"How long have these trucks been in use?" Liu Yifeng asked, looking at the dozen or so trucks.
A staff member pointed to one of the trucks and said, "This one has been used for two and a half years and has never undergone a major overhaul. This one has been used for three years and had its engine repaired once..."
After listening to the staff member's introduction, Lu Fei, standing beside him, continued to ask, "How much weight can this medium-sized truck carry? How long is its body?"
"Hello sir, medium-sized trucks have a rated load capacity of under 2 tons. The total length of these vehicles is 5.7 meters, with a box capacity of 0.9 cubic meters. May I ask what you intend to transport with the trucks you're buying?"
"We're transporting vegetables," Liu Yifeng replied.
"Then these are perfectly suitable. Many bosses who buy our trucks use them for transporting fruits and vegetables," the staff member quickly chimed in.
Liu Yifeng looked at the trucks and was quite satisfied; they all appeared very new from the outside. He thought that if he were to buy them, he should find a professional to help inspect them. He knew that the used car business was very complex, with many accident vehicles, which business people generally avoided. However, neither he nor Lu Fei were professionals, and they couldn't tell much just by looking at the exterior.
At this moment, he suddenly thought of someone: Su Wanru. Her fruit company had its own trucks and drivers. Perhaps her company had personnel with expertise in this area, so he immediately called Su Wanru.
On the phone, when Su Wanru learned that Liu Yifeng wanted to buy trucks to transport vegetables, she immediately shared her thoughts: "Actually, if you're not running a trucking company, there's no need to buy so many trucks and hire drivers separately."
"If I don't buy trucks, how will I transport them? I can't possibly expect the employers to drive over themselves to load and transport the vegetables, can I?"
Su Wanru smiled and replied, "That's certainly not practical. What I mean is, you can find a trucking company and outsource the transportation. They will then arrange for drivers to load and deliver the goods. You only need to be responsible for the loading and tell them the route."
After hearing Su Wanru's words, Liu Yifeng's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "How did I not think of that! You're so smart!"
"It's normal that you don't understand since you're new to this business. Also, buying trucks for commercial use is quite complicated. You can't just buy them; you need to go through various procedures at the regulatory bureau to register the vehicles and get them on the road, which takes a lot of time," Su Wanru said.
Liu Yifeng nodded, "Okay, I understand. Fortunately, I called you, or I wouldn't have known about all these intricacies and how much time it would have taken. I'll go directly to a trucking company and sign a contract with them to handle the transportation."
"I can recommend a reliable trucking company for you. Moreover, any issues that arise with the drivers during transportation and cause damage to your vegetables will be compensated accordingly. If it's your own truck and problems occur during transportation, you'll have to bear them yourself. While insurance companies will compensate, you know how it is when it comes to claims – there are always various excuses, and it's very troublesome. If you outsource it, you won't have to worry about it at all."
After hearing Su Wanru's explanation, Liu Yifeng looked grateful. "Okay, thank you. I'll treat you to a meal another day!"
"By the way, I heard from Zhou Liqun that the recording for the 'Super Brain' program is starting soon. Will you be accompanying Tongtong?" Su Wanru remembered something.
Liu Yifeng nodded. "Yes, the official recording starts next Monday. Tongtong and I will be heading over on Sunday afternoon."
"Then there's only a few days left. How about I treat you and Tongtong to dinner tonight as a farewell gift to wish you success?"
"We can have dinner, but if anyone's treating, it should be me! You've helped me so much lately, I can't let you pay!" Liu Yifeng quickly said.
Su Wanru smiled slightly. "Do we need to be so formal between us? One thing at a time. This is a farewell dinner for Tongtong, wishing him victory in the competition. After the competition, don't you think there will be plenty of time and opportunities for you to treat me?"
Liu Yifeng agreed, and didn't dwell on the issue. "Alright, then I'll see you tonight. I'm going to the trucking company you mentioned now and hope to finalize our cooperation today. Otherwise, who knows when we'll be back after Tongtong and I go out of town for the recording!"
"Okay, I'll send you the address of the trucking company and the restaurant for dinner tonight right away!" With that, Su Wanru hung up the phone. She then opened WeChat and sent both the trucking company's address and the dinner restaurant's details to Liu Yifeng.
Liu Yifeng put away his phone after seeing the address and company name. Lu Fei was still discussing the trucks with the staff. Seeing that Yifeng had finished his call, Lu Fei said, "I think this truck is quite good. It's only been used for two years and hasn't had any major issues. The reason the driver is selling it is that his child is sick and needs money, so it's not an accident vehicle. I asked about the price; it cost 210,000 yuan with registration and all when it was new. If we buy it, it's only 150,000 yuan, which is quite a good deal."
If he hadn't made that call, Liu Yifeng might have bought it. But now, he no longer had any intention of buying trucks. He decided to follow Su Wanru's suggestion, which would save time and effort. He apologized to the staff member, "I'm sorry, I have something urgent to attend to. I'll come back after I've handled it."
The clever staff member immediately understood Liu Yifeng's implied meaning. His face fell, and he looked displeased. "What do you mean? I've been talking my throat dry, and you're just going to leave? Are you messing with me?"
"I'm truly sorry, but I really have something to do. Lu Fei, let's go!" Liu Yifeng didn't explain further and pulled Lu Fei's arm as they left.
Lu Fei was a bit bewildered. "Yifeng, didn't you ask me to come see the trucks with you? We just found one we liked, and we haven't even seen the semi-trailers yet, and you're leaving? Who were you talking to on the phone just now? Did they say something?"
So, Liu Yifeng recounted everything Su Wanru had told him to Lu Fei. After listening, Lu Fei couldn't help but give a thumbs-up. "That's a great idea. Just spend some money to outsource it. Why should we waste time, effort, and money here?"
"So, let's go to the trucking company now and talk to the person in charge about cooperation!" Liu Yifeng opened the driver's door.
Lu Fei sat in the passenger seat. Liu Yifeng then followed the address Su Wanru provided and arrived at the trucking company, where they met the person in charge. In the office, they discussed the details all morning and finally finalized the contract. Since the vegetable greenhouse was intended for long-term operation, Liu Yifeng signed a three-year contract with the trucking company. As for the pricing, it would vary based on different models, weights, and routes. Settlement would be done every ten days, with a maximum delay of half a month.