Chapter 73 : Starry Sky Internet Cafe Opens
Chapter 73: Starry Sky Internet Cafe Opens
"The Zhao family? Are they famous?"
Luo Wenjie asked.
Ma Xiaoshuai smiled bitterly, "The Zhao family is not the richest or most powerful in Yunhai, but they are famous for their origin story."
"It is said that the old patriarch of the Zhao family had an underworld background in the 1960s and 1970s."
"He started as a dock worker and gradually built an organization with dozens of men under him."
"Later, they provided protection services and collected protection fees. In the 1980s and 1990s, they went legit and entered the entertainment industry."
"It is said that more than half of the bathhouses in Yunhai belong to the Zhao family's businesses..."
"Although the Zhao family has kept a low profile in recent years, locals in Yunhai are well aware that these entertainment venues must pay tribute to the Zhao family to operate smoothly."
Sun Hao couldn't help but comment, "Isn't this just... an underworld syndicate? Doesn't the government manage this?"
"How can they manage?" Ma Xiaoshuai shrugged.
"The Zhao family has long moved past the stage of personal violence and killings."
"The current Zhao family has gone legit. They don't need to get their hands dirty themselves. They have a large group of people under them and connections with all sorts of shady individuals..."
Wu Di frowned and hesitated before speaking.
"This is my personal matter, and it has nothing to do with you all."
"Don't get involved in this anymore. I won't implicate you."
Luo Wenjie laughed.
"What do you mean? Looking down on us brothers?"
"Being brothers, do you understand what that means in our hearts?"
"No matter how powerful the Zhao family is, what does that have to do with me?"
"If that bastard dares to provoke me, I'll beat him up..."
Nearby, Sun Hao also sneered coldly.
"That's right. Don't be afraid of him, we don't deal with the Zhao family anyway. If he dares to provoke us, we'll beat him up."
Hearing this, Wu Di was deeply moved.
"Brothers, thank you."
Chen Fan spoke up, "Alright. We won't be spectators here. You two should go have your heart-to-heart."
The group of friends laughed and climbed into Ma Xiaoshuai's car to return to the dorms.
As they were going upstairs, Ma Xiaoshuai held Chen Fan back.
"Has Li Jiao been looking for you these past few days?"
Chen Fan was taken aback.
"You already know."
Ma Xiaoshuai chuckled, "Linlin told me."
"I heard she's been pursuing you these days."
Mentioning this, Chen Fan felt a bit vexed.
Li Jiao seemed to have gone crazy these past few days, repeatedly asking to meet him.
Chen Fan rejected her twice, but he didn't want to keep rejecting her, so he made time to have a meal with Li Jiao.
During the meal, he clearly told her that he already had a girlfriend.
However, Li Jiao seemed to have completely missed his hints and showed no signs of giving up.
Hearing Chen Fan's complaints, Ma Xiaoshuai couldn't help but tease him.
"Li Jiao is quite a beauty, you know. Why don't you consider her too?"
"Get lost."
Chen Fan laughed and scolded, "You better say that in front of my Ruochu next time."
Bringing this up, Ma Xiaoshuai suddenly became interested.
"Come to think of it, I haven't met your better half yet."
"Why don't we all get together for a meal in a couple of days? We can all get acquainted."
Chen Fan shrugged, "I don't mind, you can arrange the time."
Ma Xiaoshuai nodded.
"Alright, it's settled then. I'll make the arrangements and invite Wu Di and Su Qing too."
...
The next day, Li Jiao called the dorm again, trying to arrange to meet Chen Fan.
Chen Fan declined politely.
In the morning, Chen Fan was busy setting up computers in the internet cafe.
Although they were the same computers, after Chen Fan's adjustments, their speed had noticeably improved.
The three employees at the internet cafe had spent time with Chen Fan and could tell, even if they were fools, that Chen Fan was the new owner.
At noon, the custom signboard Chen Fan ordered for the internet cafe finally arrived.
Hanging at the entrance, the four big characters "Starry Sky Internet Cafe" looked impressive.
Chen Fan was very satisfied.
As for the opening time, Chen Fan didn't have any superstitious preferences.
He chose the next day, which was Saturday morning, the most leisurely time for college students.
To promote and generate buzz, Chen Fan specially printed some flyers.
He had the three employees distribute them to students passing by the school gates.
The flyers were simple, with interior photos of the renovated internet cafe taking up most of the space.
No lengthy introductions were needed, just showing the interior environment was the best advertisement.
Sure enough, within the afternoon, word about Starry Sky Internet Cafe had quietly spread among the students.
Saturday morning, 7 a.m.
With a string of festive firecrackers, Starry Sky Internet Cafe officially opened for business.
Those early-rising students who came to surf the internet were the first customers.
But as soon as they entered, they were all dumbstruck.
Which students in this era had seen such a luxuriously decorated internet cafe?
Unlike the dimly lit cafes on this street with their curtains drawn, as soon as one entered the lobby of Starry Sky, they were captivated by the bright, clean, and beautiful decor.
The lobby was divided into several functional areas.
One side was a coffee, relaxation, and gaming area, while the other side was a clean and tidy internet surfing section.
The second floor had private couple's rooms, single rooms, and a luxurious e-sports area...
No matter which area, the first impression was clean, bright, and luxuriously grand.
The prices Chen Fan set for Starry Sky Internet Cafe were a little higher than the other cafes nearby.
Other cafes charged 1.5 yuan or 1 yuan per hour, while the cheapest at Starry Sky was 1 yuan per hour, but the most expensive e-sports area cost 2 yuan per hour.
Additionally, during the pre-opening week, there was a promotion where the more you topped up, the more free internet time you received.
The more you topped up, the more you got...
Besides this, Starry Sky Internet Cafe also offered a food ordering service. Just open the ordering system on your computer, and whether it's coffee, drinks, or food, once you've selected it, a server would bring it right to you.
In just the morning, Starry Sky Internet Cafe became a hit.
The first batch of college students surfing the net immediately started inviting their friends to experience it.
Some students rushed to get membership cards to enjoy the promotions, topping up fifty or a hundred yuan at once...
Not even half a day after opening, Starry Sky Internet Cafe was packed to the brim.
By noon when classes ended, the entire internet cafe was filled with students who had come to see the hype.
Even if there were no available computers left, no one wanted to leave.
This internet cafe concept was too shocking for the era.
Chen Fan didn't chase anyone away, but instead had the employees turn on the large display screen he had bought at a high price in the middle of the lobby.
They began broadcasting CS game live streams.
CS wouldn't become popular in China until the following year, so at this time, only a small portion of people in internet cafes played it.
Therefore, when the group of students in the cafe saw the CS live stream, they were immediately intrigued.
Shouts and cheers frequently erupted from the lobby.
The atmosphere was unparalleled.
By afternoon, Starry Sky Internet Cafe was completely packed, with people even standing in the lobby as there was no more room.
Everywhere, there were students waiting for others to finish using the computers.
Even those who hadn't intended to surf the internet were now lining up, not for any other reason but to experience this atmosphere.
Seeing this scene, Chen Fan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The internet cafe's opening had welcomed a red-hot start.