Blossoms Shanghai Episode 6 Recap
> Blossoms Shanghai Recap
Upon entering Zhi Zhen Yuan, A Bao chose not to use the main entrance but instead slipped through the back kitchen door, having deduced the situation was complex and wishing to inspect the kitchen firsthand. Notified of his unconventional arrival, Li Li promptly rushed to the back to greet him.
A Bao, claiming he wanted to observe the restaurant's decoration style, directly asserted that Li Li was a relative of the Macau Grand Lisboa Casino owner and that Zhi Zhen Yuan's design and decor mirrored those of the Grand Lisboa. He inquired about a private top-floor room, akin to an exclusive one at the Grand Lisboa, but Li Li politely demurred, promising an invitation once renovations were complete.
A Bao was escorted to the best private room, yet deliberately ordered only a single serving of dry-fried beef ho fun, intending to test the restaurant's culinary prowess. Before the dish was served, he ventured into the kitchen to taste it fresh from the wok, complimenting the head chef’s skills as among the best in Shanghai. While there, A Bao pointedly observed the gas valve, suggesting he already had a plan in mind.
Notably, the Huanghe Road gas valve had been closed for half a month for repairs specifically for Zhi Zhen Yuan's opening. A Bao then invited Wang Mingzhu to join him in the kitchen for a meal, passing her the dry-fried beef ho fun, which she savored. The private room incurred a minimum charge of 2,000 yuan.
When Wang Mingzhu realized this, she felt it was a waste and personally went to the kitchen to order additional dishes to meet the minimum, having them packed for takeout. As A Bao paid the 2,000 yuan bill and prepared to leave, he declared to Li Li that Zhi Zhen Yuan would likely not survive beyond three months, stating that "no flower stays red for a hundred days."
Wang Mingzhu, carrying the packed food, departed with A Bao, perplexed by his enigmatic remark, which he did not elaborate upon. Unwilling to be outdone, Li Li had her assistant present A Bao with a gift: two Three Sheep brand T-shirts. A Bao immediately recognized them as high-quality imitations, not from Fan Xinhua's factory, and gazed meaningfully towards Zhi Zhen Yuan.
Following A Bao's visit, the dry-fried beef ho fun unexpectedly became a popular dish, causing a dilemma for Zhi Zhen Yuan, as the dish required immediate tasting after preparation to preserve its flavor. Li Li adapted her strategy, deciding that the dry-fried beef ho fun would no longer be sold but offered as a complimentary dish to guests ordering Australian lobster, exclusively for dine-in, effectively a "buy one get one free" offer where the lobster was half price.
She projected this strategy would sell 6,000 lobsters a month. Li Li specifically instructed Manager Pan to secure a three-month supply of Australian lobsters from Tao Tao's seafood shop, reasoning that if Tao Tao, privy to insider information, believed Zhi Zhen Yuan would close in three months, he would refuse the order, thereby confirming A Bao's prophecy.
The rumor of Zhi Zhen Yuan's imminent closure indeed spread, making Tao Tao hesitant to accept the large order due to fears of being stuck with unsold lobsters. Meanwhile, Ye Shu expressed concern about the proliferation of high-quality counterfeit Three Sheep T-shirts, deeming Li Li's gift to A Bao as a pointed reminder of the issue.
To preempt any market confusion, A Bao swiftly decided to advance the launch of the Three Sheep brand T-shirts from the Dragon Boat Festival to the upcoming Valentine's Day. Fan Xinhua personally delivered 10,000 Three Sheep T-shirts to Hulian Commercial Building. Manager Xu and Manager Zhang were responsible for their distribution.
Fan Xinhua was uneasy about not meeting A Bao and Manager Xu, especially after learning that the planned promotional campaign with Bai Su Zhen and Xu Xian had been canceled. Despite Manager Zhang's assurances, Fan Xinhua, feeling that the goods were his very lifeline, meticulously cautioned him against any errors. Ye Shu, receiving a call from a worried Fan Xinhua, offered words of comfort.
