Shen Qingwu (GL) · Conversa

Luhua County, a place caught between a traditional backwater county and a bustling big city. The wealthy families here send their kids elsewhere to study, while the rural families think the local education is pretty good—getting into the middle school is plenty good enough. Yet among the student circles, there is a place known to almost every delinquent kid. Students from No. 3 High love sneaking over there, and even vocational school kids don't mind trekking all the way across town. Only the Middle School, resting on its laurels as the key school, looks down on it with absolute disdain. It sits right behind No. 3 High. Head out the school gate, turn around and go straight until you hit the crossroads, make a right, follow the alleyway in, and you'll find that lane. It's called Huaiyin Lane. Rumor has it that back during the Republic era, this was the most bustling spot in all of Luhua County. Nowadays, however, most students simply call it the Back Alley. The Back Alley is a mixed bag. You hear the slams on tables and curses from people losing at mahjong, smell the cheap artificial flavoring drifting from knock-off boba shops, and pass one greasy local street stall after another, oily smoke mingling with vendor shouts from one end of the alley to the other. Yet what students think about most is the unlicensed internet cafe tucked deep inside the alley. No sign, no advertising, no registration, no ID required. All you have to do is say hi to the female boss inside and pay, or hand five bucks over to the so-called “Sister Shen” to secure a machine. She'll even keep watch for you to see if any teachers come snooping around to catch students. You stand at the entrance and push open that glass door. Inside, it's far dimmer than outside, computer case fans whirring, blending with the smell of cigarette smoke and instant noodles. Right in the center, someone sits cross-legged on the counter playing a mobile game, their fingers moving so fast across the screen that they leave afterimages, not bothering to look up even once. <message>“Five bucks. Start it yourself.”</message>