Milk Tea Also Has a Bourgeoisie Vibe

Suddenly handsome, Chen Guiliang strode out of the barbershop. "Let's go, I'll treat you to bubble tea."

"Let me treat you instead. Last time we went to fix the computer, you paid for all the travel expenses."

In Bian Guanyue's eyes, Chen Guiliang was still a poor guy, and she wanted to save him some money.

Chen Guiliang said mysteriously, "Let me tell you a secret. A big boss is providing me with startup funds, and the plan to open the Qin Emperor's Mausoleum has taken another step forward. I have money now, I can afford a cup of bubble tea."

"Would you die if you didn't lie?" Bian Guanyue didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Believe it or not," Chen Guiliang went off on his own to find a bubble tea shop.

Bian Guanyue quickly followed.

Unconsciously, she had been led by Chen Guiliang.

As the saying goes, the participants are confused, while the bystanders are clear.

When she watched Chen Guiliang and Tao Xue chat, she could tell at a glance that Tao Xue was being led by the nose. Now that it was her turn, she was completely confused.

And Chen Guiliang did look better today.

Humans are visual creatures after all.

The bubble tea shop was very easy to find, you could see the crowds from a distance.

After all, it was the only bubble tea shop in the entire county, and it had only been open for a short time. Many young people came to try it on the weekend, and the queue blocked the pedestrian street outside the shop.

"Wow, so many people!" Chen Guiliang exclaimed sincerely.

Bian Guanyue followed him to the end of the line. "Let's forget it, we'll have to queue for a long time."

Chen Guiliang said, "There's a rest area over there, why don't you go grab two seats first?"

"I'll queue with you slowly."

As she spoke, Bian Guanyue looked around, afraid of running into classmates.

Shopping and queuing for bubble tea with a boy was an experience she had never had before. She felt inexplicably guilty but also very excited.

While queuing, Bian Guanyue said, "You don't have to rush to pay me back the thousand yuan I lent you for clothes. You're actually very capable. You can work part-time in college. I have a cousin who made a lot of money in college."

Chen Guiliang asked, "Did your cousin make money by working part-time, or by starting a business?"

Bian Guanyue said, "She studied business administration. During the SARS period, she did Taobao, selling some things she had used. Later, she went to get goods herself, rented a house near the school as a warehouse, and specialized in selling electronic accessories like mobile phone chargers. The Samsung MP3 I'm using now was bought from her Taobao shop, it's actually a second-hand item she didn't want. By the way, do you know about Taobao?"

When Taobao first started in 2003, most merchants were selling second-hand goods. It was very similar to the later Xianyu platform.

After SARS eased, more people started selling counterfeit and miscellaneous brands.

There were also merchants selling genuine brands, such as Kodak film, which was quite popular. Because of increased production capacity, the market size was shrinking, leading to a large backlog of inventory. Selling it at a low price on Taobao was surprisingly popular, and it quickly became one of the top three best-selling items on Taobao.

"Yes, Alibaba," Chen Guiliang said.

Bian Guanyue was very surprised. "You actually know about Taobao? This is only popular in a few big cities."

Chen Guiliang pretended to be cool. "Living in a humble room, with the world in my heart."

Bian Guanyue opened up. "My cousin advised me to apply to a university in Hangzhou and do Taobao with her then. But I don't understand business, so I probably won't be much help."

"It's very simple, you're so smart, you'll definitely learn it quickly," Chen Guiliang said.

"But I don't want to do business," Bian Guanyue thought carefully. "Actually, I don't know what I want to do. I'm just very confused."

Chen Guiliang tried to persuade her. "We can start a business together. That thousand yuan for clothes can be your capital."

"No way, business is not easy to do," Bian Guanyue said.

The two chatted idly, and Bian Guanyue was in a very good mood, much more cheerful than when they first met.

After transferring schools, she gradually made some friends. Besides Chen Guiliang, there were Wang Siyu and Zheng Feng, as well as her new deskmate Wu Meng and the person at the next desk, Tan Zhuo.

Chen Guiliang asked, "Are you getting along well with Wu Meng?"

Bian Guanyue smiled. "She's like me, she doesn't talk much usually. But she's actually very enthusiastic. Every time I ask her for help with difficult problems, she patiently explains them in detail. Actually, I know those problems are very simple for her, it's just that I'm too stupid for her to explain them clearly."

Chen Guiliang thought back carefully and realized he didn't know much about Wu Meng.

He only knew that this top student had won the top spot in the liberal arts college entrance examination in the entire city and later heard that she had immigrated to Singapore. But they had no interaction in both their lives combined, because Wu Meng was very introverted and didn't talk much usually.

