't do without you."

Fang Cheng smiled and offered a reassuring remark, then gave them peace of mind:
"Don't worry, this high-pressure situation won't last more than a few days. The professor's progress is going very well; I heard he's already on his way with the first batch of recruits."

"Among them are some trustworthy individuals who can serve as your administrative specialists and financial assistants. Once they are in place, you can focus on getting the major decisions signed off, and leave all the specific details to your subordinates."

Hearing this, Lin Chuqiao's expression softened, and a smile returned to her lips.

Actually, there was something else she didn't say: as long as Fang Cheng remembered her kindness, it would be worth it even if it was tiring.

As they spoke, the two bypassed the main factory building and slowly walked down a cement ramp.

At the end of the passage, a heavy, explosion-proof iron door suddenly appeared in the concrete wall.

This is the real highlight of Fang Cheng's visit today.

Lin Chuqiao stepped forward, took out a special magnetic card key from her bag, and swiped it on the hidden sensor inside the door frame.

"drop--"

"Crack—Boom!"

Accompanied by a dull hydraulic drive sound, the 30-centimeter-thick explosion-proof door slowly slid open to both sides.

A cool breeze carrying a faint musty smell swept over us, instantly dispelling the heat from the outside.

This is the true core area of ​​the Illuminati base, the main entrance to the air-raid shelter.

"To ensure the security and secrecy of the base, I specifically had the electrical circuits here rearranged and this independent military-grade access control system installed."

Seeing Fang Cheng's slightly surprised expression, Lin Chuqiao smiled and pointed to the device at the door, explaining:

"This system has an independent backup power supply. Even if the power supply to the entire industrial park is cut off, this place can still remain locked. Unless it is blown up with explosives, no one can get in."

Fang Cheng nodded approvingly.

Lin Chuqiao then stepped inside first and casually turned on the industrial switch on the wall.

"Zi-Zi-"

As the sound of the current being switched on rang out, dozens of high-power tungsten iodine lamps, like a fiery dragon, lit up one after another, starting from the entrance and moving deeper into the area.

A blinding white light instantly tore through the darkness, illuminating the colossal creature that had been sleeping underground.

This is a huge arched space with a dome nearly ten meters high, entirely constructed of reinforced concrete.

The ground is flat and hard, and the walls on both sides still retain the large ventilation pipes and rusty red slogans left over from the war preparation period.

The somber and heavy atmosphere unique to the Cold War era struck a chord with the heart the moment the lights came on.

(End of this chapter)