Hello, I'm At Your Service Episode 1 Recap
> Hello, I'm At Your Service Recap
Dong Dong'en, a top customer service representative for Ba'er Creative Advertising, demonstrates her unique talents on a busy street. Feigning pregnancy, she stages a public meltdown outside a gym, crying that the final payment for her company's work is delayed because the gym's male chairman is taking a six-month "maternity leave." Her performance draws a crowd and incites outrage, prompting the gym owner to emerge and pay her 5,000 yuan to make her leave.
Afterward, she joins her colleagues in a getaway van: her boss and driver Ke Maoxu, and teammates Ma Chengshu and Xie Yi, who had posed as supportive bystanders. This dramatic tactic is a regular part of their strategy for dealing with clients who refuse to pay, a method perfected by Dong Dong'en based on her self-authored "rules of customer service." Despite her skills, Ba'er Creative is in dire financial straits.
A major opportunity arises when Peony Corporation, a leader in the sauce industry, selects the small agency as a potential partner. However, the deal is jeopardized by the unexpected return of Lou Yuan, the son of Peony's founder. With his mother and company chairman, Lou Mudan, falling ill, Lou Yuan has returned from abroad to manage the company. Feigning inexperience, he presents himself as a naive newcomer.
In reality, he is already working with his university friends, Cao Ya and Wang Zijian—the deputy directors of R&D and Marketing, respectively—to gather evidence against corrupt executives. A senior figure, Lai Dong, whom Lou Yuan calls "Uncle Lai," condescendingly welcomes him, unaware of the scheme. Lai Dong even introduces Cao Ya and Wang Zijian as his own proteges, planning to use his influence to control the supposedly weak heir.
Meanwhile, company employees gossip that the unimpressive Lou Yuan will be a puppet for Lai, who is known for his nepotism and corruption. After Ba'er Creative is informed that their contract with Peony has been terminated, their financial situation becomes critical, as they now face eviction for three months of unpaid rent. Dong Dong'en is dispatched to salvage the deal. Once again disguised as pregnant, she heads to Peony's offices.
On the way, she coincidentally helps a driver—secretly Lou Yuan—get out of a traffic jam by directing him to a nearby parking lot. At Peony, the receptionist, Zhu Li, informs Dong Dong'en that Lou Yuan is now in charge but is unavailable. Dong Dong'en fakes a sudden pain from her "pregnancy," and while Zhu Li is away getting her water, she barges into Lou Yuan's office, where Lai Dong is also present.
Lou Yuan, continuing his act in front of Lai Dong, claims it is difficult to overrule a decision made by a senior executive. He then subtly hints that Lai Dong prefers to work with his friends' companies and laments his own lack of suitable partners. Dong Dong'en understands the implication, mentioning a company called Laijia Advertising. Seeing his confirmation, she offers to find evidence of misconduct, an offer Lou Yuan accepts.
Lou Yuan's team had already compiled significant evidence of Lai Dong's deep-rooted corruption. They knew he had replaced legitimate suppliers with his own cronies, who used cheap, inferior beef instead of the high-quality product specified in recipes. This not only compromised product quality but also led to the departure of key R&D staff, many of whom were hired by their main competitor, Sanjiao Group.
Furthermore, they knew Lai Dong had approved the purchase of faulty, secondhand machinery that broke down almost immediately. Building on this, the Ba'er team launched their own investigation focused on Laijia Advertising. They tailed its manager to a private club, "Wild Lily," where he met repeatedly with Lai Dong. Most critically, they discovered Laijia's bid for Peony's business was 20% higher than market rates, providing clear evidence of a kickback scheme.
Dong Dong'en presents the new evidence to Lou Yuan, reaffirming Ba'er's loyalty. Shortly after, Lou Yuan drops his facade. He convenes a meeting, stunning the executives by promoting his allies, Wang Zijian and Cao Ya, to the heads of their respective departments. He then orders the immediate dismissal of Lai Dong's key loyalists. When Lai Dong protests, Lou Yuan confronts him with the irrefutable evidence of his schemes—from the inflated bids and supplier fraud to the faulty machinery.
Defeated, Lai Dong is forced to resign. Lou Yuan also installs a comprehensive surveillance system, with a direct feed to his office, to monitor all employees, quickly calling out those slacking off. The staff is shocked by his transformation from a soft-spoken heir to a ruthless "devil boss." Despite her instrumental role in exposing Lai Dong, Dong Dong'en is stunned to receive an official contract termination notice from Peony.
She returns to confront Lou Yuan, finding him with Wang and Cao. They are discussing the recent purge, with his deputies worried about the impact on morale. Lou Yuan coldly defends his actions, stating that the corrupt deserved their fate and that rebuilding trust is a slow process. Dong Dong'en bursts in without knocking, demanding to know why their contract was terminated after she helped him. In response, Lou Yuan chides her for her lack of manners before turning and walking out, leaving her completely bewildered.
