01x13 - Episode 13

[bunniefuu]

You had me gathering market data
on digital collectibles for so long.

What are you planning to do to Wen Ruosen?

Take a look at this.

WEN RUOSEN, FOUNDER OF YUANZHOU GALLERY

I already know all this.

He used to be your mentor,

and you worked under him for quite a while
before you left the firm.

Do you know why I left Boen?

Back then,

Wen Ruosen screwed me over badly.

Back then, he was only a junior partner,

and I was a young consultant

who looked up to him wholeheartedly
like an elder brother.

Boen landed the transformation project
for Jingshang Department Store.

He led the team and drafted a plan
to turn Jingshang Department Store

into a chain brand.

But halfway through the project,

he realized the plan
was ill-suited for local conditions

and would definitely lead
to massive losses down the line.

So he suddenly promoted me to PM.

At that time, I thought I was so lucky,

like a thoroughbred steed
spotted by a discerning talent.

Little did I know, he promoted me just…

To save his own skin
and to make you take the fall?

Exactly.

Less than two months after the handover,

Jingshang Department Store hit disaster.

It was a treasured,
time-honored enterprise

with 60 years of history.

Boen's reputation was ruined overnight.

Luckily, the internet
wasn't as widespread back then.

The headquarters spent
an eight-figure PR budget

to contain the scandal.

As the project manager,

I had to resign.

But what about Wen Ruosen?

Didn't he bear any responsibility?

He left hundreds of Jingshang employees
jobless and destitute.

But I couldn't stand him tricking me
into taking the fall,

ruining all those people's lives,

and walking away scot-free.

Later, he even wrote me
a glowing recommendation letter.

For a time, I was deeply grateful to him.

Later,

after I applied
to every consulting firm in Beijing

and got rejected by all of them,

it suddenly dawned on me.

So you were…

You're trying to say
I was naive and foolish.

I've always wondered

what you were like
when you were naive and foolish.

Go ahead, take a look.

So you moved to Shenzhen afterwards?

Back then, I lost nearly everything.

Yet I refused to give up so easily.

Up north, most firms were foreign-owned,

so I decided to try my luck
in the Pearl River Delta.

Plenty of enterprises
were growing wildly there,

alongside many homegrown
consulting firms rising rapidly.

I revised my resume,

erased my work experience at Boen,

and joined a mid-sized company
with Hong Kong capital backing.

MILK TEA, BEEF TRIPE, DESSERT HOUSE
TEAROOM, STREET FOOD

I kept grinding away

and gradually built up
a bit of a reputation.

That's when I met Du.

He recruited me
to start a venture together.

Later I found out
Du had also been screwed over

by Wen Ruosen, just like me.

What's more, his father
was a long-time employee at Jingshang.

Wen Ruosen cost all of them their jobs.

Victims deserve compensation.

Wen Ruosen has to pay the price,
just like I did.

It took me two years

to finally land a project
for a major American brand

launching in China.

I even won the Constantine Award.

The Constantine Award?

The highest honor from
the International Consulting Alliance?

It was only silver,

but I finally had the money
to compensate the victims from Jingshang.

I also earned my way back
into the top consulting circle.

After that, I joined P&J
to gain hands-on operational experience.

Then I moved to Hezong.

That was when you interviewed me?

That was our first meeting.

So what was I like in your eyes back then?

Some kid who knew nothing
yet tried hard to pretend to be an elite?

Back then, you were

a pretty proud, promising young woman.

You shone bright.

I was just thinking.

By having me do all this work,

are you trying to set a trap for him?

Yes.

But doesn't he have any defenses at all?

He screwed you over before.
He must know what he did.

Over all these years,

he's hurt so many people.

He can't even keep count.

And after so many years,

he's long rationalized
all the terrible things he did.

By now, he probably thinks
what he did back then

was no big deal at all.

Anyway, I send him text messages
on every holiday.

And when we meet,
I'm always grateful to him.

I think he's got no defenses at all.

You're such a crafty old fox.

Alright.

From now on, I'll call you Officer Rabbit.

Officer Rabbit will definitely help you
take Wen Ruosen down.

Just tell me what exactly I need to do.

You've already done it.

Look at this.

YE XINZHI: WHEN ARE YOU GOING
TO GIVE ME MY PITCHFORK?

