Suits: A Lawyer Surviving TV Chaos

While Martin was imparting life lessons to his good friend and little fanboy, back in New York, two women were gathered around a new oven.

"Ding!"

The oven emitted a pleasant chime.

Caroline Channing, like a cheerleader jumped up and down outside. "Max! Hurry! Time's up!"

Max Black, on the other hand acted like an experienced master baker. "Hold on. Based on my experience, the cakes need to stay in the oven for five more minutes to become softer."

They waited the extra five minutes with their phones in hand before cheering and opening the oven to take out the steaming, fragrant cupcakes.

Each picked one in their favorite color, clinked them together like a toast, and then solemnly took a bite.

"Absolutely incredible!" Caroline still retained her Manhattan princess flair for dramatic expressions. "This is the most delicious cupcake I've ever had! Even the $30 Barbie cupcakes from First Avenue can't compare."

She even started doing a hilariously awkward hip-twisting dance while holding her cupcake. "New oven! New oven!"

"If I put your awkward frosting model on top of the cake, it'd definitely sell for more than $30!" Max teased between bites.

For Max, who used baking as a way to clear her mind and enjoy life, the new oven wasn't just about faster baking times and better-tasting cakes—it was like a brand-new life partner…

Though happy, Max couldn't shake the feeling that she was being a bit of a heartbreaker…

After baking 200 cupcakes, they finally released all their excitement and collapsed onto Caroline's bed, exhausted.

150 of the cupcakes were for Pearson Hardman law firm, and 50 would go to Williamsburg Restaurant—some for the staff to taste, others to be sold in the kitchen.

Even while resting, Max kept an eye on the new oven. "Honestly, this is the first gift I've received since I was seven that didn't come with a man's bodily fluids. It feels like a dream."

"Max, why didn't you agree to expand your cupcake business after I nagged you for so long?"

Caroline didn't respond but instead asked curiously, "And yet, after only two conversations with Martin, you agreed?"

"Because he's a man, and you're a woman." Max answered lazily. "And I'm a 100% straight woman!"

"You like him?" Caroline immediately sat up, shocked. "How could you? He's my… bed buddy."

"Just a bed buddy," Max joked, feeling playful and crossing a line in their sisterhood code. "Keep an eye on your guy—he might end up in my bed one day."

Even though they were close enough to share the same tube of lipstick, when it came to men—even casual running buddies—Caroline couldn't help but freak out.

"Okay! Okay! It was just a joke, alright?" Max quickly signaled a timeout and explained why she agreed to the cupcake business.

"Even though you kept encouraging me, all your promises felt like castles in the air, you know? You told me people would love my cupcakes and we'd make lots of money… but it all sounded like the bedtime fairy tales my mom used to tell me before she got hooked on cocaine."

"Martin's different. He paid to put the cupcakes in the pantry at his law firm, made internal recommendations and I even signed my first supply contract because of him. That guarantees I'll earn an extra $300 every day. I really had no reason to refuse."

Hearing this explanation, Caroline suddenly felt a bit disheartened. "Is the gap between Wharton and Harvard really that big?"

"Honestly, I've always thought so." Max added another jab to her heart.

Caroline had always been proud of attending Wharton Business School, which allowed her to maintain some dignity even after going bankrupt.

Forget those Upper East Side bitches who only cared about money!

But today, after hearing Max's analysis, she realized how far behind she was compared to Martin.

She only knew how to keep persuading without realizing that people like Max, living on society's bottom rung couldn't afford even one failure.

Martin on the other hand, handed success directly to Max on a silver platter!

This realization left Caroline feeling utterly dejected, even thinking she was completely useless.

"Max listen to me." Caroline lay on the bed for a moment, then sat up seriously. "I think you gave me too much equity. I haven't done anything to help. You and Martin can handle this just fine."

Max didn't agree. "Without you I wouldn't have met Martin, wouldn't have thought of turning cupcakes into a business, and certainly wouldn't have gotten such an amazing gift."

"Listen, you and Martin brought me aboard this ship, so don't think about leaving me out now. We're in this together!"

"Oh! Max~~~~~"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, in Martin's apartment, the genius quartet inevitably felt Martin's usually unremarkable presence.

The biggest change? When they ordered Chinese takeout in English, the food tasted a bit different from what Martin usually ordered in Chinese.

Though the flavor was decent, the genius foursome still sensed a hint of racial discrimination!

Yes, discrimination by Asians against whites, Jews, and even fellow technically Asian Indians!

"I can't believe they treated us like this!" Leonard still awkwardly poked at the rice in his box with chopsticks. "I ordered Kung Pao Chicken, but the restaurant sent General Tso's Chicken. I mean the least they could do was hire someone to handle their customers better if they cant learn english at their age."

In America, stereotypes about whites held by Asians include hostile racism towards asians as opposed to subtle racism toward blacks , poor financial planning abilities and an inability to handle food with myraid of spices.

"I think my Chinese is good enough to handle this situation."

Howard confidently picked up the phone and spoke gibberish in Chinese, only to get yelled out in Chinese by the person on the other end.

"*&%...￥&%*&%**&...（）*"

Howard hung up the phone with a straight face. "They said they're very sorry and will correct it next time."

But his fidgety hands instantly revealed the truth to those who knew him well.

"Howard, Chinese is a complex language system with ten very different regional dialects and 271 sub-dialects. Historically even whole of china couldn't speak with each other until very recently ."

Sheldon lectured earnestly. "Perhaps we should write a complaint letter in Chinese. You know, despite differences in pronunciation, written communication is always precise."

"Sheldon's right!" Raj stood up to testify. "When I first came to the U.S., girls in my class kept mocking my accent. Although my written English was better then theirs, so i actively started avoiding speaking English and preferring writing stuff up which led to my selective mutism."

As they were complaining, Penny stormed in. "Where's Martin? I need him now!"

Howard immediately jumped up. "Penny not to brag but whatever Martin can do, I can do too—maybe even better!"

"Do you think you can handle a Nebraskan sexpot?" Penny looked skeptical.

"Martin went to Los Angeles on a business trip this morning." Leonard cut in. "What happened?"

Penny slumped onto the couch, frustrated, and began venting. "I have a good friend… She said she's coming to New York and asked if she could stay with me. Now she's been yapping nonstop in my apartment about every Omaha man she's slept with—basically, all the men in Omaha. And she's currently washing the most disgusting lingerie you can imagine in the bathtub."

Howard grew increasingly excited. "Is she washing them one by one or all together?"

Penny and Leonard stared at him blankly.

After Howard sheepishly sat back down, Leonard asked curiously, "If you dislike her so much, why are you letting her stay in your apartment?"

"She slept with my cousin while accepting a marriage proposal from my cousin's brother." Penny's expression was hard to describe. "So technically, she's kind of a distant relative."

Leonard made a helpless gesture. "Martin might not be back for a week—or maybe two weeks. What do you want him to do?"

"I want him to use that Orlando Bloom-level face of his to make my friend fall in love with him!"

Penny's expression turned mischievous. "Then dump her cold-heartedly right after sleeping with her!"

"Oh~~~~~"

Leonard and Raj let out ambiguous exclamations in unison, while Sheldon flipped through the Chinese-English dictionary he'd taken from Martin's bedroom, scribbling something in his notebook.

At that moment, Penny noticed something was off. "Where did Howard go?"

From the open apartment door came Howard's somewhat flirtatious voice.

" Bonsoir, Milady. I know you've just arrived in this city and might feel a bit out of place…"

(End of Chapter)