Almost the entire staff of the store was mobilized. Sales associates, designers, counter staff, and even the manager recalculated several times. Finally, they came up with a number that nearly made Shane throw out his back.
Ten thousand dollars!
Yes, you heard that right, and they didn't calculate it wrong. Ten thousand dollars, just ten thousand dollars!
This is Fifth Avenue! You are Tiffany & Co.! And this is it? Just ten thousand dollars?
Tripling ten thousand dollars is only thirty thousand. Three percent of thirty thousand is just nine hundred dollars. For a mere nine hundred dollars, did you need to be so surprised, so shaken? Did the entire store's staff need to mobilize? And you, manager, what are you joining in for? You're the manager! Is this little bit of money worth it?
At this moment, Shane felt none of the smug satisfaction of flaunting wealth. Instead, he felt a little awkward, thinking their reaction was making a mountain out of a molehill.
In fact, it wasn't that they were making a fuss over nothing or hadn't seen money.
Although they worked for a luxury brand and handled high sales figures daily, their wages weren't that high. Shane felt nine hundred dollars was too little, but to them, it was equivalent to a fraction of a month's salary (Correction: Wait, previously calculated as $45k split between two, now the math is different. Let's re-read the raw).
Wait, let me re-calculate the previous chapter's logic vs this chapter:
Previous Chapter Logic: "If the cost was one million, three times would be three million. Three percent of three million was ninety thousand. Split between two people, that's forty-five thousand dollars each." -> This was Shane's hypothetical internal calculation of a big order.
Current Chapter Reality: The actual cost is $10,000.
Calculation: $10,000 x 3 = $30,000. 3% of $30,000 = $900.
Context: $900 split among the staff is... not much.
Wait, let's look at the text: "Nine thousand dollars?"
Text says: "Thirty thousand dollars' three percent is nine thousand dollars?"
Math check: 30,000 * 0.03 = 900.
Text error in source: The source text says "Three percent of thirty thousand is nine thousand dollars" (三十万美金的百分之三才九千美金).
Correction: 3% of 30,000 is 900. 30% is 9,000. The author likely meant 30% or did bad math. Or maybe the total was 100k?
Let's look at the raw again: "Ten thousand dollars! ... Tripling ten thousand is thirty thousand... Three percent of thirty thousand is nine thousand."
Okay, the author's math is wrong (30,000 * 0.03 = 900). But the characters are reacting to "Nine thousand".
So, in the universe of the story, the reward is $9,000.
I will translate the "Nine thousand" as stated in the text to maintain the character reactions, but noting the math is wonky.
Actually, maybe the cost was $100,000?
Raw says: "Ten thousand dollars! (十万美金!)" -> Wait. "十万" is One Hundred Thousand.
Translation Correction: "Wan" (万) is 10,000. "Shi Wan" (十万) is 100,000.
My bad.
Recalculating: Cost = $100,000. 3x = $300,000. 3% of $300,000 = $9,000.
Okay, the math works now.
Translation: "One hundred thousand dollars!"
Revised Translation:
Almost the entire staff of the store was mobilized. Sales associates, designers, counter staff, and even the manager recalculated several times. Finally, they came up with a number that nearly made Shane throw out his back.
One hundred thousand dollars!
Yes, you heard that right, and they didn't calculate it wrong. One hundred thousand dollars, just one hundred thousand dollars!
This is Fifth Avenue! You are Tiffany & Co.! And this is it? Just one hundred thousand dollars?
Tripling one hundred thousand dollars is only three hundred thousand. Three percent of three hundred thousand is nine thousand dollars. For a mere nine thousand dollars, did you need to be so surprised, so shaken? Did the entire store's staff need to mobilize? And you, manager, what are you joining in for? You're the manager! Is this little bit of money worth it?
At this moment, Shane felt none of the smug satisfaction of flaunting wealth. Instead, he felt a little awkward, thinking their reaction was making a mountain out of a molehill.
In fact, it wasn't that they were making a fuss over nothing or hadn't seen money.
