Chapter 68

At 11:42 PM on the 21st, Xiao Fei's train finally arrived at Shanghai Station, also known as the New Passenger Station by the locals.

After a grueling 27-hour train ride, where he could only sleep by curling up, leaning on the table, or resting against the back of the seat, his body ached and felt as if it were rusted, both physically and mentally exhausted.

Xiao Fei, carrying his simple luggage, walked out of the swaying train station.

After such a long time on the train, he hadn't brushed his teeth or washed his face, and his clothes were wrinkled and dirty. He felt as if he had been completely drained, and his body emitted a sour and musty odor.

As soon as he stepped off the train, a wave of heat enveloped him, making him feel sticky and sweaty, and his body smelled even worse.

It was already deep into the night.

Exiting the station, Xiao Fei felt a slight chill in the air.

Although it was late, the vast square was still bustling with people.

He slowly followed the crowd, deciding to find a hotel near Liangcheng New Village. Having arrived in Shanghai safely, he felt a sense of relief, at least he wouldn't delay his important business.

"Sir, would you like a room?"

"Sir, do you need a service? We have new student girls, very young."

"Sir, do you need a ride? Where are you going? I can take you there."

People kept approaching him, but Xiao Fei ignored them all and slowly walked out of the train station area. No matter where you were, train stations were always a mix of good and bad elements, and as an outsider, it was best to be cautious.

He knew that the New Passenger Station in Shanghai was in Zhabei District, while Liangcheng New Village was in Hongkou District, and the distance between them was not too far. Xiao Fei had only been to Shanghai a couple of times in his previous life and was not familiar with the city, especially at midnight. Walking in an unfamiliar city and on unfamiliar streets, he felt completely lost, unsure of which direction to go, and a sense of confusion arose.

Although Shanghai seemed to have night buses that ran all night, Xiao Fei didn't think he could find them.

So, after leaving the train station area, he hailed a taxi.

Sitting in the car, the driver asked, "Sir, where are you going?"

"Liangcheng New Village," Xiao Fei replied.

"Which part of Liangcheng New Village?" the driver asked again.

This made Xiao Fei a bit puzzled. He had always considered Liangcheng New Village to be a residential area. Wasn't it? A hint of unease flashed through his mind.

"Isn't Liangcheng New Village a community?" he asked, and saw a mocking smile appear on the driver's lips.

Living in the largest and most prosperous city in China, the psychological superiority of Shanghai residents towards outsiders was deeply rooted. Xiao Fei didn't take the driver's reaction seriously.

"Sir, you're mistaken. Liangcheng New Village is a large area. If you can't specify the exact location, I can't take you there," the driver said.

From the driver, Xiao Fei learned that Liangcheng New Village was not a residential area but a subdistrict, equivalent to a township-level administrative division.

This made Xiao Fei somewhat frustrated.

He suddenly remembered that Dai Houying was a teacher at Fudan University, and in 1996, she lived in Liangcheng New Village. Could it be that Fudan University had a faculty housing area there?

"Have you decided where you're going? Don't affect my business, okay?" the driver began to show impatience.

"Driver, does Fudan University have a faculty housing area in Liangcheng New Village?" Xiao Fei asked with a smile.

The driver nodded, "Yes."

"Then I'll go there," Xiao Fei said.

The driver started the car without a word, and the taxi moved forward smoothly.

It was really late, and there were hardly any vehicles on the road.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Xiao Fei glanced at the meter and his heart skipped a beat. The meter showed 18.82 in red.

He suddenly realized he hadn't asked about the fare.

Was the base fare 18.82 yuan?

This was 1996!

How could it be that high?

In City Z, the base fare was only 3 yuan, which was more than six times lower. Could he have encountered a rogue driver?

"Driver, is the base fare 18.82 yuan?" Although he knew the driver was a bit impatient, Xiao Fei still asked.

"Uh-huh."

"Why is it so expensive?"

The driver rambled on in Shanghainese, and Xiao Fei didn't understand a word, but he guessed it wasn't anything good.

Fortunately, the driver saw the confusion on Xiao Fei's face and switched to Mandarin, saying irritably, "What's so expensive? Look at my car, a Santana! According to the rules, the daytime rate is 14.5 yuan per 5 kilometers, and from 11 PM to 5 AM, it increases by 30%. So, 18.82 yuan, what else? Have you studied math? We Shanghainese are the most rule-abiding, we won't mess around with you country folks!"

In the 1990s, the Santana was a high-end car, costing around 170,000 to 180,000 yuan.

While other provincial capitals still had "little yellow bugs" running around, a significant portion of Shanghai's taxis had already been replaced by Santanas.

No wonder it was the largest metropolis in the country.

Xiao Fei was quite annoyed by the driver's remarks.

Damn!

What's his problem?

Xiao Fei was very frustrated. Just asking a question had made the driver so angry.

He thought about it and realized that his question might have sounded like he was accusing the driver of not following the rules and cheating customers. No wonder the proud driver had lost his temper.

Xiao Fei smiled and didn't say anything more.

In just over ten minutes, the car arrived at the destination, and the meter jumped to over 48 yuan.

The driver explained, "The trip exceeded 10 kilometers, so an additional 50% is charged. This is the rule in Shanghai, I won't trick you."

Xiao Fei didn't argue, paid the fare quickly, and got out of the car.

He thought to himself, "I really didn't know how poor I was until I came to Shanghai!"

He found himself standing at the entrance of a residential area. The sign on the gate read "Fudan University Faculty Housing."

It was already midnight.

Xiao Fei didn't know if Teacher Dai Houying lived there, but he had time and wasn't in a hurry. What he needed urgently was a place to stay.

He was tired and needed a bed, and a shower would be even better.

He found a hotel near the residential area and checked in.

The room was small, but the hygiene was acceptable, and most importantly, he could take a shower.

Xiao Fei washed up quickly and fell asleep.

The next morning, he woke up around 9 AM, ate something, and headed towards the residential area. Before leaving, he had asked the hotel receptionist and learned that the faculty housing area was quite large with several entrances.

Finding someone in such a large residential community would be very difficult.

Xiao Fei's strategy was simple: he walked straight to the guardhouse at the entrance of the residential area.