Chapter 333
: The opening was packed with people!
Students who arrived late clutched their waiting numbers, peeked into the aisle, and then retreated to the rest area.
It's free for an hour and a half, and since we're already here... who would want to leave?
The upholstered benches were packed with people; those without seats stood leaning against the backs, while thirty or forty people stared up at the fifty-inch LCD TV above the bar, occasionally glancing down to check the numbers in their hands.
The screen was playing highlights of the CrossFire Hundred Cities League on a loop, and the heavy metal sound effects of sniper rifles reloading were so loud they made your eardrums itch.
"Brother Ma, we're running out of mango puree, and we need to open another carton of fresh milk!"
The young girl in the bar had sweat beading on her forehead, shaking the cocktail shaker in her hand, while keeping her elbows away from the glasses that had just been placed next to her.
The shout drew the attention of several students who turned around. Through the glass cabinet, neatly arranged fruit slices were visible in the refrigerated compartment, the grinder was humming, and the aroma of coffee wafted to the bench.
Someone picked up the drink menu, and the roommate who had been watching the game with his legs crossed also joined in.
"Give me a glass of iced lemonade, and a bag of potato chips!"
The next guy flipped to the coffee page, checked the change in his pocket, ordered a freshly ground latte, paid, put his queue number on the bar, and simply leaned against it to wait.
One bill after another was added to the coin box.
A tray carrying fruit tea with ice cubes walks through the aisle. Along the way, people take off their headphones and wave towards the bar. Just as the person at the next table receives a drink, someone else hands them money.
The receipts on the quartz table were almost constantly being printed.
At a booth near the aisle, a boy with dyed yellow hair finished a game of Transport Ship, casually pulled a box of Double Happiness cigarettes from his pocket, and flicked the lighter away with a snap.
As soon as the flame lit up, a hand reached out from the side, blocking the cigarette from about half a foot away.
The young network administrator in overalls bent down but didn't touch his arm.
"Dude, smoking is not allowed here. It's prohibited both upstairs and downstairs. The smoke detectors and security cameras are on. If you order here, the front desk will have to shut down your phone."
The blond-haired man's eyebrows shot up immediately, and the cigarette in his mouth tilted to one side.
"I can't smoke anywhere I go online? You guys have so many rules, believe me or not, I'm not playing anymore!"
The network administrator stepped aside and pointed towards the door.
"You'll have to go outside to smoke. We've provided a shed, ashtrays, and even mints. You've only been playing for twenty minutes... If you leave now, you'll have to get a new number to come back."
The blond-haired man, holding the lighter, turned his head to look to the side.
The people sitting next to me didn't even take off their headphones. The characters on the screen ran around the corner, and with a flick of the mouse, the gun barrels followed. The leather chairs beneath them were recessed, and there was room to support their backs.
People were still coming in from outside.
In the rest area, someone was holding a number and looking this way. The blond guy moved the cigarette in his mouth, stuffed the lighter back into his pocket, and mumbled a complaint: "So many problems."
He tucked the cigarette behind his ear and used his free hand to grip the mouse again.
In the rest area, another student who had already taken out a cigarette case put it back in, and at the other end of the bench, the hand holding the lighter also went back into his pocket.
The glass door opened and closed a few times. On the second-floor railing, Ye Chen held a cup of coffee and looked out the door.
Three female business school students carrying heavy textbooks walked up the steps. The one in front had already taken two steps, but then turned back and peered into the floor-to-ceiling window.
"Hey, when did Sky Internet Cafe change like this?"
The short-haired girl stopped and peered through the gleaming glass.
The girl next to her pointed to the no-smoking poster on the door, and then looked through the glass at the central bar. Coffee cups and juice cups were lined up along the counter, and there were no cigarette butts at her feet.
The last person carrying the books went to push open the door.
I had to make a presentation in the afternoon. With two books spread out on the small table in the dormitory, there was nowhere to rest my arms. The three of us squeezed together by the door and followed each other into the store.
There was no smell of smoke coming from inside. The barista handed out barley tea, and one of them held the cup in her palm, not in a hurry to leave, but looking up at the stairs leading to the second floor.
A notice was posted at the front desk offering a recharge bonus coupon. Members who signed up two hours before opening would receive a drink coupon, and those who could still find available seats on the second floor would be given priority.
Following the direction the cashier pointed, the three looked up at the second floor, huddled together for less than half a minute to discuss, and then took out their student IDs, national IDs, and cash from their bags.
After getting three membership cards, three more strawberry milkshakes were added to the drink menu.
Zhao Peng stood at the top of the stairs, watching the three girls carry books up. He rubbed his palms on the seams of his pants, stepped aside to let them pass, and only nudged Ye Chen with his elbow after they had gone.
"Chenzi, you were right... They've got membership cards and milkshakes! At this rate, our internet cafe will be packed every day. You definitely won't find another place more popular than ours in the entire university town!"
Ye Chen smiled, brought the cup to his lips, took a sip, and didn't respond.
Downstairs, someone was carrying a drink and looking for a seat. The internet cafe manager was collecting empty trays. As he passed by the blond guy from before, the cigarette was still obediently tucked behind his ear.
Ma Xiaodong carried a stack of forms upstairs. He was still panting when he reached the railing. He pulled out the top form and handed it to Ye Chen.
"Mr. Ye, in forty-five minutes, we've received over thirty top-ups of 100 yuan and over fifty top-ups of 50 yuan. The cashiers are almost overwhelmed!"
Several numbers on the form had just been updated, and next to the recharge column was a statistics sheet from the water bar, showing that the turnover had already exceeded six hundred.
Zhao Peng leaned forward, but before his hand could even touch the railing, the downstairs door opened again.
A tall figure appeared in the entrance hall. Her beige trench coat accentuated her slender waist, and her long hair was draped over her shoulders. Her gaze swept around the hall before landing directly on Ye Chen, who was standing on the second-floor railing.