Blossoms Shanghai Episode 24 Recap
> Blossoms Shanghai Recap
A Bao, following the guidance of Ye Shu, distinguished himself at a bidding conference and successfully secured the listing quota for an apparel company. Ye Shu took charge of the Walmart foreign trade order, intending it as a fallback for A Bao should the listing venture falter.
A Bao expressed his gratitude for Ye Shu's foresight and urged him to rest, but Ye Shu politely declined A Bao's offer to care for him and his two aunties, advising A Bao to focus on himself and act cautiously. Meanwhile, Wang Mingzhu was grappling with the initial challenges of her startup. Her landlady, Shu Fen, revealed that Wang Mingzhu's father had prepaid three months of her rent.
Wei Hongqing, to support her, sold his mink coat and gave her 1000 yuan from the proceeds, which left Wang Mingzhu feeling uneasy. Wei Hongqing actively promoted "Mingzhu Company" by distributing business cards at a foreign trade company building. During this, Mei Ping encountered Wei Hongqing and sneeringly referenced "Mingzhu Company."
Wei Hongqing, noticing Mei Ping had not yet been promoted, deliberately called her "Xiao Mei," infuriating Mei Ping, who retorted with a warning that his company would inevitably have to deal with her. Wang Mingzhu approached Jin Hua (Section Chief Jin) to seek approval for a substantial Walmart order of 200,000 pairs of denim jeans. Jin Hua voiced concerns about Wang Mingzhu's company's capacity for such a large order.
Wang Mingzhu confidently guaranteed success, stating her full commitment to the deal and seeing no difference between proving herself to A Bao and dedicating herself to the order. Jin Hua calculated that Wang Mingzhu's quoted price of 17 yuan per pair would yield no profit, or even a loss, after transport costs, and suggested settling in USD. Jin Hua encouraged Wang Mingzhu to achieve success for the reputation of Shanghai, rather than solely for A Bao.
Mei Ping later presented Wang Mingzhu's 17 yuan/pair quote to Ye Shu. A Bao, upon returning, ignored Mei Ping, who then left. Both A Bao and Ye Shu analyzed the quote; A Bao deemed the price unfeasible, and Ye Shu deduced that Wang Mingzhu's move was a defiant act aimed at A Bao, noting that the order was accepted without a processing factory secured, raising concerns about potential lawsuits.
A Bao realized Ye Shu was monitoring Wang Mingzhu, a fact Ye Shu openly acknowledged, stressing the importance of knowing one's opponent. Wang Mingzhu informed Wei Hongqing that to compete with A Bao, her price could not exceed 17 yuan. Qiang Mujie frequented Night Tokyo, often sitting on a "cold bench" to wait for Ling Zi to finish her work before engaging in a brief five-minute conversation.
He often found the food unexceptional and overly vinegary, and openly doubted A Bao's ability to secure 200 million yuan, predicting his severe downfall. Ling Zi, however, maintained her belief in A Bao's capabilities. The following evening, after learning Qiang Mujie was waiting downstairs, Ling Zi was taken by him to Xinlanju, a hotpot restaurant and private room where A Bao and Li Li frequently dined, as Qiang Mujie preferred not to discuss Li Li's Zhizhen Garden at Night Tokyo.
While sitting in A Bao and Li Li's usual seats, Qiang Mujie speculated that A Bao aimed to be Shanghai Road's Buffett, while Li Li possessed a "one-sword-sealing-the-throat" reputation. He recounted that Li Li and A Bao often discussed stock prices, with the apparel company's circulating shares being considered trivial for Nanguo Tou, Qiang Mujie's company. He noted that A Bao highlighted the company's strengths, while Li Li, behind his back, pointed out its weaknesses.
Qiang Mujie then shared with Ling Zi the story of Li Li and Mr. A. In 1990, the ambitious Mr. A returned from studying abroad to contribute to the international capital market. Qiang Mujie followed Mr. A from Beijing to Shenzhen, Hainan, and Shanghai, aspiring to establish their own Berkshire Hathaway. However, their expansion proved too rapid, leading to the company's collapse after a massive expansion of new shares in Shenzhen.
At their disbandment, Mr. A, Qiang Mujie, and others had a final hotpot meal in Futian. Li Li, who was Mr. A's student and most beloved woman, was the last to depart the restaurant with him. When their company crumbled, many, including A Bao, "picked up" their stocks. Mr. A, not wishing mutual destruction, had extended an olive branch, a magnanimity Qiang Mujie admitted he lacked.
