Dialogue with the 38-year-old master of philosophy who is a delivery boy: worked as a journalist, public relations, new media Posting videos is just catharsis

Recently, the video of "Flash Delivery Master Chen" Chen Tao went viral.

Chen Tao, who said he couldn't find a job in the video, graduated from Sichuan University's philosophy department in 2011 with a master's degree, worked as a cultural journalist for five or six years, and worked for China Newsweek and Southern Weekly. His manuscripts are still available on the Internet, and he still has his business card from his time as a journalist. After leaving journalism, Chen Tao tried public relations, new media, the Internet and other related work.

After failing to start a business in 2022, he worked as a delivery boy in Beijing at the age of 38. In his opinion, delivering food is happier than writing PR drafts in a company, "Revision means negation, right? Otherwise, why change the draft. But will food delivery get you a second trip? No, and others have to thank you... (What's more) the night single runs very smoothly, the traffic conditions are very good, basically driving alone, even on Wangjing Road, there are few takeaway brothers. At night, there are few cars, the wind blows, and there is a feeling of freedom and flight when running. ”

After the video went viral, Chen Tao confessed that he was a little panicked and took the initiative to call his tutor, "I am afraid of hurting others and embarrassing the school or teachers." The teacher encouraged him. Chen Tao said that he was "not a good example" and hoped that his junior brothers and sisters would not learn from him, hoping that "everyone is better than me, whether it is mental state or mentality when encountering things".

Delivering food is happier than writing PR articles

There is a feeling of freedom and flying when running

Chengdu Business Daily-Red Star News: Can you tell us about your experience and why you chose to deliver food?

Chen Tao: I will turn 38 this year, and I am embarrassed to say it. When I was 25 or 26 years old, I completed my master's degree in philosophy at Sichuan University and went to Beijing after graduation. In general, my work path in the past 12 years is still relatively tortuous, first to work in traditional media such as "Vista to see the world", "China Newsweek", "Southern Weekend", and then to do new media, basically partial to public accounts, there are other twists and turns in between, and I have also entered the Internet and public relations industry.

In the second half of 2019, I started a small PR company with another former media person, but I didn't do it, I wasn't particularly optimistic in terms of profitability, and I left in 2022. Before doing flash delivery, I also worked other part-time jobs, and I was writing all kinds of drafts, including public relations drafts for film and television companies, etc., which I could support financially at that time, and then became more and more unsupportable.

In December 2022, at that time, it was said that there was a shortage of delivery staff, and I looked at it that no one took orders. I saw that the unit price was expensive but no one picked me up, so I thought: no one picked me up. So since then, I have started delivering food and running part-time crowdsourcing, mainly doing flash delivery. I also rented an electric car, rented a car and added a battery for 12 yuan a month, and the takeaway situation at that time was relatively good, and I couldn't even accept orders. I started running at about 700 o'clock every night, ran for 10~4 hours, and had an income of four or five thousand yuan a month. Run orders at night, sleep or write books during the day. Sometimes when I get home at two in the morning, I will continue to read, maybe four or five o'clock. I've been watching Hesse's Siddhartha, Li Shuo's The Merchant, and Chaos: Creating a New Science.

Chengdu Business Daily-Red Star News: When running takeaway, will there be an imbalance caused by academic qualifications?

Chen Tao: When I run takeaways, I have a lot of fun running outside, and I meet all kinds of people. Because I had that kind of serious blow (denial) to myself before, including my family, I would also hit me. But when you go out to deliver takeaway, others will say thank you, you will get the gratitude of others, although it is a little superficial, but indeed you will have a sense of gain, the feeling of being recognized by others. I think I'm pretty happy when delivering food, it can bring you a mental improvement.

For example, if you write a PR draft at a PR company 40 times, the revision means denial, right? Otherwise, why change the draft. But will your food delivery get you a second delivery? No, and others have to thank you.

And I like to run at night, because when there are fewer people and fewer cars, it is more pleasant. The night single runs very smoothly, the traffic conditions are very good, basically driving alone, even on Wangjing Road, there are few takeaway brothers. At night, there are few cars, the wind blows, and there is a feeling of freedom and flight when running.

