“First, Mr. Tom must wear formal performance attire,” Franz said seriously.
“This is a high-end restaurant, so appearance matters.”
“No problem!” Wos nodded quickly.
“But don’t worry too much, our restaurant will have a tailcoat custom-made for Mr. Tom specially.”
“Second, the performance hours are from seven to ten every night, with a fifteen-minute break in between.”
“Totally acceptable!”
“Third, if the guests are not satisfied, I can terminate the arrangement at any time.”
“Of course, of course!” Wos was so excited he almost jumped.
“And the pay…”
“Five hundred dollars an hour, with a three-day trial period.” Franz extended his hand.
“If the performance is good, we can sign a long-term contract.”
“Deal!” Wos gripped Franz’s hand hard, feeling like he was about to float away.
Hearing the news, Tom spun around once on the piano bench in excitement.
Jerry simply did a backflip to celebrate.
“Then Mr. Tom can start working tonight.” Franz looked at his watch.
“It’s four in the afternoon now, so you have three hours to prepare.”
Franz then called over a waiter with a measuring tape to measure Tom’s height, waist, arm span, and so on.
“We’ll get Mr. Tom’s tailcoat made as soon as possible, so he can have a good performance tonight.”
After leaving the restaurant, Wos was so excited that he hopped and jumped all over the street.
“We’re rich! We’re really rich!” He spun around holding Tom and Jerry.
“Three hours a night is fifteen hundred dollars! In a month, that’s forty-five thousand dollars!”
Tom got a little dizzy from the spinning, but he was happy too.
He could finally show off his musical talent in this world!
Since there were still three hours before the performance, Wos took Tom and Jerry to get some food first.
After eating, the three arrived at “The Blue Danube” restaurant again.
By now the restaurant was full of guests, and the waiters were busily weaving between the tables.
“Mr. Tom, you’re here! Your tailcoat is ready.”
Franz walked over, then signaled a waiter to take Tom to the dressing room to change into the tailcoat.
When Franz saw Tom come out in the tailcoat, a gleam of admiration flashed in his eyes.
“Perfect! This outfit is the standard look of a professional pianist.”
Tom bowed gracefully to express his thanks.
“The guests are looking forward to your performance.” Franz gestured toward the restaurant. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
“The news from this afternoon has spread, and many people came specifically to hear you play.”
Wos looked around and saw that quite a few guests were glancing toward the piano from time to time, their eyes full of anticipation.
“Then let’s begin!” Wos was a little nervous, since their livelihood depended on this.
Tom took a deep breath and walked gracefully toward the piano.
His steps had a sense of rhythm, and the tails of his coat swayed gently with each step.
Sitting on the piano bench, Tom first flexed his paws, then lightly stroked the keys to test the sound.
The guests in the restaurant all stopped talking and quietly waited for this special performance.
The first note rang out.
It was Mozart’s *Piano Variations in C Major*.
Tom’s technique was even more polished than in the afternoon, and every note was clear and pleasing.
His paws flew over the keys as if dancing an elegant dance.
“Incredible!” a female guest gasped softly.
“This cat’s playing has truly reached master level!” another guest said, nodding in praise.
Jerry sat on a little chair beside the piano, quietly enjoying Tom’s performance.
Although the two were always fighting, at a moment like this, Jerry felt immensely proud of Tom.
When the piece ended, warm applause filled the restaurant.
Tom stood up gracefully and bowed to the audience in thanks.
“Encore! Encore!” a guest shouted.
Tom smiled and sat back down, beginning the second piece, Chopin’s *Minute Waltz*.
This piece tested the performer’s emotional expression even more, and Tom poured his own feelings into every note.
At times it was gentle as a light rain, at times fierce as a storm.
Wos stood to the side, watching Tom shine on stage, and felt a sense of pride unlike anything before.
“That’s my partner!” he said silently in his heart.
The performance lasted three hours, and Tom played twelve classic pieces in total.
Every one of them earned warm applause from the audience, and some guests even stood up to clap.
“Ladies and gentlemen, tonight’s performance ends here!” Franz announced at just the right moment.
“Thank you, Mr. Tom, for bringing us such a wonderful show! Tomorrow night, Mr. Tom will be here again to play for everyone!”
The guests left reluctantly, and many were still discussing the beautiful music they had just heard.
“Mr. Tom, your performance exceeded my expectations!” Franz walked over with a big smile.
“The guests were all very satisfied, and the restaurant’s revenue was thirty percent higher than usual!”
He took a stack of bills out of his pocket and handed it to Wos.
“This is tonight’s pay, fifteen hundred dollars.”
This was the first time in his life he had earned this much in a single night!
“Also, I’ve decided to sign a long-term contract with you,” Franz continued.
“As long as Mr. Tom is willing, he can perform at our restaurant long-term.”
“Of course he’s willing!” Wos was so excited he almost jumped.
After leaving the restaurant, the three walked slowly through the night.
Tom took off the tailcoat and went back to his usual look, but his eyes still sparkled with excitement.
“Tom, you were amazing tonight!” Wos patted Tom’s head.
“I’m so proud of you!”
Tom scratched his head a little sheepishly, but he was happy inside.
Being able to help his friends through his own talent felt really good.
Jerry jumped onto Tom’s shoulder and gently stroked Tom’s cheek with his tiny paw to congratulate him.
“Now we don’t have to worry about rent!” Wos said happily.
“And we can improve our living conditions too! Tomorrow, let’s go buy something tasty to celebrate!”
The three walked back along the familiar streets, with Wos humming a little tune, clutching the fifteen hundred dollars tightly in his hand.
After taking off the tailcoat, Tom felt much more relaxed, while Jerry yawned a little on Tom’s shoulder.
“What a perfect day!” Wos stretched contentedly.
“With this job, we’ll never have to worry about making a living again.”
As night deepened, fewer and fewer people were on the streets.
When they turned into the alley leading to their home in Hell’s Kitchen, Wos didn’t notice that five sneaky figures had been following them the whole time.
These five thugs had had their eyes on them since they left the restaurant.
When they saw Wos take that stack of bills from the restaurant manager, their eyes turned green with greed.
“Boss, it’s this white guy,” a tall, skinny one said in a low voice.
“I saw him take a big handful of cash.”
The one in front was a bald man with a face full of thick flesh, a skull tattoo on his arm.
“Heh heh, we’re getting rich tonight. A pretty boy with two pets, he’ll be easy to bully.”
“Should we wait until they get home to make our move?” another thug suggested.
“No need. There aren’t many people in this alley, so it’s a perfect place to strike.” The bald man licked his lips.
“Remember, we want the money, not his life, but if he doesn’t behave, I don’t mind putting a few extra holes in him.”
Wos was walking along when he suddenly felt footsteps behind him.
He looked back and saw five ill-intentioned guys walking toward them.