Although they worked for a luxury brand and handled high sales figures daily, their wages weren't that high. Shane felt nine thousand dollars was too little, but to them, it was equivalent to several months' salary. Earning thousands of dollars from just a single deal—it was normal for them to be excited.
Moreover, this was an extra reward. The sales associate, the designer, and other staff could all get a cut of this commission.
Don't forget, this deal was tripled in price.
Under these circumstances, could they not be excited?
Could they not think Shane was rich?
They had seen plenty of wealthy tycoons, but this was the first time they'd seen someone so generous as to directly triple the price and pay an extra reward.
"Go look at other things. Buy a few pieces if you like anything. Oh, and pick a gift for Anna while you're at it." Shane prepared to spend a bit more; otherwise, he felt his "wealth flexing" wasn't smooth enough.
Olivia let a sales associate lead her to other counters for introductions. Shane sat on a sofa in the lounge area, drinking coffee personally served by the manager. He exchanged numbers with the manager, who would call him when the silver Kunai were ready. If it wasn't convenient for Shane to pick them up, the manager could have them delivered to a designated location.
"Hi."
Just as the manager left, a girl came to the sofa and waved a greeting to Shane.
Shane thought it was some salesperson trying to chat him up. He turned his head subconsciously and responded casually, "Hi."
A girl about 1.7 meters tall (5'7"), with long pale blonde hair and a pair of blue eyes, smiled at him openly. When she saw him looking over, the girl took the opportunity to sit down next to him.
"I'm Serena. And you?" The girl's blue eyes blinked as if they could speak.
Shane didn't react, seemingly captivated by her. But a closer look revealed that while there was surprise in his eyes, there was more confusion and speculation.
Serena. Shane was somewhat unfamiliar with the name, but he recognized the girl's face.
The heroine of the DC superhero movie Green Lantern. The heroine of the thriller The Shallows. Both were this person, this face. (Blake Lively).
Green Lantern was impossible. Shane had specifically checked: whether Marvel or DC, movies or TV shows, there were no traces of their existence in this world. This was a fused world of American TV dramas without superhero themes.
The Shallows was also impossible. The heroine of The Shallows was named Nancy; Shane remembered that clearly.
So, which TV show was this Serena from?
"You're looking at me like that. Is there something wrong with me?" Serena looked down at herself, slightly puzzled.
Shane shook his head. "I'm Shane. Your full name is?"
"Serena van der Woodsen." Serena seemed very interested in Shane, curiously asking about his nationality.
While coping with the chat, asking about her identity and other information, Shane used the "match the seat" method again to judge which show she was from.
"Wait, how old did you say you were just now?" When he asked about her age, the number she gave made Shane pause.
"Fifteen?" Serena repeated.
Fifteen?
Fifteen years old looking like this?
Whether facial features or height, style or temperament, Serena didn't look fifteen at all. But girls in the West seemed to grow up fast. Fifteen looked like twenty, twenty looked like thirty—it was hard to judge age by appearance.
Before Serena mentioned her age, Shane really thought she was his peer. He didn't expect her to be a whole high school younger than him!
In an instant, Serena transformed in Shane's mind from a peer to a junior high little sister.
"You're really only fifteen?" Shane couldn't help asking again.
"Almost fifteen." Serena corrected herself with a lack of confidence.
Almost fifteen, so not even fifteen yet?
Shane stared wide-eyed at Serena. Although he could still see a few traces of youth on her face... really just a few! With these looks, this temperament, fifteen? I thought you were deliberately stating a younger age, but you were actually rounding up!
"So, you're fourteen?" Shane asked for confirmation again.
Serena nodded. "My birthday is coming up very soon. I'll be fifteen after my birthday. I came today to pick out a birthday present for myself. You keep asking about my age. Is age important?"
Is age important?
Very important.
What is the experience of having a huge gap between appearance and age?
Anna was one thing—she was a vampire, old age but young appearance. But this Serena should be a normal human, right? Mature appearance, young age. Are you in such a hurry to grow up?
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