10-1:A Day of New Connections and Old Relationships

Rui Xiaodan booked a 12:30 PM flight to Hangzhou. That morning, she packed lightly, then headed to the airline ticket office to collect her ticket. With some time to spare, she wandered into a nearby foreign language bookstore, still deeply impressed by Ding Yuanying's critique of the violin piece "Zigeunerweisen." Even though she hadn't bought a sound system yet, she wanted to find the three versions of the piece.

The self-service section of the bookstore was filled with various CDs. She stopped at the display of imported discs, looking for what she needed. A sales assistant approached her warmly, asking, "Can I help you find a particular CD?"

"I'm looking for three versions of 'Zigeunerweisen,' performed by Mutter, Heifetz, and Friedman," Rui Xiaodan replied.

"Please wait a moment," the assistant said, turning to search.

Suddenly, Rui Xiaodan felt a light tap on her arm. Turning, she saw a bespectacled young man beside her. He whispered, "Don't buy here; it's too expensive."

Rui Xiaodan looked at him, puzzled.

At that moment, the assistant returned with three CDs. "Are these the ones?" she asked.

Rui Xiaodan checked the CDs, each priced over 140 yuan. She handed them back, saying, "I'm sorry, I need to think about it."

"No problem," the assistant replied courteously before attending to another customer.

The young man whispered, "I knew you were in the know as soon as you mentioned those names. If you walk 20 meters west, there's a small shop called 'Lonely Island Records.' Those who know music go there. The same CDs are much cheaper. Only come back here if you can't find them there. That's what we all do."

"Thank you," Rui Xiaodan said with a smile. This was the second time she had heard of "Lonely Island Records," the same shop that sold Ding Yuanying's CDs.

"No problem. Money's hard to come by these days," the young man replied, returning to his CD browsing.

Thinking how music enthusiasts were kindred spirits, Rui Xiaodan found "Lonely Island Records" as directed. The place barely qualified as a "shop," more like a rented 3-meter-long display case in front of a computer store, with all CDs mounted on the walls due to lack of space.

The owner, a dapper man around 30, stood behind the counter, a large gold ring on his left ring finger catching the eye.

Rui Xiaodan approached him. "Do you have 'Zigeunerweisen' performed by Mutter, Heifetz, and Friedman? I want one of each."

The owner asked, "Do you want the domestically pressed versions or the imported originals? I have the former in stock."

"What's the difference?" Rui Xiaodan inquired.

"Domestically pressed ones are 20 yuan each, imported originals are over 100 yuan each. Big difference in price and sound quality."

"I want the imported originals."

The owner thought for a moment. "I don't have them in stock. If you really want them, I need a 50-yuan deposit."

Rui Xiaodan nodded. "How much cheaper is it compared to the foreign language bookstore?"

"At the bookstore, you'd pay at least 450 yuan for those three. Here, it's 100 yuan each, no bargaining."

Rui Xiaodan handed over the 50-yuan deposit.

The owner wrote a receipt, signing it "Liu Bing," and said, "Come back in three days. If I don't have them, I'll return your deposit."

Leaving "Lonely Island Records," Rui Xiaodan headed straight to the airport.