Blossoms Shanghai Episode 20 Recap
> Blossoms Shanghai Recap
Wang Mingzhu and Wei Hongqing established their company in the Binpeng Business Building in Hongkou District, a location characterized by a poor environment and a diverse mix of people. Due to their limited financial resources, they had no choice but to temporarily base their operations there. For years, Ye Shu and his niece Jin Hua had been estranged due to a long-standing feud.
However, motivated by a crucial Walmart jeans order, Ye Shu reluctantly sought out Jin Hua at the Foreign Trade General Company. He waited all afternoon but was granted less than five minutes of her time, as she maintained a strictly professional demeanor and instructed him to participate in the formal bidding process. Disappointed, Ye Shu left and coincidentally encountered Wang Mingzhu outside the building.
He then realized that Wang Mingzhu’s company was affiliated with the Foreign Trade General Company, and she, too, was pursuing the same Walmart order. Ye Shu, recognizing Wang Mingzhu's upstream advantage, advised A Bao not to directly confront her but instead to find a breakthrough from the downstream. Subsequently, a contact known as Small Ningbo united several garment factories, aiming to compete with Wang Mingzhu by offering the lowest possible production costs.
Meanwhile, Wei Hongqing attempted to leverage his father's reputation to seek assistance from fur company bosses in Haining. They all advised him to return to Haining to develop his leather business, suggesting he avoid the complexities of the Shanghai market. Wang Mingzhu urgently sought Wei Hongqing; she encountered A Bao downstairs. Wei Hongqing, already in a foul mood, quickly became intoxicated and ran outside to vomit continuously. A Bao offered to take Wei Hongqing home, but Wang Mingzhu politely declined.
She then openly challenged A Bao for the Walmart jeans order, declaring her intention to pursue it and her belief that A Bao could not defeat her on price. A Bao, equally resolute, refused to back down, signaling his willingness to formally compete with her. Wang Mingzhu had also recently left a prior position, making Ye Shu's direct appeal to Jin Hua necessary.
Ye Shu noted that this was his first visit to the Foreign Trade General Company in many years, and he observed the changes, including the passing of his old acquaintance, Old Jiang. Meanwhile, a significant stock market battle was unfolding. Qiang Mujie, having discovered an internal mole—a female employee named Xiao Ai, whom A Bao had planted—immediately fired her. Cai Siling later provided Xiao Ai with a severance package.
Qiang Mujie, in turn, placed his own informants around A Bao to monitor his every move and began investigating A Bao's recent contacts. Postmark Li, while visiting A Bao at the Peace Hotel, encountered two Hong Kong lawyers hired by Qiang Mujie in the elevator. Having previously seen them at Zhizhen Garden, Postmark Li discreetly noted their room number, which was room 81, located directly above A Bao’s room in the same hotel.
He also observed them at Zhizhen Garden, where he was tasked with closely monitoring the activities of Nantou Company. Postmark Li then secretly instructed a cleaner to preserve the trash the lawyers had discarded. Working overnight with Cai Siling and Fat Aunt, Postmark Li pieced together the shredded documents, which revealed a legal opinion, a notice addressed to all shareholders, and the numbers 6. 5. 2.
A Bao, however, suspected this was a deliberate trap set by Qiang Mujie to lure him in, as he believed professional lawyers would not carelessly dispose of such critical information, especially knowing A Bao and his team were in the same hotel. He immediately sought out Li Li for intelligence. A Bao invited Li Li to a hotpot restaurant, where she had been waiting for him to reach out.
Using a quote from Warren Buffett, Li Li hinted at Qiang Mujie's true intention: to acquire companies, rather than merely engaging in speculation for quick profits. A Bao was surprised, as he had only believed Qiang Mujie was in Shanghai to cause trouble and exploit market opportunities, never imagining he would target listed companies. A Bao suggested focusing on "three-no" stocks—companies with no assets, no liabilities, and no profits.
At the time, there were four such stocks, with only two, Shenhua and Shenbei Electric, containing the numbers 6 and 5, which further corroborated the information found in the shredded documents. After eliminating these two, only 601 and 603 remained as "three-no" stocks, and it seemed possible they could be targets for acquisition, an unprecedented move for the country. A Bao inquired about insider information, and Li Li demanded a 300,000 yuan payment for the intelligence.
Cai Siling's analysis of the "three-no" stock fluctuations had already confirmed a significant increase in their shareholdings. On March 3, 1991, a significant day related to Beijing's Olympic bid, Qiang Mujie booked a private room at Zhizhen Garden. He then made it a point to find Li Li, with whom he had been acquainted for five years.
He considered her a friend and warned her not to betray their friendship for emotional reasons, reminding her of her past and cautioning her to remember her purpose in Shanghai, noting that Zhizhen Garden was merely a "venue." Li Li, greatly angered and wishing to avoid further association with him, cleared all his expenses at Zhizhen Garden and warned him not to return.
As Qiang Mujie left, he gave Li Li his business card with "601" written on the back as a parting gesture. Separately, Qiang Mujie visited Night Tokyo to see Ling Zi. The two were old friends who had met in Tokyo when Qiang Mujie was a Japanese exchange student intern. Their reunion was emotional, as they had become close friends, even drinking wine Ling Zi had "stolen" from a store on a cold Tokyo street.
Qiang Mujie, who had investigated Ling Zi's address and thought of him for years, had stored a bottle of wine at Night Tokyo, asserting himself as the most powerful person in Shanghai. Ling Zi invited him to Night Tokyo’s grand opening, which Qiang Mujie readily promised to attend. Li Li later met A Bao at a hotpot restaurant and returned the 300,000 yuan deposit.
A Bao proposed a partnership: he would provide stock funds, and Li Li would provide information, with a 15% commission. Li Li negotiated this up to 18%, and they agreed to meet the following evening at the same place for her final answer. However, Li Li, after much deliberation and internal conflict, weighing Qiang Mujie's warnings, ultimately did not show up at the appointed time.
A Bao waited a long time at Xinlanju and, guessing she had rejected his offer, left. Li Li, having hesitated and even leaving an "A" on a glass surface, arrived later only to find A Bao already gone. She then instructed her assistant, Minmin, to purchase 50,000 shares of 601 stock daily. Li Li subsequently called A Bao, recommending the 601 stock. A Bao, however, suspected that Qiang Mujie might be setting a trap, and despite Li Li's recommendation, he decided to bet on 603 stock, investing 5 million yuan daily.
