Broker Episode 8 Recap
> Broker Recap
Qiu Jianing expressed her disappointment with Zhou Xiaoshan, telling him that while he could hold his own views on life, he shouldn't impose them on others. Zhou Xiaoshan recounted seeing the same "poor guy" he had mentioned before, scamming another person with the exact same story. He challenged Qiu Jianing, asking if her belief system was still correct and if, after being deceived herself, she would stop believing there were genuinely needy people in the world.
He questioned if living in darkness meant one should stop seeking the light. Qiu Jianing firmly responded that believing is both a choice and an ability, and she was glad to still possess that ability. Her words left Zhou Xiaoshan sleepless. The day for the competition results had arrived, and everyone gathered nervously. Professor Sun Lei had successfully cultivated 65 experimental mice, achieving a 65% production rate, which was impressive.
Many felt it was impossible for Zhou Xiaoshan to surpass this number, and speculated he would have to leave if he lost. Before Zhou Xiaoshan's results were announced, Qiu Jianing stepped forward to speak. She praised Zhou Xiaoshan as an outstanding researcher who not only completed the protein interaction analysis she requested but also proactively performed crystal structure analysis, providing her with significant inspiration.
She declared that if Zhou Xiaoshan came in second, she, as his superior, would take full responsibility. To everyone's surprise, Zhou Xiaoshan’s microinjections resulted in 75 successfully cultivated mice, achieving a 75% production rate. Sun Lei admitted defeat. Zhou Xiaoshan thanked Qiu Jianing for speaking up for him, but she clarified that Professor Sun Lei was targeting her, and she merely sought fairness, as she had initiated the competition.
Zhou Xiaoshan then asked if she truly believed in fairness, to which she affirmed that fairness, justice, and truth all exist, and without belief in them, a researcher cannot continue. He expressed his admiration for her ideals but argued that not everyone has the right and ability to choose, likening it to the faceless fish that lives in darkness and whose eyes degenerate, implying some cannot pursue the light.
Qiu Jianing corrected him, stating that the faceless fish's eyes are merely beneath the surface, and though she didn't know his past, she believed he was different from others. Later, Qiu Jianing required data from Professor Sun's previous research. Zhou Xiaoshan, demonstrating his keen auditory skills, successfully deduced the password by listening to the distinct sounds of each key Qiu Jianing typed on the keyboard. He then managed to download the necessary data.
Mo Li, eager for results, asked Zhou Xiaoshan if their mission was complete. He explained that although they had the password, they still needed to wait because Plan-O's current results weren't final until a patent was applied for. While Mo Li expressed impatience, Zhou Xiaoshan urged her to be patient. Shortly after, Mr. Li visited Mo Li, delivering a face mask. Zhou Xiaoshan noticed a "Foolish Wolf" keychain on Mr. Li's bag and inquired about the character.
Mr. Li described the Foolish Wolf as initially unlucky but eventually becoming the most powerful wolf in the pack due to his persistence and hard work, emphasizing that "the harder you work, the luckier you'll be." He also characterized the wolf as "very cute" and "silly and cute" despite sometimes getting lost. Zhou Xiaoshan then discreetly remarked that, by that description, he found Qiu Jianing "quite cute."
Qin Bin brought afternoon tea to Qiu Jiaxin, asking her about Qiu Jianing's preferences in flowers, clearly planning a romantic gesture. Qiu Jiaxin cautioned him against conventional courtship methods, recalling an incident from high school where a boy gave Qiu Jianing roses. Qiu Jianing had meticulously corrected him, pointing out they were "Chinese roses" and not simply "roses," dismissing him for his lack of distinction.
Qiu Jiaxin warned Qin Bin that if he pursued her like other girls, Qiu Jianing would use her "high intelligence" to dissect "101 illogical things" in a movie, metaphorically crushing him. This challenge, however, only seemed to excite Qin Bin more. Separately, Zhou Xiaoshan, speaking on the phone, inquired about Qiu Jianing's "punishment" if his upcoming experiments failed.
She reassured him that she would help him, to which he playfully responded he was glad she wasn't going to stick a "Foolish Wolf" on his head. At home, Qiu Jiaxin probed Qiu Jianing about her dating history. Qiu Jianing confirmed she had never had a boyfriend, declaring love to be "worthless" as it doesn't withstand the test of time, citing that love hormones fade after about two years.
Qiu Jiaxin, intrigued, asked about Qiu Jianing's ideal type, and Qiu Jianing named "Leonard Andre Masson," an idol whom she found "charming" and "smart is the new sexy." Qiu Jiaxin, finding his appearance "hard to describe," later showed his picture to Qin Bin, who agreed with her assessment that Qiu Jianing might need an eye exam. Qiu Jiaxin then teased Qin Bin about his "low IQ" for always paying people's hospital bills, which he defended as "benevolence."
Inspired by the idea of "smart is the new sexy," Qin Bin unexpectedly started working on an old manuscript for a paper, much to his colleague Zhao Yan's surprise. Meanwhile, Xiaoxiao approached Sun Lei, expressing her desire to join his team rather than Qiu Jianing's. She confessed that she had initially believed Qiu Jianing wouldn't stay at the company and had come to Plan-O for him.
