I'm in the county town, and you say I'm a big shot?

Chapter 801 800 Aren't companies that dare to take responsibility for the future more worthy of investment than those that only embellish their financial statements?
Shortly after New Year's Day 2017, Ele.me Group announced on its official website that it would actively and steadily promote the pilot program for social security for its delivery riders. The company has already contacted relevant departments of the Shanghai Municipal Government and plans to extend the social security system to all delivery riders in the city. This move aims to further fulfill corporate social responsibility and improve the protection of the rights and interests of riders.

In the future, Ele.me will continue to collaborate with the government, industry, and social forces to explore more sustainable solutions for protecting riders' rights and interests, and help achieve a "more efficient, safer, and warmer" delivery service ecosystem.

At almost the same time, the local government's official media outlet, the Liberation Daily, reported on the new progress made in the city's pilot program for protecting new forms of employment in its second-page "News Briefs" section.

It is reported that the local life service platform "Ele.me" recently reached a cooperation agreement with the city's human resources and social security departments to expand the pilot program for social security for food delivery riders to the entire city.

This move is seen as a key step in the city's exploration of institutionalizing the protection of workers' rights in the platform economy, aiming to create a more stable and standardized industry employment environment and provide "Shanghai experience" for the continuous improvement of relevant policies.

At 2:30 p.m. on a small street near the Bund, several food delivery riders were gathered in front of the "Gesanghua Sichuan Restaurant" waiting for their meals. Most of them were wearing Ele.me's blue uniforms, with one or two Baidu riders in red overalls.

This Sichuan restaurant is a famous internet-famous restaurant. It is said that the owner knows Fang Qingye, the chairman of Ele.me. There is a photo of them together on the wall of the restaurant. Fang Qingye is in the middle of a group of deliverymen, smiling very brightly.

The uniforms worn by the deliverymen in the photos are blue, orange, and red. However, Meituan has been acquired by Ele.me, and the orange uniforms are now a thing of the past.

Wang Haiping sat on his electric scooter, taking a moment to check the afternoon shift schedule on his phone while waiting for his food. Suddenly, a pop-up news article appeared: "Liberation Daily: Ele.me Promotes Full Social Security Coverage for Riders in Shanghai."

"Citywide scope", "social security system", "comprehensive coverage"... these words struck his heart like a hammer.

"Hey guys, look at the news!" a young Ele.me delivery rider suddenly held up his phone. "The company's going to pay our social security contributions!"

The crowd immediately stirred, and the riders in blue uniforms pulled out their phones and started discussing the matter.

"Really? The company pays for social security?" A young man wearing glasses pushed up his glasses and leaned closer to look.

"Citywide coverage? Does that mean we can have medical insurance and pensions like regular employees?" another slightly older rider muttered to himself, his cigarette burning his fingers.

The two Baidu Waimai delivery riders standing in the corner exchanged a glance. The younger one couldn't help but speak up: "You guys at Ele.me are really something. We haven't even mentioned this on our end."

"Don't get too excited," a hoarse voice poured cold water on the situation. "Who knows if it's just for show? In the end, they'll still deduct money from our wages."

Wang Haiping listened silently, his finger repeatedly sliding across the screen.

At 44, he had been delivering food in Shanghai for four years and knew all too well the weight of this "guarantee." He thought of his elderly parents back home and his son, who was in high school and had been too afraid to go to the hospital last summer because of heatstroke, so he could only buy the cheapest cold medicine at the pharmacy for himself.

"If I can really pay social security, I won't have any worries about the future, and the pressure might be less. I won't be so worried about not being able to work anymore," Wang Haiping thought to himself.

Just then, the young female owner of the restaurant poked her head out and said, "Chef Wang, your meal is ready."

She glanced at the riders who were still arguing and said in a Sichuan accent, "Stop arguing. I heard from Chairman Fang that he's keeping an eye on this. There's no doubt about it. They'll be expanding the pilot program in the future."

Wang Haiping couldn't tell whether the proprietress was telling the truth or not, but he also knew that it would be a long road before this matter was actually implemented.

But no matter what, there's hope now, isn't there?

He took the lunchbox without saying anything and carefully placed it in the insulated box. He put on his helmet and took a deep breath; the winter wind didn't seem so biting anymore. At the same moment, Fang Qingye was being interviewed by a reporter.

In the conference room on the top floor of Ele.me's headquarters, the huge floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of Shanghai's skyline. Fang Qingye sat opposite Li Jing, a senior reporter from CBN (China Business Network), with sunlight casting a halo around his back.

Li Jing, in his thirties, has interviewed many entrepreneurs and business figures, and is known for his sharp questions. As he flips through his notebook, the first question is already quite pointed:

"Chairman Fang, expanding social security for delivery riders is considered a 'thankless task' by the industry. Why are you so determined to push it forward? Is it to build your personal image, or is there really a profit to be made?"

After he finished speaking, his gaze sharpened, not missing any subtle expression on the other person's face.

Fang Qingye smiled slightly upon hearing his question, but instead of answering, she asked in return, "Reporter Li, have you ever ordered takeout?"

"I've ordered it before, and I order it often."

"When you know that the person delivering your food has a basic guarantee behind them, wouldn't you feel more at ease eating the meal? This isn't a vanity project; it's the essence of business—making your core asset, namely people, valuable and dignified."

Li Jing quickly jotted down a few notes in his notebook, then immediately posed his second question, speaking at a faster pace: "But this 'dignity' comes at a high price. As far as I know, it will directly erode your core takeout profits. Aren't you afraid of dragging the company down?"

As he spoke, he leaned forward slightly, creating a sense of pressure.

“I’m afraid, so I’m accelerating the expansion of new businesses,” Fang Qingye leaned forward a little to meet his gaze.

"Ele.me's future lies in in-store services, travel, entertainment, and financial payments—in those high-margin businesses! Food delivery is the gateway to traffic and the foundation. I'd rather earn less now to solidify this foundation. Otherwise, no matter how high the building is constructed, it will collapse in the wind."

Li Jing astutely seized the opportunity in his words and immediately cut to the most sensitive topic: "Speaking of skyscrapers... According to market news, Ele.me is preparing for an IPO in Hong Kong. Aren't you afraid of scaring away investors and jeopardizing the listing plan by incurring huge costs at this critical juncture?"

He finished speaking with a slight smile, waiting for his reaction.

Upon hearing this, Fang Qingye leaned back in his chair, a smile appearing on his face. "If our investors are so short-sighted that they can't understand the difference between 'sustainable value' and 'short-term costs'..." He paused, his gaze sweeping across the bustling city outside the window, "then I don't need that kind of money. What I want are partners who can see ten years from now with us."

He looked at Li Jing again, his eyes sharpening: "Isn't a company that dares to take responsibility for the future more worthy of investment than one that only knows how to embellish its financial statements?"

Fang Qingye's tone softened at this point, and she continued:

"Reporter Li, the value of a company is ultimately reflected in what it creates for society. What Ele.me is doing is trying to provide our answer."

"Chairman Fang, one last question." Li Jing's voice was slightly gentler than before. "How do you think people will evaluate Ele.me's decision today, ten or even twenty years from now?"

“I don’t know, but I don’t care.” Fang Qingye looked at him with a smile. “I only know that when our riders get old, they can receive a pension like ordinary people; and when they are sick, they can walk into the hospital with confidence. That’s enough.”

(End of this chapter)