Broker Episode 35 Recap
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President Huang called Qiu Jianing for a private meeting and demanded her resignation. She reluctantly agreed, explaining later to Zhou Xiaoshan that she had no other choice; otherwise, Plan-O would be shelved, and President Huang would face immense pressure from the board. Zhou Xiaoshan argued that resigning would confirm all the online rumors against her, but Qiu Jianing insisted that protecting Plan-O was her priority.
She also implored Zhou Xiaoshan not to confront Ruan Wenzhao, believing that doing so would play right into his hands, and that they would find a solution eventually. Weiwei was shocked by an online video that depicted Qiu Jianing in a negative light, exclaiming, "I can't believe Qiu Jianing is like that!" Su Qian, observing this, commented on the unpredictability of people.
She then asked Weiwei to return and assist her, revealing her intention to join Plan-O on behalf of Tiancheng once Qiu Jianing departed. Weiwei asked if Qiu Jianing was truly leaving. Qiu Jiaxin grew increasingly enraged by the online comments regarding her sister. After seeing a news report on Qiu Jianing's alleged betrayal, she directly confronted the trolls online, asserting her sister's innocence.
Jiang Xiaoye, witnessing her frustration, published a Weibo post in Qiu Jianing's defense, which Qiu Jiaxin genuinely appreciated. However, upon returning to the hospital, Qin Bin angrily confronted her, dragging her aside and demanding she ask Jiang Xiaoye to delete the post. He showed her the new wave of negative comments, explaining that Jiang Xiaoye's intervention had reignited the "Qiu Jianing betrayal" story across the gaming community, making it seem as if no one believed in her innocence.
Qiu Jiaxin argued that Jiang Xiaoye had good intentions, but Qin Bin dismissed it as stupidity, revealing how the controversy was now causing patients to doubt the experiment and want to quit. Their argument escalated, with Qiu Jiaxin feeling deeply hurt and misunderstood, believing Qin Bin viewed her as nothing more than a childish troublemaker. She asserted her humanity, stating she couldn't be as calm as a machine and was glad to still feel anger and sadness.
As Qiu Jianing and Zhou Xiaoshan arrived downstairs, they were immediately mobbed by reporters. Zhou Xiaoshan quickly whisked her away. Qiu Jianing, distraught, remarked on her unexpected "celebrity" status, noting that due to Qiu Jiaxin's and Jiang Xiaoye's posts, the controversy had now spread beyond their scientific community. She expressed her inability to tolerate the online accusations of betraying her country and seducing Harry, questioning what she had done wrong to deserve such widespread scorn.
Zhou Xiaoshan comforted her, asserting her innocence and firmly stating that he would not allow her to resign. He emphasized that he cared more about her well-being than Plan-O and did not want her to suffer further injustice. Later, Li Chunran called Qiu Jianing, warning her not to return to her dormitory as numerous people were waiting to confront her downstairs.
Feeling increasingly helpless and having nowhere to go, Qiu Jianing broke down in tears in Zhou Xiaoshan's arms, lamenting that she couldn't even return to her own home. Zhou Xiaoshan reassured her, promising that wherever he was, she would have a home. Unable to control his anger, Zhou Xiaoshan went to confront Ruan Wenzhao, demanding to know what it would take for him to leave Qiu Jianing alone.
Ruan Wenzhao, claiming to be a victim as an investor, maintained that if Qiu Jianing resigned, it would confirm the accusations against her. He then reiterated his condition for releasing Qiu Jianing from her suffering: Zhou Xiaoshan must return to him, otherwise, he would have to watch her endure more pain, just as Ruan Wenzhao had watched Xiang Lan suffer. He even ominously declared that this was "just the beginning."
Enraged and with no outlet for his fury, Zhou Xiaoshan called Ruan Wenzhao crazy before storming off. After watching the incriminating video, Qiu's father immediately wanted to hire a lawyer to seek justice for Qiu Jianing. His secretary, however, urged caution, explaining that the matter extended beyond Qiu Jianing's reputation, affecting the standing of Chinese scientists globally, especially given the rapid growth of China's scientific development. Calming down, Qiu's father decided to speak with Qiu Jianing first.
When Qiu Jianing returned home, her father expressed his unwavering belief in her innocence and his determination to clear her name through legal action. He also disagreed with her resignation, suggesting she hold a press conference to explain her side. Qiu Jianing, however, remained resolute in prioritizing Plan-O, stating that as long as the project was safe, she didn't care what happened to her.
