Mr. Li wave you towards the chair next to him

You sit down at the table.

"Can I get you a drink?" he asks.

"I'm okay," you respond.

He hesitates for a moment and then says, "No, I think you need a drink."

You feel your stomach tighten up at his words. What is this?

You say, "Yeah, maybe I do after all." He lifts a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label and pours it into an empty glass next to his full one. He pushes it towards you.

You wrap your fingers around the drink and ask, "Is everything okay, Mr. Li?"

He nods at your question and takes a sip of whiskey. "It has taken longer to bring the Li-TV to market than we expected."

You stop him, "I know I said I'd have the interface coded by March, but the hardware team didn't even get me a working prototype until halfway through the month. I..."

He shakes his head, "No, no. It's not your fault. The situation was unavoidable. That's not what this is about."

You sip the amber liquid out of your simple glass cup. It burns your throat a little going down.

He continues, "In order to fund the TV project, I had to take on additional investment. These investors are," he pauses for a second, "anxious to see a return on their money. They've made it clear to me that we need tangible success this weekend."

You continue sipping. You wonder who these people could be to make Li look so concerned. At least the liquor seems to be relaxing you.

"What can I do?" you ask.

He nods and gives you a small smile. He says, "I simply need to know that you will do everything that is required of you to ensure the survival of this company. Can you promise me that?"