Run! Lunch-Delivery Men!
It's lunch time, and Guo Ziyang is on a mission: deliver seven hot meal orders in an hour.
He dashes into a downtown high-rise, carrying a plastic container of hot beef noodles. There is no time to wait for the right elevator. He hops into the first one that opens, jumps out at the last stop and begins running up the stairs. After a quick handoff to the customer, he races down 20 flights. . Across China's biggest cities, the scene has become as familiar as crowded subways. . Meals appear with just a few taps on a smartphone. With the major delivery services offering similar pricing strategies and food choices, the burden of competition has fallen largely on the speed of the delivery people, popularly known as Waimai Xiaoge, or "Brother Takeaway".
Guo said he wolfs down four or five steamed buns before starting work every morning. "You'll need the energy for various delivery missions," he said. "Sometimes, the buildings you deliver to don't have elevators. . Then, you have to climb ten flights of stairs."
Guo works around Shanghai's central business district. He joined Ele.me only last year. . With a foodwarmer box tied to his scooter, Guo tears through traffic, rushes past pedestrians and avoid bumps that might spill soup dishes. In less than two hours, he has made stops at a hospital, a hair salon, a hotel room and several high-rises. Six orders an hour is the norm for the lunchtime rush, but Guo said he is sometimes called upon to deliver ten meals. " You just have to apologize." he said.
Nevertheless, Guo said he thrives on deadline pressure. "I'm the kind of person who likes challenging work," he added.
A. Sometimes, people ask them to pick up cigarettes, alcohol and other items, which they aren't supposed to do.
B. One order down, six to go.
C. The tradition of going out for a meal has been under pressure from the fast pace of urban life.
D. Sometimes, the elevators are crowded and take a long time.
E. That's really difficult, and if you arrive late, customers get angry.
F. The arrival of food delivery apps has transformed the country's lunchtime culture.
G. But he has memorized the layouts of all the buildings in his area.
