Chapter 329 - 211: What a Fine Day
He watched helplessly as the heavy iron door slammed shut behind Li Wei, sealing him completely inside this hopeless cage.
By the time Li Wei returned to his luxury apartment in Battery City Park, the morning sun had completely pierced through the Manhattan mist.
When he pushed open the door, the apartment’s private chef had just finished making breakfast. Freshly fried bacon and eggs Benedict were laid out on the table, and the aroma of coffee and butter, a stark contrast to the cold air outside, filled the room.
Don Quixote and Lily were eating at the large kitchen island. Seeing Li Wei enter, Lily immediately broke into a brilliant smile and ran to pull out a high-backed stool for him.
Li Wei sat down, casually picked up a sandwich with perfectly crisped, slightly browned edges from a plate, and took a large bite.
This was from a meal plan specially designed for Li Wei by the team’s nutritionist. The sandwich was filled with the highest-grade Australian Wagyu beef. With one bite, the milky, beefy, and fatty aromas completely washed over his palate.
"You’ve brought the cold in with you," Don Quixote said, looking up at him. He paused in the middle of buttering his bread and asked with concern, "Where were you so early in the morning? Is it windy out?"
"Went to see someone," Li Wei replied vaguely, picking up his black coffee. "Just taking care of a small matter."
Lily was intently focused on the sausage on her plate. She was wearing her exquisitely tailored private school uniform, the edge of her plaid skirt impeccably neat.
Li Wei didn’t elaborate, just quietly ate his sandwich. Only after Lily finished her breakfast, hopped off the stool, said, "I’m going to get my backpack," and ran back to her room did he look at Don Quixote again.
"I just came from the Southern District of New York Federal Detention Center." Li Wei pulled out a napkin to wipe his hands. "I went to see Julian."
Don Quixote’s hand paused slightly as he was spreading the butter, the knife hovering in mid-air.
"He’s now facing a maximum federal sentence of 45 years. JPMorgan Chase’s compliance department has pinned several high-risk account liquidations and bad debts on him. Jamie Damon personally ordered a full investigation into him, and Charles Mellon has also cast him aside."
Li Wei looked into Don Quixote’s eyes and said slowly, "A moment ago, he was begging me through the bulletproof glass to get him out. I refused."
Don Quixote just stared silently at the butter knife in his hand. After a few seconds, he placed it back on the plate and let out a soft "Mm."
"I see." His tone was perfectly calm, without a ripple of emotion, as if he had just heard a piece of gossip about a complete stranger and had no desire to even ask for details.
Just then, Lily ran out from her room with her backpack on. "Dad, I’m ready!"
"Let’s go. There might be traffic today." Don Quixote stood up, picked up his jacket from the back of the chair, took Lily’s hand, and nodded to Li Wei. "We’re heading out."
The early autumn morning carried a hint of chill.
When Don Quixote had the time, he still chose to drive Lily to school himself. It was one of the requirements of her private school: parents had to drop off and pick up their children a certain number of times each week.
The Cadillac Escalade glided silently into the stream of traffic. It was only a few minutes’ drive to the school. Don Quixote’s gaze didn’t seem to focus on anything in particular; he was just driving mechanically.
Lily, meanwhile, was engrossed in her phone. Now that she was thirteen and in middle school, she and Don Quixote didn’t always have a lot to say to each other.
Especially since Don Quixote could be a bit strict with her at times, which she found unsettling.
For example, he wouldn’t even let her eat ice cream.
As the car slowly passed a high-end artisanal Italian ice cream shop on the corner, Don Quixote suddenly spoke up:
"Lily, we’re a little early today," he said, looking at his daughter in the rearview mirror. "Do you want to get some ice cream?"
Lily froze. She looked up in astonishment, staring at Don Quixote’s uncharacteristic behavior.
"Now? But Dad, it’s eight in the morning." Lily blinked, finding it hard to believe. "You always say that eating cold things in the morning is bad for your stomach, and we just had breakfast."
"It’s fine." Don Quixote looked at the shop’s sign. "We can make an exception today. What flavor do you want?"
"Really?" Lily’s eyes lit up.
"Of course." Don Quixote nodded affirmatively.
Lily gave Don Quixote a suspicious glance. ’Is the old man acting a little weird today?’
"Then I want three scoops," she said, testing the waters by asking for a big ice cream. "One pistachio, one mango, and one strawberry."
Don Quixote pulled the car over to the side of the road. "Go on, hurry. Get it and come right back."
Even after Lily returned with the ice cream, she still found it unbelievable. ’My strict dad is actually letting me eat ice cream in early winter, in November? Is today some special day? Did he dump Aunt Susan and find a new woman, and this is his way of buttering me up?’
"SLURP..." She happily swung her legs in the spacious back seat. "Dad, since we’re making exceptions today, can I ask for something new?"
"What is it?"
"Um, the new four-leaf clover bracelet from Van Cleef & Arpels," Lily’s voice grew quieter. "Dasha and Bobby from my class both have one. It’s 1,600 USD."
For a thirteen-year-old girl who had just started at an elite private school, a sense of social security depended on these seemingly inconspicuous but highly recognizable pieces of expensive luxury jewelry.
"All right," Don Quixote nodded. "I’ll take you to buy it after school."
Lily’s eyes instantly went wide. She could hardly believe her ears.
You have to understand, even though Don Quixote earned a handsome income as Li Wei’s agent, he usually maintained a cautious attitude toward spending. For him to agree so readily today was astounding.
Her eyes darted, and she immediately decided to push her luck. "Really?! Well... since you’re in such a good mood today, last weekend I saw a black Chanel mini CF bag in the window. It would actually go perfectly with the bracelet, and all the upperclassmen have them. It’s only a little over 5,000—"
"POP!"
Before starting the car, Don Quixote turned around and flicked her on the forehead.
"Rein in your greed," he said with a half-smile. "When you get all A’s this semester, then we can discuss the Chanel bag."
From each of Li Wei’s matches, Don Quixote could earn nearly 46,000 USD after taxes, plus his commission from commercial endorsements. While he didn’t have as much cash on hand as Li Wei, he still had six or seven hundred thousand USD available. And since his living expenses—food, housing, and car—were all billed to Li Wei’s company for tax purposes, he could pretty much save whatever he made.
A 5,000 USD bag wasn’t a huge amount for him. He just hoped it would motivate Lily to study harder.
’It’s a really nice day,’ he thought. ’Maybe I should ask Susan to dinner tonight?’
The thought suddenly came to him as he watched Lily hop out of the car and walk through the school gates, laughing and chatting with her best friends.
His phone rang.
Speak of the devil.
Don Quixote looked at the screen. It was Susan.
"Lunch? Hmm... I have a lunch meeting with the general manager of Puma’s North American Region... How about this afternoon? What would you like to eat?" A smile appeared on Don Quixote’s face. "Okay, see you then."