"How much do they pay per month?" Ye Zhi asked.
"Anything from a few hundred to a few thousand," Feng Jie replied.
"And this money, is it coming out of Feitong's own pocket, or is it deducted from the couriers' earnings?" Ye Zhi continued to ask.
"It seems to be deducted from the couriers' earnings," Feng Jie responded.
"Then what's their operational model?" Ye Zhi asked, suppressing her exasperation. "When picking up packages, is any proof required? Do the pickup points just store packages, or do they manage them?"
"It seems they just store them. Users have to find their own packages, and no proof is needed," Feng Jie said, feeling a bit overwhelmed. He truly hadn't expected Ye Zhi to be so detailed. These were questions he hadn't even considered, but Ye Zhi seemed to have anticipated everything, asking only the most pertinent questions.
"I understand," Ye Zhi nodded. "You go directly to the map company. Keep a close eye on things, and contact me if anything comes up."
Feng Jie agreed. After he left, Ye Zhi leaned back in her chair, her brow furrowed. The arrival of package pickup points in this world was earlier than she had anticipated. It seemed that Qianbai's investors had put pressure on Feitong, compelling Feitong to devise this method. While Shunda's plan to speed things up addressed upstream logistics and sorting, Feitong's approach targeted downstream delivery. However, Feitong's method was too primitive and riddled with issues. It sped up delivery, but the possibility of misdelivered packages or intentional theft was unavoidable. How did they plan to handle such incidents, and who would be held responsible? Ye Zhi disliked package pickup points, but if such an entity was destined to appear in this world, she wanted it to be under her control.
She stood up and went directly to Chen Wei's office. Seeing her arrive, Chen Wei asked, "Manager Ye, what can I do for you?"
"I see you're not busy lately. I want you to form a team and design a new system for me," Ye Zhi said.
Chen Wei: ...
Manager Ye, you can assign tasks without saying I'm not busy!
"This system would be like this," Ye Zhi explained. "I plan to create a smart locker system for storing packages. When each package is stored, a numeric code will be generated and automatically sent to the user's phone. The user can then input the code to unlock the locker door. Additionally, we need to design a mobile application that offers the same functionality. How long do you think it would take to complete?"
Chen Wei: ...
Manager Ye, you're not even asking if it's possible anymore, just how long it will take!
He mused for a moment and replied, "It doesn't sound too difficult. About half a month."
"Alright, it's in your hands," Ye Zhi said with a satisfied nod and left.
The mobile application was naturally for the package pickup points. However, given Shunda's current standing in the courier industry, if she were to personally take over both the smart lockers and the pickup points, she would face collective resistance from the entire industry. Therefore, she desperately needed a good partner... or rather, a good collaborator.
In the evening, Ye Zhi arrived at Qi Xuan's house with a basket of grapes. The butler cheerfully washed the grapes and served them to them.
"These grapes are very sweet. Try one," Ye Zhi said after tasting a grape, pushing the fruit platter towards Qi Xuan.
Qi Xuan picked one up and ate it. His lips curved into a slight smile. The grapes Ye Zhi had chosen were indeed very sweet.
"Are you here for money today, or do you need to consult about something?" Qi Xuan asked with a gentle smile.
Ye Zhi felt a pang of awkwardness. How could Qi Xuan always guess so accurately? She wanted to argue a bit but eventually gave up. After all, Qi Xuan wasn't a stranger; why should she put on airs?
"Uh... I wanted to ask you about Zhan Ruofeng. What do you think of him?" Ye Zhi asked directly.
Qi Xuan paused slightly. He felt as if the aftertaste of the grapes had turned a little sour. The butler next to them immediately grew anxious. Zhan Ruofeng? Wasn't that Zhan Ruoqing's brother? Why was Miss Ye inquiring about him? Did she have feelings for Zhan Ruofeng? Absolutely not; he had to help their young master!
"Miss Ye, what's so great about him? Zhan Ruofeng is already thirty!" the butler blurted out urgently.
"Ah?" Ye Zhi looked bewildered. "Isn't he only twenty-eight?"
"But he's very flirtatious!" the butler insisted anxiously. "He used to have a fiancée, but it didn't work out. Then he dated another girlfriend, and that also didn't last. That's why he's still single!"
Ye Zhi was utterly confused. Why was Uncle Butler telling her all this? She didn't care about Zhan Ruofeng's personal life!
"If it's just normal dating, without cheating or anything, isn't that not considered flirtatious?" Ye Zhi asked, puzzled. "Besides, he's twenty-eight and only had two girlfriends. That seems alright, not overly exaggerated..."
"But our young master is twenty-six and hasn't even had one girlfriend!" the butler said eagerly.
Qi Xuan: ...
Even though the butler was helping him, why did it make him sound like a piece of unsold merchandise?
"You've never dated anyone?" Ye Zhi looked at Qi Xuan in surprise.
"I've been busy with my career all these years and haven't had much interest in relationships," Qi Xuan replied, looking at her. "Moreover, relationships need to be taken seriously. This is not only for me but also responsible for my future partner."
"Miss Ye, Young Master is telling the truth!" the butler chimed in to support him.
"I believe it!" Ye Zhi said with sincere admiration. "Qi Xuan is the person with the best character and the highest moral standards I've ever met!"
The butler: ...
Miss Ye, I didn't say all this for you to praise the young master's character!
He asked with a touch of melancholy, "Miss Ye, are you really that concerned about Zhan Ruofeng?"
"Yes," Ye Zhi nodded. "After considering everything, I think cooperating with him is the most suitable. But before cooperating, I need to understand what kind of person my partner is! What if he has character issues? Then I'd have to consider finding someone else to cooperate with, wouldn't I?"
Everyone: ...
Miss Ye, why didn't you say so earlier! You scared us half to death!
Qi Xuan suddenly felt that the grape had become even sweeter.
"Didn't Zhan Ruoqing tell you?" he asked.
"She did, but she's too biased," Ye Zhi said, lightly touching her forehead with a hint of helplessness. "In her words, her brother is barely human."
"If you're considering a partnership, Zhan Ruofeng is a good choice," Qi Xuan said. "What are you planning to cooperate with him on?"
Ye Zhi, without any reservation, told him about her concepts for the smart lockers and pickup points.
Qi Xuan looked at her, surprised. He was not only astonished by her forward-thinking concept but also by her choice of collaborator.
"Why don't you do it yourself?" he asked.
"The current Shunda can't do it; it would be ostracized. The market would surely become a mess," Ye Zhi stated confidently. "Zhan Ruofeng is the best choice for cooperation. Let me explain in detail..."