Chengdu Business News-Red Star News: Why did you post such a video at that time? Do you think you're posting videos that are selling miserable or hype?

Chen Tao: No, I think it's an emotional catharsis. If you watch [the video] carefully, you will actually understand that I need to have an emotional outlet. Recently, it was the off-season for takeaway, and I ran for four or five hours, the same time as before, but with fewer orders. Later I stopped running and returned the car the other day because renting a car costs money.

On the other hand, my savings didn't quite cover my expenses, and I suddenly realized that takeout also had an off-season, and I started to panic a little. I submitted my resume last year and also contacted some headhunters and agencies. There are some agents that I feel are not particularly professional and ask a lot of basic questions. It just so happened that the people at home were scolding me, the landlord was urging rent, everything was backlogged, and I had a bit of an emotional breakdown that day. I actually didn't want to post my education too much, but the kind of emotions I had at that time came to that point, catharsis, and I didn't expect it to be fired.

Self-proclaimed "not a good example"

I hope that junior brothers and sisters will not learn from themselves

Chengdu Business News-Red Star News: After the video went viral, what kind of feedback did you receive?

Chen Tao: After this video went viral, there were too many comments to watch. There were all kinds of emotions, and there were mockery of me, but not many. These comments also affect me, and I'm thinking about whether to disappear or keep a low profile.

I still have some panic in my heart, suggestions from all sides, all kinds of things, anyway, I feel out of order. I was advised to seize the traffic or take the opportunity to find a job.

I took the initiative to call my tutor, I was afraid of hurting others, afraid of embarrassing the school or teachers. But my teacher felt that it was nothing, and advised me to keep a low profile, I can't consume myself too much, which is not good for myself. And I didn't get to the point where I lived by delivering food, we could figure it out ourselves, because I used to be a media and I was not very willing to take up public resources. How to say, I am not a good, successful example, I am a failed example. I'm reluctant to promote this kind of stuff, including giving interviews, and maybe pushing off other interviews later.

Chengdu Business Daily-Red Star News: What do you think about job search? Has the things you value changed as a result?

Chen Tao: Maybe now, people are more inclined to stability, and they are not as "waves" as before. Including myself, I am not as freewheeling or willful as before. To put it simply, I tend to go through the rest of my life more steadily. But I never thought about how stable I would be to go through my later life, maybe I wanted to stick to my preferences and whether I had a wonderful life, and now there are some conceptual changes. I don't know if this change is good, what I really want.

When I was young, I valued achievements and vanity at work, that is, the kind of vanity that felt that I was talented, and felt that I could write very good reports and write very good novels, but in fact, it was only half a pound, and even wrote a little "rubbish". I also admit that not many times you can write particularly good manuscripts, many of them are very ordinary. When I was younger, I didn't particularly value my family's opinions, but as I got older, I cared more about some of their feelings, so sometimes I felt like a failure, and I wondered what was wrong with me.

Chengdu Business News-Red Star News: I noticed that you advised those junior brothers and sisters in the comments not to learn from themselves, what do you think is your own problem?

Chen Tao: There are still many problems, sometimes a little willful, sometimes too self-conscious, do not know the sky is thick, sometimes it is indeed according to their own interests, but the work cannot be 100% in line with the interests, and they will fall into a state of entanglement and anxiety. In the face of my own problems and flaws and personality introversion, I sometimes dare not face it, I am avoiding self-thinking, in fact, I am afraid of myself and avoid myself. I did philosophical reflection on myself, but I didn't think very clearly.

Chengdu Business Daily-Red Star News: At the age of 38, he is still drifting in Beipiao, why do he have to stay in Beijing?

Chen Tao: I am also thinking about this question, I am very entangled, and sometimes I especially want to go back to Chengdu. But I was afraid that I would be scolded by my family when I came back, and I was afraid that my mental state would be worse. Sometimes I belittle myself, but I'm not particularly willing to spread this kind of content to the outside world.

I hope everyone is better than me, whether it is mental state, or mentality when encountering things, or a little flatter, so that you can't collapse so easily.

Chengdu Business Daily - Red Star News reporter Chen Yifan Lan Jing

Intern Xiong Siqi Luo Yiwen