Goose Affairs in Bianjing: From Purchasing Manager to Grand Marshal of the Northern Song

Ke Da'e stared at the numbers ticking across the warehouse surveillance monitor and sighed for the 108th time. “Zhang, double-check the quality inspection reports for this batch of vintage bags from Japan. Last week, a customer complained to the platform headquarters that there was mold on the inside of a bag strap, and our department lost its quarterly bonus.” She spoke into her walkie-talkie, her fingers tapping absently on the desk. As HR manager at Global Express, a cross-border shopping platform, half her job was hiring people and the other half was cleaning up messes. The warehouse was piled high with more than just merchandise. Her monthly KPIs were in there, too. “Manager Ke, we've checked everything. There's just one box at the very back that we haven't opened. They say it's an ‘old piece’ just brought in from Henan, and the customer specifically requested special handling.” The warehouse supervisor sounded hesitant. “That box looks awfully heavy. It's wrapped in kraft paper and marked ‘Fragile.’ It doesn't look like the kind of shipment we usually handle.”