Chapter 2014: Chapter 665: Ling Chain Technology, Elders
Rong City High-tech Zone, Yintai Center.
On the most prominent street-side spot of the first floor, Glimmer Coffee’s first flagship store in the Southwest region.
Huge floor-to-ceiling windows draw warm sunlight into the interior, and the air is filled with the mixed aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans and buttery bread.
The store’s design continues the brand’s consistent style—minimalist yet rich in texture.
It has now become a popular check-in spot for the entire CBD’s white-collar crowd.
"President Xie!"
"President Xie, you’re here!"
...
Xie Shuyu smiled and nodded gently to the staff, then stepped into the café.
Her gaze swept the room and quickly landed on the man waiting in the window booth.
He looked about forty, wearing a well-tailored casual suit and a pair of rimless glasses, his demeanor cultured and steady.
He wasn’t on his phone, just quietly holding a cup of Americano.
His eyes were focused on the busy baristas and the customers coming and going, carrying a trace of professional scrutiny and thought.
From these details alone, Xie Shuyu’s first impression of him improved considerably.
As she approached.
The middle-aged man immediately stood up, a sincere, enthusiastic smile appearing on his face. "President Xie, hello, I’m Fang Zhiyuan from Ling Chain Technology. You’re even more beautiful and more poised than in your photos. Pardon the disturbance, and thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule."
Xie Shuyu replied graciously, "Mr. Fang, you’re too polite. I should be the one apologizing for keeping you waiting so long."
Talking as they moved, the two sat facing each other, exchanging a few courteous pleasantries.
Xie Shuyu looked straight at him, her gaze calm and bright.
As soon as news got out that she wanted to optimize cold-chain transportation in the Southwest region, Ling Chain Technology was among the first companies to email her requesting a meeting.
It was only because her schedule was too packed that it had been postponed until today.
This up-and-coming cold-chain logistics company headquartered in Jiang City was also one of the key candidates on her evaluation list.
The founding team mostly came from Alibaba Cainiao Cold Chain and Jingdong Logistics, with both tech and hands-on operational backgrounds.
By combining a SaaS dispatch platform with a new-energy cold-chain fleet, they had solved the traditional cold chain’s lack of digitalization—an outstanding advantage.
But their scale was still small and coverage limited; that was a hard flaw.
However, in Xie Shuyu’s view, dealing with this kind of "growth-stage" company was actually more flexible.
You could capture the tech dividends and still squeeze room on price.
Once the small talk was done.
Fang Zhiyuan didn’t spend much time on commercial flattery; he went straight to the point.
"President Xie, to be frank, before coming here our team already conducted field visits and research on all Glimmer Coffee stores in North China and the Southwest."
He turned his tablet toward Xie Shuyu. On the screen was a PPT with clear logic and rich charts and images.
"We found that Glimmer Coffee’s biggest strengths lie in its ’high quality’ and ’freshness’ of products. Especially your baked goods and signature dairy drinks, which place extremely high demands on temperature control across the supply chain and delivery timeliness."
"And that, precisely, is what we at Ling Chain Technology do best."
As he spoke, he swiped through the screen, showing their sizable self-operated fleet of 800 new-energy cold-chain trucks, and their highly professional AI SaaS dispatch platform.
He then presented a complete, detailed cold-chain logistics solution customized specifically for Glimmer Coffee.
The AI SaaS dispatch system can match optimal routes in real time and cut energy consumption by 20%;
With the customized solution for Micro Light, delivery time can be shortened by 30% and costs reduced by 15%.
Hearing this, a spark of genuine excitement flared in the eyes that always carried a hint of scrutiny.
She had never expected the other side to come this prepared!
This level of attention practically treated Glimmer Coffee as a "model client."
Yet her expression remained that same slightly critical composure.
She paused for a moment in thought.
Xie Shuyu spoke unhurriedly, "Mr. Fang, the proposal is indeed thoughtful and the level of expertise is beyond question. But cost is always one of the core considerations for a chain brand like ours."
On hearing this, Fang Zhiyuan smiled. "President Xie, please rest assured. If Micro Light is willing to sign a long-term exclusive strategic cooperation agreement with us, we’re prepared to lower our current quote by another 3%! And we’ll commit to forming a dedicated service team for you, with 24-hour response."
At this, Xie Shuyu’s heart gave a sudden jolt.
This price had already broken through her psychological bottom line, full of irresistible temptation.
She picked up her coffee, took a light sip, then continued, "I can feel Mr. Fang’s sincerity. However, changing a core supplier is no small matter. I still need to discuss it with the other investors in the company before I can give you a final answer."
At the word "investors," a subtle flash passed through Fang Zhiyuan’s eyes.
He followed up naturally, "By the way, President Xie, as far as I know, Glimmer Coffee’s Series A financing was both large and very successful. I wonder if it’s convenient for you to disclose which institution had such good vision?"
Xie Shuyu pondered for a moment, then finally shook her head, a slightly apologetic smile on her face. "The investor is an independent investor, and the specific amount and valuation are temporarily not convenient to make public due to a confidentiality agreement."
With that, her gaze remained calm, and she did not elaborate further.
In fact, that 40 million Series A financing, together with the man behind it, Tang Song, had always been her most secret trump card.
To this day, there has been no public promotion whatsoever.
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