bookbashuk Chapter 31 Internet Cafe Grand Opening - Full of Guests
Chapter 31 Internet Cafe Grand Opening - Full of Guests
Opposite the north gate of Shandong University, that inconspicuous two-story building has now become the most eye-catching focus in the entire university area.
A huge red silk cloth covered the signboard, and celebratory flower baskets were placed in front of the door, stretching all the way to the edge of the sidewalk. The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder from firecrackers.
Ling Yun, dressed in brand-new casual clothes, stood at the door. Beside him were Zhao Weiguo, Sun Peng, and Li Mo, who were busy as bees. Zhao Weiguo, with the loudest voice, was in charge of maintaining order; Sun Peng, meticulous, was responsible for guiding and collecting money; and Li Mo kept an eye on the computers he was setting up, afraid that something might go wrong.
A dense crowd had gathered in front of the door, several layers deep. There were students, young people from the neighborhood, and others who had come to see what was going on. All eyes were fixed on the glass door and the prominent price list displayed on it—
Internet access fee: 20 yuan/hour
"My God! Twenty yuan an hour? That's robbery!" a bespectacled boy exclaimed in shock. His monthly living expenses were only two hundred yuan.
"Yeah, that's way too expensive! How much does it cost to read books in the library all day?" someone nearby chimed in.
Despite the complaints, no one left. The words behind that door—"networked computers," "information superhighway," "internet"—that were magical in 1996, attracted everyone like a magnet.
"Brother Yun, there are too many people!" Zhao Weiguo squeezed next to Ling Yun, wiped his sweat, his face a mixture of excitement and worry. "Are our forty machines enough?"
"Scarcity increases value." Ling Yun looked at the surging crowd with a calm expression. "According to plan, let people into the store."
At exactly 9:00 AM, the auspicious time has arrived.
Ling Yun reached out and abruptly ripped off the red silk covering the signboard.
The four large characters "Starry Sky Internet Cafe" feature a streamlined illuminated design that shimmers with the unique luster of metal and acrylic under the sunlight, exuding a sense of futuristic technology that drew gasps of amazement from the crowd.
The glass door was pushed open.
The long-waiting crowd surged in like a floodgate being opened.
Then came even louder, more frequent gasps of surprise.
"Wow--!"
The cool gray color scheme, the ambient blue lighting, the clean lines of the white reception desk, the neatly arranged computers, and the black monitor screens resembling a deep night sky... all these elements create a striking visual contrast with the noisy and chaotic street outside. This place doesn't feel like a real shop; it feels more like a futuristic space.
"My God... this place... is so cool!" A boy in a denim outfit exclaimed, his mouth agape.
"Please line up! Please line up! First, go to the front desk to register, pay the deposit, and get your computer access card!" Sun Peng stood by the front desk, shouting with all his might, but his voice was quickly drowned out by the noise.
An Shiyu also arrived. She had originally just come as a friend to show her support and experience what this "internet cafe," which Ling Yun had placed high hopes on, was like. But as soon as she stepped inside, she was stunned by the surging crowd and chaotic scene. Seeing Zhao Weiguo and Sun Peng sweating profusely and struggling to keep up, she almost without hesitation went to the front desk to help Sun Peng maintain order, guiding people in her clear and gentle voice:
"Student, please line up this way."
"Hello, please read the Internet access instructions on the wall first."
"Please take your boarding pass and sit down at the corresponding computer number."
Her appearance was like a breath of fresh air, calming the somewhat anxious emotions. Many of the male students, seeing that it was An Shiyu, a talented woman from the Chinese Literature Department, who was helping, became much more cooperative and well-behaved in line.
Soon, the first batch of forty lucky winners (or rather, the brave souls who were willing to spend the huge sum of twenty yuan) sat down in front of the computers. Many more people gathered behind them, standing on tiptoe, craning their necks, and curiously peering in.
What followed filled the internet cafe with all sorts of exaggerated conversations and shouts of "Wow!"
"This... how do you use this mouse? When I slide it on the table, the arrow on the screen moves with it?!" A boy carefully held the mouse as if it were something fragile, his movements stiff, which drew good-natured laughter from behind him.
"That's called a mouse! Duh! Watch me!" His companion next to him clearly knew a little and proudly demonstrated, though his movements were far from skillful.
"Look! This window can open several times! This one is shrunk, but if you click the bar below, it will open again! Amazing!" Those who discovered multitasking in windows felt like they had discovered a new continent.
"This is 'Internet'? How do I get in?" Someone stared blankly at the empty desktop.
"Click on that 'browser' icon! Yes, it's the one with the big eye icon!" A slightly knowledgeable "expert" instructed from the side, his tone laced with superiority.
Li Mo was in charge of technical support, moving between the machines and answering all sorts of questions that he considered "naive" and laughable.
"Hey, this is called a keyboard, it's for typing..."
"Completed your computer? Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete... Yes, press all three at once."
"Want to go online? First, double-click 'My Computer'... no, I mean 'Network Neighborhood'..."
Every simple operation elicited a gasp of amazement. Every keystroke, every mouse click, every window switch seemed to possess a magical quality. For most of these young people, who were experiencing a computer for the first time, witnessing a graphical user interface for the first time, and hearing about the "Internet" for the first time, this short hour was nothing short of a mental and cognitive storm.
A boy sitting in the corner, with Sun Peng's help, painstakingly typed in the URL of a portal website (at this time, portal websites in China were just emerging). As the colorful webpage, with its pictures and text, slowly appeared on the screen, frame by frame, he excitedly slapped his thigh:
"Holy crap! We can really see foreign news?! This...this is way faster than newspapers! That's amazing!"
His shout immediately attracted more people to gather around, pointing and discussing at the small screen, their faces full of disbelief.
The exorbitant price of twenty yuan per hour seemed to be overshadowed by this unprecedented experience. Time flew by, and people kept urging at the front desk, "Extra time! Another hour!"
In between her busy moments, An Shiyu would occasionally glance up at Ling Yun, who stood not far away, calmly observing everything. He didn't interfere much with the specific reception, only occasionally giving instructions to Zhao Weiguo or Li Mo. But his presence was like a stabilizing force. Looking at the world he had created, looking at these people immersed in the "future," a strange feeling quietly rose in An Shiyu's heart. This man seemed to be truly bringing something distant into reality.
Ling Yun's gaze swept across the entire room, taking in all the amazement, excitement, and curiosity. He knew that relying solely on "internet access" itself couldn't sustain such high prices and popularity in the long run. But today, the opening ceremony had been a success.
He walked to the front desk and whispered to Sun Peng, who was busy collecting money, and An Shiyu, who was maintaining order, "That's about enough. Control the flow of people and make sure everyone inside has a good experience. Give each person who has been queuing outside for more than half an hour a five-yuan voucher so they can use it to offset five yuan next time they come."
Inside the internet cafe, the sounds of keyboards clicking, mice clicking, gasps of surprise, and discussions blended together. Outside, a large crowd remained, eagerly anticipating the event.
On this day, the name "Starry Sky" became a sensation in the provincial capital, amidst controversy over charging 20 yuan per hour and countless eye-opening exclamations.