Chapter 229: A Showdown? Ali Baba and Orange-Blue First Offline PK! Zhang Xuhao: You

Halfway there, Pei Yi's phone suddenly rang.

"Boss, something's wrong!"

……

……

At the intersection of Hongkou and the Ja District, the Kaiqi Commercial Center.

A rider in an orange Ali Baba delivery uniform lay on the roadside, person and bike both down, face bruised purple and blue, fresh red blood oozing from mouth and nose, soaking a patch of the ground.

"Oh my, how did this guy end up lying on the ground? Someone help lift him!"

"That's not easy to help with; better wait for the patrol to handle it."

"Looks like an Ali Baba delivery worker? How did he get beaten like this?"

Passersby pointed and chattered in a dozen voices, yet no one dared step forward to help.

A few minutes later, another Ali Baba rider passed by and hurried over to lift the young man up.

"Did you fall?" This Ali Baba rider, in his thirties, looked at the young man's injuries and asked with deep suspicion.

"Brother Zhang, I was beaten by an Ele. me rider; the other party ran off right after hitting me." Cheng Jinhui sat by the roadside, took the tissue Zhang Tao handed him, wiped the blood from his nose and mouth corner, and said pitifully.

Beaten?

Zhang Tao shot to his feet, fire blazing in his eyes.

Cheng Jinhui was the only part-time rider at their station who was a university student, a top graduate from Tongji, who called them, the dirt-farmers-turned-delivery-men, "Big Brother" all day long.

Now he's been beaten by Ele. me people?

Zhang Tao laughed in anger, pulled out his phone, and posted a message in the station's main group: "Jinhui got beaten. Brothers without orders, come to Kaiqi; let's go to Ele. me and demand an explanation."

At this hour it was exactly the delivery off-peak period; aside from a handful of scattered orders, most Ali Baba riders were eating or resting at the station.

The moment they saw Zhang Tao's message, they immediately dropped their chopsticks, hopped on their electric scooters, and sped straight to the Kaiqi Commercial Center.

Station manager Li Ziqiang, seeing the situation, first reported to headquarters, then hurriedly chased after them.

Ten-odd minutes later, at the intersection of the Kaiqi Commercial Center, thirteen Ali Baba delivery riders and five Yunsu Express couriers had already gathered.

After hearing Cheng Jinhui's account, they were instantly furious, clamoring to settle the score with the other side.

"Li Ge, Brother Zhang, don't act rashly; I just called the police; let the patrol handle this matter."

Cheng Jinhui held back Li Ziqiang and Zhang Tao, refusing to let them leave.

But Li Ziqiang, still fuming, shoved Cheng Jinhui aside and led his people straight toward the Ele. me station.

In his view, Cheng Jinhui was only nineteen today, still a half-grown kid; how could the other party have the nerve to hit so hard?

As a competitor, Li Ziqiang knew the nearby Ele. me station addresses like the back of his hand; after turning two corners, he found the target in a narrow alley.

"By my dragon scales and horse hooves! Half an hour ago, at the Kaiqi Commercial Center, who beat our person! Get out here!"

Li Ziqiang was from Luzhou, had studied for a few years, but not many.

He was formerly the order king of the Shushan District; he followed Pei Yi to Shanghai to open a new market, usually joking and laughing, rarely losing his temper.

But now, his face was entirely dark and grim.

The Ele. me riders inside, hearing the commotion outside, came out in small groups and, seeing the enraged Ali Baba staff, timidly asked, "Brother, isn't there some misunderstanding here?"

"Misunderstanding? Cheng Jinhui? Where is he! Point him out for me!"

Li Ziqiang waved his hand, pulled the bruised and swollen Cheng Jinhui forward, pointed at the crowd of Ele. me riders, and said without any courtesy.

Hah!

Who did this?

Seven or eight Ele. me riders looked at one another, utterly bewildered!

"Li Ge, the other party isn't among these people." Cheng Jinhui lifted his head, took a careful look, then shook his head and said.

"Go in and look!"

After Li Ziqiang finished speaking, he was about to lead his people inside to force entry.

At that moment, the Ele. me station manager took offense, thinking: "This isn't your house; you can't just walk in whenever you want!"

The two sides immediately started arguing, then escalated to name-calling, then you shoved me, I shoved you.

It was unclear who threw the first punch.

In no time it turned into chaos; several Ele. me riders were beaten and ran around clutching their heads.

"It's over!"

Cheng Jinhui dropped the wooden stick; he had just been enjoying the fight, but once he calmed down, a wave of fear washed over him.

If responsibility were pursued, he might very well end up in the patrol station himself.

If the school found out, he could even face disciplinary action!

Li Ziqiang glanced at Cheng Jinhui, thinking this university student had struck even harder than he had.

The Ele. me riders, as they ran outside, called for nearby station brothers.

Li Ziqiang led his people into the Ele. me station, searched thoroughly, and indeed could not find the attacker.