MESSAGE

WEN RUOSEN

WEN RUOSEN: SAW YOUR POSTS. YOU
AND MR. DENG FROM MORSE KNOW EACH OTHER?

YE: YEAH, WE'VE KNOWN FOR SIX, SEVEN YEARS

WEN: YOU TWO PRETTY CLOSE?
HE EVEN ASKED YOU TO PLAY SPORTS

YE: WE GET ON OKAY, I SUPPOSE
FIRST MET AT THEIR COMPANY ANNUAL DINNER

YE: WE'VE WORKED ON A FEW PROJECTS

WEN: GOOD FOR YOU
ANY COLLABORATION RECENTLY?

WEN: ANY IDEA HOW INTERESTED THEY ARE
IN THE METAVERSE NEW ECONOMY?

YE: FAIRLY INTERESTED. THEY BACKED XINHONG
IN Q1 FOR BLOCKCHAIN SMART CONTRACTS

You're setting a trap.

Don't say anything. Let me guess.

Wen Ruosen's Yuanzhou Digital Collectibles

is essentially a reseller
for high-priced digital collectibles.

Since the collections he represents

are works by renowned artists,
they carry sky-high valuations.

But the business
has never turned a profit.

Wen Ruosen is drowning in debt.

If he wants to keep maintaining
those high valuations,

he needs to create new business scenarios.

Benyuan Digital Collectibles,
which we ran into at the forum last time,

is Hong Kong's largest
digital collectibles platform.

That's why Wen Ruosen kept trying
to persuade them to take a stake.

But their cooperation
has been going nowhere.

Did you do something behind the scenes?

I had you gather plenty of information
on Benyuan Digital Collectibles,

asked Du to prepare
several rounds of free financial analysis

for Yong'an Trust,

the major investor of Benyuan,
and Yong'an pulled out.

So Wen Ruosen has to look
for other funding sources.

In fact, he approached Morse before,

but got nothing out of it.

He found that I've recently
been working closely with Morse

on the Tianhe Air project,

so he came to me.

He wants you to broker
financing with Morse.

He is holding a digital collectibles
exhibition on Thursday night.

I invited Mr. Deng on his behalf.

They will have an in-depth talk then.

However, I've been working
for Morse lately,

so there are things I can't talk about.

That's why I'll work on your behalf.

You're the irreplaceable, shining

Officer Rabbit and girlfriend.

Mr. Ye, what have you been up to lately?
I haven't seen you in a while.

I've been busy putting together a wedding.

Oh.

-Hello.
-Hi.

Please come in.

Hi.

Long time no see.

After the event,
shall we grab a drink together?

No. My partner won't be happy about it.

Hi.

What did she just say to you?

She told me

she wanted to ask me out
for a drink after the event.

I said, "Sorry, I'm afraid my partner
would be upset."

-Who is your partner?
-You.

I told you not to buy it.

Now we're late, right?

They've arrived. I'll greet them.

Are you really upset?

I said I didn't want to buy it,

-but you insisted on buying it now.
-What took you two so long?

It's all his fault.

Right after work,
he said we hadn't had dinner

and couldn't drink here.

Then he parked the car at
the convenience store to buy a sandwich.

And guess what? We got a ticket.

Haven't you known him long enough?

He was worried about you.

Chi knows me best.

Keep an eye on him.
Don't let him go off the rails.

I have no sway over him.

But someone's coming after you.

Hello, Mr. Ye.

Miss Bu, I've heard so much about you.

My turn. Master Ye.

I'm Xu Chi's good buddy
and Tianna's close friend.

I've studied
all your classic consulting cases.

Just call me Richard.

As Chi's boyfriend,

I appreciate you looking after her
so well at Maxmise.

Chi is mine.

It's only natural for me
to look after her.

No need for you to be polite.

Hey.

Excuse me. Du is over there.
I have to take my leave.

Bye-bye.

You just stole his line.

Chi already said they've known each other
since college.

What business was it of mine?

He comes after me.

Help me touch up my makeup.

What's going on between you two?

Why did you suddenly ask me
to this exhibition?

You were so mysterious on the phone.

And your outfit…

What's wrong with my outfit?

You don't look like
you are under investigation

for suspected financial issues.

You look like you're here to take photos.

Actually, you'd look great
in photos wearing this.

