American Adventure: My Uncle is Don Quixote

"Tax avoidance and compliance are my specialty," Arthur said with self-satisfaction. "Either of these two properties will work. One isn’t far from here, a century-old townhouse on the Upper East Side listed at 32 million USD. The upside is the prime location, but the downside is that you’d be right on top of your neighbors."

"Can it fit my five cars?" Li Wei suddenly asked. "And a few of my staff?"

"I’m afraid not. In that case, you’ll need the second option," Arthur said, swiping on his screen. "A premier estate on Long Island, just outside New York. It covers a massive area and is listed at 28 million USD. It offers extreme privacy. The main advantage is the space. We can, with a straight face, declare its side wing as a ’dedicated rehabilitation and wellness center for professional athletes’ on the compliance paperwork. Even if you write off the maintenance for the pool and the helipad, the IRS won’t be able to find a single thing wrong."

The sheer space of the Long Island estate was undoubtedly more appealing.

"Let’s go with this one," he decided. "Try to lock down this property before Christmas."

"Excellent," Arthur snapped his laptop shut without missing a beat and downed the rest of his coffee. "I’ll go talk to the tax auditors this afternoon then."

"Need a ride?" Li Wei asked, gesturing to his car outside.

"No, thanks," Arthur said, looking at the crowds outside. He seemed to shrink back a little and quickly waved his hand in refusal. "I think it’ll take me a while longer to get used to life on the outside. Being stared at by that many people... my legs would turn to jelly."

"Alright," Li Wei nodded, a little disappointed.

He had planned on lending the 911 to Arthur for a while, but from the looks of it, Arthur still needed some time to recover.

Li Wei watched him grab his briefcase and rush out the café door. He tried his best to maintain a certain social distance from everyone as he strode away, quickly vanishing into the crowd.

With one big task out of the way, Li Wei carried his coffee out of Starbucks.

He thanked the police officers who had been watching his car, posed for a few photos, and signed some autographs before getting into the Koenigsegg and starting it up.

The electric motor whirred to life silently, and the ghostly beast merged into the flow of Manhattan traffic.

As the car cruised smoothly through downtown Manhattan, Li Wei’s gaze drifted out the window and landed on a building flying the purple flag of New York University.

’New York University?’

The faces of Jin Heon and the chubby Gao Ping instantly flashed through Li Wei’s mind.

’Jin Heon is probably still on campus, either rushing to finish her final papers or working on my company’s PR reports.’

’Instead of letting the 911 collect dust in the garage, I might as well lend it to Jin Heon.’

He mulled it over. ’First off, renting an extra parking spot would cost 2,000 USD a month. Besides, cars that sit for too long are a pain to maintain.’

’But if I lend it to Jin Heon, she could use her student status to park it at New York University. Wouldn’t that save money, keep the car maintained, and earn an employee’s loyalty?’

"Siri, call Jin Heon."

The phone barely rang twice before it was answered. Jin Heon’s respectful voice came through the speaker. "Handsome Boss! Good afternoon! What can I do for you?"

"Do you have plans for lunch?" Li Wei asked casually as he turned the steering wheel. "I’m near New York University and there’s something I need to talk to you about. If you’re free, want to grab a bite?"

"Right now?" Jin Heon asked. "One moment, let me check... I’m free. What should we get, Boss? Or is there something you’re in the mood for?"

"You pick, you know the area around New York University better than I do," Li Wei said, watching the traffic light ahead. "It’s my treat. Just find a good place where we can talk."

"Well... there’s a nice little Italian bistro in Greenwich Village called Lupa. The atmosphere is pretty quiet, and it’s popular with students," Jin Heon suggested tentatively.

"Sounds good. You can send me the address, or I can just pick you up from your dorm?"

"Just come to the apartment building on South Washington Square Street, Boss. I’ll send you my location. There’s a spot where you can pull over for a minute. I’ll be right down!"

After hanging up the phone, Jin Heon, who was sitting at her desk, took a deep breath. She felt her heart inexplicably start to beat a little faster.

"My handsome boss actually asked me to lunch?" she murmured to herself.

She glanced at the screen, which was covered in dense rows of PR data, and decisively hit the save button.

She was about to stand up, but as she passed a full-length mirror, she caught a glimpse of her slightly haggard face. She sat back down, took out her makeup bag, and muttered to herself.

"It may be a work lunch, but you can’t slack off, Heon." With lightning speed, she applied a thin layer of foundation, filled in her eyebrows, and dabbed on a bit of lipstick. Now she looked presentable.

She changed into a well-tailored overcoat, tossed her long, half-pink hair back, and grabbed her bag before hurrying downstairs.

’My dark roots are showing,’ she suddenly thought. ’What color should I dye it next?’

「Down below the apartment building on South Washington Square Street.」

Li Wei had already parked the Koenigsegg, which looked like an alien fighter jet, by the curb.

Its low-slung carbon fiber body and exaggerated aerodynamic package made the car stand out, even at a place like New York University that was crawling with rich kids. It was out of place, yet it possessed a deadly allure.

Passing university students couldn’t help but stare. A few guys kept looking back over their shoulders, practically wanting to press their faces against the glass.

Li Wei sat inside, one hand resting on the steering wheel, waiting quietly behind the tinted windows.

Soon, Jin Heon’s silhouette appeared behind the glass doors of the apartment building.

She pushed open the door, her eyes scanning the curb for Li Wei’s signature Cadillac Escalade or Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Just then, a guy in a dark blue Patagonia fleece vest over a light blue button-down shirt quickly approached from the side, cutting her off.

"Hey! Jin Heon, what a coincidence."

Jin Heon’s smile remained radiant, but a flicker of impatience entered her eyes.

"Brad, what a coincidence," she said, not breaking her stride. "Unfortunately, I’m in a hurry. I have to go."

"Hey, wait," Brad said, hurrying to keep up with her. "Did what I said last time make you uncomfortable? Your roommate told me... I-I apologize."

"Okay," Jin Heon said. "Uh... I really have to go. Why don’t you just message me on Instagram?"

"You blocked me on Instagram..." Brad said. "I wanted to ask you to dinner. Would that be okay? It’s in SoHo. I made a reservation at a Japanese place."

"Sorry, I really do have plans," Jin Heon said, refusing him patiently with a polite smile. "I’m having a work lunch with my boss."

"Come on, Jin Heon, you used the ’boss’ excuse last time, too," Brad said, refusing to give up. "Guess what? I just landed a Summer Analyst offer from Morgan Stanley’s New York headquarters."

He paused, as if waiting for Jin Heon to look impressed or surprised.

But when her face showed none of the admiration he expected, he could only assume she didn’t understand what a big deal it was.

"Do you know what it means to land a front-office internship at a major investment bank as an undergrad? It means my starting base salary will be over 200,000 USD after graduation," Brad said. "I know you’ve always wanted to make it in Manhattan. If you’re willing, we can talk more about it over lunch. I can give you some pointers. How about it?"

Jin Heon stopped walking. She glanced at Brad—short, fat, with a very conspicuous mole on his face—and suddenly felt exhausted.

’Just give it up, Brad. Don’t you realize that harassing me when you look like *that* shows you have absolutely no class?’