Li Wei watched as the other three sales associates quickly vanished from the floor, as if they'd just been granted a pardon.
Aside from him, the other three associates, including Emma, were all more or less afraid of Lady Delores.
She was mysterious and elegant, and she spoke fluent English with an Eastern European accent.
Most importantly, she was like a bottomless pool—she never betrayed any emotion and never lost control.
"What do you think of the salary I'm paying you?"
She asked calmly after everyone else had left.
"It's very generous," Li Wei said truthfully. "The benefits are great, too. I really like it here."
"Good. If you want to keep your job," Lady Delores said calmly, "don't be too curious. Work carefully for the next few days while I'm away."
Li Wei didn't understand why Lady Delores would single him out with such a strange comment, but he could tell it was a warning. He nodded in acknowledgment.
"That's all. You can go," Lady Delores said. "Thank you for helping move things today. Emma will give you a little extra as a bonus."
Li Wei wanted to say that it was a Knight's duty and nothing worth mentioning. But the moment he heard there was a bonus, he conveniently forgot all about being a Knight. He thanked Lady Delores and left.
'But why did she say that to me?' Li Wei wondered as he walked away. 'Is it because I'm new? Or does this boutique have some kind of secret?'
After his morning shift, Li Wei managed to sell a bracelet while tactfully rejecting the advances of a mature but still alluring female designer. As a result, what could have been a 300 USD tip turned into 20 USD.
Thanks to the 100 USD bonus from Lady Delores, Li Wei's total after-tax earnings for three hours of work in the air-conditioned store came to 384 USD. On top of that, he'd also managed to score a free luxury lunch from Emma.
As he got off the subway at the Eighth Avenue station, his eyes landed on a sign posted by a real estate agency.
He currently had 7 Gold Coins, and he only needed another 0.1 Agility to get 10 more.
Even though he had given Don Quixote 3,500 USD for an emergency, he still had nearly 7,000 USD left from his previous savings. With the money from selling 17 Gold Coins, he would have enough to rent a more decent apartment—at the very least, a place with his own private room.
Unfortunately, renting an apartment in the United States of America required a stable, taxable income, a credit score, and an SSN (Social Security Number).
And Li Wei had none of the three.
As for using Don Quixote's credit score and tax records—forget it. Don Quixote's credit score was probably worse than having no credit score at all.
At least Li Wei had a handsome face, and as an Asian, he had a trustworthy look.
But the small storefronts along Eighth Avenue were different. The area was full of real estate agencies with signs in Chinese, their windows plastered with dense rows of listings printed on A4 paper. There were many undocumented immigrants and recent émigrés here, and some landlords only cared about cash.
Listing #1: A 2-bed, 2-bath in Midtown Manhattan. 7,200 USD. One month's security, three months' rent upfront.
Li Wei skipped it immediately. Too expensive.
Listing #2: A 2-bed, 2-bath in a brand-new building on Long Island. 5,800 USD a month. One month's security, six months' rent upfront.
Li Wei shook his head. Long Island was full of international students, so credit checks were strict. Neither he nor Don Quixote would get approved. Besides, demanding one month's security and six months' rent upfront was outrageous.
Listing #3: A 2-bed, 2-bath on the second floor in the Bensonhurst area of Brooklyn, on Fourteenth Avenue. Only 2,850 USD a month, one month's security, three months' rent upfront, and no credit check. The landlord was an overseas Chinese who lived on the third floor.
Li Wei glanced at the attached photos. It was a little farther south, but it was definitely better than his current basement. Living in the same building as the landlord might be a little inconvenient, but at that price and with no credit check, it was far better than the other options.
Li Wei took out his phone and snapped a picture of the listing. He planned to inquire about it once he sold all his Gold Coins, and then he'd move in with Don Quixote.
...
Don Quixote returned a bit later than usual that afternoon. The moment he was back in the basement, he dove into his partitioned-off section to catch up on sleep, apparently at the point of complete exhaustion.
When Li Wei finished making dinner that evening and called for him, Don Quixote still didn't seem to be fully awake.
He groggily grabbed his chopsticks, shoveled down a couple of mouthfuls, and then rushed out the door again to wash dishes at a restaurant, not returning until late at night.
"Attendant! Attendant!" a sleepwalking Don Quixote called out, waking Li Wei again. "Wake up!"
Li Wei opened his eyes to see Knight Don Quixote, fully dressed, standing in his section of the room.
"Are we going to hunt the Witch today?" He sat up and looked at Don Quixote, who appeared rather pale. "Lord Knight, you don't look so well."
"It's nothing to worry about. I must have sustained a minor injury while slaying the dragon," Don Quixote said with a dismissive wave. "However, after that dragon slaying, I have sensed your potential, Attendant!"
As soon as he heard there might be a quest, Li Wei perked up.
"Yes! Then assign me another quest, Lord Knight!" he said. "I'm ready!"
"Excellent! Full of Spirit!" Don Quixote declared. "Follow me, Attendant!"
The two of them left the basement, one following the other. This time, Don Quixote didn't try to drive. Instead, he led Li Wei to a stone bollard on the side of the road, pointed at it, and remained silent.
Li Wei looked at the silent Don Quixote under the streetlight, then back at the stone bollard beside him, racking his brain to follow the Knight's bizarre logic.
"Is this my trial for advancing as a Knight?" Li Wei asked. "Is this… uh… some kind of… training stone?"
"Ha! Foolish Attendant!" Don Quixote said, shaking his head smugly. "This is called a 'Sealing Boundary Stone.' It is a trial every prospective Knight must face. If you can move this Boundary Stone, it proves you are qualified to become a Knight."
The words had barely left his mouth when a quest notification popped up in Li Wei's vision:
[Knight's Squire Li Wei, you have received the quest: Move the Boundary Stone]
[The Boundary Stone is the final obstacle before your advancement trial. Move it to prove you are qualified to become a Knight.]
[Quest Reward: Agility +0.1]
'Looks like this is the final quest of this stage of my Knight's Path,' he thought.
Li Wei walked up to it, took a deep breath, and moved the stone bollard aside without much effort.
In that same instant, a series of notifications flashed in his vision:
[Quest Complete: Move the Boundary Stone]
[Reward Issued: Agility +0.1]
[Agility 1.1] → [Agility 1.2]
[Knight's Path: First Stage, Apprentice Knight Quests Complete!]
[Gold Coins +10]
[Advancement Triggered!!!]