If everyone is reborn, who will work for capital?

Chapter 21 Social Interaction with Strangers

Shanghai Jiao Tong University has five campuses in Shanghai: Minxing Campus, Xuhui Campus, Luwan Campus, Qibao Campus, and Changning Campus.

The Minhang Campus is the main campus, the largest in area, and houses the vast majority of science and engineering departments.

The Xuhui Campus, where today's roadshow is being held, is the oldest campus, and is home to Antai College of Economics and Management, finance, international education, and the entrepreneurship base.

The Luwan, Qibao, and Changning campuses primarily house the medical school, agricultural college, and continuing education college, respectively.

Professor Qi Chuqin's School of Computer Science is located on the main campus, Minhang Campus.

Geng Zhi plans to stay near the Minhang campus tonight so that he can visit Professor Qi Chuqin early tomorrow morning.

During the day, when he was in the bustling Xuhui District, Geng Zhi didn't feel so strongly that the infrastructure after his rebirth was vastly different from that in his previous life.

After all, it seems to have all the features you'd expect: skyscrapers, subways, buses, and neon signs.

But when he emerged from the subway line 9 and boarded a bus, the sense of generational divide hit him hard; the difference was not just a little, it was like heaven and earth.

Jiaotong University's Minxing Campus is located in Minxing District, more than 30 kilometers away from the city center of Shanghai, making it a remote area even more remote than the outer ring road.

In 2009, this place was far from the modern university town with its towering buildings and well-developed facilities it would become.

Apart from the slightly wider roads and more bus routes, the surrounding environment... doesn't seem much different from my hometown town.

Is this really the legendary metropolis of Shanghai, where every inch of land is incredibly valuable?!

The scene before him made Geng Zhi feel uneasy.

When Geng Zhi finally arrived near the Minhang campus on the swaying bus, it was already 9 p.m.

Since he wasn't sure how many days he would be staying there, he didn't want to make do with the living conditions.

Moreover, he also needs a stable and fast network environment.

As far as I can remember, budget hotel chains like Hanting, Home Inn, and Motel 168 should have emerged by 2009, so naturally, this type of hotel would have been his first choice.

But after wandering around the school for a while, my eyes were practically blurry from looking around, and I still couldn't find those familiar budget hotel chains.

What comes into view are either signs for "daily rental rooms" or "guesthouses" that are worn out, or small hotels that look suspiciously soundproof.

Many of them are clearly individual pigeonhole-like rooms in their own houses on their homesteads, and the bathrooms are probably shared.

Of course, the price is very affordable, only thirty or forty yuan a night.

For students on a tight budget, or those who are only visiting relatives or taking exams for a short period, this may be the only option.

Sixteen years ago, Geng Zhi might have been able to tolerate this, but now that he's been reborn, just thinking about the noise and filth makes him feel uncomfortable.

I'd guess that decent budget hotels will most likely be located near subway stations or in more bustling towns, and probably quite a distance from the school.

My phone is a feature phone and doesn't have any OTA apps like Ctrip, eLong, or Qunar installed. My computer also doesn't have internet access, so I can't search for hotel information.

It was getting late, and after some hesitation, Gengzhi had to give up on the idea of ​​a budget hotel and decided to quickly find a guesthouse near the school.

Actually, this is a university town. In addition to well-known universities such as Jiaotong University and Hualien University, there are also some ordinary colleges and vocational colleges.

He looked at a few hotels, all with names like "Thousand Loves Hotel," "Secret Hotel," "February Flower Hotel," and "Royal Dragon Hotel." Just from the names, he felt something was off.

Finally, Geng Zhi chose a small hotel that looked the cleanest.

The hotel was called "Mountain Journey," which sounded very respectable, and the sign above the entrance said it offered free Wi-Fi, so I went inside.

"Hello, are there any rooms available?" Geng Zhi asked a middle-aged woman behind the counter who had a shrewd look and the air of a business owner.

"Yes, we do, young man," the landlady greeted him warmly. "We have private bathrooms, TVs, air conditioning, and 24-hour hot water! Would you like a standard room or a double room?"

"You guys?" Geng Zhi was taken aback; he was clearly alone.

But he neither asked further nor bothered to explain.

"I'd like a double room, how much per night?"

"If you're only staying overnight, it's thirty-five yuan a night," the landlady replied simply.

What does "if only accommodation is provided" mean? A strange feeling flashed through Geng Zhi's mind.

This place isn't near an airport or train station, nor is it near the beach. You don't need to get up early to catch a train or watch the sunrise, so it probably won't offer any kind of wake-up call service, right?

Given the condition of this small shop, they probably wouldn't offer breakfast, right? And even if they did, no one would want to eat it!

He was speechless for a moment, but still didn't ask any more questions, only asking, "Can I see the room first?"

"Sure, of course! Just come up with me and take a look." The proprietress said, turning around to lead the way.

Geng Zhi followed behind her, stepping onto the slightly narrow, dimly lit staircase.

Just as I reached the corner in the middle of the stairs, a young woman dressed in revealing clothing and with exquisite makeup came down from above.

When the girl saw Geng Zhi, she not only didn't avoid his gaze, but instead looked him up and down with great interest.

Geng Zhi felt an even stronger unease.

"Young man, are you waiting for your girlfriend to come over later?"

The proprietress walking ahead turned around and asked with a knowing smile.

"I live alone," Geng Zhi clarified.

"Young man, I've been through this before, I know everything," she said with a smile. "Many students who come to book rooms say they're alone at first, but before long, their girlfriends come along. It's normal, it's normal."

Geng Zhi shook his head helplessly, too lazy to continue the conversation.

Seeing his calm reaction, the proprietress judged that Geng Zhi was probably alone, so she lowered her voice and said, "Young man, we also have a deluxe room for 299, with better facilities and service. Would you like to upgrade?"

Geng Zhi was clearly taken aback.

What kind of luxury rooms could this cramped and old-fashioned little hotel possibly have?

What's so luxurious about it? Is it an extra bottle of water or an extra pair of slippers?

Seeing him in a daze, the proprietress assumed he was starting to hesitate and immediately prepared to push her sales pitch further: "We can provide..."

Before the proprietress could finish speaking, Geng Zhi suddenly realized something.

"I'm not staying here anymore, I'm not staying here anymore." He immediately waved his hand, turned around decisively, and quickly went downstairs and left the small shop.

The cool night breeze on my face finally dispelled some of the inexplicable heat mixed with embarrassment and wariness.

Geng Zhi then realized that "Mountain Journey" was actually called "Mountain Journey," so it seemed the boss was quite a cultured person...

The ecosystem around the university town in 2009 was truly vibrant, and the demand for social interaction among strangers was quite strong.

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PS: Three chapters today! Please read on, leave comments, vote, and give monthly tickets to help this seedling grow strong. Thank you so much!