"It's nice to see that you finally had time to meet this friend of yours." Reuben grinned at the blonde-haired man who was sweating profusely.
"Hehe... What's up?" Wayne chuckled as he took his seat opposite to this scary man.
He had just come over after his board meeting at Luo Industries and the first thing Reuben said to him was already frightening him.
'Will a 28 year old man get wedgied today?' He thought when he saw Reuben's sweet smile.
"So mind telling me who you were with last night?" Reuben questioned him casually.
"Last night? I was with…?" Wayne pondered on who he was with the previous night.
"No one at all! I was at home." He blurted out anxiously.
"Oh really?" Reuben asked with his brows raised.
'I definitely heard a woman's voice last night and now he denies it. Why so secretive?' Reuben's interest was piqued because of his flustered actions.
"You can ask Wade if you want. We just watched movies last night." Wayne nodded and tried to sound confident.
'It looks like he is not ready to tell me who that was, so I better leave it alone. For now.' Reuben did not bother with this topic any further.
He was more interested in the reason why he had asked Wayne to meet him today.
"Did your friend agree? Or were you just boasting about her to get in her pants?" He sneered while thinking of Wayne's womanizing tendencies.
"Eww… No! Gross…!" Wayne cried out.
"What's with the overreaction? Is she that ugly that even you refuse to sleep with her?" He chuckled and shook his head.
"She's like a sister to me! That's just gross!" Wayne shuddered as he said that.
"Do you want to know the results or not?" Wayne frowned and tried to divert his attention from Lina.
"Fine! It's not like I have any hopes about this designer friend of yours." He shrugged and heard Wayne's arrogant snort.
'Just you wait till you see Nana's work, you pompous and ignorant bastard!' Wayne haughtily passed the laptop over to him.
"Before you take a look at it. She has placed a condition for her work."
Just as Reuben was about to click on the file, he heard Wayne's cheerful voice.
He just looked up and Wayne continued his words.
"This is just the basic sketch of the design." Wayne spoke.
'Just a sketch?' Reuben frowned when he heard this.
"Don't give me that look! What more do you expect when you ask it to be done in a single night?" Wayne mocked him when he saw that frown.
"But my… friend, still managed to get it done. So if you like the drafts then you'll have to pay the full charges before you can see the complete design." He laid down his conditions before the designs could be seen.
"And how much would that be?" Reuben decided to humor him because he was sure that he would not like the designs.
'Moreover, they were made by some small jewelry designer. Why would I even agree to such a thing? This project is important to me and I won't hire useless people for it!' He had no plans of hiring this person, he just wanted to see Wayne squirm in his seat.
"65 Million." Wayne stated the price of the designs.
'Nana told 50 but I promised to get her more than that!' He clenched his fists, ready to face any question that would be thrown at him.
"65? Million?" Reuben gawked at him and saw him nod resolutely.
'Only for a design? That too not a professional one?' Reuben let out a low laugh.
"Sure. If I like the design then I'll pay 70 Million. Is that sufficient for you?" He smirked and looked at his friend's dumbfounded expression.
"Don't go back on your word!" Wayne woke up from his shock and happily squealed.
"A Ming never breaks his promise." Reuben's voice was cold and alarming.
'Never had and never will!' He glared at Wayne with his eyes growing darker.
"My bad! Please calm down!" Wayne realized his mistake and quickly apologized.
Reuben shook off his dark thoughts and clicked on the file.
He indifferently glanced at the design and was just about to shut it down.
'Wait… That's… But how?'
The sketch was just like the one that Reuben had in his mind. He had explained his thoughts to Helen but even she couldn't grasp it, so how did this stranger do it?
He whiplash towards Wayne who was grinning proudly.
"Isn't it great!? And this is just the basic sketch. If you want to see her full design, you'll have to pay up." Seeing Reuben's excited face, Wayne was sure that he would pay the full amount.
"But you just said that the final design would take time? Has she already prepared it?" He asked in surprise.
After all, it took Helen Gu a few weeks before she had completed her work, but that work wasn't satisfactory.
