Episode 15 recap: A Bao gave up the distribution rights for Wang Mingzhu.
Ye Shu felt that fate deliberately entangled A Bao between Ling Zi and Wang Mingzhu. A Bao met Wang Mingzhu through Ling Zi, and now they are fighting because of Wang Mingzhu. A Bao confronted Mei Ping, warning her not to bully Wang Mingzhu, and he would not let it go easily.Master Fan intentionally made things difficult for Wang Mingzhu, asking her to organize the goods in the warehouse by herself. Master Fan was convinced that she couldn't complete the task and arrived early with people to inspect, intending to teach Wang Mingzhu a lesson. However, Wang Mingzhu neatly arranged the goods in different categories, surprising Master Fan. He respected Wang Mingzhu and offered her an ice cream to cool down. They chatted casually, and he learned that Wang Mingzhu's idol, Fan Zhiyi, was his neighbor. He made an effort to befriend her and even arranged for her to unload goods for an important client, Mr. Diao.
Mr. Wei often brought clients to Zhenyuan Garden for meals. He always requested a private room, but this time he suddenly changed to a smaller one. Li Li knew that he used to show off, so she asked Mr. Pan to closely monitor Mr. Wei's every move. It turned out that Mr. Wei invited his own brother as a guest and treated him to yellow croaker noodles. Meanwhile, Fan Xinhua happened to invite Mei Ping to a meal at Zhenyuan Garden. Mr. Wei learned from Mei Ping that Wang Mingzhu had been transferred from the headquarters.
Mr. Wei came to the foreign trade company's warehouse to pick up the goods and specially brought a large bucket of KFC for Wang Mingzhu. He believed in her innocence, and Wang Mingzhu was deeply moved to tears. Despite the heavy rain, Wang Mingzhu joined the workers in unloading the goods. Mr. Wei observed everything and waited until the end of the workday, intending to give Wang Mingzhu a ride home. However, Wang Mingzhu firmly refused.
Since that day, Mr. Wei frequently visited the warehouse whenever he had free time. He tried various ways to please Wang Mingzhu, but she remained indifferent. After Wang Mingzhu was transferred to the warehouse, the company assigned Mei Ping to take over her business dealings with Fan Xinhua. Fan Xinhua and Mei Ping got along well and had a mutual understanding. Fan Xinhua knew that A Bao resented Mei Ping for Wang Mingzhu's demotion and was worried about potential conflicts between A Bao and Mei Ping in future cooperation. Early in the morning, he took A Bao aside to have a heart-to-heart talk and spoke highly of Mei Ping. A Bao, refusing to forgive Mei Ping, was willing to give up the second batch of distribution rights. A Bao hoped that Fan Xinhua would help Wang Mingzhu in critical moments, and Fan Xinhua readily agreed.
Ye Shu learned that A Bao gave up the distribution rights for San Yang brand and criticized him for being impulsive and giving away what he had obtained. A Bao decided to go all out to promote Mr. Ma's products but found out that Mr. Xu from Hulian Department Store had been transferred, and the new general manager didn't buy into A Bao's plan. A Bao's negotiation ended in failure.
This news quickly spread on Nanjing Road. When Mr. Ma heard about it, he personally came to Shanghai to confront A Bao. Unable to reach A Bao by phone, he went directly to the Peace Hotel to find him. Mr. Ma issued an ultimatum to A Bao, stating that if A Bao couldn't fully distribute the products on Nanjing Road, they would have a falling out. A Bao agreed to give him a 50% deposit.
Ye Shu firmly refused to pay the deposit to Mr. Ma. A Bao went to collaborate with a fashion company on Nanjing Road. He wanted the company to go public but knew that their financial strength was insufficient. He wanted to find an experienced IPO consultant, and the company owner suggested that A Bao and the shaman from the Kirin Society become their consultants. A Bao went to the Kirin Society to find the shaman but was rejected. A Bao then decided to seek cooperation with a fashion company in Hong Kong and asked Ye Shu to help make connections.
Before leaving, A Bao invited Tao Tao to have a drink at Ye Tokyo. They reminisced about the good times with Ling Zi. Tao Tao couldn't handle the alcohol and quickly got drunk. A Bao arranged for a car to take him home and immediately decided to close Ye Tokyo. Tao Tao, Ling Hong, and Teacher Ge considered Ye Tokyo as their second home and strongly disagreed, believing that Ling Zi would eventually return. Teacher Ge even announced that they wouldn't collect rent from Ye Tokyo, and Ling Hong and Tao Tao vowed to continue operating it until Ling Zi came back. A Bao had no choice but to give up.
Tao Tao, Ling Hong, and Teacher Ge apologized to each other, burying their previous grievances and pledging to work together to run the restaurant well. A Bao returned to the Peace Hotel with a heavy heart. Ye Shu pointed out the problems A Bao faced, mentioning that he was entangled with Ling Zi because of Wang Mingzhu and that it was a destined misfortune.
In the second half of 1988, due to fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, Wang Mingzhu was concerned that the price of embroidery machines would skyrocket. Without consulting Ye Shu, she had A Bao and Little Ning Bo call several Japanese trading companies to compare prices. This violated an industry taboo because there were rules among Japanese trading companies. When Wang Mingzhu privately inquired about prices, they all lied and claimed they were out of stock. Anxious, Wang Mingzhu sought help from Ye Shu, but he was helpless and asked A Bao to personally explain the situation to the Japanese trading companies.
A Bao went to Tokyo alone and made various efforts but made no progress. As his visa was about to expire, A Bao had no choice but to find Yamamoto, a Japanese person he had known before. In 1987, both Tao Tao and A Bao were hospitalized with acute hepatitis A. To buy the sold-out Banlangen medicine, A Bao sold the color TV ticket hidden in a yellow croaker's belly, which infuriated Tao Tao. Yamamoto, the executive president of Yamamoto Corporation, also contracted hepatitis A. They stayed in the same hospital room, and A Bao shared his Banlangen medicine with Yamamoto. After Yamamoto recovered and was discharged, he repeatedly expressed his gratitude to A Bao.
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