Episode 25 recap: A Bao borrowed thirty million from Li Li.
Commander Cai told Mr. Bao that he couldn't borrow that much money near the end of the year. Ye Shu reminded A Bao not to treat the funds entrusted to him by people as his personal assets, and it was suicidal for A Bao to dare to borrow money from such people. Li Li told Mr. Qiang that a letter of appointment could determine his fate.
At this time, Miss Wang resolved the issue with the upstream factory but had no solution for the downstream. The company was in a crisis. Commander Cai said that it was impossible to borrow that much money near the end of the year, but A Bao still asked him to settle the shortfall of funds. The Yellow River Road Hotel was deserted on Black Monday, and Nan Guotou was severely warned for violations. Li Li told Qiang Mu Jie that his fate would only change with a letter of appointment.
She handed him the transfer contract of Zhi Zhen Garden and proposed converting currency into assets, and then converting assets back into currency for appreciation. It was the simplest monetary theory, but Mr. Qiang refused to invest in Zhi Zhen Garden. Li Li reminded him that the headquarters would look at the national performance, and his Shanghai branch might not be a priority, but Zhi Zhen Garden was right beside him.
Although Mr. Qiang agreed with Li Li's words, he believed that Zhi Zhen Garden was not worth the price suggested. Li Li stated that there was more than one potential buyer for Zhi Zhen Garden. A Bao proposed to Li Li that he was willing to invest and help her manage thirty million. Ye Shu, upon learning that A Bao had borrowed thirty million from Li Li, reprimanded A Bao for digging his own grave.
A Bao stated that they couldn't afford to turn back now, especially with the current economic situation. Mr. Wei observed Miss Wang's distress over the business matter and specifically consulted Wang Lawyer about the potential legal troubles. Afterwards, he made a phone call to a friend, expressing his intention to go to a faraway place. Little Jiang Xi sought help from Min Min, hoping she could reveal some inside information. She mentioned that Taiwanese people had lent money to Mr. Jin, and she lost everything. If they came asking for money tomorrow, she would be implicated. If she couldn't exchange the money, Jin Mei Lin would be lost. It turned out that Mr. Jin had concealed from his wife, Lu Mei Lin, that he had borrowed money by mortgaging Jin Mei Lin.
Min Min gave her savings to Little Jiang Xi as future living expenses. Mr. Fan came to visit Wang Mingzhu and saw her eating instant noodles in a corner. Miss Wang treated him to noodles, and Mr. Fan said that he had retired since the stock market situation, but luckily he had made money earlier by buying land.
Mr. Fan knew about the competition between Wang Mingzhu and A Bao in the jeans business and understood that the price she set was impulsive. Wang Mingzhu had little time left and was being blocked by manufacturers in Zhejiang and Shanghai. Mr. Fan's words reminded Wang Mingzhu and proposed Shenzhen. She was prepared to start from scratch with Mr. Fan, feeling her way across the river and giving it her all. He also recommended her to some of his previous clients, and her success would depend on Miss Wang.
Li Li recommended a client to A Bao. Mrs. Lin was an investment expert. A Bao proposed a plan to entrust the funds for a fixed income of twenty basis points per year.
Another option is profit bundling, where he would take ten basis points for profits and not a penny for losses. Mrs. Lin insisted on a guarantee against losses, and they eventually reached an agreement for a six-month period at thirteen basis points.
This time, Li Li used Zhi Zhen Garden as collateral to help A Bao. Afterward, A Bao made a special phone call to Li Li, and Assistant Pan informed him that Mr. Jin had committed suicide by jumping off a building to avoid debt, and Mrs. Lin was the creditor. A Bao had a bad feeling upon hearing this. An hour ago, Little Jiang Xi saw Mrs. Lin by the roadside. She was Taiwanese and had come to collect the debt.
Lu Mei Lin was unaware of her intentions and warmly welcomed her. Mr. Jin purposely hid when he saw Mrs. Lin, and Little Jiang Xi privately approached Mr. Jin and suggested eloping with him, asking him to remove his ring. Mr. Jin refused. Mrs. Lin handed over the mortgage documents to Lu Mei Lin, who managed to gain a week's time.
Mr. Jin watched Mrs. Lin leave from the rooftop and was then pulled into the house by Little Jiang Xi. Unfortunately, due to the dilapidated window, he accidentally fell to his death. The new year bell rang, and Mr. Jin died in front of everyone. Lu Mei Lin was devastated by her husband's death and called Little Jiang Xi over, attacking her in a fit of madness. The crowd pulled Lu Mei Lin away, and Little Jiang Xi was taken to the hospital.