Sun Lei, however, firmly told her to address him as "Professor Sun" in the lab and reiterated that they were "not suitable." He reminded her that she would learn more by following Qiu Jianing and that, given her previous "big mistake," she should have been asked to resign, and only Qiu Jianing's intervention had saved her job. He gave her an ultimatum: follow Qiu Jianing or resign. Zhou Xiaoshan, having overheard the conversation, quickly guided Xiaoxiao to Qiu Jianing's office.
In the office, Qiu Jianing, with a strict demeanor, outlined laboratory rules, telling Xiaoxiao to tie up her hair, change out of her fashionable slippers (which Qiu Jianing warned could be dangerous if toxic chemicals spilled on them), and avoid perfume as it could cause an explosion. Xiaoxiao's defiant attitude led to a tense exchange, with Qiu Jianing challenging her to "try" not following the rules.
Zhou Xiaoshan observed that Qiu Jianing, who had advocated for Xiaoxiao's retention, was now creating a strained working relationship. Qiu Jianing clarified that her purpose was to work, not to foster friendships. In the lab, Qiu Jianing meticulously instructed Zhou Xiaoshan to button his coat and complimented Xiaoxiao's tied-up hair, saying she finally looked like a researcher. Xiaoxiao questioned the need to cultivate their own cells when a specialized department existed.
Qiu Jianing explained that for the experiment's precision, all materials, methods, and procedures must be identical across their three experiments, and healthy cell conditions were crucial for observing cellular responses. Zhou Xiaoshan later asked Xiaoxiao if she knew Sun Lei, and she confirmed he was her "senior brother" from the same university.
During lunch, one colleague, Zhu Zhu, speculated that Qiu Jianing was merely using their lab as a "stepping stone" to clear her reputation and eventually move to a better position abroad, not genuinely dedicating herself to research. Xiaoxiao declared that she didn't care about Qiu Jianing's motives, only that she didn't interfere with "Brother Stone" (Sun Lei). Later, Zhou Xiaoshan noted Xiaoxiao's uncooperative behavior to Qiu Jianing and revealed that Xiaoxiao had joined the lab specifically to pursue Sun Lei.
Qiu Jianing seemed unfazed and offered Zhou Xiaoshan a surprising combination of chili and coke. She explained that this was her unusual way of coping with anxiety, which she often experienced during her PhD studies. She admitted to feeling anxious about Professor Sun's bias, Xiaoxiao's non-cooperation, and Professor Wang's expectations. However, she found that indulging in anxiety only worsened the situation, and by focusing on what needed to be done, other problems ceased to be problems.
She advised Zhou Xiaoshan that as long as he focused on his tasks, nothing else would be an issue. After observing their work, Qiu Jianing praised the aesthetic quality of Xiaoxiao's plump and healthy cells but criticized Zhou Xiaoshan's "irregular" and "unhealthy" cells, suggesting he lacked a sense of aesthetics. Zhou Xiaoshan disagreed, trying to prove his aesthetic sense by complimenting her beauty, but Qiu Jianing insisted that "beauty is the most important issue in science."
Zhou Xiaoshan confessed that his basic experimental skills were weak because he had transitioned from physical chemistry to cellular biology only during his doctorate. Qiu Jianing assured him she would personally guide him step-by-step the next day. After work, Qiu Jianing suggested they go to a "Western restaurant" she used to frequent before studying abroad. Upon arrival, Zhou Xiaoshan realized it was actually a bar. Qiu Jianing nonchalantly stated that as long as there was food, it was fine.
While Qiu Jianing was in the restroom, her high school friend, Xu Qianya, approached Zhou Xiaoshan and asked for his WeChat contact, saying she'd contact him if she couldn't reach Qiu Jianing. Zhou Xiaoshan agreed, but specified it was only for contacting Qiu Jianing, not for "testing his loyalty" or "flirting." Xu Qianya, finding him as annoyingly intelligent as Qiu Jianing, introduced herself as Qiu Jianing's best friend.
When Qiu Jianing returned, the two friends immediately began playfully bickering, with Xu Qianya revealing Qiu Jianing's "poor sense of direction," recounting an instance where she got lost on campus during their first week of high school. Qiu Jianing retorted by mentioning Xu Qianya's struggles with math. Zhou Xiaoshan lightened the mood by remarking that it was "fine for girls to be bad with directions."
A waiter later expressed surprise that Xu Qianya, who admitted to being poor with numbers and Chinese characters, was friends with a "female scientist" like Qiu Jianing, whom Zhou Xiaoshan clarified as an "experienced scientific researcher." That evening, Qiu Jianing realized she had no clean clothes left. Qiu Jiaxin, after teasing her about the pile of dirty clothes and warning her about "germs," reluctantly lent her an outfit.
However, Qiu Jiaxin then insisted on taking Qiu Jianing shopping the following afternoon, threatening to inform their father that his "precious daughter" was reduced to borrowing clothes from her younger sister. Qiu Jianing reluctantly agreed, claiming she happened to have time. The next day, Qiu Jianing arrived at work wearing a stunning, previously uncharacteristic rose-red suit borrowed from her sister. Her colleagues were greatly surprised and showered her with compliments, noting how "pretty" she looked and that she seemed like "another person."
