Chapter 257 - Won’t a Designated Driver Be Dangerous?
Translator: Lav
Editor: Seliniaki Ilikia
It was only after she finished her wine that Zhang Meimei remembered Shi Lei had something to ask her.
“Teacher Shi, I think you had something to ask me. Sorry for only talking about my own problems.”
“It’s nothing serious,” Shi Lei smiled and replied casually. “I have a friend who has developed a mobile phone app recently and is looking for investments. I just happened to earn some money and I thought I could invest in him since his project seems rather good. But a friend is a friend, and a business is a business. I’m afraid that I need to ask you about problems regarding contracts and laws.”
Zhang Meimei smiled charmingly and her cheeks were pink. Although she didn’t drink much, her eyes were slightly cloudy.
Zhang Meimei was beautiful, and she seemed more alluring in that moment. Luckily, Shi Lei wasn’t into aunts, unlike one of the authors he liked. Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t be able to control himself.
“That’s a small problem. If you only need to map out a contract, then we have many templates at my office. I can send them to you tomorrow and make changes to them if you want. But if you need a long-term consultation, then I can’t make a decision for the office, since this is a business and I need to consider my colleagues’ feelings.”
Shi Lei hurriedly waved his hands. “I didn’t mean to ask you to do it pro bono. It’s fine to do everything according to your office’s standard processes.”
Zhang Meimei nodded as she asked with a slight curiosity, “Can you tell me what kind of investment it is?” Shi Lei smiled in response. If he wanted Zhang Meimei to be his consultant, then he had to tell her what it was about sooner or later. Plus, he believed in her work ethic and that she wouldn’t reveal what she had heard to others.
Hence, Shi Lei briefly narrated the app’s search function. Zhang Meimei laughed lightly with her mouth covered, since she hadn’t expected the app to be so exquisite. But after she finished listening, she felt like it could actually be a rather good breakthrough. And this app only required users to pay a fee to the map company. The maintenance fees would be low, since it would only require them to fix the wrong locations of the bathrooms the users uploaded. Rather than search, it was more dependent on the function of the GPS and had a low server requirement.
“Not bad. Although I don’t really understand, it sounds like it has great potential. But from my experience interacting with numerous entrepreneurs, it’s difficult to gain profit with the app itself. If there is enough traffic for it, then it shouldn’t be a problem to raise the value of the company. The majority of high-risk investments are impacted and suppressed by the transfer of shares. A good project doesn’t mean that this company has the potential to continue developing high-quality projects. So for the majority of entrepreneurs, it’s their first project that usually develops quite quickly, but then they lack the power to continue it in the later stages, which forces the company to develop extremely slowly and even drag the first project down. They would eventually sell the project and the company wouldn’t be able to continue.”
Shi Lei nodded. “This is exactly the reason I need professionals like you to give me advice.”
“I’ll discuss it in detail with you tomorrow. We will map out a copy of the contract first, and you can take it to discuss with your partner. I’ll let you know the parts where you can step back and the limit on how much you can step back to my best ability. I’m a bit dizzy right now and I’m scared that I won’t remember the majority of what I say.”
Shi Lei was delighted and raised his glass. “Then I hope in advance that we’ll work happily together.”
Zhang Meimei also raised her glass and gulped down the rest of her wine with Shi Lei.
“It’s late. I should go back.” Zhang Meimei picked up her bag and Shi Lei quickly stood up.
“Lawyer Zhang, you drank some wine and you should find a designated driver instead of driving yourself.”
Zhang Meimei nodded and used her long, slim fingers to gently rub her forehead. “Would that be dangerous?” she asked worriedly.
Shi Lei looked at the charming beauty in front of him. Although she was a little old, if it wasn’t for Shi Lei knowing her well, then he would take her to be only around thirty years old due to her graceful manners. It was normal for a woman to have such worries, especially when she was working in the field of law. It would be inevitable for her to see the world in a more complex way.
If it was someone else, Shi Lei would just comfort them a few words. However, considering that he would have a long-term collaboration with Zhang Meimei and ask her to solve any problems relating to the law, he said, “I’ll send you home. We can get a driver, but I’ll go with you. Then I’ll catch a taxi back.”
“Won’t that trouble you too much?”
“Not at all. It’s not that far, and I’m Er’jie’s teacher.”
Zhang Meimei had a straightforward of personality. “Alright then,” she said.
The two of them called for a driver and left together after said driver arrived. It was January, the middle winter, and both of them felt the coldness of the frosty wind once they left the warm apartment.
Zhang Meimei’s car was parked just outside, on the parking spot on the street. Shi Lei ran a few steps ahead after getting the key from her and asked the driver to turn on the heater before going back to rejoin her.
Shi Lei quickly opened the door when Zhang Meimei neared the car, but she seemed to roll her ankle when she was about to climb in. There was something wrong with her heels. Shi Lei quickly reached out and supported her while her face contorted in a painful expression.
“What’s wrong? Lawyer Zhang, are you okay?” Zhang Meimei frowned as she tried to lift her foot up, but realized that her heel was stuck. She used more strength, only to remove her foot from the shoe while the shoe itself was still stuck in the ground.
At the same time, Zhang Meimei left out a painful yelp. It looked like she had rolled her ankle badly.
“Get into the car first!” Shi Lei helped her into the car and glanced at the high heel. It turned out to be stuck in the gap of a manhole.
Shi Lei pulled the shoe out, but it was already broken. He didn’t think too much of it as he threw it inside and got into the car.
The designated driver took them to the appointed location without a word. After Zhang Meimei paid, Shi Lei tried to help her get out.
But when Zhang Meimei wanted to stand up, she fell back down, seemingly in pain. Shi Lei quickly reached out to support her, but she was too scared to move another inch, since the slightest movement caused immense pain.
The driver stopped after seeing them struggle. He couldn’t really help, yet it would seem rude to just leave them.
Shi Lei noticed and said, “Driver, it’s fine. You can go back first.”
The driver thought that he had indeed finished his job. He asked to double-check that they didn’t need his help and left.