When he received an affirmative nod, Reuben's excitement grew.
'If my project can take off smoothly then I'll earn back that money in a few months' time. It's just an investment.' He made up his mind.
"70 right? To whom should I write this cheque? You or your friend?" He inquired.
"Heel, boy!" Wayne chuckled when he saw how enthusiastic Reuben was when he heard this.
Feeling the deadly gaze on him, Wayne quickly picked up his phone and texted Lina about the payment method.
She was shocked that his friend was willing to pay that much for her work. But then asked Wayne to accept the money on her behalf.
Who rejects easy money?
After sorting that out with her, they only had to wait for a few minutes before the final copy came through.
"When can I meet this friend of yours?" Reuben looked up with his eyes twinkling after he reviewed the final design.
"Hopefully, never." Wayne mumbled under his breath.
'Never? Why is he being so secretive? That's just making me more curious about this woman!' Reuben had heard what he had just muttered.
"She's a very private person and does not like many people around her. If you ever want her services, just give me a call. But remember, she's pricey!" Wayne chuckled looking at the millions that were just transferred to his account.
'And send!' He sent them into Lina's personal account.
But before doing that, he took a screenshot of the money in his account and sent it to Wade.
*And you thought that I couldn't do it! Who's the loser now!?* He gloated.
*PING*
He received an instant reply.
*Still you. DND!* His brother brutally shut him down.
"If we are done, can I leave now?" Wayne asked in a proud way when he saw that Reuben was busy staring at his laptop.
Wayne had forwarded the designs to him and he was now looking at them intently.
*Ring*
Before Reuben could answer this question, his phone rang.
-MOTHER-
'Why is mom calling me now? They must be at their lunch with grandpa now, right?' He frowned and answered the phone.
"Yes, mother?" He blandly greeted her.
"You unfilial child! I kept you in my womb for so many months and this is how you repay me!"
He had to hold the phone away from him because of how loud his mother had yelled.
'How have I not gone deaf by now? Every time she calls me it's just like this!' He pressed his forehead and took deep calming breaths.
"What did I do now, mother?" He asked patiently.
"Ask what you did NOT do! Get home this instant!" The call was disconnected after those words were heard.
Reuben sighed and looked up from his phone.
"Why are you still here?" He shoved Wayne's face away and scowled at him.
Wayne was trying to listen in on their conversation and hence he practically was inches away from his face.
"What's up with Mrs. Ming? She seems angry." Wayne forgot about leaving and wanted to sit and gossip with him.
"You must have already heard what she wants. So I better leave before she barges into my office and starts yelling here." He picked up his stuff and called Asst Kim inside.
"Asst Kim, cancel all my later meetings and ask the driver to get the car ready." He instructed and walked out along with Wayne.
"Also, there's no need for you to complete that task I had assigned last night. I've found the perfect person. I'll see you tomorrow." Finishing his words, the two men entered the CEO's private elevator.
'So why did you have to disturb my sleep so late in the night!?' Mathew glared at the closed doors.
Last night, he was already in bed with his beautiful wife when their sleep was disturbed by the constant vibrations of the phone.
When he finally answered it, it turned out to be his grumpy and single boss who did not know what the simple pleasures of cuddling with a loved one was!
He gently moved away and answered the call.
"Find new architects who are competent enough to handle my new project."
The call was cut after this single sentence.
'You could have just sent me that in a text!' He pulled his hair and walked to his study so as to not disturb his sleeping wife.
He had spent a good part of the night searching for the people who could fit his picky boss' criteria. But now all his efforts and hard work were washed away just by a few words.
'Since my boss will not be coming back today, I will be taking a half-day leave myself!'
He deserved that leave because he was tired of not having his 8 hours of sleep.
'I'll surprise Baby by taking home some pizza and then we can watch some movies and chill.' He made plans as he canceled all the meetings scheduled after lunch.
'Oh, so he also had a meeting today? Good riddance!' Mathew scoffed when he read a certain name on the list.