Hong Kong Tycoon: Starting from Delivering Dongfeng Express

Chapter 193 Chen Yongren's Bewilderment: Me, the Store Manager?! (6K)

"Damn it! They dare to rob us! If I were here, I'd tear these guys to pieces!"

Wang Jianjun gritted his teeth, slammed his hand on the table, and looked menacing.

Upon receiving news of the attack on Dongfeng Express, Wang Jianjun rushed back immediately. Especially after seeing the video showing the group of people using AKs to fire at Dongfeng Express, he really wanted to slaughter these robbers again!
Xiao Fu, who was standing next to Ye Dongsheng, asked, "Brother Sheng, do these robbers have any accomplices?"

Ye Dongsheng shook his head and said, "According to the information the police have, the Da Dong gang was led by that pair of notorious thieves, and they should have been wiped out this time."

However, I couldn't guarantee anything, so I issued a kill order throughout the martial arts world. Anyone with information about Da Dong's accomplices is to be hunted down to the bitter end!

Wang Jianjun said, "Brother Sheng, leave this to me. I will definitely kill everyone connected to them!"

Ye Dongsheng patted him on the shoulder: "You're a proper businessman now, so tone down your temper. We're not even sure if there are any remaining cronies, and we don't need to handle this kind of thing ourselves. Whether we call the police or have our men do it, it's fine. Otherwise, what's the point of making money if we do everything ourselves?"

Wang Jianjun nodded and then said, "Brother Sheng, didn't you say you wanted to set up our own security team? Xiao Fu and I can do that!"

Ye Dongsheng nodded: "That's fine, but I need to ask you first, what's the situation like in Chaoshan and Focheng? Will there be any problems if you're not here?"

Of the five markets Dongfeng Express operates in mainland China, Ye Dongsheng personally inspected Jinghai, Yangcheng, and Dongguan. He even personally established Jinghai and Yangcheng, so he felt more at ease with them.

Both Focheng and Chaoshan were shops founded and opened by Xiao Fu and Wang Jianjun on their own. Ye Dongsheng hadn't even been there yet, so naturally the two of them wanted to find out the details when they returned.

“Brother Sheng, I’m doing fine. I’m following the same model you used in other places, and the deliverymen are all very enthusiastic!” Xiao Fu said first.

Ye Dongsheng then asked, "Have any competitors emerged, or has anyone caused you trouble?"

Xiao Fu shook his head: "Not yet. They know we're Hong Kong businessmen, and I feel they've been very polite to me!"

Ye Dongsheng nodded. Dongfeng Express is able to gain a foothold in the local area mainly due to two factors.

Firstly, Dongfeng Express faced no competition, enjoying a monopoly that naturally led to rapid growth. Secondly, the Hong Kong business acumen of several individuals played a crucial role. In an era that strongly promotes attracting foreign investment, Hong Kong businessmen certainly hold a competitive advantage, making them unapproachable to smaller players.

"My situation is similar to Xiao Fu's, but a few days ago, someone came to me and said they wanted to invite me to dinner and wanted to be friends with me."

"Oh? Who is it?" Ye Dongsheng looked at Wang Jianjun.

"I hadn't figured out what the other party was up to when something happened in Hong Kong, so I rushed back!"

Then Ye Dongsheng looked at Xiao Fu: "Xiao Fu, is there anyone in Focheng who wants to be your friend?"

Yes, I have! But I've refused them all!

Upon hearing this, Ye Dongsheng shook his head and smiled. This really suited Xiao Fu's personality.

As for Xiao Fu and Wang Jianjun, both of them came from the military, so their execution ability and hard work are definitely not a problem. In fact, the express delivery industry is not that difficult. As long as they work with Ye Dongsheng for a while, the two of them can learn most of what they need to learn.

However, to ask Xiao Fu and Wang Jianjun to do this kind of social interaction and expand their network is, frankly, putting them in a difficult position.

