The first Friday of June in the millennium, in the CBD of Beijing.
In the heart of the metropolis, where skyscrapers stand tall, the traffic flows relentlessly. The leaves on the roadside curl listlessly. A heatwave sweeps in, the air thick and sticky.
This is the area in the entire capital city where the heat island effect is most severe.
In this kind of weather, the happiest thing is to hide in an air-conditioned room, eat iced watermelon, and drink a glass of cold brew.
Jian Yan, however, was fully covered up, wearing a long-sleeved yellow polo shirt, yellow trousers, a scarf, and a baseball cap. She rode her electric scooter, weaving through the hurried crowd, making her stand out conspicuously.
She is a delivery driver for a coffee shop.
After completing a delivery, she parked her electric scooter in a small shop at the bottom of a residential complex.
The shop's logo is a cartoon coffee cup with long arms and legs. The coffee shop also has a very catchy name: Lightyear Coffee.
They boast light-year delivery speed and five-star coffee quality.
Jian Yan rushed inside. She took off her hat and scarf, stood in front of the air conditioner vent, and let the cold air blow in.
Ah, take a deep breath, so refreshing and wonderful!
The coffee shop was eerily quiet.
The usually meticulous and focused barista, Lan Shan, forgot to grind coffee beans, his eyes glazed over; while the cashier and operator, You Duoduo, stared intently, not blinking for a moment.
Following their gaze, Jian Yan saw their female boss, Jin Xiangyu, sitting in one of the only two booths in the shop (since the main business is takeout coffee, there is very little dine-in service), staring incredulously at a girl.
The girl clearly didn't like that look; she frowned.
I glanced at the job posting next to me and casually looked away.
She looked to be in her early twenties, with a sophisticated, aloof face. Her skin was fair and smooth like cold jade. Her long, narrow eyes held an ethereal, detached indifference. Her lips were full and slightly thick, painted with Scarlett Johansson lipstick, and a pearly tip added a touch of sensuality.
Not only is her appearance highly recognizable, but her fashionable attire also makes it hard to look away.
She was tall and slender, with stunningly beautiful purple hair. She wore a Chanel off-white suit that perfectly accentuated her youthful figure. Around her neck was a Cartier maidenhair fern necklace, exuding intricate and elaborate beauty. Her arms were slender, her hands resting naturally on her knees. Her legs were crossed, exceptionally long and straight, and she wore Ferragamo 10cm stilettos.
On the table, besides two cups of coffee, there was a 35cm Birkin bag. You should know, a Hermès Birkin bag isn't something you can just buy with money; all customers have to go through a lengthy pre-order process. Oh, and there was also a huge LV suitcase on the floor.
Jian Yan rubbed her eyes, swallowed hard, and was astonished to see a movable, human-shaped display stand of luxury goods.
She doesn't actually recognize many of the brands, since they're too far removed from her world. But as a recent graduate of Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, she does know a few.
My first impression is that she's a vain girl who goes to great lengths to be extravagant, wearing a whole outfit of knock-off clothes.
This assertion was quickly refuted by Jian Yan, because the girl's temperament was not like that.
So, the second possibility is that she's a spoiled rich girl who doesn't know the meaning of life, and she ran away from home after a fight with her family. Isn't she afraid of being robbed?
"Could you repeat what you just said?" Boss Jin Xiangyu pressed.
The girl glanced again at the recruitment signboard standing next to her, her eyes shining.
Lightyear Coffee is hiring servers. Base salary is 5,000 RMB, plus commission. The more sales you make, the higher your commission, with no upper limit. Pleasant appearance and demeanor preferred; females given preference.
The girl's eyes flickered for a moment, she bit her lip, and immediately regained her composure, "Are you still hiring waitresses? I want to apply."
Jin Xiangyu smiled, repeatedly examining the outfit. If the parents came to claim it, the thank-you fee would surely be substantial. "Yes, of course I'll confess."
"Then, can I get an advance on my salary? Preferably today." The girl probably knew this request was a bit unreasonable. She lowered her head and stared at the toes of her shoes, which were studded with many crystals. She thought to herself that if the boss didn't agree, she would pry the crystals off the shoes, but she wondered how much she could get for them.
Jin Xiangyu, with a sly smile, asked, "So, can you start work today?"
A sophisticated, world-weary girl is applying for a job and wants an advance on her salary.
Coffee shop owner Jin Xiangyu immediately requested that he start working that day.
Jian Yan walked to the cashier, leaned on the counter with one hand, gestured with her chin towards the shop owner and the girl, and asked in a low voice, "What's going on?"
You Duoduo didn't answer. He rested his chin on his hands, watching the spectacle with a leisurely air. "Let's make a bet, whether she can stay or not?"
Barista Lanshan had somehow wandered over, and the three heads huddled together, creating a somewhat comical scene. "This one, you can tell she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, a rebellious spoiled rich girl. She can't handle that kind of hardship."
"Shh!" Jian Yan glared at Lan Shan. Was she afraid people wouldn't hear her if she spoke so loudly? But Lan Shan already had an answer; she didn't want to be like him. "Don't judge a book by its cover."
"It'll be more fun if we add a little something extra." You Duoduo rubbed his fingers excitedly and pulled out a hundred-yuan bill from his pocket. "I bet a red old man that this girl won't last three days."
The barista was annoyed, saying that it was tacky to always talk about money. "I bet she won't be able to reach an agreement with me today for just one fancy coffee."
"Tch!" came the unanimous exclamation; the aloof barista was being looked down upon.
Jian Yan swiftly snatched the banknotes from You Duoduo's hand, stuffed them into her waist bag, and then pointed a finger at the barista, "Regular coffee won't do, it has to be the same as your name, Jamaican Blue Mountain specialty coffee, two cups, including the one for the person in question. I bet she'll stay."
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