Broker Episode 32 Recap
> Broker Recap
As Qiu Jianing was still working, Zhou Xiaoshan reminded her that it was time to get off, and she realized she had lost track of time. As they left, Zhou Xiaoshan remarked on how quickly time had passed, noting that a year had already gone by since they first met. He reminisced about their initial encounter, recalling Qiu Jianing holding a magazine called "Cure" while he sat in his seat.
He playfully suggested he wondered if she had fallen for him then, but she retorted that she was only looking at the magazine. Qiu Jianing noticed Zhou Xiaoshan's sudden change in mood and asked what was wrong. He dismissed it, claiming he was just tired. After Zhou Xiaoshan walked Qiu Jianing to her door, he was met by Wenzhao.
Wenzhao questioned how it felt to wait for judgment, comparing it to how Xiang Lan once waited all night for Zhou Xiaoshan to appear, only for him to never come. Zhou Xiaoshan explained he couldn't come and reminded Wenzhao that their interference was at Uncle Zha's order. Wenzhao admitted he had always known Xiang Lan was with him to make Zhou Xiaoshan jealous but insisted he didn't care because she was Xiang Lan, and he had patience.
Zhou Xiaoshan then accused Wenzhao of forcing him into a situation where he had to shoot him. Wenzhao asked if Zhou Xiaoshan would remain indifferent if Qiu Jianing loved someone else while with him. Zhou Xiaoshan sternly warned Wenzhao that the issues between them had nothing to do with Qiu Jianing. Wenzhao laughed, calling it unfair that Zhou Xiaoshan was the only one to emerge unscathed from their three-person story.
Zhou Xiaoshan countered that he lived like a dead person, unlike Wenzhao, who was living well and had started a new life, suggesting he deserved to be tortured daily. Unfazed, Zhou Xiaoshan stated that he had faced similar threats many times, with God always on his side, and dared Wenzhao to gamble again to see whose side God would favor this time. Wenzhao concluded that the game had just begun and the most interesting part was yet to come.
Qiu father received an anonymous email and asked his secretary to open it, who hesitated due to its sensitive nature. Soon after, Qiu father's secretary called Zhou Xiaoshan, asking him to meet with Chairman Qiu. When they met, Qiu father directly questioned Zhou Xiaoshan about Xiang Lan, who Zhou Xiaoshan confirmed was his ex-girlfriend and his foster father's daughter.
Qiu father presented his interpretation of events, accusing Zhou Xiaoshan of using Xiang Lan's feelings to secure sponsorship for his studies in Europe, then abandoning his foster father after her death—a betrayal of trust. Zhou Xiaoshan clarified that Qiu Jianing knew about his relationship with Xiang Lan and that the situation was not as Qiu father perceived. He expressed curiosity about who had fed Qiu father this version of the story.
Zhou Xiaoshan acknowledged Qiu father’s suspicion that he had ulterior motives regarding Qiu Jianing and the Qiu family holdings. He offered to prove his disinterest in the family estate, explaining that with Jianing as a researcher and Jiaxin as a doctor, an expert manager would likely run the company, and Qiu father could establish a trust fund for his daughters' personal inheritance.
He pointed out that Qiu father’s method of finding a suitable partner for Jianing, based solely on financial disinterest, overlooked Jianing's own feelings. Zhou Xiaoshan agreed that someone was manipulating Qiu father from behind the scenes, seeking to benefit if he and Jianing broke up, particularly by becoming Qiu father's son-in-law. Zhou Xiaoshan reiterated that he liked Qiu Jianing as a person, and the Qiu family’s wealth had nothing to do with him, welcoming any further tests of his character.
Qiu father’s secretary later observed that Zhou Xiaoshan was "quite a character," noting his powerful aura and unwavering gaze, which suggested he was not plotting anything. Qiu father then instructed his network management department to trace the anonymous email’s IP address. Zhou Xiaoshan confronted Wenzhao, asking if he was the one who sent the email to Qiu Yaoming.
Wenzhao initially denied it but later admitted he wanted Zhou Xiaoshan to be unhappy, adding that he never expected Qiu Jianing to be Qiu Yaoming’s daughter and questioning Zhou Xiaoshan’s worthiness of her. He provocatively asked how Qiu father would react if he knew Zhou Xiaoshan was "just a gray mouse living in the sewer." Zhou Xiaoshan calmly demanded proof, to which Wenzhao replied that panic could be more powerful than evidence.
Wenzhao's subordinate then reported that Qiu Yaoming's network department was tracing the email's IP address. Zhou Xiaoshan calmly told Wenzhao that he had considered all possible outcomes before returning and was confident that Qiu Jianing would stand by him. Wenzhao then explained to his subordinate that directly exposing Zhou Xiaoshan was not easy, as he had been very secretive, and any attempt would involve too many people, causing more harm to themselves than to him.
Later, Zhou Xiaoshan confessed to Qiu Jianing that her father had called him, but assured her he could handle his prejudice and asked her not to fight with her father over him. At a hospital meeting, Qin Bin and the director explained that recruiting enough patients for Phase 2 clinical trials was difficult and would require additional funds or cause delays.