Then take one for me. Here.

Come on.

What's going on? Spill it.

He has a side project,

but he can't show up in person.

Since I'm free now,
I'm just helping him out.

Are you two really together?

But is there no risk of you
working on that side project for him?

He strung you along before,

but now he's preying on you.

This is a romance scam.

I know you're worried about me,
but trust me.

I can judge this for myself, okay?

How much judgment can a woman
in love possibly have?

I know that too well.

He brought me here today,
and without the slightest hesitation,

announced to everyone
that I'm his girlfriend.

Meanwhile, they're still investigating me.

Do you know what this means?

It means he's staking his own reputation
in the consulting circle to vouch for me.

That alone is tremendous support for me.

Your matter will surely be fine.

Now you should enjoy yourself
while you're on leave.

Once you get through this ordeal,

you'll be back at Maxmise working hard.

He's always off on business trips,

and you'll be pulling
all-nighters at work.

Even if you manage to set up a date,
you'll have to cross-check your schedules.

Let me tell you,

even over a candlelit dinner,
you'll get four or five work calls.

It'll be absolutely miserable.

Absolutely miserable?

So you've imagined
this scene many times in your head?

With who?

Alright.

You said you wanted to broaden
your network beyond your dad.

I'll introduce you to a few people today.

Let's go.

Take it slow.

He actually knows people here?

He doesn't seem to be happy.

Although now Zhao Heng

flies all over the place
and stays at high-end hotels,

he was remarkably frugal
when he was a student.

-I think it was during undergrad, right?
-Yes.

We went to the US
for a summer camp together.

He and I took direct flights,

but this guy transferred for over 40 hours

just to save a few hundred US dollars.

-Right?
-Yeah.

-I'm not mistaken, am I?
-Back in school,

I wanted to save some money.

This guy was not only thrifty,

but also great at making ends meet.

-Back then, we stayed in…
-A homestay.

Yeah, a homestay.

The meal plan was included,


-We all signed up for it.
-Yeah.

Only he didn't.

He took the bus to discount supermarkets
and bought these huge bags of bread.

Without even any jam.

Back then, I made a bet with him.

I said, as the summer camp
lasts two months,

he couldn't stick to plain food every day.

And guess what happened?

-Mexican restaurant, right?
-Mexican restaurant, yeah.

He collected leftover duck necks

and chicken feet from there
and braised them in a pot.

It smelled amazing that day!

I still remember that taste.

No wonder when I saw you
from afar just now…

-Keep your poser company,
-I didn't recognize you just now.

-and I'll go and check.
-Couldn't even place your name.

Two duck necks
instantly popped into my head.

When will you braise for us again?

Sure, I'll make it for you.

Alright, how about

I change my WeChat avatar
to two duck necks later?

-Okay, it's a promise.
-Don't you dare.

Your WeChat avatar
has to be a photo I pick.

Who even are they?

They don't even know me,
yet they dare come to a place like this.

They're my college classmates.

We were roommates.

College classmates?

Your college roommates still don't know
you braised duck necks in the US

because I love them?

Honey, stay away from them.

You're being so childish.

For us women,

when people take our kindness
for weakness,

acting all chummy to our faces

yet dripping with subtle sarcasm
and making sly digs at me,

I'd have exposed them all over
WeChat Moments long before.

I…

Alright, less arguing.

Tianna and I are going over there
to greet some friends. You folks chat.

-It's fine. Go ahead.
-Go on.

Let's go.

You're in my way.

Be right back.

She's got what it takes.

That bag is a limited edition.

-I saw through it at once.
-No wonder.

Come here.

Fix my hair.

Fix my hair! Hurry. They're watching.

Aren't you such a charmer?

Bring out all those tricks
you used to pursue me.

Come closer to me.

How come you're stunned
after hearing what they said?

Your earring is crooked.

What are you thinking?

Gentle.

They are still watching.

Thank you.

I used to fight alone out there.

This is my first time being protected.

It feels sweet.

So nice.

Fighting alone?

I wonder what lousy places
you used to go to.

That's why you got intimidated
the second you came here.

Obviously, you get bullied by them,
yet you were grinning foolishly.

It's okay.
With you protecting me, I fear nothing.

Why would I protect you?
What exactly are we to each other?

We're just colleagues.

You're colleagues with Chi too,
and you protect her as well.

