Broker Episode 10 Recap
> Broker Recap
Mr. Li officially added Mo Li on WeChat, now that she was his personal trainer. Noticing Mo Li seemed preoccupied, Mr. Li asked what was on her mind. Mo Li questioned him hypothetically: if a boss protected an employee even at the cost of their own career, would he be touched?
Mr. Li initially dismissed it as unrealistic, then admitted he would be deeply moved, even to the point of wanting to marry such a boss if she were a woman. Mo Li was clearly troubled, wondering what kind of person Qiu Jianing was and why she was so kind to Zhou Xiaoshan. Mo Li then went to Qiu Jianing's family residence disguised as a delivery person, claiming a package for Qiu Jiaxin had an incomplete address.
After confirming the address, she delivered the package to Qiu Jiaxin's mother and offered to take out the trash on her way out. Qiu Jiaxin's mother, impressed by the service, allowed her to take a trash bag. Mo Li then left with the garbage. Qiu Jianing, having recovered, returned to the lab. Momo sought her help with some questions.
Qiu Jianing patiently explained the concepts of clones and false positives in PCR, emphasizing that seemingly simple operations have many crucial details that can impact the entire experiment. Momo was grateful, telling Qiu Jianing that she was much nicer than what others said about her. Qiu Jianing acknowledged the rumors that she was cunning and ambitious and had forced Zheng Wei and Professor Su out. She expressed regret, wishing she could have handled things better when she first arrived.
Momo reassured her, telling her not to worry about what others thought and that she would always support her. Zhou Xiaoshan expressed concern about Qiu Jianing returning to work so soon after her fever. Shortly after, Qiu Jianing received a phone call from Qin Bin, agreeing to discuss some materials he had sent her. Zhou Xiaoshan remarked on Qin Bin's attentiveness, noting his anxiety when she was ill, and commented on his good looks.
Qiu Jianing, however, dismissed it, stating that men's appearance held no importance for her compared to the critical appearance of cells in an experiment. Meanwhile, Zhu Zhu discreetly informed Xiaoxiao about a misdirected email she saw from HR. It revealed that Qiu Jianing, as a team leader, earned a higher salary than Professor Sun, leading Zhu Zhu to accuse Professor Wang of favoritism.
She also pointed out that Qiu Jianing, a local, was permitted to live in the dorms, an unusual exception. Zhu Zhu suggested that Qiu Jianing was cunning and urged Xiaoxiao to warn Sun Lei. Xiaoxiao, feeling indignant for Sun Lei, concurred with the sentiment of unfairness. Mo Li began to investigate Qiu Jianing's background. Simultaneously, Qiu father's secretary informed him that plane tickets were readily available, which raised Qiu father's suspicions.
Mo Li then presented her findings to Zhou Xiaoshan: Qiu Jianing was the eldest daughter of Qiu Yaoming, Chairman of the Qiu Group. She had also discovered that Qiu Jianing had not informed her family about her return to China. Mo Li theorized that Qiu Jianing had a strained relationship with her father, questioning why someone from such a wealthy background would choose to struggle in a small research lab.
Zhou Xiaoshan, however, urged Mo Li to stop her investigation, expressing his wish for her to have a clean start and make good choices, emphasizing that true happiness lies in still having a choice. Meanwhile, an anonymous source sent Qiu Jianing's dismissal notice to the company headquarters, jeopardizing her career. Zhu Zhu spread the news that President Huang, the executive president, would visit the lab that afternoon to investigate Qiu Jianing.
Professor Wang, having hired Qiu Jianing, reassured her that he would take responsibility for any issues. Later, Zhu Zhu confronted Xiaoxiao, implicitly accusing her of being the anonymous informant, while Xiaoxiao continued to express her bewilderment at Professor Wang's strong favoritism towards Qiu Jianing. Despite the imminent investigation by President Huang, Qiu Jianing remained unfazed, stating she only worried about work, not other matters.
Zhou Xiaoshan, however, still seemed concerned, teasing her about her poor sense of direction and fear of needles. The situation escalated when Qiu father arrived at the lab. Qiu Jianing, surprised, called out "Dad," revealing their relationship to the astonished staff. President Huang and Professor Wang quickly recognized Qiu father, Qiu Yaoming, Chairman of the Qiu Group, and exchanged pleasantries, acknowledging his status as a "star entrepreneur." Qiu father had come to discuss matters and see his daughter.
Among the stunned colleagues, Zhu Zhu disparaged Qiu father as a "parvenu," while Momo passionately defended Qiu Jianing, admiring her intelligence, beauty, and diligence, declaring herself Qiu Jianing's fan. During the discussion, President Huang confirmed the dismissal notice existed, but Professor Wang vouched for Qiu Jianing's innocence. Qiu father, visibly upset, wanted to defend his daughter against false accusations, but Qiu Jianing stopped him, taking responsibility for the situation.
President Huang explained that despite believing her, the anonymous email had reached the company's higher-ups, requiring him to address it. Qiu Jianing then proposed a solution: she would be given three months to demonstrate project progress, and if she failed, she would resign. President Huang accepted her offer, complimenting Qiu father on his remarkable daughter.
