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

October 11st, 11:30 AM.

The perimeter of the Chengxi Logistics Park.

A Jinbei van, its engine off, sat like a sweltering iron coffin in the shade of a camphor tree by the roadside.

The car windows were tightly closed, blocking out the shouts and curses from outside, but not the suffocating anxiety.

Zhao Sihai huddled in the driver's seat, clutching the Nokia phone whose screen was burning hot.

The phone call lasted twenty minutes.

The screen was covered in sticky fingerprints and oily stains, as well as traces left by dried cold sweat from my palms.

"Sorry, the number you dialed is currently switched off..."

The mechanical female voice came through the receiver again.

That was the phone number of Captain Liu from the fire brigade, whom I usually called brother and who had given me plenty of benefits.

Snapped.

Zhao Sihai hung up, his fingers spasming from exerting too much force.

I found another number, an old classmate from the Safety Supervision Bureau.

pass.

"Hey, Lao Zhang, this is Sihai! Those guys from earlier..."

"Old Zhao."

The person on the other end of the phone was as cold as ice.

"You know today is Singles' Day. There's a strict order from above: anyone who gets into trouble at this crucial moment is bringing shame to the city. Anyone who dares to speak up for you today is asking for trouble."

beep.

The sound of a blind man echoed through the carriage.

Zhao Sihai froze.

He stared at the car ashtray, piled high with twisted cigarette butts, the top one emitting a wisp of smoke, as if mocking his incompetence.

When faced with national-level commercial events, the "connections" that we take pride in are as fragile as a piece of wet toilet paper.

The friendship that usually involves drinking and socializing can instantly be severed when faced with a real political red line.

Jingle Bell!

My phone rang loudly.

Zhao Sihai answered the phone as if grasping at a straw, only to hear the roar of the Tongda regional manager:

"Zhao Sihai! Backend data shows the branch's acceptance rate is zero! Headquarters just issued an ultimatum: if operations aren't restored by midnight, the system interface will be cut off, and the two million yuan deposit will be forfeited!"

Twelve o'clock.

There's still an hour and a half left.

boom! boom! boom!

The car windows shook violently.

Outside, several impatient truck drivers pressed their faces against the glass.

Their facial features were distorted by the pressure, resembling a group of vengeful ghosts.

"Zhao Sihai! Come out!"

"Stop hiding in there pretending to be dead! What about my goods?!"

Zhao Sihai looked at those distorted faces, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.

The protective umbrella is gone.

April 11th, 11:00 AM.

Zhao Sihai pushed open the car door, and a wave of heat and noise enveloped his body.

"Listen up, everyone! It's already being coordinated! It should take at most half an hour..."

His attempt to control the situation with a loud voice failed.

Nobody listens to empty promises.

A driver with a full beard pointed across the street and spat in Zhao Sihai's face:

"Coordinate my ass! Look for yourself! They've already shipped out two truckloads of goods from the other side!"

The crowd fell silent for a second, then turned their heads in unison.

A few dozen meters away, the logistics are faintly visible.

With all six unloading ports open, the hum of the automatic sorting line could be clearly heard across the road.

The orderly industrial noise now sounds surprisingly pleasant.

There were no seals there, only assembly lines that handled goods.

"That's a new company, they work with data, they know absolutely nothing about logistics..."

boom--

A 9.6-meter red truck suddenly started.

A driver affiliated with Zhao Sihai's trucking team.

"Old Zhao, I'm sorry."

The driver leaned out, his voice distorted by the roar of the high-powered diesel engine.

"I also have a family to support. If this order doesn't go through soon, I'll go bankrupt. I'm not going to die with you."

He jerked the steering wheel, turned the car around, and headed straight for the other side of the road.

That stomp on the gas pedal shattered the last shred of trust.

"Let's go! Let's check the other side!"

"I heard they're hiring individual investors over there!"

Herd effect spreads like a plague.

The crowd scattered with a roar, scrambling to jump onto the truck.

The roar of engines rose and fell.

Several plumes of thick black exhaust fumes shot out, engulfing Zhao Sihai.

cough cough cough.

Zhao Sihai choked and bent over, coughing violently.

The crowd dispersed.

All that remained on the ground was a flattened red Zhonghua cigarette box.

The pack of cigarettes I tried to give to the driver but was knocked away.