Well, I… I…

Speak of the devil.

She's waving at us.

Let's go.

Mind your manners.

Didn't you teach me that?

Let's go.

-That's wonderful.
-Yeah.

-I saw this last time.
-You saw it last time.

-We've talked about it.
-Right.

Hello.

-Let's shake hands. Come on.
-Hello, Mr. Deng.

Hello. You look stunning.

Hope you'll get the chance
to work together in the future.

Sure.

This lady looks very familiar to me.

-Long time no see.
-Long time no see.

Hello.

-Any new work recently?
-This is your…

My father.

Which firm does he…

Excuse me. I need to step away.

Carry on.

-Nervous?
-A little.

Take a deep breath.

Let's go over our plan again.

You work behind the scenes,
I take the stage.

We'll act as intermediaries,

brokering financing
between Wen Ruosen and Morse.

But we'll advise Morse
to set extremely demanding wager terms.

If Wen Ruosen wants the investment,
he has to stake everything he owns.

Because your analysis shows

that risks in the digital collectibles
market have built up to a high level.

Once in a recession,

market values will plummet
across the board.

By then, Wen Ruosen will definitely
lose this wager.

One question.

What if we introduce them to each other,

and they cut us out to negotiate directly?

That won't happen.

Then they'd break the rules.

Besides,

they haven't known each other
long enough to trust each other.

Wen Ruosen desperately needs capital.

If he wants to push the financing process
forward efficiently and quickly,

he has to use a third party like us.

Simply put, this is a small-scale
financing consultation.

Okay. One more thing.

If Yuanzhou Gallery really blows up,

will we end up hurting Morse and Mr. Deng?

Absolutely not.

We're facilitating a transaction,

not fabricating anything.

As one of the world's
most experienced investment banks,

Morse has their own
professional evaluation models.

So even if our plan works,
nothing bad will happen to Deng.

Sure,

I hope Wen Ruosen reaps what he sows soon.

But I'm not some bloodthirsty monster
who will stop at nothing just for revenge.

I can be the monster too.

You're the beauty, and I'm the beast.

Can't you stop joking at a time like this?

You're not nervous anymore.

Now,

it's your time to shine.

-Hello.
-Xinzhi.

-Sir.
-Miss Xu.

-Mr. Wen.
-This is Mr. Deng.

-Hello, Mr. Deng.
-Hello.

Alright, I've got the general picture.

Since Richard recommended this,
I'll make sure to arrange it properly.

It wasn't Richard, but Miss Xu.

My memory's failing me.

I forgot Richard is busy with the project
between Tianhe Air and us.

He can't get involved in other projects.

Miss Xu is the matchmaker
for this project.

Yes, that's right.

She's been on leave recently.

I'm glad you don't mind her
limited experience

and are willing to mentor her.

I won't stand on ceremony.

No need to stand on ceremony.

Let's celebrate.

-Cheers.
-Cheers.

-Happy cooperation.
-Happy cooperation.

I'm worn out.

I can do it myself.

Take the other one off too.

Just relax. You've had a tough day.

I'm fine.

I've got you here.

What are you laughing at?

I just had a really childish thought.

I wish time could freeze
right at this moment.

Sure. I'll cast my magic.
Give me your hand.

Close your eyes.

Let's feel it together.

Alright, it's done. The magic ends.

Already?

Barely a moment.

It's enough.

You've already given me more than enough.

Actually, during the reception today,

I felt everything was so surreal.

Thank you.

Back there, in front of Tianna,
you saved me plenty of face.

You introduced her to so many people
and looked out for Zhao Heng.

Tianna didn't say anything out loud,
but she's grateful deep down.

She is from the Bu family.

Isn't she totally at home
at events like this?

Why would she need my introduction?

That's not the case.

Today she wasn't there
as the eldest daughter of the Bu family,

but as Bu Tianna.

You're what matters most.

How did you find today?

I think today was amazing.

I mean it.

It feels like I'm holding
a thread in my hand,

and I'm carefully gathering
pearls of all different shapes.

Someday I'll turn them
into a dazzling necklace.

Really.

I think if our goal this time
weren't to take Wen…

The weather is nice outside.

How about going for a walk out there?

My feet don't hurt anyway.

Alright.

Don't be mad.

