Episode 5 recap: A Bao successfully secured the Three Sheep T-shirt foreign trade deal.
Li Li was defeated by Mr. Bao's strategy, and the news of Zhi Zhen Yuan's overnight success spread throughout the streets and alleys of Shanghai, gaining a reputation as a place where winners take all. Miss Wang noticed that A Bao never told her about anything, suspecting that he was keeping something from her. Ye Shu realized that Li Li was not an ordinary woman, as she managed her own restaurant in Shanghai without relying on any connections and accumulated wealth on her own.
Miss Wang relayed Mr. Bao's words verbatim to Mr. Fan. Initially, Mr. Fan abandoned cooperation with Mr. Bao for a higher price to work with Mr. Wei. However, it turned out that Mr. Wei's order quantity was less than one-tenth of what was expected, and the factory had already started production. Mr. Fan had to put aside his pride and seek out Mr. Bao.
Meanwhile, Li Li learned that Mr. Bao had not arrived and disrupted Zhi Zhen Yuan's first deal. She immediately instructed her assistant to call Mr. Xu and invite him as a guest. As Mr. Fan was about to leave with his bag, Li Li brought out someone more important than Mr. Xu to persuade Mr. Fan to stay. On the other side, Mr. Xu was currently negotiating a collaboration with Mr. Bao at the Red Egret Hotel across the street.
Mr. Wei, with a high temper, got into an argument with Miss Wang. At that moment, Li Li received a notification that not only was Mr. Xu unable to come, but he was also currently negotiating a deal with Mr. Bao. Miss Wang, overjoyed by the news, returned to the opposite side and criticized A Bao for not informing her of Mr. Xu's identity, causing her unnecessary worry.
Meanwhile, Mr. Fan apologized to Mr. Bao with a smile and explained that Mr. Wei was holding him back. Since Mr. Fan had previously stood up A Bao, this time Mr. Bao reduced the price by one yuan and five fen, forcing Mr. Fan to take action. Afterward, everyone celebrated, and despite Miss Wang's initial anger towards Mr. Bao, her mood improved upon learning that she would be promoted to department head.
Ling Zi felt fortunate that Miss Wang had dealt with Mr. Fan on her behalf and specially obtained a pair of earrings worth 2,600 yuan from her best friend, which she then handed over to Mr. Bao, pretending they cost 26,000 yuan, and asked him to give them to Miss Wang. Although Mr. Wei's business deal did not go through, he ended up spending over 30,000 yuan on an extravagant feast at 88 tables.
About ten minutes ago, Li Li already suspected that this deal was bound to fail, and her intention in running the restaurant was to profit from both winners and losers. Afterward, Mr. Bao escorted Miss Wang home, but she was still dissatisfied with his secrecy and blamed him for not respecting her. Angered, she got out of the car, but Mr. Bao followed, apologized, and gave her the earrings. She pretended to dislike them and left for Huanghe Road, wearing the earrings on purpose.
Mr. Bao encountered Li Li on Huanghe Road, knowing that his deal with Mr. Wei had failed. However, Li Li expressed her joy for Mr. Wei, who became famous overnight, and assured Mr. Bao that their failed cooperation did not affect her. After a brief conversation, Mr. Bao requested Li Li's business card and even arranged a taxi for her. The next day, Shanghai was bustling with activity, and news of the earrings that A Bao had given to Miss Wang spread among their colleagues, who were filled with envy.
And Miss Wang had to give the earrings to her boss in order to secure a promotion. Ye Shu went to the Peace Hotel and asked A Bao how to make the final payment. Eight hundred thousand pieces were not a small amount, and A Bao believed that the success or failure of the foreign trade deal hinged on this. Miss Wang would surely play a role in the foreign trade company.
China officially opened up its foreign trade business, and Three Sheep T-shirt made the first move, marking the signing ceremony with great pomp. Everyone came to congratulate the signing ceremony, and Miss Wang proposed to launch the product on the Dragon Boat Festival. While A Bao was greeting the foreign trade director, Mr. Fan saw Xiao Mei, who admired and envied Miss Wang for her connections.
Before leaving the foreign trade company, the director would hand over all the work to Miss Wang and kindly advised A Bao to let her train independently and not intervene in everything for her, otherwise, if A Bao wasn't around, she would become helpless. Mr. Fan apologized to Mei Ping, as originally the deal was initially meant for her, but in the end, it became Miss Wang's achievement.
Mei Ping pretended not to care, but deep down, she harbored deep hatred for Miss Wang. The director knew that Miss Wang had always been supported by A Bao in her climb to the position of department head. Mei Ping recommended someone to A Bao with a small note, and A Bao told her to go find Ye Shu or Miss Wang, but she didn't dare to approach them.