Min Min cried in self-blame, regretting that she couldn't persuade Little Jiang Xi as her friend, leading to the current outcome. Since Mr. Jin's incident, Li Li never returned to Zhi Zhen Garden, and it was unclear what she was afraid of. Commander Cai discovered Li Li's past identity as one of Mr. A's "Eighteen Arhats," but her surname was Chen.
A Bao suspected that Chen was Li Li. Li Li remembered seeing Mr. A jump into the sea from the rear-view mirror after bidding farewell to him in Shenzhen, and she burst into tears in the car. A Bao finally found Li Li, who said she wanted to leave and use Zhi Zhen Garden as collateral only after she had cash in hand. A Bao claimed that he was not Mr. A and would win this battle in his own way.
Ye Shu proposed to Jinke that he wanted Miss Wang to transfer the orders to him, but Jinke, with a temper similar to Miss Wang's, stuck to his principles and refused. Mei Ping informed Ye Shu about the manufacturers of Mr. Fan's old clients in Shenzhen that she had investigated.
The plot of these few episodes is deliberately crafted with idiotic conflicts solely for the sake of climax. It revolves around a vague romantic interest who happens to be in a competitive relationship with the protagonist's own company for an important business deal, possibly a matter of life or death for the company.
The company's general manager pulls strings and uses various connections to help secure the deal and suppress the rival. However, the CEO and the general manager go against each other, using their own connections to assist the ambiguous romantic interest in getting the deal, ultimately sabotaging their own company.
What a cliché portrayal of a domineering CEO who sacrifices everything, including his wealth, for the sake of silently loving and saving the hardworking Cinderella. This is supposed to be the image of a powerful and resourceful CEO who started from scratch on Huanghe Road in Shanghai?
The plot could have been arranged differently. Miss Wang could have secured the foreign trade order, and the CEO, Baozong, could have taken a step back and offered some concessions, allowing Wangbao to complete the order as partners.
Then Miss Wang could have earned substantial profits and taken off, while Baozong, in a half-buy, half-gift gesture, could have played the gentle CEO who saves the day for the sake of their friendship. This would have set the stage for subsequent plot developments, either reconciliation or continued conflicts.
This would have been more in line with the first twenty-something episodes, with Baozong's gentle CEO image, full of righteousness, and Ye Shu's strategic thinking and discernment.
Instead, they had to arrange this kind of cheesy romantic idol drama with a domineering CEO who disregards family business and becomes a silent supporter, sacrificing everything for a romantic interest.
And in the end, they even added an inspirational character arc, where the protagonist resists good intentions, willingly faces breach of contract, financial loss, and imprisonment, all in order to prove oneself through hard work, inspire others, and achieve the goal together.
The ending was a mess. At the beginning, I thought it was super enjoyable, but let's summarize. First, Ling Zi's storyline was a complete disappointment. Initially, CEO Bao gave Ling Zi a plane ticket back to China and even opened a store for her.
But she completely used and betrayed CEO Bao, turning around to marry his arch-nemesis, Mu Qiangdong, and teaming up against CEO Bao.
Secondly, Wang Mingzhu's character was a failure. CEO Bao went to great lengths to help her secure the denim order, even though she claimed she didn't rely on him and had been silently helping her from behind the scenes.
But in the end, she climbed into an old man's bed, got pregnant, and went against CEO Bao. Why were all the female characters portrayed like this?
What kind of dissatisfaction do they have with women? Only Li Li, from the beginning to the end, appreciated and helped CEO Bao mutually.
They had a genuine connection. But if we look at Ling Zi and Miss Wang, who have known CEO Bao the longest, it's like a farmer and a snake. They took everything from CEO Bao and ended up stepping on his bones, climbing into another man's bed.
It's such a disappointing ending. I can't believe it's written by the same person. The so-called business genius turned out to be nothing. Even the junior supervisor at Zhizhen Garden understands the stock market better...
Indeed, it's the unhelpable A Bao. Like mud that can't be plastered on the wall and rotten wood that can't be carved, he's not worthy of being involved in any plans. While others may see him as being loyal and righteous, I see him as nothing more than indecisive.
He lacks the foresight that CEO Bao possesses. He had already done everything he could for Miss Wang, but he couldn't bear to let go and ended up giving up. It's truly frustrating. And as for Miss Wang, she can't even recognize herself.
Without the help of her master, Baozhong, Mr. Fan, Mr. Wei, and others, she wouldn't even be able to secure a single order. Yet, she miraculously lands a 200,000-piece deal right off the bat. It's simply a joke. Overall, the plot starts off strong but loses its way.
And Ye Shu's departure... it's driving me crazy. There are so many unresolved issues that are hard to put into words.