She believed a press conference wouldn't change public opinion and didn't want the years-long effort of her team to fail because of her. Zhou Xiaoshan waited outside the house throughout their conversation. As Qiu's father saw Qiu Jianing off, he said nothing to Zhou Xiaoshan directly but asked him to guarantee her safety, which Zhou Xiaoshan readily promised. President Huang pressed Qiu Jianing again, explaining the immense pressure from the board and investors.
He believed in her innocence but stressed that public opinion was against them, and the negative press was already causing experiment subjects to withdraw. He explained that as a company representative, his priority was the company's interest, and if she stayed, Plan-O would likely fail. He presented her with an ultimatum: if she didn't submit her resignation letter by the next day, the company would issue a dismissal announcement.
Upon hearing this, Li Chunran and Xiaoxiao were outraged, arguing that the company should acknowledge Qiu Jianing's contributions and threatening to quit if she was dismissed. Qiu Jianing spent a long time in quiet contemplation at Professor Wang's bedside, listening to his wife speak about his lifelong dedication to Plan-O and his dream of China's scientific achievements. It was clear Qiu Jianing felt the immense weight of this legacy.
As she left, she encountered Su Qian, who was also visiting Professor Wang. Su Qian sarcastically congratulated Qiu Jianing, implying her current predicament was her own fault. Qiu Jianing, after a moment of reflection, entrusted Plan-O to Su Qian. Later, she confided in Zhou Xiaoshan that she had made her decision: she would resign, admitting defeat this time. Qiu Jianing handed over her projects to Sun Lei, providing detailed charts and progress notes.
Sun Lei refused to accept her resignation, urging her to stay, but Qiu Jianing, with a smile, expressed gratitude for his trust, explaining that her presence would only harm the project. As she left, she wished to meet again. Meanwhile, Su Qian was also at Professor Wang's bedside. Professor An (Wang's wife) confronted Su Qian, suspecting her return and targeting of Qiu Jianing stemmed from lingering resentment towards Professor Wang for helping Qiu Jianing previously.
Professor An clarified that Professor Wang had known long ago that Qiu Jianing was wrongly accused by Harry, recalling a discussion between Jianing and Professor Wang about Harry's paper during Jianing's undergraduate years. When Su Qian questioned Gale's video, Professor An asked if Su Qian would sell her years of effort for money, to which Su Qian admitted she wouldn't, implicitly affirming Qiu Jianing's innocence regarding the video.
Back at the lab, Sun Lei, Xiaoxiao, Li Chunran, and others collectively threatened to resign if Qiu Jianing left, wanting to fight for justice. Qiu Jianing, however, implored them to stay, reminding them of their personal sacrifices for Plan-O and emphasizing that the project's success would bring immense national honor, far outweighing any individual interests. She entrusted Plan-O to them, urging them to continue their work, and then departed the laboratory.
Later, Zhu Zhu called Qiu Jianing, rudely inquiring about her departure timeline and revealing that Sun Lei's paper, which had passed three reviews, was unexpectedly rejected due to the negative repercussions of Qiu Jianing's scandal. Zhu Zhu blamed Qiu Jianing, calling her a "black sheep." Qiu Jianing was deeply remorseful upon hearing this, feeling helpless and unable to do anything. Zhou Xiaoshan tried to comfort her, reminding her that she had done all she could.
Qiu Jiaxin was livid over the online comments accusing Qiu Jianing of plagiarism and treason. When Qiu Jianing returned home and saw the posts, she expressed dismay, having believed her resignation would end the ordeal.
Meanwhile, Sun Lei met with Su Qian, who claimed she couldn't help Qiu Jianing, though she wistfully recounted how she had missed an opportunity to attend a conference where Plan-O might have been sold for a high price, expressing regret over not having capitalized on the project's potential earlier. Sun Lei tried to persuade her, emphasizing the importance of mutual trust during such critical times and affirming Qiu Jianing's innocence.
Separately, Zhou Xiaoshan urgently approached Qiu's father, stating he needed the company's network department to retrieve the original, unedited video of Qiu Jianing with Gale, which was still on the hotel's server. He explained that this required significant computational effort and staff support. Qiu's father, expressing deep guilt for having neglected Qiu Jianing throughout her childhood after his divorce and subsequent remarriage, was determined to make amends and protect her from any further harm.
Zhou Xiaoshan reassured him of Qiu Jianing's love and her inherent goodness, advocating that they should protect her positive energy and kindness towards the world, rather than hinder it. Moved by Zhou Xiaoshan's words, Qiu's father finally understood why his daughter cared for him and agreed to deploy his company's network department to assist.