In the end, they could only return first to the Ali Baba rest station; just as he was about to send Cheng Jinhui to the hospital, several riders surrounded the door outside.

Li Ziqiang poked his head out, exchanged curses with the other side, and didn't take these people seriously at all.

Meanwhile.

Riders and couriers from Hongkou and the Ja District were all heading toward Li Ziqiang's location.

Both delivery platforms paid five social insurances and one housing fund for their riders, resulting in unprecedented unity among the delivery workers below.

The Ele. me riders heard that Ali Baba delivery workers had come and beaten a colleague!

The Ali Baba riders heard that Ele. me delivery workers had beaten their own brother.

The Yunsu couriers felt that Ali Baba was their sister company; bullying Ali Baba was bullying Yunsu!

After receiving the news, Pei Yi and Kou Zhen immediately drove to the scene.

By the time they arrived, the patrol officers had already come and gone, taking away the Kuaipao rider who had struck the blow and the rider who had been beaten.

"President Pei, don't worry. I've checked it out; they're all superficial injuries, not even reaching the level of minor injury," Kou Zhen said in a low voice.

The implication was to have the legal department step in; a bit of compensation would settle it.

"Where is Cheng Jinhui?"

Pei Yi let out a sigh of relief and pressed on.

"He's fine, just broke a tooth. The legal team says it will likely be classified as a minor injury. We can get a forensic injury assessment first, then pursue the other party's responsibility."

Kou Zhen replied.

"As long as the person is fine." Pei Yi's tense nerves finally relaxed; on the way from Xu Hui, he had been worried the matter would escalate.

Once a brawl occurred, the situation would become serious.

After a moment's thought, he still dialed Chen Yansen's phone number.

This matter could be big or small; if he waited for the boss to question him after seeing the news tomorrow, he would be put on the defensive.

Chen Yansen had originally planned to return to the villa, but after hearing Pei Yi's report, he told the driver to turn around.

"Have the people been bailed out?" Chen Yansen asked.

"Not yet. Too many people got involved in the fight. The fine is a small matter; they'll likely have to stay in for ten days or half a month. The lawyer said he will do his best to coordinate," Pe Yi replied.

"Alright, I understand." Chen Yansen immediately hung up the phone.

"During the Thousand Group Battles, such things were very common; usually, it was fines plus detention," Song Yuncheng added.

"Among those taken away, there was a Tongji University student, so the matter is a bit troublesome."

Chen Yansen stated the facts.

This kid got beaten up, but he also fought back; if investigated deeply, he would at least have to go in to cool off for a few days.

If he were a formal employee, handling it would be much simpler; pay his wages as usual, and give him a consolation sum after he gets out.

But this kid happened to be a university student!

Song Yuncheng frowned; she had previously coordinated with the marketing departments of many group-buying websites and knew quite a few similar cases. She understood the difficulty of this matter in her heart.

"It's fine, no big problem. Let's get this kid out first."

Chen Yansen smiled, speaking in a relaxed tone.

By the time he arrived at the patrol station, the sky had darkened; a golden afterglow was gradually disappearing on the horizon.

Pei Yi, Kou Zhen, and the Kuaipao legal staff were now sitting in the lobby, listening to the middle-aged man's scolding: "Is Kuaipao a food delivery company or a fighting company?"

"Mr. Wei, this matter cannot be entirely blamed on us." Pei Yi argued based on reason: "It was originally just a very small friction, but the Ele. me rider hit someone, not only did he not apologize, he beat our employee to a minor injury. When colleagues went to reason with him, they got beaten and cursed again..."

"I won't listen to any of this. In short, all Kuaipao people must serve the full fifteen days." Wei Zhe waved his hand, looking very impatient.

He dared not imagine what kind of shape his superiors would scold him into if a fight had broken out in the afternoon; he might even receive a disciplinary action.

"Uncle Wei, why are you here too?"

As soon as Chen Yansen entered the door, he saw Wei Zhe, immediately put on a smiling face, and walked over proactively.

"This is my place; why can't I be here? You've come at just the right time. How does your company train its employees? They start brawls and cause trouble at the slightest provocation."

Wei Zhe turned around upon hearing this, saw Chen Yansen, and couldn't help but question him.

"Uncle Wei is right. I will criticize and educate them upon returning; I'll deduct one month's wages first to let them learn a lesson." Chen Yansen said with a smile.

"Can't go back. Come to pick them up in half a month." Wei Zhe said with a stern face.

"Uncle Wei, there is a Tongji University student inside; he is the victim. Can we let him go to the hospital first?"

Chen Yansen asked tentatively.

A Tongji University student?

Wei Zhe recalled, shook his head, and said, "This won't do! He also fought and hit someone."

Seeing Wei Zhe's attitude of handling affairs impartially, Chen Yansen felt helpless, so he simply stopped arguing, walked outside, and made a phone call.

