Blossoms Shanghai Episode 2 Recap
> Blossoms Shanghai Recap
After A Bao was hit by a car, Ling Zi, whose residence A Bao visited, reported on his recent stock earnings. Ling Zi faced numerous inquiries, with 30-40 people, including debtors seeking information and creditors demanding repayment, coming to him. This forced Ling Zi to settle A Bao's outstanding debts and provide A Bao with a list of these creditors. A man claiming to be Chen Liang repeatedly called Ling Zi to inquire about A Bao's condition.
Ling Zi clearly recalled that the real Chen Liang had previously borrowed money from him to buy crickets and had repaid it, but Ling Zi later discovered that Chen Liang had lied during a phone conversation. Suspecting the caller was an imposter and that this person was scheduled for a meeting that night, Ling Zi deliberately revealed that A Bao would be at Night Tokyo at 11 PM.
A Bao later recognized the imposter as Fa Gen’s son, A Si, who was in the taxi, and understood the reason behind the collision. Ye Shu, upon learning A Bao had left the Peace Hotel, immediately contacted Wang Mingzhu, who scheduled a meeting with Ye Shu for that evening. Ling Zi also received a notification about a meeting that night.
A Bao's financial journey began in 1990 when the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges officially started operations, initially leading to a frenzy. Two years later, the initial public offering (IPO) subscription certificates for Shanghai A-shares, priced at 30 yuan each, saw low sales. On the final day, however, major investors calculated that if 2 million certificates were issued, the costs could be amortized across the actual shares, leading to a sudden rush with sales points becoming packed.
A Bao, who was in Anhui collecting treasury bonds, rushed back to Shanghai overnight. He managed to buy the subscription certificates at Xikang Road just five minutes before the deadline. Four months later, these certificates appreciated 160-fold, making A Bao wealthy and establishing him as a major investor, gaining him access to the major investors' room. The Qilin Society, led by Wu Yisheng, noticed A Bao's success and offered him an opportunity.
Wu Yisheng highly recommended an out-of-town stock, 414, guaranteeing it would rise from 25 to 40 yuan, and revealed its listing price to test A Bao and Cai Siling's discretion, warning them not to leak the news. A Bao publicly analyzed 414, believing it lacked potential, while pointing out other quality stocks.
Subsequently, Ye Shu deduced that Wu Yisheng was playing a trick, using A Bao as a pawn, and that the 414 scheme was designed to profit from the stock market while implicating A Bao and Cai Siling. Soon, rumors, attributed to Jin Fenghuang (a singer who often drank with A Bao and was rumored to be his girlfriend, though A Bao considered this a mere gimmick), spread that the Qilin Society and A Bao were cooperating to buy 414.
A call confirmed someone had failed the secrecy test, buying 414 early at a low price and profiting. Cai Siling, an acquaintance of Jin Fenghuang, cautioned people against buying 414 at any price. However, Jin Fenghuang, against Cai Siling's advice, told others she would continue buying 414 to profit significantly. When 414 opened, it initially soared, leading to frantic buying. Youpiao Li and Cai Siling, heeding A Bao's warning, held back.
However, the stock then plummeted from 36 yuan and remained there, causing Jin Fenghuang and all her family and friends to go bankrupt, making her the primary blamed culprit. Fa Gen secretly bought 414 against Cai Siling's warning, lost everything, and died in a taxi due to a myocardial infarction caused by the stock crash. The Qilin Society's widespread rumors further cemented A Bao as the scapegoat for Fa Gen's death.
Ye Shu advised A Bao to quickly distance himself from Jin Fenghuang, as anyone who lost money on 414 would blame A Bao. Jin Fenghuang secretly hid in a small hotel. Cai Siling, who had orchestrated the entire scheme, including Fa Gen's death and framing A Bao, gave Jin Fenghuang a substantial check, after which she departed from Shanghai. The police confirmed Fa Gen's son, A Si, as the culprit and arrested him.
However, Ye Shu, showing compassion, wanted clearer evidence. A Bao revealed he had prepared 300,000 yuan for Fa Gen's family just before being hit, but Fa Gen tragically died by suicide due to a myocardial infarction caused by the stock crash. A Bao later gave this 300,000 yuan to Cai Siling. A Bao understood A Si's resentment, acknowledging that for ordinary workers, stock failure meant utter ruin.
He admired A Si's efforts to return his father's body to their hometown for burial. On the fourth day of Chinese New Year, Night Tokyo was bustling. A Bao, typically a visitor to greet the God of Wealth, was awaited by Fan Xinhua and Lu Meilin (owner of Jin Meilin Hotel) but did not appear, leading them to chat amongst themselves.
Youpiao Li and Pang Ayi also sought A Bao, but Ye Shu, anticipating their intentions, offered them compensation to keep them from bothering A Bao further. Youpiao Li, however, refused to abandon his "cash cow," claiming he only wished to offer New Year greetings. A Bao, who had been hiding in a private room at Night Tokyo, heard the commotion and received complaints from an overwhelmed Ling Zi.
After sending Cai Siling away, A Bao returned to the Peace Hotel to see Ye Shu. A Bao and Cai Siling had previously met at Ling Zi's bar where they discussed Fa Gen's son hitting A Bao, and Ye Shu had anticipated Qilin Society would contact A Bao, understanding their motives and Cai Siling's actions. Cai Siling had confronted Wu Yisheng to defend A Bao, but Wu Yisheng insisted A Bao had leaked the 414 stock information.
Cai Siling, despite having blamed Fa Gen's son, knew A Bao was innocent, but A Bao, recalling Cai Siling's help in getting him into the major investors' room, was willing to take the blame. Cai Siling later inquired of the Qilin Society chairman why A Bao was suspected when only 13 insiders knew the 414 listing price.
The chairman replied that A Bao and Cai Siling were newcomers, implying this was why the information was leaked, and since Jin Fenghuang's source was unknown but her connection to A Bao was widely known, A Bao was expelled from the Qilin Society. A Bao understood Cai Siling's parting words were a warning from the Qilin Society.
Ling Zi, secretly in love with A Bao but too shy to confess, served special dishes like "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea" to guests. He had purchased a bracelet specifically to impress A Bao, and it did catch his attention. After A Bao left, Ling Zi drank from his unfinished beer. Ye Shu, upon learning A Bao had left the Peace Hotel, immediately contacted Wang Mingzhu, who scheduled a meeting with Ye Shu for that evening.
Wang Mingzhu later visited Night Tokyo, where Fan Xinhua pressed her for A Bao's whereabouts. She informed him that A Bao would meet him at Honglu Restaurant at 7 PM the following night. Fan Xinhua, overjoyed, celebrated at the Jin Meilin Hotel, located opposite Zhi Zhen Yuan, and received congratulations from Lu Meilin, the hotel owner.
Li Li, the owner of Zhi Zhen Yuan, who sent daily invitations to A Bao and was actively seeking collaboration with him, instantly learned of A Bao's impending meeting with Fan Xinhua and proactively sent her lobby manager to invite Fan Xinhua to Zhi Zhen Yuan's opening ceremony. Fan Xinhua was delighted, and others envied his invitation. Ye Shu suspected Li Li's intentions, asking Youpiao Li to monitor her.
Li Li later arranged fireworks at Zhi Zhen Yuan, prompting Lu Meilin and other restaurant owners on Huanghe Road to set off firecrackers in front of their establishments, making the street bright and lively.
