Her grandma's heart had always been problematic, and her blood pressure was a bit high. The downfall of their family and her father's suicide—the tragedy of an elder outliving the young—was too much of a blow for her. That her grandmother had held onto life for so long was already a blessing; Vera couldn't ask for more.
BUZZ. Her phone vibrated in her bag.
Vera quickly retrieved her phone and stepped aside to answer.
"Miss Wave, right? This is the Eden Clubhouse. We've seen your resume, and we believe you're very suitable for a position with us. If you're free, please come in for an interview."
"Really? That's such an honor." A job offer, just when she desperately needed money! Of course, Vera was elated. "When should I come for the interview?"
"Anytime before two this afternoon is fine."
So, Vera quickly returned to her rented apartment complex, took a shower, changed into a relatively modest dress, and hurried to the Eden Clubhouse by subway.
She had submitted so many resumes that she didn't even remember what kind of establishment this clubhouse was. Following the address they had sent, she found the entrance to the Eden Clubhouse in an alley behind a cluster of nice-looking office buildings.
A young woman in her twenties was at the reception. Hearing Vera was there for an interview, she immediately led her to an adjacent office.
Behind the desk sat a plump woman in her thirties, taking selfies with her phone.
"You must be the manager? I'm Vera Wave; we spoke on the phone. I'm here for an interview." Vera took her resume out of her bag. "This is my resume."
The woman didn't look at her resume, just sized her up from head to toe.
"Have you done sales before?"
"No, but... I'm very enthusiastic about sales."
"Alright, then you can start on a trial basis!" The woman straightened up, pulling a paper bag from under the table. "We don't have set shifts here—no base salary, only commission. It's a 30% commission. That means for a 1,000 USD room, you get 300 USD a night. Bring in a customer, and you get your cut right away. We also have Membership Cards. An Annual Card is 20,000 USD for unlimited stays. These are the company's promotional materials and membership card gifts. You can take them and start drumming up business now."
Vera's heart leaped with excitement.
Three hundred USD for one room a night... that's nine thousand USD a month, almost ten thousand USD! If she sold a few Annual Cards on top of that, it would be even more! And they pay out immediately... It's like a dream come true!
"That's wonderful, thank you!"
She reached for the paper bag on the table.
The woman blocked her with a plump hand. "You think these 'gifts' are free? There's a 200 USD deposit, and that includes the uniform!"
Vera fumbled with her wallet. "Manager, could I pay a bit less? I... I didn't bring that much money with me."
"One hundred USD is the minimum. Otherwise, what if you take the stuff and disappear? I'd be out of pocket, wouldn't I?"
"Thank you so much! Beautiful women truly are the kindest." Vera quickly took out 100 USD and handed it over.
"You've got a sweet mouth, kid. Work hard, and if you do well, I'll make you floor manager." The plump woman stood up and picked up her bag from the table. "I'm off to my beauty appointment. You can get started!"
"Take care, Manager." Vera forced a smile as she saw the woman to the door. After watching her drive away, Vera finally lowered her gaze and opened the promotional materials in her hand.
One look, and she was stunned.
Glaring red letters on the flyer screamed: "Eden Love Hotel!"