Qiang Mujie later worked in Japan, where he met Ling Zi in Ginza and fell in love with her at first sight, deciding to stay in Japan for her. However, Ling Zi unexpectedly left for Shanghai without a word. Qiang Mujie discovered that A Bao had "taken" Ling Zi to Shanghai, prompting him to follow her there. He vowed that no one would take Ling Zi away.
Ling Zi unequivocally stated she had no romantic feelings for him and emphatically distanced herself. Ling Zi thanked Qiang Mujie, expressing that she had never felt so valued. Qiang Mujie also thanked A Bao, claiming that A Bao's influence led to his return to China, allowing him to experience the significant events in Shenzhen and become who he is today, stating he would no longer give others opportunities. Li Li also recounted her past with Mr. A to A Bao.
Upon his arrival in Shanghai, Qiang Mujie's first action was to inquire about Ling Zi's whereabouts from Li Li, partly because Ling Zi was a woman Qiang Mujie admired. Li Li analyzed the disparity in strength between A Bao and Qiang Mujie. A Bao, resolute, declared he would not give up until the very end, which piqued Li Li's interest. She mentioned a friend who had capital, but only for a guaranteed win.
Li Li advised A Bao to abandon the endeavor, cautioning that the impending major confrontation required at least 200 million yuan, and luck is not infinite. A Bao remained determined to fight until the very end. Li Li eventually promised A Bao 200 million yuan in listing funds, and later stated that Qiang Mujie's ultimate fate would be a letter of dismissal. During this period, Tao Tao, unable to find A Bao at Night Tokyo, sought him out.
He poured out his heart to A Bao, lamenting how much had changed in his life. While out shopping with his wife, A Fang, Tao Tao had coincidentally encountered his former love, Xiao Sao Sao, who was now married to someone else and pregnant, leaving him heartbroken. Tao Tao admitted he was weary of his marriage and vented his frustrations by bowling. His wife, A Fang, had also taken all his private money.
A Bao advised Tao Tao to try and make his marriage with A Fang work, then gave him all his loose change, observing their signature gesture of grabbing each other's collars and looking at each other. In November, the Shanghai stock market successfully emerged from a more than half-year-long slump, entering a period of recovery. The SSE Index broke its historical daily transaction record with 3.
8 billion yuan, swiftly climbing to the 1000-point peak it hadn't reached in three months. " Harvest concept" stocks became the hottest theme, with small-cap stocks becoming highly sought after. Seizing the momentum of the market rebound, A Bao decided to pursue a "short-flat-fast" trading strategy. He observed that Qiang Mujie consistently used the '248' (Night Tokyo's address) as the tail number in his stock picks, leading A Bao to anticipate Qiang Mujie's heavy investment in 653 Shen Hua stock.
Ye Shu received an urgent letter and immediately made a phone call, advising the recipient to "escape." However, on December 17, 1993, in response to the recent volatile and unstable stock market conditions, the China Securities Regulatory Commission issued "Provisional Regulations on Public Company Share Distribution."
Relevant departments implemented swift and decisive measures to further regulate A-shares after institutional entry, restricting the ratio of stock distributions and thoroughly investigating violations such as the use of credit funds in the stock market and price manipulation. This news led to a dramatic decline: on Monday, December 20, the SSE Index fell below its 777-point "iron bottom," market volume contracted, and market enthusiasm rapidly cooled, with massive sell-offs occurring in various brokerage offices.
Consequently, A Bao's capital shrunk by one-third. Investors like Pang Ayi and Stamp Li worried about increasing losses, reporting their concerns to Commander Cai, who then relayed them to A Bao. A Bao, however, had no immediate solution.
Meanwhile, Qiang Mujie had made a significant fortune in Yingzhou Industrial, pioneering China's first acquisition case, and subsequently relocated his company to the Shanghai Bund financial district, focusing on developing prominent VIP clients and instructing his traders to build positions across various stocks. However, Nanguo Tou, Qiang Mujie's company, faced a severe crisis due to his aggressive management style, with funds shrinking by 40%, placing the company in a "life or death" situation.
The China Securities Regulatory Commission investigated Nanguo Tou for frequent trading of 653 Shen Hua stock, suspecting price manipulation. They were ordered to submit a detailed report of all buying, selling, and holding activities for the past week, along with daily transaction and fund flow statements, by market close the following day. The head office offered to send personnel to assist Qiang Mujie with the investigation, but he flatly refused, wishing to avoid any further disruption. Qiang Mujie desperately sought a solution to address the critical issue of bank credit funds entering the stock market, but his team was unable to provide one.