It's understandable that people would want to make friends with them, given they are Hong Kong businessmen. However, Dongfeng Express is in the transportation business! And they are Hong Kong businessmen!
When transportation is combined with cross-border travel, it is very easy for an illegal activity to emerge – smuggling!
Ye Dongsheng estimated that at least half, if not all, of those who came to befriend them probably had the same intention. After all, the profits from smuggling are truly enormous!
Moreover, the situation in Chaoshan is more complicated than in Foshan.

Because the Chaoshan region uses sea freight, it involves more aspects than Foshan. At the very least, they definitely have to deal with the customs there.

Moreover, shipping is something that ordinary people can't access at all these days. Dongfeng Express has this resource, which will definitely attract a lot of people's attention.

Ye Dongsheng pondered for a moment, then said, "I'll personally visit Chaoshan and Focheng in a couple of days. It's not that I don't trust you, but I still need to personally pay my respects to some of the local bigwigs, otherwise our business might not last long!"

Doing business is not just about the business itself; it also requires having connections and background in the local area. In the short term, it's not a problem to gain a foothold by relying on one's Hong Kong businessman status.

However, if another Hong Kong businessman comes along, such as Ni Yongxiao, who has a local backer but Dongfeng Express doesn't, then they can easily target you.

Today they check your fire safety and lock you up for a few days, next week they hire some thugs to cause trouble, and then they take both of you in for investigation for a few more days... If they keep doing this, your business will be ruined!

"Brother Sheng, you can handle these things. I hate those people who try to be all roundabout!"

Ye Dongsheng smiled, then pulled the two of them to sit down:

"There's something else I need to tell you. Although the three of us built these shops on the mainland, we can take turns going there to look after them for a short period of time. However, we can't stay there permanently, and we're simply not in a position to handle it all."

Xiao Fu said to Wang Jianjun, "Brother Sheng, are you asking if we have any trustworthy people around us to train to take over?"

"This is one approach, just like in Jinghai, where I have already delegated authority to Xu Jiang."

But if we completely delegate authority to him, over time, all the power in Dongfeng Express in the area will concentrate in one person's hands. Then, who will own Dongfeng Express – ours or this person's?

Wang Jianjun frowned: "Brother Sheng, are you saying these people will betray us?"

Ye Dongsheng smiled and poured Wang Jianjun a cup of tea. After Wang Jianjun took a couple of sips, Ye Dongsheng continued:

"Actually, I still believe in Xu Jiang, and I think the people you selected are all trustworthy. However, absolute power corrupts, and I don't want to test human nature by using such a huge temptation to test them and give them opportunities to make mistakes."

In its previous life, SF Express initially adopted a contracting system in mainland China, where each local courier station was essentially a franchisee. Founder Wang Wei completely delegated power, resulting in each contracted point becoming a small kingdom.

As a result, a few years later, various problems arose. Local authorities secretly disobeyed the headquarters, and the accounts were unclear. These were minor issues. Many people even openly used SF Express's channels to transport their own goods, some of which were illegal and prohibited items!

This was too much for Wang Wei, who had been playing golf in Hong Kong for several years, so he started to take back power!
This process of reorganization and consolidation of power took him a full three years. During this process, he faced several life-threatening situations. After all, when it comes to taking back the interests of local bullies, they are really willing to fight you to the death!

Therefore, now that Ye Dongsheng knew about the wrong path Wang Wei had taken, he naturally wouldn't repeat the same mistake. From the very beginning of the business, he blocked that path, refraining from completely delegating power to avoid giving those below him undue ambition!
"What do you mean, Brother Sheng?" the two asked, puzzled.

"Doing business is not much different from going to war; the most important things are people and supplies! In other words, people and money!"

“Since the local manager was selected by us, his abilities are undoubtedly excellent. We can entrust him with personnel management, but we can’t completely hand over the money to him. There needs to be a system of supervision!”

Upon hearing Ye Dongsheng's words, Xiao Fu immediately understood: "Brother Sheng, do you mean to replace all the finance personnel with our own people?"

Ye Dongsheng smiled and said, "The current finance staff are our employees. Even if you replace them, they might form cliques over time when you're not around!"

Wang Jianjun said, "Brother Sheng, are you saying we need to prevent the finance department and the store manager from colluding to deceive us?"

