Li Wei's reason for heeding the middle-aged socialite's advice and taking a part-time job at this boutique was simple: he needed a legitimate way to earn money.
This way, Don Quixote wouldn't get suspicious when he spent money—he'd just be jealous that these rich women were so willing to give Li Wei such generous tips.
Otherwise, living under the same roof as Don Quixote, he'd have no way to explain the source of his money.
At this stage, he had to live with Don Quixote and couldn't move out until he came of age.
With these thoughts in mind, Li Wei was once again driven by Don Quixote to the Upper East Side of New York Manhattan and dropped off in front of a boutique called Dolores.
It was a small, two-story, standalone building with a pearl-white facade. Through the glass, you could see all sorts of designer bags and clothing on display.
As he walked up to the entrance, a security guard in a suit looked him up and down before stopping him.
"By appointment only, sir," the guard said politely. "Do you have one?"
"I'm here to apply for a job," Li Wei said, shaking his head. "A lady told me I could try working here."
The guard spoke into his walkie-talkie, then let him in.
The air conditioning inside was blasting, so much so that he felt a slight chill despite it being summer. A thick Persian rug lay underfoot, soft and plush to walk on. The air was filled with the scent of leather and tobacco-infused perfume.
A middle-aged woman in a short skirt and with immaculate makeup emerged from behind the counter. She looked Li Wei up and down, her gaze finally resting on his face.
"You're the boy Tatyana sent over," she said, her tone thick with an Eastern European accent. "She was very impressed with you."
"Yes, ma'am," Li Wei replied respectfully. "My name is Li Wei."
"Call me Lady Delores," she said, snapping her fingers. "Follow me."
She led Li Wei to a stockroom in the basement and started a conversation while rummaging through a sea of clothes:
"Family fortune take a downturn?" she asked, holding a suit up to Li Wei to size him up. "Why would you be picking up second-hand furniture on the Upper East Side?"
"My parents passed away, that's why I came to New York," Li Wei said, watching her dig through the pile of clothes. "So, is this some kind of background check?"
"What? A background check? No, no, no," Lady Delores said. "This is just a simple chat. Here, try this on."
A well-fitting Dior suit was thrust into Li Wei's hands, but Lady Delores just stood there, showing no sign of leaving.
"So," Li Wei said, holding up the suit, "are these my work clothes?"
"It's your uniform," Lady Delores corrected. "The people who shop here are wealthy, influential, and have a sense of style. You can't serve them wearing a shabby t-shirt and jeans."
"Then..." Li Wei gestured toward Lady Delores. "Am I supposed to change right here?"
"Don't be silly," she said, her tone clipped. "I'm older than your mother, and I need to make sure you don't have any tattoos."
After Li Wei had changed, Dolores circled him, a faint smile appearing on her face for the first time.
"Your job here is simple. Keep your mouth shut, smile, and provide some emotional value when necessary. In short, just tell them, 'That looks truly beautiful on you.' Understand?"
"Understood."
"Good," Lady Delores clapped her hands assertively. "Twenty USD an hour, two percent commission. I don't take a cut of your tips. Do you accept?"
Even in New York, these were generous terms. Li Wei had no reason to refuse.
"I might have to study or attend classes during the day," he hesitated. "I can only come in the afternoons. Is that okay?"
Lady Delores nodded indifferently, then tossed him the latest issue of *Vogue* magazine and told him to study it carefully.
...
Li Wei spent his first hour at Dolores's boutique on pins and needles.
Feeling a sense of responsibility to earn his pay, he had prepared himself to do his utmost to serve the notoriously difficult wealthy ladies.
But an hour passed, and not a single customer had come into Dolores's boutique.
To put it in perspective, the money Don Quixote earned after taxes for eight whole hours of hauling bricks at a construction site was about the same as what Li Wei would make just enjoying the air conditioning in the shop for three hours.
The first customer didn't arrive until three in the afternoon: a full-figured woman carrying a Chanel bag.
Li Wei followed her attentively, doing his best to provide that "emotional value."
In response to the woman's questions, he successfully used [Poor Eloquence] to convince her to splurge 5,000 USD on a designer handbag. At the same time, he charmed her so much that she was absolutely delighted and tipped him 50 USD on the spot.
By the time his first day of part-time work came to a close at 5 p.m., Li Wei had earned a base wage of 60 USD, a 100 USD commission, and a 50 USD tip.
"Federal tax is 12%, New York State tax is 4.5%, and New York City tax is 3.5%. Since you don't have FICA, we don't have to withhold the 7.65% for Social Security and Medicare," Dolores explained, placing 168 USD in his hand. "This is your take-home pay."
"The United States of America is such a rip-off," Li Wei exclaimed. "If I actually got my papers, wouldn't I have to pay over 30% tax on every dollar I make?"
Dolores shrugged and handed him a business card. "If you need to take time off for anything, call me in advance."
After thanking her, Li Wei took the money and left Dolores's boutique.
At 5 p.m., the evening sun peeked through the gaps between the skyscrapers on the west side of Manhattan. It was a rich, almost syrupy golden-red light. The beam struck the still-damp pavement of Madison Avenue, turning the entire street into a massive, iridescent black mirror.
Unfortunately, he wasn't in the mood to appreciate the scenery before him.
He pulled out his phone to check Uber and saw that an economy ride from Madison Avenue back to Sunset Park would cost a fucking 120 USD. That would eat up more than half of his entire afternoon's wages. Li Wei decisively opted to take the subway home.
Just as he was walking toward the subway station, ready to experience New York's N train for the first time, an emergency notification suddenly popped up from the 'NYC Citizen' app on his phone.
[Shooting on 59th Street. 2 men injured. N train line temporarily suspended.]
'Figures.' Living in New York, Li Wei had already grown accustomed to these daily alerts.
He turned and headed for a bus stop instead, and began carefully reading the information on the sign to see which bus route could take him home.
As he was reading, a dialog box suddenly popped up in his vision.
[You have discovered an 'Ancient Stele'.]
[Quest Issued: Read an Ancient Stele for the First Time]
[Ancient Teleportation Steles of various sizes are scattered around the Noble Courtyard. They possess special Magic Power and can rapidly transport people to different areas. Attempt to decipher an Ancient Stele to complete the quest.]
[Quest Reward: +0.1 Free Attribute Points]
"You're telling me this thing is an 'Ancient Stele'?" Li Wei muttered, carefully examining the bus stop sign in front of him. "But if you insist on calling it a Teleportation Stele... I guess that works too."