The director praised Miss Wang for the successful signing this time, and they only found out during their conversation that Ye Shu was the director's uncle, which explained why the director treated A Bao so favorably. Ye Shu came from a poor background and had only ten cigarettes as travel expenses when he came to visit. In the end, he got into legal trouble due to smuggling, and the person who reported him was the director. It was because of her report that Ye Shu was timely saved from going down the wrong path.
Zhi Zhen Yuan deliberately cleared out a private room and invited A Bao. Ye Shu recounted Li Li's business journey, how an outsider established herself in Shanghai and successfully acquired the Golden Phoenix Restaurant after just two meals. She meticulously managed the kitchen and staff salaries. In order for Zhi Zhen Yuan to establish a presence on Huanghe Road, Li Li purposely gave a portion of the shares to "Thousand-Armed Guanyin." She knew how deep the waters of Huanghe Road were.
And the top-floor private room on the rooftop was never open to the public, claiming it was under renovation. But on the first day, they discovered someone had entered. It turned out that Ye Shu had sent You Piao Li to keep an eye on Zhi Zhen Yuan. A Bao hadn't arrived at Zhi Zhen Yuan, but news of his presence spread throughout Huanghe Road. He deliberately entered through the back door to investigate Zhi Zhen Yuan's situation.
Ye Shu once commented that "Ye Tokyo" is a shady establishment. Ling Zi is the owner of "Ye Tokyo," and CEO Bao has been investing in this establishment, but the investments only go out and no profit comes in.
Over the years, Ling Zi has been submitting various expenses to CEO Bao for reimbursement. A pair of pearl earrings priced at 2600 yuan magically turned into a reported price of 26000 yuan.
Clever as CEO Bao is, how could he not see through the "deception" inside?
Even though he knew that the jewelry from Ling Hong's place is worth no more than 3000 yuan, he willingly paid 13000 yuan for the bill.
Those who don't know may think that CEO Bao is the biggest fool on Huanghe Road.
But from what I see, Ling Zi is a person who is versatile and has been managing various social connections for CEO Bao.
When CEO Bao had a car accident and was hospitalized, even when rumors spread throughout Shanghai that he might die, she fearlessly stood up to shield him from those who came looking for him and dealt with the financial mess for him.
Although she did reimburse a substantial amount of money from CEO Bao, she also helped him clean up some people around him.
She has provided a lot of assistance to CEO Bao and can be considered his capable partner.
In my opinion, Ling Zi is more like CEO Bao's "safe deposit box," and he has been paying his "insurance premium" to her for a long time.
I will always remember that early morning at the shareholders' meeting when Ling Zi said to CEO Bao that if his business collapses in the future, his drinking buddies won't be able to save him.
But he can still rely on her, and he can rely on Ye Tokyo. I believe her, what she said is true. CEO Bao also trusts her. He has tremendous trust in Ling Zi, and he understands the reasons behind her "love for money.
Because Ling Zi is a woman who plans ahead, she always finds reasons to submit expenses to CEO Bao when he has money.
She is preparing for the worst-case scenario. In case something happens in the future, this money will be her "life-saving money," to save CEO Bao's life.
CEO Bao is so smart, and with Ye Shu's presence, it doesn't seem logical for them to need a woman to plan ahead. Ling Zi is merely a reminder for CEO Bao to always stay vigilant and true to his original intentions, to avoid making mistakes.
I believe they value Ling Zi's character more. Despite her meticulousness and attention to detail, she is astute and capable. When it comes to critical moments, she doesn't hesitate and can be relied upon as a trusted confidante.
Outsiders enjoy the spectacle, but insiders know the tricks of the trade. CEO Bao persisted for a long time without visiting Zhi Zhen Garden, as he didn't want to give it more publicity and attention.
However, as the story unfolded, CEO Bao had multiple encounters with Li Li, the owner of Zhi Zhen Garden, which inevitably piqued his curiosity. He wanted to explore this best hotel on Huanghe Road and see what it was all about.
Li Li is an ambitious person. Zhi Zhen Garden's daily revenue reaches seventy to eighty thousand yuan, with all the tables in the lobby occupied by walk-in customers and private rooms requiring a minimum spending of at least four digits.
She made it clear that she aimed to establish more than just a restaurant. Rather than saying that CEO Bao was interested in Zhi Zhen Garden, it would be more accurate to say that he developed a strong interest in the owner, Li Li.