I was thinking

that if our goal this time
weren't to take Wen Ruosen down,

but to truly expand and strengthen

Yuanzhou Digital Collectibles
through financing,

it'd have been quite interesting.

Sometimes I was also thinking
that if Wen Ruosen got lucky,

or the regulatory policies
hadn't come out so soon,

I would have helped him.

But there's no way around it.

Since I chose an open scheme,

I can't change the strategy.

If you like financing consultation work,

I can take you on more deals later.

Great.

If we close this deal for them,

will we get this
according to industry rules?

For a favor deal like this,

if it were to succeed,

no less than 1%.

That would cover the down payment
for your mother's apartment.

I remember everything you've said.

But watch my wording.

If it were to succeed.

The subjunctive mood.

So, we both need to work hard.

I will do my best

because this is my first chance
to follow you

and do a full project
from start to finish.

I have to prove
that I'm qualified and capable

of standing behind you
and working with you.

Not behind, but beside.

Last time I made the first move.

This time it's up to you.

I wish time
could freeze right at this moment.

Give me your hand.

Close your eyes.

Let's feel it together.

He means it.

Still nothing.

Then I'm leaving.

I'm heading back.

What consultant rests this early?

That's so unprofessional.

I want to talk to you
about the plan for Wen Ruosen.

Sure.

Then, Richard,

may I come over to your place
to work overtime on the plan?

Of course you can.

I've got some fine red wine at home.

We can work while drinking red wine.

Work while drinking?

No.

I… I was joking.

You see, no one's
at my place during the day.

There's a printer, and the sofa is comfy.

I hope you can work comfortably
when working for me.

Is that okay?

I can't accept this reason.

Vincent, if you think
I'm easy to push around,

then it'll end here.

You're back.

Let's leave it at that.

We'll be in touch.

Sorry. I made such a mess here.

It's fine.

But what happened to you?

Why did you suddenly blow up
at Wen Ruosen?

He thinks the proposal we offered
is far too harsh.

He even changed

just two figures
in the documents we prepared

and went to other small investment funds,

trying to get them to agree.

Then he'd use that
to pressure Morse and us.

Why get so upset over this?

Didn't we expect this before?

I know.

Du passed this news to me.

You said Wen Ruosen would

hit a wall and come back,

so I poured oil on that fire,
and I lost my temper with him on purpose.

I threw the documents

to make the background drama
sound convincing.

As a steady, seasoned partner,

you definitely wouldn't abandon
the whole matchmaking deal

just because of minor setbacks.

But I'm different.

I'm an impulsive young girl.

If I fly off the handle and pull out,

he won't get funding from either side
and will be more anxious.

It was an act.

You really took a big risk.

Don't worry.

I know exactly what I'm doing.

I checked his natal chart.

He's a Libra,

with the Moon in Capricorn.

So when big issues come up,
he's bound to hesitate.

Suspicious, yet craving control.

I even looked up his MBTI. He…

You rely on horoscopes
for matters like this?

But I think PDP behavioral testing
is much the same as horoscopes.

Fine, let me put it another way.

He has a chameleon personality.

He blows with the wind.

He seems bold on the surface,

but deep down, he's really timid.

That's why I'm pulling a hard move.
It might work wonders.

I just greeted you on purpose
to let him hear us.

I guess he must be
in a real fluster right now.

He'll probably call you
shortly to sound you out.

WEN RUOSEN

See? I was right.

Hang up on him.
Two minutes later, call him back,

tell him you were calming me down,
and reproach him a little.

Hang up.

Just do as I say this time. Please.

Thank you.

She was overly emotional just now.

I really couldn't take the call.

It's my fault.

I didn't expect her to have
such a fierce temper.

I've embarrassed you.

Mr. Wen, about this matter,

let me say something.

You moved a bit too hastily on this.

Financing has lead and follow-on
investment roles.

We'd nearly
got everything lined up for you.

Why did you bypass us
and go through all this trouble?

It wasn't like that.

They thought Morse
was going to invest in me,

so they pestered me
with all kinds of questions.

That's what made Miss Xu misunderstand.

Yes. I just said a couple
of words on your behalf,

and she sent me out onto the terrace.

As I told you before,

she had a tough time at Maxmise.

So I brought her here to let her unwind

and to see if Chi and I can help you.

It's my way to repay
your support back then.