Ye Dongsheng snapped his fingers: "Right!"

He didn't keep them in suspense any longer: "I plan to recruit a group of finance personnel on Hong Kong Island for training, and then assign them to stores in various locations. They will be rotated between regions every two years, so that they are less likely to collude with local store managers."

"And what about the current finance personnel?"

"Don't touch them, we'll use a dual financial system!"

"Oh! Brother Sheng, I understand! These people are like the emperor, going to the local areas to supervise finances and intimidate local officials!"

"That's right! I want to ask for your opinions?"

Xiao Fu and Wang Jianjun exchanged a glance, then Xiao Fu said, "Brother Sheng, your consideration makes sense; we do need such a role. However, I'm worried that sending someone down now might dampen the enthusiasm of the staff in the shop, making them feel that we don't trust them?"

Ye Dongsheng shook his head: "These are rules and regulations, and the earlier they are established, the easier it will be for them to accept them. If we wait until they have all the power in their hands before placing someone like this in their place, that will make them uncomfortable!"

Wang Jianjun nodded: "Brother Sheng is right. A kind heart cannot command an army. Xiao Fu, you are too soft-hearted, that's why you can't be a commander!"

Xiao Fu curled his lip and retorted, "You're quite hard-hearted, aren't you? You've never been a leader!"

Listening to the two of them teasing each other, Ye Dongsheng smiled and then said:
"Okay, I'm not finished yet!"
There's a second point: Dongfeng Express has now established a solid foundation, and our express delivery association has basically cleaned up all the unlicensed courier services in Hong Kong.

Next, I plan to expand again!

"Expansion? Brother Sheng, where's your next target? Pearl City?"

Of the three special economic zones in Guangdong Province, Jinghai and Chaoshan have already been developed by Dongfeng Express, leaving only Zhucheng.

Ye Dongsheng shook his head: "The expansion I'm talking about isn't on the mainland, it's Hong Kong Island!"

"Hong Kong Island?"

"Yes! I plan to intensify the competition after the New Year!"

Previously, in order to leverage the power of triads such as Hung Hing and Tung Sing, Ye Dongsheng used the Express Association to win them over, eliminating small and medium-sized players in the market. He did not use any competitive tactics against them, but let them develop freely.

Now, those smaller players, after suffering heavy losses and being swept out of the market, will recognize reality and will not enter the cross-border express delivery industry again.

Therefore, Dongfeng Express's remaining competitors are now only those within the Express Association.

What Ye Dongsheng needs to do is to start the second phase, intensify the competition, and squeeze out the remaining players one by one!

Then, Ye Dongsheng took out a map: "Look, the courier shops on Hong Kong Island are still operating according to the traditional territorial division system of triads."

Our Dongfeng Express is located on Portland Street in Mong Kok, Ni's Lightning Express is in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hung Hing's Hengtong Express is in Wan Chai, and Tung Sing's Camel Express is in Sai Wan!
Dongfeng Express, due to its first-mover advantage and established industry reputation, still holds the largest share of customers. However, as time goes on, many customers are choosing other courier companies because of proximity and price considerations. This is why Jinghai Express's order volume has been declining recently.

Therefore, the first thing Dongfeng Express needs to do is expand and open more branches!

We're going to open stores in Tsim Sha Tsui, Wan Chai, Central, Sai Wan, and other areas! We'll directly compete with them!

Xiao Fu and Wang Jianjun exchanged a glance and asked directly, "Brother Sheng, which store should we go to?"

Ye Dongsheng laughed and said, "Wan Chai and Sai Wan, one is Hung Hing, the other is Tung Sing, you each pick one!"

Xiao Fu: "I choose Hung Hing!"

Wang Jianjun curled up the corners of his mouth: "Then I'll go to Dongxing!"

Xiao Fu asked, "Brother Sheng, what about the other two stores?"

Ye Dongsheng smiled and said, "I plan to hand over this store in Central to Li Xiangdong!"

With the police involved, the identities of Li Xiangdong and his two companions were immediately revealed. Li Xiangdong also rejected Huang Bingyao's token attempt to retain him and went directly to Ye Dongsheng to frankly express his desire to work for him.

