Chapter 11: Mobile Phone Commotion

The night was like water, and the bustling Fanhua Street was filled with the clamor of voices; there were families out together, young couples in the honeymoon phase strolling hand in hand, and solitary passersby hurrying along.

At the tail end of midsummer, noisy and restless, the near-thirty-degree heat still could not dampen people's enthusiasm.

In a clothing store, following Shen Nainai's height and measurements, and with Yu Youwei providing reference from the side, Shen Yan picked out a set of summer clothes and a set of autumn clothes, preparing to take them back to give Shen Nainai a surprise.

After many twists and turns, having finished purchasing various odds and ends, the two of them carried their bags and parcels to the entrance of a mobile service hall.

Approaching nine o'clock, the staff in the service hall had long since gone home after work; the inside was empty, with only two sales clerks, a man and a woman, sitting aimlessly on stools behind the counter, their fingers tapping on their phone screens, their heads nodding as if they might fall asleep at any moment.

Noticing someone had entered, the female sales clerk, whose looks were passable, had her eyes light up and immediately stood up to greet them: "Handsome, beautiful, are you looking for a phone?"

Yu Youwei nodded and said, "Give us a recommendation, something in the price range of two or three thousand."

Then she asked Shen Yan what kind of phone he wanted to buy.

Shen Yan was slightly stunned, took a square smartphone out of his pocket, and said, "You can just choose for yourself; I already bought a phone."

This phone was exactly the latest model released by Apple in June, the Apple 3GS.

It wasn't that Shen Yan didn't support domestic products—each generation has its own geniuses, each leading the way for hundreds of years—but there was no helping it; in terms of technology, this new Apple phone combined Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G network, high-definition pixels, and more into one, and in the mobile field, it could be said to be a presence that surpassed all others, looking down upon all the mountains.

Of course, even as the most advanced model of the moment, in his eyes, it had a somewhat retro feel. It was completely incomparable to the phones of over a decade later, not just the hardware and system, but also the software in the app store; if one had to describe it, "low" was the only word.

"When did you buy this phone? How come I never heard you mention it? What model is it? Is it easy to use?" Yu Youwei took the phone from Shen Yan's hand and examined it back and forth.

"I bought it half a month ago; it feels pretty good," Shen Yan replied casually.

"The shape of this phone is so strange, it doesn't even have any buttons; it wouldn't be some off-brand one, would it?"

Shen Yan almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.

Alright! As a mobile brand that had just entered China, for ordinary people, calling Apple an off-brand didn't seem to be a problem.

The female sales clerk was a professional after all; she immediately spotted the striking Apple logo on the back of the phone, and her eyes couldn't help but light up as she explained, "Beautiful, this is the latest Apple phone on the market, with a unique body design..."

Blah, blah, blah—the female sales clerk spoke with great emotion about all the various advanced technologies of the Apple phone, and her gaze toward Shen Yan was even more filled with brilliance.

What a handsome and wealthy top-tier man; if she were a few years younger, she would definitely have shamelessly latched onto him.

Alas, beauty fades easily, and the fair lady is gone; sigh!

"The price is 5399?" Other things might be hard to understand, but this extravagant price made Yu Youwei's eyes widen like copper bells.

"Shen Yan, are you so extravagant now that you're willing to buy a phone for over five thousand?"

Shen Yan smiled faintly, "Isn't money meant to be spent? This phone is indeed powerful; barring any accidents, it won't be obsolete for the next few years. I think it's worth the price."

Uh... Yu Youwei didn't say anything more, taking the phone to explore its various functions, looking here and touching there, finding it novel no matter how she looked at it.

Oh my! This is too easy to use; should she buy one too?

"Hello, do you have this phone in stock in your store?" Yu Youwei looked at the female sales clerk with eager eyes.

The female sales clerk smiled like a flower, nodding repeatedly to say yes, asking what color the beautiful lady wanted.

At this moment, Yu Youwei realized she hadn't brought enough money in her pocket and turned her head to ask Shen Yan for help, "Shen Yan, lend me two thousand first; I'll pay you back when I get home."

Shen Yan did not agree; after all, for something costing several thousand, a student without an income still had to get their parents' consent no matter what.

Otherwise, a "stick education" at home would be inevitable.

"Hey! Mom, I've taken a fancy to a phone... Yes, it's a foreign brand; Shen Yan bought this one too, and it's so easy to use."

"How much is it?"

"5399!"

When stating the price, Yu Youwei seemed to know it wasn't quite appropriate and appeared extra guilty.

Then, not knowing what was said on the other end of the phone, Yu Youwei's eyes turned red; she was likely scolded severely. After hanging up, she turned and walked away, not even buying the phone anymore.

The female sales clerk stood behind, wanting to cry but having no tears, looking at Shen Yan with full resentment, as if saying: "My commission!"

Shen Yan grinned and quickly chased after her. On the way home, Yu Youwei sat on the back of the electric scooter, complaining about everything—her mother was unreasonable, and besides, she had earned over three thousand during the summer vacation, so why couldn't she buy a five-thousand-yuan phone? She would definitely make her father decide when she got back.

She also said that she would definitely earn big money in the future, and no one would be able to control how she spent her own money.

Shen Yan found it amusing; she really was a little princess who had been pampered since childhood, not knowing what the hardships of the world were.

Five thousand yuan was equivalent to an ordinary person's two months of income.

The stars were scattered, the night air was slightly cool, and after moving away from the busy city, the pedestrians on the road were sparse. In the pond on the right side of the road, the croaking of frogs rose and fell, merging together to form a symphony of nature.

Riding along, crossing the bridge, Shen Yan was just about to turn onto the small path by the river that led home, when unexpectedly, a man walked toward them and called out his name.

Hmm?

Under the bright light of the streetlamp, the other person's facial features were clearly visible.

"So it's the class monitor."

The person who came was Shen Yan's high school class monitor, Xu Lin, who had always looked at Shen Yan with displeasure. The reason was nothing more than his unrequited love for Yu Youwei, leading him to vent his anger on this childhood sweetheart who was always together with her.

Yu Youwei clearly recognized Xu Lin as well, but because she was in a bad mood, she only gave a listless greeting.

"So Youwei is here too. I remember you were admitted to Hangzhou University; you're reporting the day after tomorrow, right? I'm at Polytechnic University. When are you planning to leave? Why not take my dad's car and go together?"

Noticing the head poking out from behind Shen Yan, Xu Lin's eyes lit up.

Yu Youwei said coldly, "No need. My dad will drive me there the day after tomorrow. Shen Yan, let's go; I'm in a hurry to go to the bathroom."

Shen Yan naturally had no intention of wasting words with this class monitor. Hearing this, he twisted the throttle, and the little electric scooter shot out like an arrow released from a bow, the dust on the ground dancing in the wind.

Xu Lin was still unwilling to give up, cupping his hands to his mouth like a megaphone and shouting loudly: "Youwei, wait! Let Uncle take me too... Youwei!"

However, the only response he got was silent air.

In this world, "lick-dogs" are always everywhere.