Chapter 2: Rivals
KTV was gradually becoming a form of entertainment accepted by the general public in Xiahai City, but at this point in his previous life, Su Can had had little exposure to it.
Whenever they had free time, the three close friends would usually head into a gaming room together to play the first generation of games popular back then-Red Alert, Uncharted Waters, Star Dream Studio, StarCraft, and Heroes of Might and Magic. These games had accompanied him through much of his adolescence and were also the cheapest form of recreation. With the little pocket money he, Xue Yiyang, and Liu Rui had back then, places like bars and KTVs were out of the question. To them, those were extravagant luxuries.
He had never attended City First Middle School in his previous life, so only now did he realize that, in 1999, even ordinary high school girls there were already turning toward this sort of recreation, thanks to their comfortable, privileged family backgrounds.
Ding Sheng Karaoke City stood on a bustling bar street in Xiahai City. There were plenty of open-air barbecue joints and bars with signs out front, as well as stalls selling butter tea. Ordering a couple of servings of boiled peanuts and a plate of edamame, then gathering with two or three friends over a little alcohol, made for quite an enjoyable nightlife. Still, the street was not yet as prosperous as it would become in later years; only the beginnings were visible.
Tang Wu arrived in a taxi, holding an old Motorola mobile phone. Presumably, after speaking with her family, she had been given a phone so they could keep in touch.
She stepped out in a little red jacket, slim-legged jeans, and a pair of flats that exposed the delicate blue veins on