Ye Dongsheng naturally wanted to take in such a talented person!
Xiao Fu and Wang Jianjun already knew about the Li Xiangdong brothers and recognized their abilities, especially since they had helped Dongfeng Express a lot in the robbery case!
"No problem, how about the one in Tsim Sha Tsui?"

"Tsim Sha Tsui..."

Ye Dongsheng thought of something, a smile playing on his lips, and then said to the two of them:

“There was another person who performed well in this robbery. I plan to hand over the Tsim Sha Tsui store to him and let him compete with Ni Yongxiao!”

After a while.

dong dong...

"Enter!"

Chen Yongren walked into the office and saw Ye Dongsheng, Xiao Fu, and Wang Jianjun sitting on the sofa scrutinizing him. He nodded to them and gave a slight bow: "Mr. Ye, you wanted to see me?"

Ye Dongsheng smiled and said, "Aren, we've all seen your performance since you joined the company. Now there's an opportunity for promotion and a raise. Would you like to become the store manager?"

Chen Yongren stood there, stunned: "Me? The store manager?!"

After a short while, Chen Yongren walked out of the office somewhat dizzy. He had clearly come to Dongfeng Express as an undercover agent, so how did he end up becoming the store manager so soon!

Is this reasonable?

Chen Yongren's feelings were quite complicated. He was happy about the promotion and raise, but also worried about hiding his identity. He scratched his head hard. What should he do now?!
Inside the office, Wang Jianjun glanced sideways at the door that had just closed and asked Ye Dongsheng, "Brother Sheng, why do I feel like this kid is a bit hesitant? With his attitude, is he really suitable to be the store manager?"

Ye Dongsheng chuckled and said, "We should always give those who have made contributions a chance! And who knows, there might be a pleasant surprise!"

He's really looking forward to the scenes where the brothers fight!
Xiao Fu hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Brother Sheng, when will the new store project start?"

"I've already selected and purchased several store locations, and we're starting renovations now. The official opening won't be until after the New Year. What's up, Xiao Fu? Is something the matter?"

"Brother Sheng, I want to go back to my hometown to see my mom this Spring Festival!"

Ye Dongsheng suddenly realized that he, Wang Jianjun, and Wang Jianguo were all orphans with no relatives to care for, but Xiao Fu was different; his mother was still alive!
Moreover, in the past six months, Xiao Fu has been running around for Dongfeng Express and has not been able to return home in glory. It was indeed a mistake on his part!
Ye Dongsheng slapped his forehead and said, "I was so busy that I forgot the New Year is almost here! Here, Xiao Fu, I'll take you shopping for New Year's goods now, to buy some things for your aunt and other relatives to take back!"

Xiao Fu quickly waved his hand and said, "Brother Sheng, don't worry. It's only the beginning of December. I can wait another half a month to go back!"

"No need to wait any longer. Let's make the purchases in the next couple of days, and then we'll go back to the mainland together in a few days!"

"Okay! Thank you, Brother Sheng!"

……

Jingle bell bell~
He stopped exercising and took the mobile phone from Fang Ting:

"Hey, Amin, what's up?"

"Mr. Jiang, I just received some news that Dongfeng Express has started recruiting again!"

"Hmm? Is there anything wrong with hiring employees?"

Jiang Tiansheng felt that his store manager was making a fuss over nothing. Dongfeng Express was doing so well that it was normal for them to be short-staffed, and it was reasonable to hire more employees!
"But Mr. Jiang, Dongfeng Express is saying they're hiring without a limit, which seems like a lot!"

"No limit?!"

"Yes! They're hiring for everything, from delivery drivers to warehousing and accounting! I feel like... like they're preparing for expansion!"

Jiang Tiansheng immediately frowned. Was Dongfeng Express going to expand?

Since he founded Hengtong Express, it has developed quite well recently. Although it is still far from Dongfeng Express, the number of orders is constantly increasing.

Hengtong Express's daily revenue is now approaching 30,000 yuan, which means that this one express store alone can generate tens of millions of yuan in revenue per year!

