At the street corner, the flower baskets celebrating the grand opening were visible outside the entrance from far away, and the music could be heard from a long way off.
Looking up, they saw that the Shuangyang Coffee sign had quite an artistic feel.
As Wang Xiaoliang and Wei Zijin approached, they immediately spotted the three most conspicuous flower baskets. The ribbons bore gold lettering that read, "Wishing Boss Fang a thriving business and abundant wealth," signed respectively, "Congratulations from Wang Xiaoliang and Wei Zijin," "Congratulations from Zhou Qiang and Li Lanxiang," and "Congratulations from Liu Xinyu and Yang Qingyu."
They had barely reached the entrance when Fang Dongxu came out to welcome them, beaming, dressed in a crisp server's uniform with a coffee-colored apron over it.
"Xiaoliang, Wei Zijin, thanks for coming! Come on in, come on in!"
"Boss Fang, congratulations! May you make a fortune." Wang Xiaoliang grinned and gave him a punch.
"Hey, thanks to your good wishes!" Fang Dongxu enthusiastically ushered them inside. "Brother Qiang and Li Lanxiang are already here. I'll take you over."
The place really did have a nice atmosphere: warm yellow lighting, dark wooden tables and chairs, and the rich, mellow aroma of coffee filling the air. A few incomprehensible abstract paintings hung on the walls, and foreign-language books sat on the shelves. The sophistication was dialed all the way up.
By then, the place was almost full and bustling with activity. Wang Xiaoliang glanced around and spotted plenty of familiar faces, most of them Jiang University alumni who had gone to Fucheng with them last time.
They smiled and exchanged greetings along the way as they headed toward Zhou Qiang and Li Lanxiang's table.
Most of the tables seated two or four, with a few booths in the corners that could