But as things stand,

maybe Chi and I
should withdraw from this project.

No. You mustn't do that.

It's a minor misunderstanding.

Yes.

Well?

This truly is my bottom line.

Alright, I understand.

Well, I'll try to persuade Chi later.

If it falls through,

I'll do my best to negotiate
with Deng on your behalf.

Okay?

Okay, thank you.

Your appointment letter.
I nearly forgot it.

I was planning to fetch it myself.

Didn't expect you'd bring it over.

By the way,

the Academic Affairs Office
assigned me a course.

Strategic Analysis.
The first class is next Saturday.

Great, that's wonderful.

Everything will fall into place.

Now all matters are proceeding as planned.

How about Wen Ruosen?

He took the bait.

So we're three months
ahead of our original plan?

Yes.

He basically accepted
the terms I drafted for Morse.

Morse will subscribe to 38% equity
of Wen Ruosen's Yuanzhou.

Yuanzhou promises a minimum


in performance.

Failing that, Wen Ruosen
shall repurchase all shares

at a compound annual interest rate of 13%.

Twenty-five percent won't work at all.

Initially, we set it at 40%.

The digital collectible market
is red-hot right now.

What if he tries hard
and actually hits over 25%?

Then we'd end up helping him.

This is all he promised.

But Chi added one clause to the agreement

that Morse accepts market value
fluctuations within normal ranges.

Yet the lower bound for the normal range
in the addendum is set at minus 30%.

Namely, if Yuanzhou Digital Collectibles
drops to 70% of its market value,

the company's full ownership
will transfer to Morse.

That girl really delivered.

Has nobody from their team
found out about this?

They haven't.

They were totally wrapped up

in arguing whether
the performance commitment

should be 25% or 40%.

When I went to pick up Chi,

I noticed Wen Ruosen's back was soaked.

His legal team
was chugging Red Bull nonstop.

With this tactic,

she wore them down completely,

leaving them no bandwidth
to check anything else.

I wouldn't call him authoritative,

but everyone does reference his data.

Yeah.

What…

What's this?

Have you two already…

We had.

You old dog, nice work.

At the reception that night,
I thought you were putting on an act.

Come on.

Every time you see me,
all we talk about is work.

Why didn't you update me on such big news?

How far have you gotten?

Actually, not that far.

The moment I saw her with another man,

I knew I was done for.

Your tone doesn't sound right.

With your capability,
you fear you can't control her?

Not exactly. But she's changed me a lot.

So are you worried she's too sharp,

or…

For instance, I thought
I'd observed Wen Ruosen long enough

to know him inside out.

So I kept spinning the net step by step,
hoping to slowly trap him.

-Xinzhi.
-Sir.

-Miss Xu.
-This is Mr. Deng.

-Hi, Mr. Deng.
-I checked his natal chart.

He's a Libra.

Yet I never imagined

Chi would use horoscopes and MBTI,

things I used to dismiss,
to analyze his character.

And she actually got him right.

You rely on horoscopes?

If you think I'm easy to push around,

then it'll end here.

Later, without letting me know,

she blew up on purpose

and broke through
Wen Ruosen's psychological defenses.

You said Wen Ruosen would

hit a wall and come back eventually,
so I poured oil on that fire,

and I lost my temper with him on purpose.

Well?

This truly is my bottom line.

Alright, I understand.

Okay, thank you.

The second Wen Ruosen
agreed to accept Chi's terms,

I even asked myself
whether I'd fallen behind

and lost the sharp insight
I once prided myself on.

Of course I'm not scared
of her growing more capable.

I truly hope
she can fly higher and higher.

After all, she's immensely talented.

Lots of her moves and ideas

surpass what I can comprehend.

She fills me with a deep respect
for the younger generation.

You've had it far too easy
over these years.

Everything went smoothly for you.

You've never faced any setbacks. Right?

Now you're facing setbacks.

Whether you like to hear it or not,
I'm going to say it.

You're…

You're just too solitary.

You struggle to trust others.

It took us
four or five years working together

before we opened up to each other.

Now you've met a girl
whom you can't get control.

No wonder you're lost.

Deep down, you think
she liked you at first

because she looked up to you.

But now that you're dating, growing close

and seeing each other plainly,

the mystery fades,

and your untouchable aura is gone, right?