It wouldn't be unreasonable for him to add some water to wash the rice; surely he could earn a legitimate income of 30 million yuan a year!

Therefore, Jiang Tiansheng has been in a very good mood during this period.

However, Dongfeng Express has suddenly started to make moves. If it really expands externally, Hengtong Express's revenue may also be affected!
The decline in the courier store's income not only reduced profits but also affected the amount of money he made washing rice, which he couldn't afford to ignore!

Thinking of this, Jiang Tiansheng picked up his mobile phone and dialed a number.

……

Ye Dongsheng, from Dongfeng Express, looked at the crowd of job seekers outside and felt a bit of a headache.

Although Dongfeng Express plans to expand and needs to hire a lot of people, there are even more applicants!

There's no way around it; this robbery of Dongfeng Express has made Dongfeng Express infamous! And Ye Dongsheng himself is now a household name in Hong Kong!
He felt that at least half of these job seekers were there because of his reputation. To paraphrase what one of them had said, a good boss like him who would risk his life to protect his employees was someone they would be willing to risk their lives for!
Just then, the mobile phone rang, and Ye Dongsheng answered it:

"Hey, Mr. Ye! This is Jiang Tiansheng!"

Haha, I really admire you now! Hong Kong hero! You're even more awesome than Rambo!
Especially that scene where you were shooting thugs to death in the street with an AK-47, it really got my blood pumping!

Ye Dongsheng laughed and said, "Mr. Jiang, you flatter me. I was just lucky."

"Hey, Mr. Ye, you're being too modest!"
My film companies have all suggested making a movie based on your robbery case! I just don't know if you'd be willing?

Don't worry, I'll definitely choose the hottest actors in Hong Kong! Jackie Chan, Sam Hui, Danny Lee, Andy Lau—you name it! Whoever you want, we'll use!

The actors that Chiang Tin-sang mentioned are some of the most popular male actors in Hong Kong right now. They can't even be ranked on the big screen these days. The most popular ones are the Hui Brothers and Jackie Chan. Danny Lee is also doing very well with his police roles.

However, Ye Dongsheng currently has no interest in making movies or anything like that, doesn't have the time or inclination to get involved, and doesn't want to bother with it for the time being.
"Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Jiang, but I'd like to keep a low profile for now."

"Oh? That's such a pity! I was hoping to bring your heroic deeds to the big screen, Ye Sheng!"

"Hehe, Mr. Jiang, how have you been lately?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Tiansheng began to pour out his grievances:
“Mr. Yip, you’ve really put me in a terrible situation! You said at the press conference that the triads smashed your windows, and now the police are cracking down all over Hong Kong. We Hung Hing members have no choice but to keep a low profile. Several of our branch leaders have come to me to complain!”

"I'm really sorry! I just mentioned it casually, I didn't expect it to cause such a stir. But with Hung Hing's power and status, it's probably just a minor setback."

"Mr. Yip, you flatter us too much! If Hung Hing were really that powerful, we wouldn't just be running Hengtong Express now! I'm just afraid of causing you, Mr. Yip, to misunderstand Dongfeng Express!"

Ye Dongsheng narrowed his eyes, then smiled and said:

"How could that be! Our courier association isn't a criminal organization. As long as it's legal, it's all normal in business!"

"Mr. Ye, I just passed by Portland Street and was thinking of visiting you, but your door was blocked by a lot of people, so I couldn't go over. I heard you're hiring without a limit?"

"Hehe, yes, we are indeed hiring!"

This robbery really shocked me! Our shop is so small, with so many customers crammed into one place. It's unimaginable what would happen if we ran into robbers again!

Therefore, in order to spread the risk and build a security system, I plan to expand the store a bit, which is also the police's suggestion.

"What, Mr. Jiang, do you have any good suggestions?"

"Hahaha! No, no, it's just that Mr. Ye, your Dongfeng Express is an industry benchmark, so of course our every move will attract our attention!"
I just hope, Mr. Yip, your expansion doesn't extend to Wan Chai!

(End of this chapter)