Tash Aw - Five Star Billionaire

The rain was falling heavily now, the drops tapping noisily on the hood of her coat. The air smelled of moss and smoke. She stopped walking and, turning around, raised her hand. There was a taxi approaching, and it stopped as it reached her. When she opened the door and got in, the driver simply waited to be told where to go, as he would with anyone else in the world. He did not look at her shoes or criticize her dress; he only glanced at her briefly in the rearview mirror, repeated the destination, and nodded his head. He did not know it was the first time she had ever taken a taxi in Shanghai; he simply assumed she was just like everyone else.

She did not take the taxi home; she asked instead to be taken to People’s Square. She joined the queue at a famous xiaolongbao store that she had heard of, the long line of people trailing halfway down Zhenghe Lu. She stood patiently in the rain, the hood of her coat pulled loosely over her head. When it was her turn, she bought the best crabmeat dumplings, and then she took another taxi home.

“Waaaaaaahhh,” Yanyan cried when Phoebe showed her the dumplings. “ Toooo good!” Phoebe ate two and left the rest for Yanyan. They were delicious, the best food she had ever tasted in her whole life, so rich in flavor that they made her realize how colorless her life had become, so empty of perfume and complexity. Only two mouthfuls, two morsels of food, made her whole body yearn for more. But she didn’t mind leaving the rest for Yanyan, because in just three days’ time she could afford to eat them whenever she wanted. She would have more. And more and more.

IN THE WEEKS THAT followed, Phoebe made sure she seized every opportunity to present her most outstanding qualities, such as her willingness to learn and absorb new ideas, as well as her capacity for hard work over long hours. Even when she felt herself coming down with the winter flu that was afflicting everyone in the city, she pretended that nothing was wrong, for she did not want to risk taking one day off work. She feared being replaced, even temporarily. She needed to grasp each chance that came her way and treat every day as a new challenge.

She took bookings by phone, speaking with the utmost courtesy, even subservience, to the female clients, and allowing just the smallest amount of flirtatiousness to enter her voice if ever she spoke to a man. She did so by nature nowadays, occasionally catching herself if she went too far. She was nice to men not because she had to be but because she wanted to be. She was glad she no longer had to tell men any lies or flatter them outrageously. If she laughed with them or cajoled them into taking the most expensive massages, it was because she genuinely wanted them to enjoy the best experience possible. Give yourself entirely to your work, and in return your work will treat you with respect . She remembered everything she had read from her books, and now it was paying off.

For the first two weeks, the manager apologized for not having yet hired a second receptionist to relieve Phoebe’s workload, and even Boss Leong rang several times to apologize for the difficulty they were having in finding a suitable colleague for Phoebe. “It’s no hardship at all,” Phoebe replied brightly, “I can manage everything. Please, take your time. Even if you don’t want to hire anyone, it’s fine with me. Actually, I think that one receptionist is sufficient.”

“We don’t want to be exploitative,” Boss Leong said. “While we look for someone, we will pay you double overtime — in recognition of your hard work.”

On three separate occasions, young women came in off the street seeking work as a receptionist or administrator. She recognized the look they wore — hungry, hard-eyed, desperate. They had decent qualifications and could easily have done the work Phoebe was doing. Each time, she apologized for the lack of work. “But if you let me have your résumé, I will contact you if there is a vacancy. Could you, um, please leave now? Sorry, but our exclusive clients don’t like seeing random people like you wandering in here.”

Twelve hours a day, seven days a week, Phoebe answered the telephone, greeted people at the door, organized the schedule, served lemongrass tea to waiting clients, and made sure that the masseuses and beauticians maintained a harmonious existence. She gave the masseuses a daily lecture on the importance of professionalism and propriety, especially when dealing with male clients and even more so with Japanese and Western clients, who might have preconceptions of the services on offer. Once, she saw that an American client had discreetly given his phone number to his masseuse as he paid the bill. The next morning, at the daily staff gathering, she took great pleasure in announcing that the girl would be fired for being in breach of basic rules, and it should serve as an example to everyone else. Everyone said, “Phoebe is so professional; she is just like the manager here. Surely she will soon be on a manager’s salary.”

Her new workplace also made it possible for her impeccable personal grooming to shine as brightly as her impressive work ethic. The spa’s uniform suited her; it was a slim black tunic made of raw silk, cut in the Southeast Asian manner that fit snugly around her waist and flared out over her hips. On the advice of Boss Leong’s PA, who also acted as the manager of operations, Phoebe changed her hairstyle, piling it up in a big bun in imitation of Singapore air hostesses. Sometimes she would catch sight of herself in the mirrored wall that lined one side of the reception area and be amazed that the person in the reflection was Phoebe Chen Aiping. Lit by soft spotlights and candles, she looked as if she had been born into this elegant world. She did not look the tiniest bit out of place.

When the manager arranged for a photographer to shoot images of the spa and of the personnel, Phoebe persuaded him to take a few photos of her dressed in her uniform. His results overjoyed Phoebe. The moment the photographer sent her the portraits, she placed them on her profile page on the various dating websites she belonged to, replacing the ones Yanyan had recently taken of her standing on the banks of Suzhou Creek, which now looked amateurish — her smile was too forced, her provocative outfits too lavish for the humble setting of the public riverbank. The images that represented her now were classy and romantic, and it was just a matter of time before she found the right kind of man.

With the long hours she was spending at work, Phoebe was no longer able to spend so much time on the Internet, and, besides, real life, as Boss Leong had said, was so much more fascinating. But the problem with real life was that it did not offer opportunities to meet real-life men. Every day there would be men in the spa, and often they would be rich, good-looking men. But Phoebe demanded professionalism from all her staff, and she knew that the best way to achieve the desired results was to lead by example. (On the way to work every day, she read her books, which taught her many instructive tips. For example, she should perform duties way above her position, in order to gain promotion more quickly: Behave as if you are the boss, and soon you will be the boss .) Therefore, she forbade herself any form of intimate involvement with her clients, even though, after less than two months, there were already regular clients who came back time after time because they were drawn to Phoebe’s charming manner and the excellent personal service she provided. For example, there was the man who came to pick up his wife after her weekly massage, who always made sure he came a few minutes early so that he could sit and watch Phoebe. Even though he pretended to read a magazine, she knew that he was appreciating her elegant movements and petite figure, which were accentuated by her slim-fitting black dress. She granted him a small, courteous smile only as she brought him a cup of tea. She did not wish to encourage him further.