"Hot." Ming replied and then ordered some drinks for them.
When the drink came, Lena finally turned on her phone and looked at the missed calls she had. Two from her mother and the rest from Kris.
"I'll be back. Don't start without me." Lena excused herself.
She went out into the hallway and called her mother first. Shen Milli was just worried about Lena since SHYNE has been on the news all night. She called her to tell her mother that everything was fine and not to worry.
After that, she gave Kris a call. This time, the man picked up after the first ring.
"Babe!" Kris answered.
"Oh wrong phone number, I thought this was Becca's cellphone."
"Don't you dare hang up, Lena!" Kris screamed at her.
"I was just kidding." Lena laughed. "Though, it's nice to see you so fierce once in a while."
"I didn't know she was in the room."
"I am not mad..." Lena replied. "Please, she used the shower excuse, so weak. Next time she calls you, I will pick it up and give her a real response."
"Okay." Kris laughed.
"Actually, I called you because I wanted something."
"I was thinking you will never ask anything from me, since your such a big girl now."
"So... you have to say yes." Lena spoke.
"Whatever my baby wants, I will always say yes. So yes."
"Good. You're such a good boyfriend. Thank you for letting me drink with Mr. Ming Zhao."
"What??!! No! I take it back. You're not allowed to drink with another man if his name is not mine...or Gary's."
"Aw... you're so sweet and unselfish you even add Gary's name to make you look caring."
"Lena!" She thought that he was going to yell at her again but instead he replied with, "One time. And, Lay get to pick you up. And, you can't be drunk, last time you were drunk, I almost got---."
"Oh... yes! I do remember that. Hell, that was some sexy kiss. We should have drunk s*x sometime."
"Did I tell you that you are on speaking?" Kris teased her.
"I don't care if Collin hears my dirty talk. Love you and goodbye." Lena laughed as she ended the call.
Lena went back into the room to see that Ming already started drinking without her.
"Is it that bad?" Lena asked him as she sat down.
"No... You were just taking to long. Did you take a dump?"
"OHohoho... boy don't start with me. I am not the one who got dumped! Ahahaha." Lena laughed as she poured herself a drink.
It's been a while where Lena sat and drink with someone. They both drink in silent until their second glass.
"You're brother... are not going to get rid of him soon?" Lena asked.
"Mike? He still has some uses before I sink him. Didn't you say one has to be patient to take down a competition?"
"True... but if you wait too long, you never know what can happen."
"I know..." Ming replied solemnly.
Somehow, when he said that, Lena could feel that he was a bit sad from that. What was it? Was it miss opportunities that he missed in the past?
Lena and Ming just casually chatted about what has been going on lately in each other's lives. Lena drank a lot but not enough to be wasted.
As Kris proposed, Lay did come to pick Lena up. Lay made sure Lena made it home safely before going home himself. He made sure to report to Kris that he did a good job.
Lena took a quick shower, texted Kris goodnight, and then went to bed. Tomorrow was going to be a fun day.
======
When Lena went to work the next morning, reporters were blocking the entrance of the company. Lena had already prepared extra security to ensure that her workers and the work environment remained a safe place.
James got out of the car and opened the door for Lena. As she got out, the reporters tried to get a statement from her.
"Miss. Shen, as the CEO of SHYNE, are you going to take responsibility for the duplication scandal?"
"Last night, the artist Mikayla went live to speak about how your company stole her designs, do you have any comment on that, Miss. Shen?"
"Is it true that instead of taking responsibility, you went out to have fun yesterday night?"
Lena walked past everyone but then stopped at the front of the entrance.
"SHYNE did not steal anyone's design. Is any company or person believe that we did, we'll be waiting for a lawsuit and settle this the legal way. " Lena spoke and then turned around to enter the company.
The reporters mumbled to each other and started to contact Mikayla's team to see if they would be issuing a legal lawsuit against SHYNE.
Just as Lena arrived at her office, Mikayla already posted on her Weibo that she will be contacting her lawyer and suing SHYNE for copying her designs.
Lena looked at her phone and laugh. "Daine." She called for her secretary.
"Yes?"
"If their lawyer shows up, I don't want to speak to them. Give them the contact of the lawyers."
"I'll be sure to do that." Diane excused herself.
Around noon that day, as expected, Mikayla's legal team contacted SHYNE. They showed up at the company requesting to speak with Lena but they were directed to her lawyers instead.
Instead, they went outside and complained to the reporters, saying that Lena Shen was refusing to cooperate with them.
"Miss. Long, will you be taking lead for the Mikayla?" A reporter asked.
"Yes. Mikayla is a small artist just making her career big and then she was pushed by bigger corporations." Nina Long replied.
"Are you no afraid to go against the SHEN industry?"
"No. It's not fear that drives us, lawyers, it's justice and correcting what is right."
Lena laughed at the television screen as she watched Nina try to make herself like a good lawyer. How unexpected, she was drawing only one cockroach and landed with two! She must be very blessed.
"Miss. Shen is still refusing to meet with my team regarding the situation. However, we will still pursue this case and make sure that the artist Mikayla gets her rights and compensation for the damages they have done to her."
Just as the reporters were going to ask more questions to Nina, three men stepped out of a black car.
"Refusing?"
The reporters all turned around and gasped. Isn't... that the famous Lawyer Hu and next to him is the young American Lawyer that made it big at such a young age. What was even more shocking that even the head lawyer from the Zhao corporation was there.
They thought that the Zhao silently removed from interfering with the case, but why was their lawyer here? Was there information incorrect?
"Seems like Lawyer Long is rejecting my client's privacy. As far as I know, she doesn't have to speak to you without a lawyer present. Lawyer 101, didn't you learn that in school?" Milo Hu spoke loudly in the crowd.