Upper East Side Part-Time Job Observations

The reason Li Wei had listened to the middle-aged lady and come to work part-time at this boutique was simple: he needed a legitimate job that earned money.

That way, Don Quixote would not grow suspicious when he spent money—he would only be jealous of why these rich women were so willing to give Li Wei hefty tips.

Otherwise, living under the same roof as Don Quixote, he had no way to explain where the money came from.

At this stage, he also had to live with Don Quixote until he came of age, when they could finally separate.

With those thoughts in mind, Li Wei was once again driven by Don Quixote to the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York, where they stopped in front of a store called Dolores Boutique.

It was a two-story standalone building with a pearl-white exterior. Through the glass, he could see all kinds of luxury-brand handbags and clothing displayed inside.

As he approached the entrance, the suited security guard gave him a once-over and stopped him.

"No entry without an invitation, sir," the guard said politely. "Do you have an appointment?"

"I'm here to apply for a job." Li Wei shook his head. "A lady told me I could come here and try working."

After asking over his radio, the guard let him in.

The air conditioning inside was cranked up high, enough to make him feel a trace of chill even in summer. A heavy Persian carpet lay beneath his feet, soft and plush underfoot. The air was filled with the scent of leather and tobacco perfume.

A middle-aged woman in a short skirt and impeccable makeup emerged from behind the counter. She looked Li Wei up and down, her gaze finally settling on his face.

"You're the boy Tatiana sent over." Her voice carried the same heavy Eastern European accent and rolled r's. "She made quite an impression of you."

"Yes, ma'am," Li Wei said neither humbly nor arrogantly. "My name is Li Wei."

"Call me Madam Dolores." She snapped her fingers. "Come with me."

She led Li Wei into a basement storeroom, picking through a sea of clothes as she chatted with him.

"Family fallen on hard times?" she asked, holding a suit jacket against him. "Why would you go to the Upper East Side to pick up secondhand furniture?"

"My parents both died, so I came to New York." Li Wei watched her rummage through the piles of clothing. "Is this some kind of background check?"

"What? A background check? No, no, no." Madam Dolores shook her head. "This is just a simple conversation. Try this on."

A well-tailored Dior suit was stuffed into Li Wei's hands, while Madam Dolores remained where she was, showing no sign of leaving.

"So," Li Wei said, raising the suit in his hands, "is this my work outfit?"

"This is your uniform," Madam Dolores corrected. "The people who shop here are either wealthy or noble, and they have fashion sense. You can't serve them in those old-fashioned T-shirts and jeans."

"Then..." Li Wei pointed at Madam Dolores. "Am I changing here?"

"Don't be stupid." Her tone was blunt. "I'm older than your mother, and I need to make sure you don't have any tattoos."

After Li Wei changed, Dolores finally circled around him once and smiled for the first time.

"The work here is simple. Keep your mouth shut, smile, and provide a little emotional value when necessary. Put simply, tell them, 'You look absolutely beautiful in that.' Understand?"

"Understood."

"Good." Madam Dolores clapped her hands decisively. "Twenty dollars an hour, two percent commission, and I don't take a cut of your tips. Deal?"

Even in New York, that was considered generous pay. Li Wei had no reason to refuse.

"I may need to study or attend classes during the day." He hesitated for a moment. "I can only come in the afternoons. Is that okay?"

Madam Dolores nodded indifferently, then tossed him the latest issue of Vogue and told him to study it carefully.

Li Wei spent his first hour at Dolores Boutique on edge.

With the sense of responsibility that came with taking someone's money and doing their work, he had already prepared himself to serve those difficult rich wives as best he could.

But an hour passed, and not a single customer came into Dolores Boutique.

Don Quixote could haul bricks at a construction site for eight full hours and earn, after taxes, about the same as Li Wei did sitting in air conditioning for three hours.

It was not until three in the afternoon that the first customer arrived, a plump woman carrying a Chanel bag.

Li Wei followed attentively behind her, doing his utmost to provide emotional value.

When the plump woman asked him questions, he successfully used [Clumsy Eloquence] to persuade her to splurge five thousand dollars on a designer handbag. At the same time, he sweet-talked her into such delight that she directly gave Li Wei a fifty-dollar tip.

By five in the afternoon, Li Wei's first day of part-time work had barely come to an end. He had earned sixty dollars in base wages, one hundred dollars in commission, and fifty dollars in tips.

"Federal tax, twelve percent. New York State tax, four point five percent. New York City tax, three point five percent. Since you don't have FICA Social Security or Medicare, the seven point six five percent tax isn't included." Dolores placed one hundred and sixty-eight dollars in his hand. "That's your after-tax pay."

"America is brutal," Li Wei said in shock. "If I actually got legal status, wouldn't I have to pay more than thirty percent tax on every dollar I earn?"

Dolores shrugged and handed him a business card. "Call me in advance if you need to take leave."

After thanking her, Li Wei took the money and left Dolores Boutique.

At five in the evening, the setting sun slipped through the gaps between the skyscrapers on Manhattan's western side. It was a rich golden-red, nearly syrup-like in its density. The light struck the still-damp ground along Madison Avenue, turning the entire street into a vast black mirror shimmering with shifting colors.

Unfortunately, he had no time to appreciate the scenery before him.

He checked Uber and found that an economy ride from Madison Avenue back to Sunset Park cost a fucking one hundred and twenty dollars. That was more than most of what he had earned from an entire afternoon of part-time work, so Li Wei decisively chose to take the subway home.

Just as he headed toward the subway station, preparing to experience New York's N Line for the first time, the New York Citizen App on his phone suddenly sent out an emergency alert.

[There has been a shooting on 59th Street. Two men were injured. The N Line has been temporarily closed.]

Fine. Living in New York, Li Wei had already grown accustomed to these daily alerts.

He headed for the bus stop instead and began carefully reading the information on the bus sign to see which route could take him home.

As he read, another dialog box suddenly popped up in his vision.

[You have discovered "Ancient Stele"]

[Quest issued: First Reading of the Ancient Stele]

[Ancient teleportation steles of varying sizes are scattered around Noble Courtyard. They possess special magic and can rapidly transport people to different areas. Attempt to decipher the Ancient Stele to complete the quest.]

[Quest reward: Free attribute point +0.1]

"You call this thing an Ancient Stele?" Li Wei carefully examined the bus sign in front of him. "Though if you insist on calling it a teleportation stele... I guess that works."