After dining there twice, he acquired Jin Feng Huang. His approach was far beyond that of an ordinary restaurant owner on Huanghe Road. He expanded the kitchen from three stations to ten, digging all the way from Nanjing Road to Beijing Road.
It not only cost a significant amount of money but also took half a month to complete.
The recruitment wages were three times higher than others', and the management team was composed of top talents poached from major benchmarking competitors.
CEO Bao spent 2800 yuan as the minimum spending, only ordering two portions of stir-fried beef noodles. Miss Wang thought he had made a big loss, so she packed the dishes according to the 2800 yuan standard, unwilling to compromise and give others a cheap deal.
In fact, CEO Bao's purpose in visiting was to understand the essence of Zhi Zhen Garden and how it was managed by Li Li. He wanted to discover the root of its popularity.
The exclusive private room, which has never been opened to the public, remains a mystery. It seems that only those termed "insiders" by Li Li can enjoy this room.
The identity and status of the people who can dine in this room are still unknown. Ye Shu arranged for You Piao Li to investigate from the first day of its opening, but the conversations and matters discussed within that room remain undisclosed.
Ye Shu also mentioned that this owner is cunning, and he said that outsiders focus on the facade while insiders look for hidden opportunities.
CEO Bao pondered over Ye Shu's words and agreed that it was necessary to look behind the scenes and see the essence.
The kitchen is the core area of food production in a hotel, and the quality of the food produced there directly affects the dining experience of the guests.
Hygiene conditions are directly related to the safety of the food. Poor management in the kitchen can lead to the growth of bacteria and food spoilage.
After visiting, CEO Bao mentioned the Grand Lisboa in Macau, designed by architect Paul Andreu.
It was completed and opened on June 11, 1970, and was the largest hotel in Macau at the time, as well as the first five-star hotel.
Its service quality was widely recognized, and it was considered a well-equipped and attentive luxury hotel.
The hotel's service team was renowned for its warmth, professionalism, and attentiveness, providing guests with a first-class service experience.
Li Li mentioned that they only took reference from the Lisboa.
CEO Bao had a vivid impression of the kitchen and witnessed the entire food production process.
The skills and qualities of the kitchen staff determine the level of food preparation.
An experienced and highly skilled chef can create impressive dishes that enhance the hotel's brand image.
Later in the story, there is an exciting development involving a competition for the position of head chef, which adds another layer to the plot.
In the drama, CEO Bao has intricate relationships with three women: Ling Zi, Li Li, and Miss Wang. Each of these female characters has a distinct personality. However, CEO Bao's favoritism towards Miss Wang is widely known.
Even the cigarette vendor, who appears throughout the drama, knows about CEO Bao's schedule, and Miss Wang is aware of it too. The acquaintance between CEO Bao and Miss Wang can be described as gradual. When they first met, he was still A Bao, and she was Comrade Xiao Wang.
At that time, Comrade Xiao Wang was a junior employee at Shanghai Bund No. 27 Foreign Trade Company, and A Bao was just starting to expand his foreign trade business. Miss Wang was the one who handled A Bao's first business deal, and A Bao was the one who gave Miss Wang her first pair of contact lenses.
As time went on, one became CEO Bao, and the other became Miss Wang, but their long-standing collaboration remained unchanged. It can be said that their relationship is mutually beneficial. Outsiders know that the relationship between CEO Bao and Miss Wang is not simple.
Even Jin Ke, Miss Wang's superior, can see that CEO Bao has quietly supported Miss Wang's career development over the years. CEO Bao's feelings towards Miss Wang are definitely extraordinary. After all, they have witnessed each other's progress step by step.
In this world, there are many who follow CEO Bao for his wealth, but Miss Wang is different. When CEO Bao is in danger, she will personally drive to his rescue. Such a bond goes far beyond the ordinary. However, CEO Bao's feelings for Miss Wang are not romantic; they are more like revolutionary emotions that transcend the boundaries of partnership.
Miss Wang, unlike the versatile Ling Zi or the effortlessly competent Li Li, may appear tough on the surface but has a gentle heart. She has her own principles and boundaries. In that era, when negotiating with various bosses in the business field, she never backs down and fights for what is right.
Because CEO Bao understands her and knows that her fiery personality could put her at a disadvantage, he does everything he can to protect her and silently eliminate risks for her. He pulls her behind him in crowded places, walks by her side when crossing the street, and consoles and comforts her when she is sad or disappointed.
CEO Bao's "favoritism" is more about wanting to protect Miss Wang's "pure land" and has no romantic intentions. At least for now, CEO Bao's entire focus is on his career. Moreover, it seems that Miss Wang has her own growth trajectory in the future, and we eagerly anticipate the upcoming plot.