Blossoms Shanghai Episode 18 Recap
> Blossoms Shanghai Recap
The Shanghai stock market experienced a significant downturn, with the Shenzhen index plummeting to its lowest point on July 20, 1993. Despite this, Shanghai's market boasted numerous high-quality local companies with investment potential, drawing the attention of Shenzhen institutions. A Bao, recalling Li Li's "catfish theory" of capital markets, anticipated the arrival of a disruptor.
Soon after, Qiang Mujie, identified as a "catfish" from Shenzhen and CEO of Southern International Trust and Investment Company, emerged, arriving in Shanghai to open a branch. A Bao tasked Youpiao Li with closely monitoring Zhi Zhen Yuan to understand the Shenzhen group's intentions and prepare to "catch the catfish," especially after Shenzhen began to show signs of struggling while Shanghai's market remained strong.
Cai Siling later informed A Bao of Qiang Mujie's arrival, noting that A Bao had been waiting two months for him. Qiang Mujie's company, having a grand facade that could be deemed useless if ineffective, convened a meeting at the Lianyi Building, their Shanghai headquarters.
There, Zhang Zong explained that due to the stock market crash, "Mr. A," who had started from scratch, was now in such a state, prompting employees to change their strategy to pursue unprecedented ventures and earn money others dared not. Secret numbers were exchanged during the meeting as a path to their future turnaround.
Concurrently, Ling Zi, with a restaurant concept already in mind, received suggestions from Ge Laoshi to hire a chef skilled in local Shanghai cuisine, and from Ling Hong to incorporate Japanese cuisine. Ling Zi decided to implement Ge Laoshi's nostalgic idea of giving Night Tokyo its own distinctive character, meticulously sourcing various utensils from Ling Hong to completely transform the establishment.
He later made a special trip to Zhi Zhen Yuan on Huanghe Road, ostensibly to research market conditions and learn, sparking the curiosity of Li Li and Jin Meilin. Li Li greeted Ling Zi and offered him a private room, but Ling Zi insisted on dining in the main hall. He offered 500 yuan for Zhi Zhen Yuan's signature dishes, with Li Li personally accompanying him while Assistant Pan served a multitude of dishes.
Li Li, deducing Ling Zi's true intentions were not merely to dine, learned of Ling Zi's renovation plans. While Li Li invited Ling Zi to open a restaurant on Huanghe Road, noting Night Tokyo's "small and refined" nature and its distance from Huanghe Road, Ling Zi expressed reluctance to get involved in the area's "muddy waters," stating his only desire was to earn a living. Li Li personally saw him off.
Youpiao Li, staking out Zhi Zhen Yuan for A Bao, immediately reported Ling Zi's visit. Cai Siling, upon hearing of Ling Zi's visit to Zhi Zhen Yuan, speculated that Ling Zi might be abandoning A Bao. Upon returning, Ling Zi closeted himself upstairs. Concerned, Tao Tao, Ling Hong, and Ge Laoshi went to check on him, finding him drawing a floor plan for Night Tokyo on the floor, indicating increased seating.
Ling Zi then invited them for a tasting, revealing his adoption of Ling Hong and Ge Laoshi's suggestion to open a Shanghai-style Kaiseki restaurant, specifically targeting foreign guests and tourists, confident of instant success. Ling Zi borrowed Ge Laoshi's antiques and Ling Hong's best tea set. After days of research, he presented his newly developed dishes, a perfect fusion of local Shanghai and Japanese cuisine, to Tao Tao, Ling Hong, and Ge Laoshi.
They were instantly captivated, praising his culinary skills and the delicious, familiar flavors, though they found the prices a bit high. Ling Zi declared that by dedicating himself, he would easily outperform the Huanghe Road competitors and planned to charge foreign guests and tourists based on specific time slots. Meanwhile, Wang Mingzhu was transferred back to the foreign trade general company but chose to resign.
Mei Ping, who had been worried about Wang Mingzhu's return, was secretly pleased by her resignation and immediately applied to Jin Hua for the section chief position. Jin Hua, however, deemed Mei Ping too impetuous and unqualified. Feeling wronged, Mei Ping sought out Ye Shu, who advised her to read "How the Steel Was Tempered" and to "make haste slowly."
Wang Mingzhu then approached Jin Hua, announcing her decision to start her own foreign trade company and inviting former clients to an investment promotion conference. Jin Hua cautioned her that without the backing of "No. 27" (referring to the foreign trade company), no one would likely attend. Wang Mingzhu remained optimistic, believing her old clients would support her and had promised to attend.
She chose Zhi Zhen Yuan as the venue for her conference, intending to establish her own place there. A Bao suspected the merchants were merely humoring Wang Mingzhu. Although he wanted to support her mentally, Ye Shu deliberately kept A Bao tied down by dining with him, fearing he might secretly attend. Wei Hongqing, who was deeply infatuated with Wang Mingzhu and had vowed to pursue her, visited her factory only to find she had left two weeks prior.
Undeterred, he vowed to chase her "to the ends of the earth." Wang Mingzhu arrived early at Zhi Zhen Yuan to set up, while A Bao fulfilled his promise to Ye Shu by dining with him. As Ye Shu predicted, Wang Mingzhu's conference saw no attendees. Li Li, however, subtly supported Wang Mingzhu by not removing the private room. Wei Hongqing, carrying a promotional sign, tirelessly advertised the conference in the main hall, though guests politely declined.
Eventually, Wei Hongqing and Fan Xinhua arrived at the private room to offer their support, distracting Wang Mingzhu with lighthearted conversation. As Wei Hongqing was consoling Wang Mingzhu, he discovered his father had confiscated his car, causing him to rush out in pursuit. Fan Xinhua, while offering his support, also proposed financial assistance and suggested that the situation would be different if Wang Mingzhu still had the foreign trade company's background, advising her to return.
Wang Mingzhu, however, firmly refused, stating she could not go back. Dejected, Wang Mingzhu emerged to find Wei Hongqing sulking downstairs. Wei Hongqing apologized for not being able to help her. Wang Mingzhu then proposed that she and Wei Hongqing start from scratch together, an idea that made Wei Hongqing so overjoyed he shouted in the street. News of this spread quickly, reaching Ye Shu, who warned A Bao that he now had a new competitor.
