Because of Love Episode 26 Recap
> Because of Love Recap
The Dongyuan Group's stock continued to plummet, causing Nie Yusheng immense stress as he found himself at a dead end. His attempts to secure bank loans were repeatedly rejected due to the company's grim financial outlook. Even a promising lead for a loan fell through when the contact failed to show up for their scheduled meeting.
Meanwhile, news spread about Dongyuan, a leading mineral water enterprise, facing a financial crisis due to overdue supplier payments, with its stock hitting an all-time low. Knowing Nie Yusheng was struggling, Shu Qin called him to offer support and invite him to dinner. She acknowledged the immense financial gap and the widespread anxiety among employees, many of whom were already seeking new jobs. Nie Yusheng admitted his exhaustion from a full day of fruitless bank visits.
Shu Qin reminded him that as long as people were still drinking Dongyuan's water, there was hope. Nie Yusheng also relied on his friend Zhou Rongyang, nicknamed Chubster, who was now working in Dongyuan's legal department, to review contracts and look for clues, specifically about old real estate contracts that were hard to access. Nie Yusheng warned Chubster to be discreet, acknowledging the complex internal dynamics of the company. That night, Nie Yusheng visited his comatose father in the hospital.
He massaged his father's hands, speaking from his heart about the difficulty of running the company and finally understanding his father's past struggles. Later, he went to Tan Jing's home, where she cooked him a simple bowl of noodles. He confessed he wasn't truly hungry but sought the comfort and warmth he found with her, a place where he could momentarily stop and rest.
Tan Jing stayed by his side, reassuring him that he was Nie Yusheng and could overcome anything. During an administrative meeting, department heads presented financial reports, revealing three consecutive quarters of losses and a projected deficit by the fourth quarter, which would impact supplier payments. Nie Yusheng emphasized the critical importance of paying suppliers on time to protect Dongyuan's reputation, but no one could offer a viable solution.
Mr. Quan, the company's secretary, subtly spread rumors that Nie Yusheng might have a private source of funds, but he also highlighted his and Nie Yusheng's unsuccessful attempts to secure bank loans, indicating the severity of the situation. Tan Jing took Sun Ping to visit Nie Dongyuan. The thoughtful boy listened to his grandfather's heartbeat with a stethoscope, hoping he would wake up soon.
Nie Yusheng and Tan Jing were moved by Sun Ping's genuine affection for Nie Dongyuan, acknowledging the strong bond between them. Meanwhile, Shu Qin proactively sought someone to assist at Dongyuan. She thought of Sheng Fangting and managed to persuade him to join, seeing it as an opportunity for him to prove his capabilities by turning the company around. Sheng Fangting's arrival provided a much-needed breakthrough for Nie Yusheng.
Sheng Fangting quickly proposed a solution: selling Dongyuan water to PQC, a global supermarket chain entering the Chinese market, at a significantly reduced, almost cost, price. This would secure immediate capital, even if it meant sacrificing short-term profits and offending existing retailers. Nie Yusheng agreed, and while the board initially objected, calling it a desperate and self-sabotaging move, they had no alternative solutions when pressed by Nie Yusheng, with Mr. Quan reluctantly agreeing.
After Sheng Fangting secured the contract with PQC, upset retailers protested, but Sheng Fangting calmly stated that Dongyuan's market share was too significant for them to simply stop selling its products. He advised Nie Yusheng to focus on the long-term goal of solving the financial crisis rather than current issues. Nie Yusheng informed Tan Jing about Sheng Fangting joining the company.
He playfully feigned jealousy, attributing his initial reluctance to share the news to Sheng Fangting's past help at the hospital for Tan Jing. Tan Jing also shared good news: her school friend, Mr. Gu, had helped her find a job at a kindergarten teaching English picture books. She successfully completed her trial lesson and received positive feedback from parents. Later, after work, Nie Yusheng met with Chubster, a meeting secretly observed by Mr. Quan.
Nie Yusheng provided Chubster with extensive legal and financial data access, including old contracts and emails, asking him to look for clues, particularly related to third-party agreements and any issues from seven years prior, while stressing the importance of discretion due to the company's complex internal relations. Later, Shu Qin arrived to pick up Sheng Fangting, and Nie Yusheng invited them, along with Tan Jing, to dinner.
At the dinner, Shu Qin recounted how she and Sheng Fangting met, sharing details of his insightful advice during a difficult time with her father. Nie Yusheng promised them a generous gift for their upcoming marriage. During a discussion about the company's challenges, Sheng Fangting highlighted that the main problem lay with the company's veterans who lacked motivation and protected their own interests. He suggested a "big reshuffle" to revive the company.
Privately, Shu Qin confided in Tan Jing, sharing her personal philosophy on love and commitment, revealing a past "time limit" she set for Sheng Fangting and contrasting it with Nie Yusheng's boundless love for Tan Jing. She encouraged Tan Jing to prioritize her happiness and not to let Nie Yusheng slip away.
On the drive home, Nie Yusheng, fearing Tan Jing's misunderstanding, explained that he pursued Shu Qin years ago because his father wanted him to settle down, and Shu Qin was his only female friend at the time. He admitted he also hoped it would make Tan Jing jealous. Tan Jing, realizing his underlying feelings, smiled and said he succeeded in making her jealous.
Nie Yusheng expressed his frustration with the board's "old guard" who were more interested in cashing out than helping the company. Sheng Fangting viewed their underestimation of Nie Yusheng as an advantage. Nie Yusheng, now determined, ordered a special shareholders' meeting, requiring all directors, even those abroad, to attend. He and Sheng Fangting played a game of chess, during which Sheng Fangting warned him that a "terrible battle" lay ahead as Dongyuan's internal corruption needed to be rooted out.
At the board meeting, the "Corporate structure upgrade" proposal caused outrage among the veteran directors, who accused Nie Yusheng of wanting to fire them and lacking conscience. While this unfolded, Mr. Quan was secretly informed that Chubster had been delving into old financial and legal documents from seven years ago, and Sheng Fangting was investigating past supplier loan issues related to real estate.
Mr. Quan then made a lengthy speech, appearing to support Nie Yusheng's "options reward system" as a temporary measure for the company's long-term benefit, seemingly encouraging the shareholders' temporary sacrifice while implying future compensation. Nie Yusheng, however, had already seen through Mr. Quan's facade, subtly asking him to refer to him as "Mr. Nie" in the workplace to avoid appearing biased, signaling his awareness of Mr. Quan's true intentions.