Back at the company, a colleague informed Qiu Jianing that the headquarters had yet to disburse funds for new machinery purchased half a year ago, and prices would increase significantly next month if the order wasn't confirmed. Qiu Jianing urgently met with President Huang, pressing him to approve the purchase funds by the end of the week. She also proposed increasing the budget for Phase 2 experimental subjects by 50% to expedite recruitment, estimating it would cost an additional ¥2.
5 million for 500 subjects. President Huang expressed concern about the long-term costs, especially for Phase 3, which involved 3,000 subjects. Qiu Jianing suggested that if money couldn’t save time, time would have to dilute the cost, implying an extension of the development cycle. President Huang flatly refused, stating that the company had invested heavily in Plan-O, and with recent weak sales, they relied on its successful public listing to recover losses; any delay would be disastrous.
He promised to personally handle the funding issue and asked Qiu Jianing to focus on her research. Soon after, Wenzhao received a call from President Huang. Wenzhao's assistant noted that Original Life was finally worried, with weak financial reports and Plan-O entering a critical, capital-intensive phase. Wenzhao was pleased, remarking that he had been worried Zhou Xiaoshan wasn't anxious enough.
Qiu Jianing and Zhou Xiaoshan visited the hospitalized Professor Wang, informing him that Phase 1 of the clinical trials was completed ahead of schedule and they were now recruiting for Phase 2. Zhou Xiaoshan informed Qiu Jianing that President Huang planned to raise funds, having heard that a Hong Kong venture capital firm was interested in the project. He asked her not to share this information with Sun Lei and others to prevent distraction.
Wenzhao and Su Qian later met with President Huang for the due diligence process. Wenzhao requested one-on-one interviews with the core researchers. President Huang introduced the three core researchers: Sun Lei, a close student of Professor Wang and the longest-serving member of the project; Qiu Jianing, a female scientist invited from abroad by Professor Wang; and Zhou Xiaoshan, who was in charge of experiments.
The office buzzed with gossip about Su Qian's return as a senior consultant for Tiancheng Funds, and the general feeling that the situation was more complex than it seemed. Researchers also noted Wenzhao's presence, finding him handsome and guessing he was a leader. Li Chunran was called in for the first interview with Su Qian, who, on behalf of Tiancheng Funds, asked questions and encouraged her not to be nervous. Meanwhile, Jiang Xiaoye and his friends were celebrating.
Qiu Jiaxin joined them and was immediately teased by Jiang Xiaoye's friends about their relationship. Jiang Xiaoye also introduced Qiu Jiaxin as his girlfriend. Elsewhere, Qin Bin was intently scrolling through Qiu Jiaxin’s social media, staring at a photo of her and Jiang Xiaoye. Zhao Yan noticed, teasing him about being jealous and asking who was more handsome.
Qin Bin mused on the complexity of feelings, admitting he had always thought of Jiaxin as a younger sister but now found himself questioning it. Zhao Yan, having noticed their chemistry long ago, urged him to pursue her, stating he would regret it if he kept stalling.
Qin Bin confessed he thought he liked Qiu Jianing, but Zhao Yan countered that his previous attraction to Jianing was likely to her "external glory," not true love, and warned him he would lose Jiaxin if he didn't act. Later, as the group decided to move to another venue, Qiu Jiaxin expressed concern about Jiang Xiaoye riding his motorcycle after drinking and suggested taking a taxi.
Jiang Xiaoye, however, confidently stated that he treated alcohol like water and could handle it. Later that night, Qin Bin received an urgent call from Qiu Jiaxin. He rushed to the police station to find Jiang Xiaoye and the group had been caught for drunk driving, resulting in hefty fines and suspended licenses. Qin Bin was furious to see Qiu Jiaxin with an injured face, which she claimed was from a fall.
He tried to take her home, but Jiang Xiaoye intervened, claiming Qiu Jiaxin was his girlfriend and didn't need Qin Bin to escort her. Qin Bin protectively pulled Qiu Jiaxin behind him, but Jiang Xiaoye was forced to leave when his coach called, urging him to return. On the drive home, Qin Bin expressed deep disappointment in Qiu Jiaxin, criticizing her for her recent behavior—drinking, staying out late, skipping work, and associating with Jiang Xiaoye.
Qiu Jiaxin, feeling wronged, demanded he stop the car and ran off. Qin Bin chased after her as she cried, explaining that she had called him out of fear after her sister didn't answer, expecting comfort for her injury, but he only scolded her. She tearfully accused him of only caring about her because of Qiu Jianing. Qin Bin embraced her, placing his jacket around her and telling her not to cry.
He passionately confessed that it was because he liked her that he couldn’t help but care for and watch over her. He admitted he had once believed he liked Qiu Jianing, but he eventually realized that the person he truly loved was Qiu Jiaxin. Back home, Qiu Jiaxin, still in disbelief, woke up Qiu Jianing, declaring that Qin Bin had confessed his feelings for her.
Qiu Jianing told her that it was good news and advised her to seriously consider who she truly liked and make a decision quickly, as prolonging it would only hurt more people.
