Going abroad is still considered a big deal nowadays. Because of the attitudes of people around him, even Yan Fei couldn't help but take it seriously.
The result of his caution was that he started calling his close friends one by one to let them know he was preparing to go abroad. Most of these were his senior classmates whom he usually stayed in touch with. Almost none of them asked him to bring anything for them, instead they just offered some advice.
Transportation really wasn't as convenient back then, and people generally held a cautious attitude towards going abroad. As long as one could successfully go and see the world, and complete the tasks they wanted to accomplish, everything would be worth it. In terms of favors like buying things, people like Wang Jiuming, who were successful senior classmates, certainly wouldn't trouble their juniors. They wouldn't even bring it up.