He was not a small character with no background; as long as he was willing to use his connections, was he afraid he couldn't handle such a small matter?

After finishing the call, he returned to the office lobby and sat down heavily.

"Boss, I'm sorry for causing you trouble." Pei Yi said with his head down.

"In business, there is no need to fear trouble; when you encounter a problem, go solve it." Chen Yansen said, patting Pei Yi's shoulder.

In his view, Pei Yi's ability was not bad; if cultivated well, he might well be able to handle things independently in the future.

The other party simply lacked sufficient resources in hand; otherwise, he wouldn't even need to step in personally to easily settle this matter.

Twenty minutes later, Wei Zhe returned, staring tightly at Chen Yansen; he had underestimated this guy.

"Cheng Jinhui can leave. The rest will pay the fine first; have your company's lawyer come back in ten days."

Wei Zhe said with a frown.

"Thank you, Uncle Wei." Chen Yansen smiled faintly.

"What does this have to do with me? Do you know how serious the consequences would be if a fight had really broken out this afternoon?" Wei Zhe emphasized again.

"Uncle Wei, I understand. I just said I would criticize and educate them upon returning; this is absolutely no joke." Chen Yansen replied seriously.

"As long as you know." Wei Zhe nodded, stood up, and left.

If it weren't for the relationship with Meng Zhenguo, he would have been too lazy to say these words.

About ten or so minutes later, Cheng Jinhui followed behind a patrol officer and walked out slowly and leisurely.

Chen Yansen waved to him; only when Cheng Jinhui walked up close did he speak seriously and instruct: "You are still in school; don't be so impulsive next time."

"If the boss hadn't stepped in to protect you, you wouldn't even be able to keep your student status." Kou Zhen warned, fearing this kid wouldn't learn his lesson.

"Thank you, boss. I've remembered." Cheng Jinhui was full of gratitude; he knew he was originally supposed to serve the full fifteen days, but just an hour later, the patrol officer had changed his statement.

"Next time, if you can't win, run; come back to settle the score later. The company employs so many lawyers just to serve you. The company will pursue the person who hit you to the end. Rest assured and recover your injuries; go back and rest first."

Chen Yansen offered a few more reminders.

Cheng Jinhui obediently replied, and when the boss added that the company would cover the medical bills, the cost of the dental implants, and even the nutritional expenses during his recovery, he instantly felt the beating hadn't been for nothing.

Kou Zhen rose and said he would take him to the hospital.

"By the way, why haven't we seen anyone from Ele. me? Doesn't their company even have a single legal person?"

Chen Yansen looked at Pei Yi and asked.

"They never showed up, not even to pay the fines." Pei Yi shrugged.

"Besides the rider who actually threw the punches, go ahead and pay the fines for those other eight unlucky guys who got beaten too."

Chen Yansen said.

"Pay their fines?" Pei Yi froze on the spot, thinking he must have misheard.

"To put it bluntly, this whole thing barely involves them." Chen Yansen's expression was serious—he didn't look like he was joking.

"Understood, I'll handle it right away." Pei Yi let out a sigh and walked toward the window with the legal team.

Once everything was settled, Chen Yansen said goodbye to Pei Yi and left with Song Yuncheng.

Meanwhile, the delivery riders holed up in the patrol station all wore long faces.

The Kuaipao riders had it better—they only had to sit out ten days, and the legal team passed along a message: "The company will calculate everyone's average daily income and deposit ten days' wages into your payroll cards in one lump sum."

The Ele. me riders had it rough; the company still hadn't sent anyone.

When Zhang Xuhao heard about the incident, he first urgently transferred ten riders to the affected Ele. me station, and only then sent a single legal representative to the patrol station.

"What? Someone already paid the fines?" The Ele. me legal rep stared blankly, asking in disbelief.

The delivery scene in Hucheng was a small world, and the news spread fast.

"Boss Chen of Kuaipao is a real one—he said right in front of the patrol officers that Kuaipao was partly at fault too, so he paid the fines for the Ele. me brothers."

"You said it! I heard Kuaipao announced that during these ten days, not a single cent of wages will be docked, and there's a bonus waiting when they get out."

"Dammit! Being an Ele. me rider really makes you feel like a second-class citizen—might as well go work for Kuaipao!"

The next day, when Zhang Xuhao heard the rumor spreading outside that Ele. me didn't care whether its riders lived or died, he felt deeply wronged—he had clearly sent a legal representative.

But starting a rumor takes only one mouth, while debunking it leaves you running till your legs break; nobody paid the slightest attention to Zhang Xuhao's Weibo statement.

The already thin ranks of riders lost several dozen more overnight—and it didn't take a genius to guess they'd all gone to Kuaipao.

At ten in the morning, the patrol station summoned representatives from Kuaipao and Ele. me for separate talks, with one core demand: normal business competition is fine, but malicious brawling is not!

(End of chapter)