Episode 12 recap: Xu Ban Xia welcomes the rebound of steel prices.
Xu Ban Xia decided to take a step back and proposed selling one million tons of steel to Guo Qi Dong at a low price, with an additional interest of three hundred thousand tons. However, she would have the final say on when the steel would be sold. Guo Qi Dong believed that the current Xu Ban Xia couldn't make waves and disagreed with this proposal.
Zhao Lei sensed that something was amiss, but in order to appease Guo Qi Dong, he set aside his previous status and took the initiative to give Guo Qi Dong three thousand tons of scrap steel to persuade him to withdraw the lawsuit. However, Guo Qi Dong refused and instead advised Zhao Lei that it would be better to keep the batch of scrap steel for himself, mentioning Zhao Lei's deputy manager, Qin Fang Ping.
Zhao Lei knew that it must have been Qin Fang Ping who leaked the information and felt heavy-hearted. Guo Qi Dong mocked Zhao Lei, saying that if he didn't sell the fifty thousand tons of scrap steel soon, he would no longer be the "little foreigner" that everyone praised. Provoked by Guo Qi Dong one after another, Zhao Lei finally smashed an ashtray and beat Guo Qi Dong.
Guo Qi Dong issued a stern warning that he would sue them and quickly left. Su Guo Dong noticed that Xu Ban Xia had been burdened with worries lately and her health was deteriorating, so he specially brought food to her door and cooked for her. However, Xu Ban Xia had no appetite as she was preoccupied with her debts, so she went back to her room first.
Su Guo Dong knew that Xu Ban Xia had declined him politely, but he was not willing to give up and wanted to try again. Su Guo Dong knocked on Xu Ban Xia's door and asked if he could lie beside her. Although Xu Ban Xia did not refuse, she did not approve of such a relationship because even though she knew Su Guo Dong was a good man, she couldn't force herself to be grateful and reluctantly spend her life with him. However, she would treat Su Guo Dong as her best friend.
Facing direct rejection, Su Guo Dong realized that he had no further chance with Xu Ban Xia and couldn't help but feel heartbroken. Xu Ban Xia lay in bed, but she couldn't sleep because of the mess she had to deal with. Time never stops for anyone and continues to move at its own pace. Tong Xiao Qi was injured and could only lie in the hospital for treatment, but his mind was still concerned about Xu Ban Xia.
Chen Yu Zhou continued to work tirelessly, doing his utmost to support Xu Ban Xia in managing the storage yard. Such days were exhausting, but everyone gritted their teeth and persevered. On this day, Zhao Lei, as usual, paid attention to the fluctuation of steel prices and found that they were rising. He hurriedly went to find Xu Ban Xia, but he didn't know which building she lived in, so he had to walk and shout at the same time.
Xu Ban Xia endured the days with a heavy heart. As the auction was just a few days away, her mood became even more downcast. One day, as she was dozing off, she heard someone calling her. She recognized it as Zhao Lei's voice and quickly walked to the window. She heard Zhao Lei asking her to watch the financial channel, so she immediately turned on the TV. However, the remote control hadn't been used for a long time, so she had to search for it for a while.
When Zhao Lei arrived, Xu Ban Xia happened to see the news about a sharp rise in steel prices. This made Xu Ban Xia happy, and she hugged Zhao Lei with joy. She thought about the hardships she had experienced during this time and started smiling, with tears streaming down her face. Chen Yu Zhou was still busy serving tea and water in the yard, wearing his usual smiling expression. He was waiting for Xu Ban Xia's call and finally let out the long-suppressed emotions. He flipped over the tables like a madman and climbed onto the scrap steel, shouting at the people who were chasing after him, "You want money, don't you? Take it!"
Xu Ban Xia swept away the previous gloominess, put on exquisite makeup, and dressed in beautiful clothes to go to the bank. Chen Yu Zhou carried a large bag of cash and paid the money that needed to be paid, no longer needing to smile politely. Qiu Bi Zheng's factory survived thanks to the rebound in steel prices, and he envied Xu Ban Xia's business. He suggested that Wu Jian She go and discuss the possibility of partnering together.
Wu Jian She felt ashamed and didn't expect Xu Ban Xia to bring up this matter voluntarily while repaying the money. This made everyone very happy. Xu Ban Xia asked Qiu Bi Zheng, Wu Jian She, and Feng Yu to be witnesses and returned the 1.3 million to Guo Qi Dong.
Qiu Bi Zheng questioned Guo Qi Dong about the source of the money, which startled him. Xu Ban Xia took out the account book that Qiu Bi Zheng had given her to investigate, which detailed the problematic areas and pointed out that Guo Qi Dong had embezzled money from Qiu Bi Zheng through cutting corners.
This made Qiu Bi Zheng furious, and he immediately slapped Guo Qi Dong and threatened to sue him. Guo Qi Dong finally understood fear and realized what it felt like when he pushed others. Xu Ban Xia went to the fleet and saw that Tong Xiao Qi and his crew were using a run-down car to earn rental income for her. She was deeply moved, so she took out a check she had prepared in advance and told Tong Xiao Qi to buy a new car. She also decided to merge the fleet back into the company, and the three of them remained partners.
The Wind Blows Halfway" is the best TV drama I've seen this year. It's the only drama that I haven't skipped through.
From the part where she borrowed money, you can tell that Xu Ban Xia is silently observing how your family performs their act, mocking Xu You Ren. Isn't it exhausting? Once the debt is repaid, as a business person, if you genuinely care about me, give me some cash.
If you insist on talking about emotions, I don't have time for that now. Let's discuss business matters or just take the money and leave.
Starting a business is really tough, physically and mentally exhausting! Only those who have experienced it truly understand! Reality doesn't sympathize with your struggles; instead, it shows you, especially in the most challenging moments, that there's no limit to how tough things can get.