The richest man started taking advantage of loopholes after joining Alibaba.

December 2015. A cold winter.

A freezing rain fell in Hangzhou. The entire city was encased in a layer of ice, and the roads were as slippery as mirrors.

Microlight Building, Multifunctional Hall.

The year-end review meeting for Weiguang Logistics is being held here.

There were no flowers, no red carpet, and not even champagne.

There were only a few dozen rows of folding chairs, filled with station managers and city managers from various regions.

They carried the chill of the wind and snow, their faces etched with exhaustion, but their eyes shone with an alarming light.

On the big screen, a huge number was slowly scrolling before finally freezing.

[Registered riders in the Microlight system: 1,008,600]

One million.

The moment the number appeared, the entire hall fell into a brief, deathly silence.

Followed by.

Thunderous applause erupted.

Some people were shouting, some were banging on the table, and Zhao Sihai, who was in his fifties, was wiping away tears and crying like a child.

"One million..."

Lin Che stood on the stage.

The spotlight shone on him, and it was a little blinding.

Looking at that number, he felt not a sense of accomplishment, but a heavy weight.

That's not a number.

That's a million families.

It is a million mouths that eat.

They are the backbone of a million companies that have weathered storms and supported half of China's O2O industry.

"This is also an empire."

Lin Che whispered.

He reached out his hand, as if he could touch those million vibrant souls through the screen.

……

After the meeting.

Top floor office.

Lin Che had just seen off a group of special guests.

That was a research team from the province.

"Boss, this is an imperial edict!"

Shen Nan's hands trembled as he looked at the newly signed "Guiding Opinions on Supporting Flexible Employment in New Business Models" on the table.

"The government has designated us as 'employment stabilizers'."

"This means that in the future, anyone who wants to touch Microlight will not only have to ask whether the capital agrees, but also whether the higher-ups agree."

It will create jobs for one million people.

In this economic downturn, this is a tremendous political gift.

Lin Che stood by the window.

Looking down at those purple-clad figures who persisted in delivering orders in the freezing rain.

"This is the talisman."

Lin Che lit a cigarette.

Smoke swirled around.

"In the past, Alibaba and Tencent treated us as pawns and tools."

"Because all we have is money and traffic."

"But now..."

He pointed downstairs.

"We have roots now."

"Rooted in the deepest part of this country."

"As long as these million brothers are still here, the Glimmer will be an unyielding fortress."

……

"Fatty."

Lin Che turned around and stubbed out his cigarette.

"Notify the finance department."

"Take 200 million from the Series B and Series C funding rounds."

Two hundred million?!

Fatty Wang was about to take a bite of an apple when he heard this number, and he almost dropped the apple.

"Bro, what's this money for? Another subsidy war? Meituan's been much more subdued lately."

"No war."

Lin Che walked to the table.

Pick up a document that you have prepared in advance.

"Proposal for the Establishment of the Micro-Light Care Fund"

"Buy insurance."

Lin Che's voice was soft, but every word he uttered was resounding.

"Buy one accident insurance policy and one critical illness insurance policy for each of these one million brothers."

"besides."

"We will set up 'Warm Winter Stations' in first- and second-tier cities across the country, renting street-front shops to provide riders with hot water, charging facilities, and microwave ovens."

"So that they have a place to sit when they are tired, and a cup of hot water when they are cold."

Fatty Wang was stunned.

He looked at Lin Che as if he didn't recognize this usually shrewd and calculating boss.

"Brother, this is pure investment, there's no return."

"Rewards?"

Lin Che smiled.

He walked up to the huge map of China.

The dense purple dots on it represent these one million riders.

"They are my soldiers."

"In this chaotic era, other platforms treat them as consumables, like batteries, to be discarded once they're used up."

"But I'm going to turn them into... the Royal Guard."

Lin Che slammed his palm heavily on the map.

"These one million brothers are my biggest trump card."

"As long as I am sincere to them."

"Anyone who dares to touch me will first have to ask these one million brothers if they agree."

Fatty Wang took a deep breath.

He felt a burning sensation in his eyes.

"Alright!"

"Brother, I'll handle this personally! Anyone who dares to take kickbacks on procurement, I'll chop them up!"

……

A week later.

The Micro-Light Care Fund has been officially launched.

That day, one million delivery riders across the country simultaneously received a text message on their phones:

[Weiguang's Letter: It's getting cold, please be careful. The company has purchased accident insurance and critical illness insurance for you, and the policies are in effect. Weiguang will always be your support.]

There are no fancy words.

Only real and tangible guarantees.

That day, at various stations of Weiguang, countless rough-looking men looked at their phone screens with tears in their eyes.

On social media.

The hashtag #A Glimmer of Conscience# has once again become a trending topic.

Compared to the cold, algorithmic exploitation of Meituan and Ele.me, Weiguang's humane approach directly won people's hearts.

……

Weiguang Building.

Lin Che stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the wind and snow outside.

People are united.

The foundation is solid.

I also have a talisman.

Now, Glimmer has grown into a unicorn that even giants find troublesome.

"Boss."

Shen Nan pushed open the door and came in, holding an industry briefing he had just received.

His expression was somewhat strange.

Something's happened.

"Baidu Waimai... seems to be struggling."

Lin Che raised an eyebrow.

Baidu Waimai (Baidu Takeout)

That once-proclaimed "high-end white-collar takeout" company has finally fallen behind under the fierce competition from Meituan and Ele.me.

"Does Robin Li want to sell?"

Lin Che asked.

"Yes." Shen Nan nodded. "I heard they're in talks with Ele.me. Zhang Xuhao offered $5 million, wanting to take over Baidu's market share."

"market share?"

Lin Che gave a cold laugh.

He walked to the table and picked up the briefing.

Turn it over.

Their gaze swept past the inflated user data and the loss-making financial statements.

finally.

It freezes on the last line of the inconspicuous asset list.

[Baidu Waimai Intelligent Logistics Technology Team]

That is Baidu's most core asset.

They also have the strongest algorithm team in the entire food delivery industry.

"Market share is fictitious."

Lin Che closed the briefing.

A hunter's gleam of spotting his prey flashed in his eyes.

"Users are mobile; once subsidies stop, they leave."

"But the technology..."

"You can't take it with you."

Lin Che turned around.

I walked to the coat rack, took off my coat, and put it on.

The movements were swift and efficient.

"Prepare the car."

"Go to Beijing."

"Go see Robin Li."

Shen Nan was taken aback.

"Boss, we want to order from Baidu Waimai? That's a complete mess!"

"No."

Lin Che tied his scarf.

A greedy smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"I don't want a mess."

"I want that gold tooth..."

"Pull it out."