This Soft-Rice Gig Might Be a Tough One

"Who's Elizabeth Mellon?"

Li Wei and Emma brought up the rear, entering the store together.

"Elizabeth isn't an unusual name. The unusual part is Mellon," Emma said, thinking for a moment before giving Li Wei an example. "Have you heard of Carnegie Mellon University?"

Li Wei nodded.

Carnegie Mellon University was a top American university that consistently ranked in the top thirty, with its computer science and data science programs regularly placing among the top five in the world.

"Her Mellon is that Mellon," Emma said, her voice somber. "And there's also a Wall Street bank called the Bank of New York Mellon, which holds more than twenty trillion dollars in assets."

That reminded Li Wei of something he'd learned in history class. In 1929, America experienced the greatest economic crisis in the history of capitalism. At the time, American farmers dumped milk into the Mississippi River to destroy their "surplus" products.

Back then, a children's rhyme was popular in New York: "Mellon blew the whistle, Hoover rang the bell. Wall Street gave the signal, and America plunged straight into hell!"

Her Mellon was that Mellon?!

"You want me to live off her?" Li Wei's eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding me."

Emma looked a little embarrassed. "I only heard about it from Mrs. Dolores after work tonight. And she's renting a necklace, not buying one. Kids from wealthy families like hers get money from their trust funds every month. I thought she was new money, but it turns out she's a real old-money heiress."

"This soft-rice gig might be a tough one. Rich young ladies like her can be hard to deal with," Emma said, then fretted on Li Wei's behalf. "Oh, what are you going to do to win her over?"

"What if I offend her?" Li Wei said offhandedly. "You'll probably see me floating downstream in the Mississippi the next day."

"Not necessarily," Emma said, giving him a playful slap. "Fortune favors the bold."

The two of them followed behind Elizabeth and Mrs. Dolores at a distance.

When they reached the second floor, the lights throughout the store had been dimmed, and the doors and windows were shut.

Elizabeth Mellon sat in the VIP room, with Mrs. Dolores keeping her company.

In front of her were five open safes, each containing a complete set of luxurious jewelry displayed against black velvet.

"This ruby tiara set came from nineteenth-century Saint Petersburg. They say it once belonged to a tsarina. And this set is a sapphire necklace from the Victorian era..."

Mrs. Dolores's voice echoed through the quiet second floor. By contrast, Elizabeth's brow was slightly furrowed.

"Mrs. Dolores, this is so difficult," she sighed. "You have such a good eye. Every set you picked is exactly to my taste."

A task panel suddenly appeared in Li Wei's mind, telling him he had received a mission.

[You have received a mission: Princess's Dilemma]

[As a knight, help Princess Elizabeth Mellon make a choice]

[Mission reward: 0.1 free attribute points]

Li Wei took a quiet breath. The mission looked easy enough, but he still felt reluctant to accept it.

Elizabeth Mellon looked like someone with a terrifyingly powerful background. He didn't think a woman like her would be attracted to his face and physique.

Besides, if he caught her attention, it might bring unnecessary trouble later.

This was a genuine old-money American family—not some high school's Black coach or a street-corner thug.

He could do without the 0.1 attribute points. Maybe the next mission would offer some. There was no need to get himself tangled up in trouble. He wasn't Captain America, bulletproof, or Superman, with his underwear on the outside. He couldn't take a gunshot at close range.

As Li Wei thought it over, he quietly took a step back.

"Is the Mellon Art Gallery in Brooklyn opening next month?" Mrs. Dolores asked. "What's the theme of the opening? Perhaps I can make a few suggestions."

"'Recreating Light.' I'm going to study art at Yale next year, so my grandfather gave me a gallery to do whatever I want with," Elizabeth said. She casually picked up the ruby tiara and examined it closely. "But I really can't decide. I only get so much from my trust fund every month, so even if I rent something, I can only rent one set..."

"Then I recommend this sapphire set. Its blue isn't especially pure, but that will make your eyes look even bluer..."

Mrs. Dolores was about to offer more advice when hurried footsteps sounded nearby.

A security guard who had been standing watch by the entrance appeared at the top of the stairs, holding Mrs. Dolores's phone. He waved it at her.

Mrs. Dolores frowned and exchanged glances with him several times. When he still didn't come downstairs, she drew a deep breath and turned to Elizabeth, looking apologetic.

"I'm terribly sorry, Miss Mellon," she said. "Please allow me to take a call."

"I told you, just call me Liz," Elizabeth said with a sweet smile. "Work comes first. I can sit here for a while."

"Then I'll ask one of my employees to keep you company while you choose. Feel free to pick out any other clothes or jewelry you like," Mrs. Dolores said. "Please accept it as an apology for leaving so suddenly."

Her gaze swept over Li Wei, Emma, and the two other sales associates. Then she said, "Li Wei is one of our best employees. He can fill in for me."

Oh no!

Li Wei's heart sank.

When he'd worked part-time before, many regular customers already had their own sales associates, so the store usually assigned him only to new customers.

He'd managed to persuade nearly every one of them with his [Eloquent Speaker] skill to buy something and leave a tip. In Mrs. Dolores's eyes, that had made him a capable, silver-tongued employee.

Everyone turned to look at him. With no choice, Li Wei gritted his teeth, walked over to Elizabeth, and crouched beside her, his gaze just below hers.

"You look about my age, but you're already one of the best employees?" Elizabeth said with a sweet smile. "That's impressive. Have you graduated from high school?"

"I'm in twelfth grade," Li Wei said. "Over in Brooklyn."

Whether she wasn't interested, hadn't heard of the place, or had simply meant the question as polite small talk, Elizabeth didn't continue the conversation.

She turned her attention back to the necklace in front of her. It seemed she had narrowed the five sets down to two and was having trouble choosing between them.

The blue set should have suited Elizabeth's status as an heiress from an old-money family better: understated, reserved, and not showy.

But for some reason—perhaps a gut feeling—Li Wei thought Elizabeth might prefer the tsarina's ruby tiara.

At last, he tried using [Eloquent Speaker] and made his case:

"Miss Mellon," Li Wei began, "I recommend you choose the ruby tiara."

Elizabeth had been absently tracing the pendant on the sapphire necklace with her fingertip. At his words, she looked up, curiosity flashing in her clear blue eyes. "Oh? Mrs. Dolores said the sapphires would bring out my eyes. Why do you think red is better?"

"Although I think you feel blue suits you," Li Wei said, "I think you might personally prefer red. And what you like is what matters most."

Li Wei's words suddenly amused Elizabeth.

"Actually, I think blue suits me better," she said, blinking eyes bluer than sapphires. "But I really do like this ruby tiara more. You have a good instinct."

She nodded to the driver behind her. He stepped forward, closed the safe containing the ruby tiara, and picked it up.

[Mission: Princess's Dilemma completed]

[Reward received: 0.1 attribute points]

"Um... sorry, I won't leave a tip this time," she said with a warm smile. "I hope you'll forgive me."

"I'll remember you, Li Wei," she said. "Next time I come to buy something, I'll ask for you."