In her office, Qiu Jianing explained to her father that she hadn't informed him of her return to China because she knew he would react rashly and interfere, and she wanted to prove Harry, who had accused her, wrong. Qiu father offered to invest in her project to give her more time and control, but Qiu Jianing firmly declined, asserting that she could, like him, build her career from scratch and resolve issues without relying on money.
She humorously pointed out the immense cost of pharmaceutical research, revealing that the first experimental pill alone cost two billion US dollars, a sum far beyond his initial estimation. Later, Qiu father arranged a dinner for Qiu Jianing and her colleagues, stressing the importance of networking to avoid being "stabbed in the back."
During the dinner, he publicly vouched for Qiu Jianing, describing her as innocent and kind, lacking social experience from her time abroad, and asked her colleagues, particularly Professor Wang, to treat her kindly. He also recounted how he tried to get her into Princeton, but she chose a different path, much to his chagrin.
After the meal, Momo's admiration for Qiu Jianing grew, while the source of the anonymous email remained an unspoken mystery, prompting a subtle sense of guilt from Xiaoxiao. Qiu Jianing confirmed to Zhou Xiaoshan that she knew Xie Xiaoxiao was the one who reported her to the company. Zhou Xiaoshan was surprised by her continued kindness towards Xiaoxiao, but Qiu Jianing reasoned that Xiaoxiao had only reported the truth, not slandered her.
When Zhou Xiaoshan commented that her father was different from what he imagined and that it seemed good to have such a father, Qiu Jianing disagreed. She explained that in her father's world, money solved every problem, including his affection for his children, a philosophy she disliked. Zhou Xiaoshan countered that having financial resources allowed her to concentrate fully on her work without hesitation, making her luckier than many. Qiu Jianing retorted that she had once contemplated death.
She then confided in him, revealing that her parents divorced when she was very young, and she hadn't seen her mother since. Later, upon learning her mother was in City A, she abandoned her plans for Princeton and enrolled in a local university, hoping for a joyful reunion. However, her mother had changed completely, showing not only a lack of affection but also profound hatred, which plunged Qiu Jianing into despair and suicidal thoughts.
It was then that she met someone who told her, "If you're not even scared of dying, then you shouldn't be afraid to live." Zhou Xiaoshan's expression changed, prompted by a vivid flashback: years ago, while evading pursuers, he had taken a young Qiu Jianing hostage.
She, distraught, had declared she had no reason to live, and it was then that he had uttered the very words she just quoted: "If you're not even scared of dying, then you shouldn't be afraid to live." Snapped back to the present, Zhou Xiaoshan, feeling hungry, suggested they eat. Qiu Jianing took him to Old Wu's restaurant, which she mentioned was Qin Bin's friend's establishment.
Old Wu, mistaking Zhou Xiaoshan for a new suitor, light-heartedly suggested Qin Bin had lost his chance with Qiu Jianing, to which Qiu Jianing clarified her platonic friendship with Qin Bin. As Zhou Xiaoshan meticulously cleaned their utensils, Qiu Jianing playfully remarked that he was like a girl, which he playfully countered by cleaning her utensils as well, reminding her to prioritize hygiene after her recent illness. Suddenly, Qiu Jianing asked if he had a girlfriend.
Zhou Xiaoshan, sensing her indirectness, replied, "If you're asking, then I don't have one." She laughed, claiming she was asking on behalf of her sister, Qiu Jiaxin, who was "chatty like him." Zhou Xiaoshan countered that couples should have different personalities.
Realizing he was implicitly critiquing the restaurant's food again (as Qiu Jianing had done on her previous visit), Qiu Jianing quickly revealed the backstory of Old Wu's restaurant: Qin Bin had helped Old Wu open it after Old Wu spent all his savings treating his mother, who was Qin Bin's cancer patient. Zhou Xiaoshan was surprised by Qin Bin's compassion.
As they left Old Wu's restaurant, it began to rain, and Old Wu could only find one umbrella, which Qiu Jianing and Zhou Xiaoshan shared, with Zhou Xiaoshan chivalrously ensuring she stayed dry. Meanwhile, Qin Bin contacted Qiu Jiaxin, ostensibly to treat her to dinner, but his real intention was to arrange a date with Qiu Jianing.
Qiu Jiaxin, seeing through his ploy, agreed to facilitate the meeting but informed him she would make an excuse to leave once her sister arrived. Qiu Jiaxin then called Qiu Jianing, inviting her to dinner and picking her up from the lab. At the entrance, she encountered Zhou Xiaoshan. Qiu Jiaxin subtly asked Zhou Xiaoshan to help ensure her sister remained at the dinner date, knowing Qiu Jianing's tendency to prioritize experiments.
Disapproving of Qiu Jianing's casual attire for the date, Qiu Jiaxin whisked her away to change. After changing, they arrived at a hotpot restaurant where Qin Bin was already waiting. Qiu Jiaxin, feigning a hospital emergency, quickly excused herself, leaving Qiu Jianing and Qin Bin alone. Back at the lab, Momo inquired why Qiu Jianing had left work so early. Zhou Xiaoshan gave a vague response, but others immediately speculated she was on a date.
Colleagues continued to gossip about a potential romantic relationship between Professor Qiu and Dr. Qin. Meanwhile, during their hotpot dinner, Qin Bin asked Qiu Jianing about her reasons for choosing to study in City A instead of the US, recalling his own experience there and her liking for sweet food, specifically donuts.
