My wife and I are both time travelers.

Chapter 115: Appearance
"So fast?" Lin Ying was very surprised.

"It's not that fast. If it weren't for the half-day delay yesterday, we would have heard something last night. My friend called me early this morning and said that everything was fine and that we should come over to talk right away." Xie Xiangrong took the water cup that Lin Ying handed him and took a big gulp. After hanging up the phone, he rode his bike over, riding very fast the whole way. His parched throat was a lifesaver.

"Xiao Xie, have you eaten yet? If not, eat first." At this moment, Fang Manxia came down from the second floor and greeted Xie Xiangrong with a smile.

"I've already eaten, sister."

"Why don't you come upstairs, have a seat, and have a cup of tea?"

"No more drinking, no more drinking. Xiao Lin and I are leaving right away. We have appointments with people." Xie Xiangrong replied with a chuckle. Fang Manxia was slightly surprised. Usually, Xie Xiangrong would be eager to have tea with her when he came over. Why was he in such a hurry to come and leave today?

At this moment, Lin Ying came to her side and whispered something in Fang Manxia's ear. Fang Manxia couldn't help but laugh after hearing it. So that's how it is.

"Alright then, you two go early and come back early. Xiaowen! Xiaoxi! Come on, let's go upstairs." Fang Manxia called to the two girls who were washing dishes in the kitchen, and turned to walk upstairs with a smile. Xie Xiangrong's eyes lit up as he watched her go upstairs. He only came back to his senses after Fang Manxia entered the house, and then he remembered that he and Lin Ying were supposed to look at places.

Lin Ying changed her clothes and followed Xie Xiangrong out the door.

The two rode their bikes one after the other towards the northwest. The place Xie Xiangrong found wasn't far from where they were staying; it only took about ten minutes by bike. When they got nearby, Lin Ying recognized it immediately. Wasn't this the Haige Apartment from before, the hotel that had just been opened not long ago?

"Uncle, is this the place you're looking for?"

"Yeah! How about it, isn't this place nice? Great location and great environment. Let me tell you, opening a coffee shop is not like opening a restaurant. The location is very important. There must be a suitable consumer group around it. In addition, it is best to have high-end hotels and foreign companies nearby..."

At this point, Xie Xiangrong smiled and shook his head, saying, "Of course, foreign firms are long gone now, but the meaning is the same. Coffee is, after all, an imported product, and most Chinese people drink tea. In the past, coffee drinkers, besides those who had studied abroad and returned, as well as those with higher education, were mostly wealthy people and foreigners."

“Back then, my family’s coffee shop was like this. It was surrounded by apartments and villas, and there were also several foreign companies, banks, and foreign offices in Shanghai. Only in this way could you have a customer base. If you opened a coffee shop in a remote area, nobody would come to drink coffee there. Even the busiest Nanjing Road wouldn’t work. Drinking coffee is not only about the quality of the coffee, but also about the surrounding environment and atmosphere. People have high requirements for these things, and this place was the most suitable.”

Lin Ying couldn't help but admire Xie Xiangrong's thoughtfulness. While it wasn't entirely true that what he said made perfect sense, the location of a coffee shop was indeed important. Although many people in Shanghai loved coffee these days, their incomes were not high, and compared to tea, coffee consumption was not low. If the location was not good and the target audience did not value it, even if the coffee shop opened, it probably wouldn't have much business.

This hotel is located in the heart of Shanghai, between the Wutong District and the Jing'an Temple commercial area. The surrounding area is filled with countless villas and old apartments, one after another. Most of the people staying here are well-off and potential customers.

Besides, as a newly opened hotel, this one is positioned as a hotel catering to foreign guests. It's Shanghai's first four-star hotel, which carries a completely different significance. Even now, with the hotel just opened, many foreigners have already checked in. Once the main building is completed, and especially with the prestigious Hilton Hotel next door officially finished, this area will become Shanghai's premier district for international hotels, boasting enormous consumer potential.

This hotel is currently just a renovated version of the original Haig Apartments, and it's only been two months since it opened as a hotel. However, its unique architectural style and prime location are unmatched elsewhere. Opening a coffee shop here would be the perfect option, but is it really that easy?
When Lin Ying couldn't help but ask this question, Xie Xiangrong couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't worry, there's absolutely no problem with this." Xie Xiangrong patted his chest and assured Lin Ying. Seeing that she was somewhat skeptical, he whispered the truth to her.

Actually, it's quite simple. This hotel has just opened, and as the first four-star hotel in Shanghai, it faces considerable operational pressure. To better serve its guests, the hotel has made many efforts, including bringing in professional managers from Hong Kong and ensuring that all hotel staff have undergone special training before starting their jobs.

In addition, Xie Xiangrong has an old friend in the hotel management department. This friend was having a headache about how to develop the hotel's auxiliary facilities and services. When Xie Xiangrong called to inquire about the coffee shop yesterday, the friend was overjoyed. Outsiders may not know Xie Xiangrong's situation, but as a friend, he knew Xie Xiangrong's abilities all too well.