"She likes to eat fried small potatoes, I buy some every day, and she often treats me to snacks in return." Bian Guanyue was talking more and more now, actively sharing her daily life with her new deskmate.

Chen Guiliang chimed in at the right time, guiding her to continue talking, and Bian Guanyue became even more enthusiastic.

The line moved forward little by little. By the time it was Chen Guiliang's turn, several tens of minutes had passed. "Two bubble teas."

As he spoke, Chen Guiliang turned to ask Bian Guanyue, "What do you like to eat?"

This bubble tea shop wasn't very proper, it also sold various pastries.

"Red bean paste cake," Bian Guanyue glanced at the promotional sign.

Chen Guiliang then asked the staff for red bean paste cake, but he was complaining in his heart: The bubble tea is sweet enough, and you're eating red bean paste cake, you'll be choked to death.

Their legs were sore and weak from standing in line. Chen Guiliang carried the red bean paste cake and two cups of bubble tea and led Bian Guanyue to the leisure dining area.

In this small county, selling bubble tea was a high-end fashionable business.

There was also a leisure dining area on the side of the shop, with simple iron tables and chairs. Sitting there and drinking bubble tea was like eating steak in a Western restaurant.

That's the style I'm going for!

There are no Western restaurants, fast-food joints, or even coffee shops in the county town, leaving fashionable teenagers with very few choices.

Some young people even stay after finishing their milk tea, continuing to enjoy their leisurely lifestyle.

"Bian Guanyue, there's a free seat here!"

Over in the leisure area, Wang Siyu stood up and waved. There was also a girl next to her whom Bian Guanyue didn't recognize.

Running into Wang Siyu unexpectedly made Bian Guanyue feel pleasantly surprised.

She didn't know what she was thinking, but suddenly afraid that Wang Siyu might misunderstand something, she immediately left Chen Guiliang and walked over alone: "You're drinking milk tea here too."

Wang Siyu said, "My home is in Wealthy Garden, just two stops from here. Oh, right, this is my junior high classmate Yuan Wei. She's in the experimental class for the third year of high school at No. 1 High School."

No. 1 High School is the best school in the county, second only to No. 2 High School.

Moreover, it had just moved to a new campus in the new urban area, and the school's infrastructure was better than No. 2 High School. The only downside was the greenery; all the newly transplanted large trees were bare.

"Weiwei, this is Bian Guanyue from our class."

"Hello."

"Hello."

Yuan Wei had delicate features and was quite good-looking.

She actively helped move a chair and said to Wang Siyu, "Xiaoyu, your classmate is so pretty. Is she the school beauty of No. 2 High School?"

Wang Siyu said, "What school beauty? You read too many novels."

Bian Guanyue smiled and sat down, chatting briefly and selectively forgetting about Chen Guiliang behind her.

In front of acquaintances, she had to keep her distance from Chen Guiliang.

It wasn't like this a few days ago.

Could it be because Chen Guiliang had become more handsome?

A girl's thoughts are hard to guess.

"Where's your milk tea?" Wang Siyu asked.

Chen Guiliang held up the milk tea in his hand and said with a smile, "Classmate Wang Siyu, there's a living person standing here."

Wang Siyu was startled at first, then said in disbelief, "Chen Guiliang?"

Chen Guiliang sighed, "We sat in front and back rows, after all. You don't recognize me just because I changed my hairstyle. How sad is that?"

"Holy cow!"

Wang Siyu had a very outgoing personality. She stood up and circled Chen Guiliang, saying, "I never noticed before, but Sir Chen is actually a handsome guy."

After saying that, she added, "He's really handsome. He could rank at least in the top three in our class. If I had known earlier, I would have pursued you actively. What a waste of a handsome guy resource."

"I've always been handsome, just in a more reserved way," Chen Guiliang moved a chair and sat down, placing a cup of milk tea in front of Bian Guanyue. "I'm not pretending today, I'm coming clean. If you regret not pursuing me, you still have a chance now."

Wang Siyu said disdainfully, "You've not only become handsome, but also glib."

"Woman, you are making excuses for your lack of discernment," Chen Guiliang said seriously.

Wang Siyu ignored him and introduced him to her best friend Yuan Wei, saying, "This is my classmate Chen Guiliang, known in the jianghu as Sir Chen. What he did at No. 2 High School, it's a miracle he wasn't expelled."

"Hello." Yuan Wei was much more shy, especially when she saw a handsome guy, speaking with a hint of bashfulness.

Chen Guiliang nodded in greeting: "Hello."

Wang Siyu completely ignored Chen Guiliang and played with her hair, saying, "Bian Guanyue, look, I also got a perm today. My hair instantly became smooth and straight."

"Your hairstyle is beautiful, it suits you perfectly," Bian Guanyue praised.

