Episode 8 recap: Xu Ban Xia found a source for steel materials.
Despite Qiu Bi Zheng's attempts to persuade her, Xu Ban Xia stubbornly went to her hotel room with her luggage. Qiu Bi Zheng, frustrated by her stubbornness, regretted bringing her along and declared that he would no longer take care of her. Feng Yu noticed that Xu Ban Xia had been in her room for a long time without leaving and was certain that she hadn't eaten, so he specially ordered a Chinese meal for her and had it delivered.
While Xu Ban Xia was eating, Feng Yu advised her to return to their home country and presented her with the ticket that Qiu Bi Zheng had arranged for her. Xu Ban Xia remained silent, and Feng Yu understood that she was determined to stay there. He took out all the money he had left in his pocket and gave it to Xu Ban Xia, along with an envelope containing Yang Jin Kai's phone number, reminding her to call him if she encountered any difficulties.
Qiu Bi Zheng and his group came with a sense of accomplishment but returned with heavy hearts, while Xu Ban Xia braved the wind and snow, going to various places in hopes of hearing news about Xiao Yang, but to no avail. One day, exhausted, Xu Ban Xia collapsed at the doorstep of her hotel room before she could even open the door.
The embassy personnel received a call from the hotel and arranged for Xiao Yan to take care of Xu Ban Xia. Xu Ban Xia knew that she could speak a foreign language and hired her as a translator for a few days. Xiao Yan, who was working odd jobs, happily agreed. In the construction site of Ban Xia Heap Yard, Chen Yu Zhou also encountered difficulties. Due to poor conditions for construction on the sandy ground, the project manager demanded a price increase, but Chen Yu Zhou insisted on following the contract. In a fit of anger, the subcontractor wanted to halt the work.
Chen Yu Zhou knew that the construction of the yard must not be stopped, so he quickly suppressed his anger and used kind words to appease the subcontractor, promising that there would be money once Xu Ban Xia returned. Zhao, the general manager, only spoke to Xu Ban Xia on the phone in the afternoon and later met Qiu Bi Zheng at a dinner, where he learned about their deception during their trip to the north.
In front of Zhao, Qiu Bi Zheng tried to paint Xu Ban Xia in a negative light, claiming that she was staying in the north and refusing to return, holding onto the more than ten million yuan that Zhao had prepaid. Seeing through Qiu Bi Zheng's true character, Zhao left Xu Ban Xia in the north and angrily threw his glass at Qiu Bi Zheng.
Meanwhile, Xu Ban Xia was lying on her bed contemplating the situation when Zhao called her, asking about the progress of the matter. Xu Ban Xia assured him that everything was going smoothly. Zhao scolded her for not informing him of the true situation but assured her that he was not someone who took advantage of others and shirked responsibility. He advised Xu Ban Xia to return for the Lunar New Year.
Xu Ban Xia agreed with teary eyes and immediately asked about the bra sizes of a few close friends, wanting to bring them gifts back. Her friends were left dumbfounded by her audacious request.
While Xu Ban Xia was shopping for gifts with Xiao Yan on the street, she unintentionally spotted Nina. To confirm that she wasn't mistaken, she even called out to her. Nina turned around, recognized Xu Ban Xia, and quickly ran away. Xu Ban Xia chased after her, caught Nina, and demanded that she return the money.
In a coffee shop, Nina told Xu Ban Xia that she had no idea where the money went. The job she had taken involved several intermediaries, and she was hired to play the role of a steel mill owner's daughter. Xu Ban Xia insisted on reporting Nina to the police, but Nina reluctantly revealed that she knew Xu Ban Xia came here to buy steel and offered to take her to her uncle in Heihe to see the steel, providing as much as she needed.
Xu Ban Xia decided to make this trip. When Zhao, the general manager, found out, he was shocked by her boldness and became even more concerned for her safety, to the point of slamming doors in frustration. Feng Yu's lover visited his office and deliberately brought him a pair of leather shoes. She even sold her gold necklace to gather 10,000 yuan for the financially struggling Feng Yu. This deeply moved Feng Yu.
He informed his wife, Baor, that she had asked for a divorce, and Baor was delighted to hear the news. Xu Ban Xia met Nina's uncle in Heihai and they discussed the price, settling on a deal of $42 per ton. Xu Ban Xia insisted on the goods being loaded onto the ship before making payment. The other party reminded her that the ship couldn't leave without payment.
Xu Ban Xia requested to inspect the goods, but the other party, who was connected to the military, explained that the situation was complicated and she couldn't see the goods. However, he assured her that the steel was of good quality. Xu Ban Xia saw this as the best opportunity and decided to take the gamble. She agreed to purchase 50,000 tons, but she didn't have enough money. So she called Zhao Lei and requested an additional 20 million yuan.
Upon hearing that Xu Ban Xia hadn't even seen the goods, Zhao Lei immediately refused. However, he remembered that Xu Ban Xia had risked everything to buy steel in the north, and ultimately decided to provide the additional 20 million yuan, taking the responsibility upon himself. To convince Zhao Lei, Xu Ban Xia wrote a persuasive statement and called him again.
In fact, Zhao Lei had already made preparations to send her the money, but he deliberately teased her, saying that he could bear the losses this time and that he didn't need to take on any more risks for Xu Ban Xia.
I feel like Xiaochen's complexion looks a bit pale in the drama. Who knows, but I can't help but wonder if he's not in the best physical condition. Could this be a sign of something?
There's a blogger who made a good point. Xu Ban Xia seems to know a group of influential people, but they still gang up and isolate "the woman who collects scrap steel." She gained the favor of the foreigner with a bottle of white wine, but what he values is her "honesty" and the fact that she doesn't have any connections in the background.
Who knows, seeing steel prices drop hurts more than losing money in my investment! How can we turn the tide? That Guo Qi Dong is just too wicked.
The long-dead high school knowledge is coming back to haunt me. Suddenly, I remembered what my high school history teacher said. In the border area between China and the Soviet Union at that time, the Chinese and Soviet people exchanged goods, with one side pushing a motorcycle across while the other side threw a basin back.
It just came back to me! The memory is vivid; I found it quite amusing back then. It was indeed a time of great business opportunities and wealth accumulation.
Is there a possibility that from the beginning, the initial 50,000 tons in the north was just a big gamble? After being deceived, Xu Ban Xia had no way out anyway, so she could only move forward.
Anyway, no matter what, it's a dead end. I'm going all out, and luckily, she even managed to win the gamble. Why does it suddenly feel unreal? I think it's okay.
There are people who win a billion in the lottery, after all.