As a four-star hotel catering to international guests, providing coffee is essential. However, due to equipment and barista limitations, the hotel simply cannot afford to hire professional baristas from Hong Kong. Moreover, as locals and hotel managers, they can't just leave all the work to Hong Kong, can they? That wouldn't sound good. So, since the hotel opened, the coffee served has been either imported instant coffee or ordinary coffee from a Shanghai coffee factory. While this might be fine for those who don't know much about coffee, discerning guests don't like it at all and have even expressed their dissatisfaction.

When the other party heard that Xie Xiangrong was planning to open a coffee shop, he was overjoyed! It was like a perfect opportunity that had come to him just when he was sleepy.
Xie Xiangrong comes from a family with a long history in the coffee industry, and his coffee-making skills are unparalleled in Shanghai. Countless people had tried to hire him before, including the renowned Peace Hotel and Red House Western Restaurant, but all had been turned down. Now, it seems the sun has risen in the west—this man, who had long since retired from the coffee business, is actually planning to open a coffee shop? Without hesitation, they not only strongly invited Xie Xiangrong to their hotel over the phone but also offered extremely generous terms. This morning, fearing Xie Xiangrong might change his mind, they personally called him again to tell him that the matter had been reported to their superiors, who had given their approval, and hoped Xie Xiangrong would come in person as soon as possible to discuss the details.

After considering it, Xie Xiangrong felt this was a good opportunity, so he immediately rode his bicycle to find Lin Ying and brought her here.

After parking the car, I walked straight inside, but was stopped by the doorman at the entrance.

Hotels today are not like those of later times. Not just anyone can enter a hotel, especially a first four-star hotel catering to foreign guests like this one. The requirements for guests entering are extremely strict, for fear that ordinary people might just barge in and cause a disturbance to the guests or lead to an incident involving foreign guests.

Lin Ying and her companions didn't mind this gesture and politely explained why they were there and who they were looking for. The doorman told them to wait a moment, then went inside to make an internal call. After a short while, a man in his fifties, wearing a black suit and tie with a silver hotel badge pinned to his chest, came out and greeted Xie Xiangrong with a broad smile.

"Hey Xie Xiaokai, you've finally figured things out and are back in action!" Upon meeting, he gave Xie Xiangrong a warm hug, then looked him up and down meaningfully after they parted.

"Hehe, it's about keeping up with the times. The whole country has changed a lot. I'm not old enough to be unable to move around. When you're still, you think about moving around. That's why I'm thinking of going back to my old profession and contributing my remaining energy."

"Tsk tsk, you're quite the smooth talker. I thought you were going to a meeting at the bureau. When did you become so eloquent?" The other person clicked his tongue and looked Xie Xiangrong up and down, as if he didn't recognize his old friend at all.

At this moment, his gaze fell to the side and he saw Lin Ying, who had come with Xie Xiangrong. She paused slightly, then leaned close to Xie Xiangrong's ear and asked something. Xie Xiangrong glared at her and said bluntly, "I say, you old codger, dressed in Western clothes but acting like a pauper, you can't say anything nice! What kind of question is that? Do you think I'm that kind of person?"

"Then this is...?"

"My older sister's student is practically my junior sister, so what? Is that not allowed?"

"Sister?" The man was taken aback, then suddenly realized something and looked surprised: "You mean...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Xie Xiangrong nodded seriously. The other person seemed to understand something, and his gaze towards Lin Ying showed a hint of respect.

"Hello, Miss Lin, I'm Ge Xianlin, a friend of Lao Xie and also my sister's student. You can just call me Lao Ge." As he spoke, Ge Xianlin smiled and extended his hand.

Lin Ying shook hands with Ge Xianlin in a generous manner. Although she didn't know his identity, she was sure he was a leader here. Moreover, this hotel was formerly a guesthouse under the jurisdiction of Shanghai Municipality, so his true identity was probably not just that of a hotel manager.

"Alright, that's enough for today. We can talk about formalities later. By the way, Lao Ge, where is the place you mentioned? Is it inside a hotel? Aren't you going to take us to see it?" As he spoke, Xie Xiangrong peered inside.

Seeing his eager look, Ge Xianlin wasn't surprised. They were old friends and knew Xie Xiangrong very well.

"It's not inside, it's outside. Come on! I'll take you to see it." As he spoke, Ge Xianlin beckoned Xie Xiangrong and Lin Ying to follow him. The three of them chatted as they walked and soon arrived at the hotel entrance. After exiting the gate, they turned left and walked for about ten meters until they came to a house with its door closed near the wall.

"This is the place," Ge Xianlin said, taking a key out of his pocket, unlocking the door, and then leading them inside.

Once inside, she casually turned on the light switch behind the door. As the lights came on, Lin Ying was able to see the layout of the room.

(End of this chapter)