Chen Guiliang sipped his milk tea through a straw, feeling a bit helpless inside. He finally managed to coax the girl out, only to have two third wheels appear halfway through.

The four of them sat down and started chatting. Wang Siyu talked about the interesting things at No. 2 High School, while Yuan Wei complained about how strict No. 1 High School was.

The new principal of No. 1 High School implemented quasi-military management, and the students were finding it a bit hard to bear.

But the effect was very obvious; the undergraduate admission rate of No. 1 High School surged.

After finishing the milk tea, they continued chatting.

However, the young people without seats nearby would come over and urge them from time to time, forcing Chen Guiliang and the other three to vacate their spots.

Wang Siyu looked at her watch and said, "It's almost noon, let's go eat."

Bian Guanyue politely declined, "I told my grandparents I'd go back for lunch."

"Then let's make plans for next time," Wang Siyu said.

"Okay!"

"Goodbye!"

The four of them waved to each other.

Chen Guiliang accompanied Bian Guanyue to the roadside to wait for a ride.

Wang Siyu and Yuan Wei lived in Wealthy Garden and could walk home in two stops.

After they had walked a distance, Yuan Wei asked, "Are those two classmates of yours dating?"

"I'm not too sure," Wang Siyu thought carefully. "Something does seem off. They used to listen to music together, and today they even came to drink bubble tea. Also, also, Chen Guiliang is wearing new clothes and specifically got a new haircut. There's definitely something going on!"

Yuan Wei said, "I think they make a good couple."

"You don't know," Wang Siyu said. "Chen Guiliang has always been very poor. I've never seen him wear many new clothes. He had a pair of pants in his second year of high school, and because he grew so fast, by his third year, they couldn't even cover his ankles, but he kept wearing them like that. I felt sorry for him. Bian Guanyue's family is very rich. Her phone, MP3 player, and laptop are all brand names!"

Yuan Wei smiled and said, "You're too materialistic. Love is about mutual affection, it has nothing to do with external things."

Wang Siyu suddenly thought of Zheng Feng and gloated, "I don't know if I'm materialistic or not, but some people might go crazy. Great Hero Chen is truly amazing, he took down the beauty with one move!"

After taking Bian Guanyue home, Chen Guiliang, carrying several shopping bags, went directly to a nearby internet cafe.

He carefully read the replies from netizens, felt that the time was right, and sent a QQ message to Yang Yuhui: "Brother Yang, we're entering the third phase at noon today."

"Received!" Yang Yuhui replied instantly.

The internet trolls were activated.

Internet troll No. 1 posted, suggesting that this private server should have a membership system. Those willing to top up and support could become members, while those unwilling to top up could still support by being present. Members would have no other special privileges, but they could use an accelerator for a smoother experience when playing on the private server.

Selling accelerators was also one of the ways private servers made money nowadays.

Internet troll No. 2 immediately replied, saying that this private server was about dreams and youth, and once it charged, it would become impure.

The two internet trolls quickly started arguing with each other.

Internet trolls No. 3, 4, 5, 6... gradually joined the discussion and deliberately guided the direction of public opinion.

More and more netizens were drawn into the post, engaging in a debate about whether or not to charge.

Gradually, the side supporting charging gained the upper hand, arguing that the dream chasers shouldn't lose money. However, they absolutely couldn't sell equipment, otherwise, the game would be meaningless.

That Beijing gentleman named Fu Guoqiang, who followed the relevant posts every day, directly replied with a sentence: "If the private server doesn't sell equipment and maintains the purity of the game, I can sponsor 5000 yuan for free!"

There were more than just one or two rich people; soon, others replied: "I'll sponsor 300 yuan."

"I'm an office worker, I'll sponsor 50 yuan as a token of appreciation."

"I can sponsor 10 yuan. You won't think it's too little, right?"

"Not too little, even 1 yuan is fine. Many hands make light work!"

"..."

Yang Yuhui posted using the "One Sword Comes West" account: "Regarding the sponsorship fees, I appreciate everyone's kindness, but only collecting sponsorship fees cannot last long. I discussed it with my friends until midnight last night and roughly came up with a way to recover the costs. How exactly it will be done cannot be disclosed for now. But I solemnly promise, no selling of equipment, no selling of memberships, no selling of hacks, and no selling of accelerators!"

This statement was very mysterious, attracting more netizens to speculate and discuss.

The replies to the posts about whether or not to charge and how to charge also increased, developing in the direction Chen Guiliang had anticipated.

Chen Guiliang's intention, of course, was to pave the way for selling tickets.

Giving them a heads-up!

First, prepare the players mentally, so that when the game server opens and suddenly starts selling tickets, it won't easily cause player resentment and anger.