A Bao discreetly stored additional T-shirts on the second floor of Night Tokyo, explicitly warning Ling Zi not to interfere with them. Ling Zi, having opened the boxes, found the T-shirts to be of excellent fabric and flattering cut. He later dispatched staff to Hulian Commercial Building to monitor A Bao's movements. With the T-shirts due to launch the next day, a frantic Fan Xinhua, unable to locate A Bao, sought out Wang Mingzhu.
He found her at a nightclub, entertaining Miss Meng, an editor from "Shanghai Fashion," and a photographer—a promotional arrangement orchestrated by A Bao to ensure a successful launch for the Three Sheep T-shirts. Upon discovering this, Fan Xinhua eagerly joined them, serving drinks to assist with the publicity. At a small bar, the former rendezvous point for his stock-trading "fleet," A Bao met A Si, who had just been released from prison.
A Si, Fa Gen's son and the one responsible for A Bao's accident, expressed his gratitude to A Bao for forgiving him and testifying that his actions were due to drunk driving, leading to a lighter sentence. A Bao recounted the formation of their joint stock-trading team in 1990, detailing how Fa Gen, a newcomer from the countryside, had established himself in Shanghai with A Bao's help.
He shared how he had warned Fa Gen against buying the "414" stock, advice Fa Gen ignored, leading to his financial ruin. A Si, having heard his father's story and seen the land deed they had purchased together, expressed regret for the accident he caused.
Cai Siling, who had admitted to leaking information about the "414" stock collaboration between the Qilin Society and A Bao to Jin Fenghuang, which ultimately caused Fa Gen's heavy losses and led to A Bao taking the blame, felt deep remorse. A Bao, however, had kept Cai Siling's involvement private, preserving his reputation. Before leaving, A Bao entrusted the leadership of the "fleet" to Cai Siling and assigned A Si the task of managing the land they had bought.
Nanjing Road, Shanghai's preeminent commercial street, was a symbol of the city's burgeoning retail and fashion industries in 1993, a period of prosperity for the national market. To establish a strong presence there meant the Three Sheep brand could flourish across Shanghai and succeed nationwide, especially in the face of international competition. On Valentine's Day, Hulian Commercial Building opened its doors to a throng of customers.
Fan Xinhua, standing at the entrance, fantasized about customers flocking to buy Three Sheep T-shirts, inwardly vowing to conquer Shanghai's market. However, sales associates struggled to attract buyers, and the initial launch proved lackluster. Desperate, Fan Xinhua instructed the sales staff to perform on-the-spot burn tests of the T-shirts. Unable to reach A Bao or Manager Xu, Fan Xinhua sought help from Manager Zhang, who urged patience. Separately, he anxiously sought assistance from Manager Wei.
A Bao, meanwhile, called Manager Zhang, emphasizing that the success of the T-shirt launch depended on him. Ling Zi, upon learning of the sluggish sales, instructed his surveillance team at Hulian Commercial Building to continue monitoring. Just as Fan Xinhua's desperation peaked, A Bao unveiled his masterstroke: superstar Fei Xiang made a surprise appearance at Hulian Commercial Building. Fei Xiang's performance of "A Fire in Winter" immediately drew immense crowds and countless fans from across Shanghai, transforming the atmosphere.
People surged forward, eager to purchase the T-shirts. A Bao's four leased counters were overwhelmed, and the initial 10,000 T-shirts sold out almost instantly, completely opening up the market. Manager Xu promptly approached A Bao to arrange for Fan Xinhua to deliver 400,000 more units the following day. Upon hearing of this overwhelming success, Ling Zi instructed his staff at Night Tokyo to sell the Three Sheep T-shirts stored on the second floor, which also quickly sold out. A Bao reaped a substantial profit, and Ye Shu advised him to use the earnings to repay the money owed to investors like Fat Auntie and Stamp Li.
