Chapter 8
: My Experiences with Part-Time Jobs on the Upper East Side
Li Wei's reason for listening to the middle-aged wealthy woman and taking a part-time job at this boutique was simple: he needed a legitimate job to earn money.
That way, Don Quixote wouldn't suspect anything when spending money—he would only be jealous of why these rich women were so willing to give Livy such generous tips.
Otherwise, living under the same roof as Don Quixote now, he wouldn't be able to explain the source of the money.
At this stage, he must live with Don Quixote until Don Quixote comes of age.
With these thoughts in mind, Li Wei was once again taken by Don Quixote to the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York, where they stopped in front of a boutique called Dolores.
This is a two-story detached building with a pearl white exterior. Through the glass, you can see all kinds of designer bags and clothes inside.
When he reached the door, the security guard in a suit looked him up and down and stopped him.
"No entry without permission, sir," the security guard said politely. "Do you have an appointment?"
"I'm here for a job interview," Li Wei shook his head. "A lady suggested I try working here."
The security guard picked up the walkie-talkie, asked a question, and then let him in.
The air conditioning in the shop was blasting, making him feel a slight chill even in the summer heat. Under his feet was a thick, soft Persian carpet. The air was filled with the scents of leather and tobacco perfume.
A middle-aged woman wearing a short skirt and exquisite makeup came out from behind the counter. She looked Li Wei up and down, and finally stopped on his face.
"You're the child Tatiana introduced," she said, her voice also thick with Eastern European accents and rolled "she was very impressed with you."
"Yes, madam," Li Wei said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "my name is Li Wei."
"Call me Mrs. Dolores," she snapped her fingers, "and come with me."
She led Li Wei to a storeroom in the basement, chatting with him as she rummaged through the sea of clothes:
"Your family has fallen on hard times?" she said, gesturing to Li Wei as she picked up her suit jacket. "Why would you want to go to the Upper East Side to pick up secondhand furniture?"
"Both my parents are deceased, that's why I came to New York," Levi said, watching her rummage through the pile of clothes. "So, is this some kind of background check?"
“What? Background check? No, no, no,” Mrs. Dolores said, “it’s just a simple conversation—try this on.”
A well-fitting Dior suit was handed to Li Wei, while Madame Dolores stood still, showing no sign of leaving.
"So," Li Weiyang waved the suit jacket in his hand, "is this my work uniform?"
"This is your uniform," Mrs. Dolores corrected. "The people who come here to buy clothes are all rich and fashionable. You can't serve them in an old-fashioned short-sleeved shirt and jeans."
"Well..." Levi pointed to Mrs. Dolores, "Should I change my clothes here?"
"Don't be silly," she said curtly, "I'm older than your mother, and I need to make sure you don't have any tattoos."
After Li Wei changed his clothes, Dolores circled around him and smiled for the first time.
"The job here is simple: keep quiet, smile, and offer emotional value when necessary. Simply put, tell them, 'You look really beautiful in this,' understand?"
"clear."
"Very good," Mrs. Dolores clapped her hands forcefully, "$20 an hour, 2% commission, and I won't take your tip. Acceptable?"
This treatment would be considered generous even in New York, and Li Wei had no reason to refuse.
"I might have to study or attend classes during the day," he hesitated for a moment, "Can I only come in the afternoon?"
Mrs. Dolores nodded indifferently, then tossed him a copy of the latest issue of Vogue magazine, telling him to study it carefully.
...
Levi spent his first hour at Dolores's boutique on tenterhooks.
Feeling obligated to do his job, he was prepared to serve those difficult rich women to the best of his ability.
But an hour passed and not a single customer came to Dolores's boutique.
You should know that if Don Quixote spent eight hours carrying bricks on a construction site, the money he would receive after taxes would be about the same as what he would earn by sitting in an air-conditioned shop for three hours.
It wasn't until 3 p.m. that the first customer arrived—a plump woman carrying a Chanel bag.
Li Wei followed her very attentively, trying his best to provide emotional support.
Meanwhile, when faced with questions from a voluptuous woman, he successfully used his "bad eloquence" to persuade her to spend $5000 on a designer handbag, while also making her so happy that she gave him a $50 tip.
Li Wei's first day of part-time work ended at 5 p.m., earning him a base hourly wage of $60, a commission of $100, and a tip of $50.
"The federal tax is 12%, the New York State tax is 4.5%, and the New York City tax is 3.5%. Since you don't have FICA (Social Security and Medicare), the 7.65% tax is not included in this," Dolores handed him $168. "This is your after-tax salary."
"America is so corrupt!" Levi exclaimed. "If I really get legal status, won't I have to pay more than 30% in taxes on every single transaction?"
Dolores shrugged and handed him a business card: "Call me in advance if you need to take time off."
After thanking him, Li Wei took the money and left the Dolores boutique.
At 5 p.m., the setting sun peeked through the gaps between the skyscrapers on the west side of Manhattan. It was a rich, almost syrupy golden-red, and the light shone on the still-dampened ground of Madison Avenue, turning the entire street into a huge, shimmering black mirror.
Unfortunately, he doesn't have much leisure or inclination to appreciate the scenery before him right now.
He pulled out his Uber account and saw that a cheap taxi from Madison Avenue back to Sunset Park would cost a whopping $120. That was more than half of Levi's afternoon part-time salary, not even enough for a taxi ride. Levi decided to take the subway home.
Just as he was walking towards the subway station, ready to experience the New York City N line for the first time, an urgent notification popped up on his phone's "New York City App".
A shooting occurred on 59th Street, injuring two men. The N subway line is temporarily closed.
Well, living in New York, Levi has become accustomed to these daily updates.
He then went to the bus stop and began to carefully read the information on the bus stop sign to see which bus could take him home.
As I was reading, a dialog box suddenly popped up in my eyes.
You have discovered an 'ancient stone tablet'.
[Task Posted: First Reading of an Ancient Stone Tablet]
Scattered around the noble courtyard are ancient teleportation stone tablets of various sizes, possessing special magic that can quickly transport people to different areas. Try to decipher the ancient stone tablets to complete the mission.
[Task Reward: +0.1 Free Attribute Points]
"You call this thing an ancient stone tablet?" Li Wei examined the bus stop sign in front of him carefully. "But if you insist on calling it a teleportation tablet... well, that's not entirely wrong."