Early the next morning, Wang Xiaoliang and Luo Bisheng drove straight to University Town, following the location Old Chen had sent them.
They parked outside a building over twenty stories tall, its glass curtain wall reflecting the light. Wang Xiaoliang got out and glanced up. The building wasn't new, but its location really was strategic. The university's south gate stood diagonally opposite, and a row of bubble tea shops and fast-food restaurants lined one side. Quite a few people who looked like students were already milling around.
"The location really is good." Luo Bisheng got out too, clutching a palm-sized notebook with frayed edges on its cover.
They entered the building's lobby and were greeted by a blast of cool air. The reception desk was empty, so they went straight to the elevator and pressed the floor Old Chen had given them. When the doors opened, a chaotic renovation site and the distinctive smell of construction hit them.
Old Chen was already waiting there, with dark circles beneath his eyes. At the sight of Wang Xiaoliang, he looked as though he'd spotted his savior and jogged over. "Mr. Wang, Manager Luo, you're finally here!"
Wang Xiaoliang nodded without hurrying inside. He stood at the elevator entrance and looked in.
The lobby hadn't taken shape yet, but its outline was there. The counter's position had been fixed, its concrete base encased in wooden boards, with channels left for wiring in the wall behind it. To the left was an open area containing several sofa frames covered with dust sheets. To the right ran a corridor lined with room doors, all standing open. Inside, the floors had already been laid, the walls skimmed with putty, and some areas sprayed with dark paint. The overall look leaned toward an industrial style in dark