It lay flat on the asphalt road, like an unclaimed corpse.

Zhao Sihai looked down at his suit.

The cuff button was ripped off, leaving a loose thread dangling awkwardly in the wind.

Without the ability to ship goods, this "General Manager Zhao" is nothing but a fart.

November 11, 11:15 AM.

The road connecting the two parks is not wide, with four lanes in both directions.

A solid bright yellow line runs down the middle.

Zhao Sihai stood on this side of the solid line, looking at his empty courtyard and then at the long line of Weiguang Logistics across the street.

The solid yellow line now marks the boundary between Chu and Han.

It is also the boundary between life and death.

If he doesn't take that step, a warehouse full of goods worth millions will rot in his hands, the penalty for breach of contract could bankrupt him, or even send him to jail for several years.

Step over...

This industry has completely lost face.

Zhao Sihai straightened his tie and vigorously wiped his face.

face?

When it comes to survival, saving face is the most expensive luxury.

Lift your foot and step across the yellow line.

The distance was only a few dozen meters, but I walked very slowly, each step feeling like walking on cotton.

The sensor-activated glass doors of the Weiguang Logistics Hall slid open.

The smooth glass reflected a disheveled, hunched figure.

No one stopped them at the front desk.

Even the plastic lucky cat is waving tirelessly.

One moment, one moment.

Mechanical and ironic.

November 11, 11:20 AM.

Second floor office.

The air conditioning is very strong.

Zhao Sihai shuddered; the sweat under his armpits turned cold and sticky.

The large data screen flickers silently, and the red and green peak graphs jump, indicating that the machine is running at full speed.

The employees were busy, and no one paid them much attention.

Being ignored is more painful than being mocked.

Lin Che sat at the tea table by the window and pointed to the chair opposite him.

"Please sit. The tea is freshly brewed, Lapsang Souchong."

Zhao Sihai wasn't in the mood for tea.

He slumped into his chair, his voice hoarse as if he'd swallowed a handful of sand: "President Lin, about the misunderstanding before..."

There is no misunderstanding.

Lin Che interrupted, took a printed contract from the drawer, and pushed it across the table.

"General Manager Zhao is a man of principle, and I also value efficiency. This is the trusteeship agreement between Weiguang Logistics and the Chengxi Express network."

Zhao Sihai eagerly grabbed the contract.

His pupils contracted sharply after just one glance at the first page.

"Entrustment? All revenue goes through your accounts? Profits split 70/30? You get 70%?"

She suddenly looked up and stared at Lin Che.

"Lin Che, this is robbery! Taking advantage of someone's misfortune!"

"Let me correct that."

Lin Che picked up his teacup and gently blew away the foam.

"Robbery is illegal; we are providing legitimate commercial rescue services."

He pointed to the clock hanging on the wall.

"It's 11:23 now. The Tongda Group headquarters' ultimatum is 12:00. You have 37 minutes left."

"I don't care if you don't sign."

He put down his teacup, his tone as indifferent as if he were discussing the weather.

"The individual drivers outside are happy to take your goods. But in the end, you'll be the one in breach of contract, and they'll be the fire brigade. You can figure out how many coins you'll be left with out of those millions of dollars worth of goods."

Zhao Sihai opened his mouth.

My lips are dry, cracked, peeling, and oozing blood.

I wanted to slam my fist on the table, curse, and storm out.

Can't do it.

Lin Che cut off all escape routes, leaving only this narrow, thorny bridge.

"Mr. Lin, leave some room for maneuver..."

Zhao Sihai's voice softened, becoming pleading.

"How about 50/50? Or even 40/60..."

"Mr. Zhao."

Lin Che leaned forward slightly, his deep black eyes devoid of warmth.

"Now you're begging me to save your life, not the other way around. You've blocked this path yourself."

He stretched out his finger and pressed the timer.

drop.

The red numbers begin the countdown.

00:05:00

"I'll only wait five minutes. After five minutes, all the production capacity will be distributed to retail investors. By then, you won't be able to get any money."

Lin Che picked up the magazine and flipped through it.

The only sounds in the room were the whooshing of the air conditioner vents and the heart-pounding countdown.

Zhao Sihai held the pen.

The veins on the back of his hand bulged, and the pen tip hovered above the signature bar, trembling incessantly.