Love's Ambition Episode 17 Recap
> Love's Ambition Recap
Shen Haoming diligently started his work from the ground up at the construction site. He observed the workers leaving steel bars exposed to the sun and inquired with Mr. He and Mr. Li about the potential issues. They explained that the steel would rust and oxidize when exposed to alternating rain and sun, rendering it unusable, and noted that much of the good steel inside the building had already rusted due to rain getting in through the uninstalled windows.
Later, Mr. Zhang gathered everyone to introduce Mr. Shen, who had been dispatched by the group's headquarters. Shen Haoming quickly addressed the project delays, pointing out severe construction problems like oxidized steel bars, waterlogged walls and grounds due to delayed window installation, moldy plumbing, and cracked slabs from lacking wire mesh reinforcement. He insisted on immediate rectification and rework. The workers protested, claiming the issues stemmed from investor Wu Chengming running off with their money, and demanding payment for rework.
Mr. Zhang tried to smooth things over, but the workers were furious, stating they followed company rules and demanded proof of non-compliance. Shen Haoming proposed individual contracts that would outline specific construction standards, timely wage payments for compliant work, and penalties for poor execution, with wages paid directly by the company. The subcontractor, who had worked for decades, was angered, claiming Shen Haoming was breaking industry norms and undermining his authority.
Shen Haoming clarified that the contracts only covered standards and pay, not management authority, and would ease financial audits. Some workers, enticed by daily pay, rushed to sign, while a few veteran workers, including Mr. Li, walked out, declaring they wouldn't work under such conditions.
Mr. Zhang tried to stop them, warning Shen Haoming that the project would stall without these key personnel, but Shen Haoming was unconcerned, making a call to Mr. Zhang (an engineer) to have his tech team report for duty at 11 AM as previously arranged. Shen Haoming then confronted the branch head, who had reported to the group that the delays were due to rising material and labor costs after a contractor, Wu Chengming of Anqiang Construction, absconded with funds.
Shen Haoming meticulously detailed how repeated rework led to wasted labor and materials, necessitating re-procurement and reconstruction, which in turn caused the cost increases. He accused the head of ample opportunities for manipulation and embezzlement, and of failing to supervise the contractors. The branch head pleaded being overwhelmed by handling hundreds of unpaid workers after Wu Chengming's disappearance. Shen Haoming gave him an ultimatum: three days to compile all procurement quotes, actual expenditures, and employee salaries from the project’s start.
The branch head argued it was impossible, but Shen Haoming stood firm. Meanwhile, Xu Yan, now an assistant host, applied to Mr. Qiu for the chance to host a solo live stream. She was granted the opportunity and began promoting boneless chicken feet. During her stream, her brother-in-law, Shen Haochen, using the username "Warm Harbor," made numerous large orders and sent expensive virtual gifts.
Shen Haoming, also watching the stream, secretly competed with his son by placing hundreds of orders himself. Mr. Qiu, noticing the high-spending "Warm Harbor," presumed it was a wealthy patron and instructed Xu Yan to meet them offline for coffee to cultivate the relationship, emphasizing that such patrons are paramount. Reluctantly, Xu Yan agreed. She went to meet "Warm Harbor" and was surprised to find Shen Haochen.
He confessed that he had used his nanny, Ms. Hui's, phone to place the orders and insisted that the money be repaid from his pocket money. He also revealed that he had donated all the chicken feet to an orphanage that his brother, Shen Haoming, regularly supported. He tearfully expressed how much he and his mother missed her, claiming they had lost weight from missing her cooking, and showed her a video of Shen Haoming looking despondent.
Xu Yan, realizing he was unaware of the divorce, softened and told him that if he missed her, he could call her anytime, and she would take him wherever he wanted to go. Back in the live stream office, Mr. Qiu scolded Xu Yan. He was furious that her offline meeting with "Warm Harbor" resulted in the high-spending follower disappearing.
He also berated her for a recent "broadcast accident" during another stream, where she had frozen and remained silent after being targeted by a barrage of harassing online comments calling her a "gold digger." Xu Yan tried to explain that "Warm Harbor" was a minor using a parent's phone, and she had persuaded him to stop because they couldn't ethically profit from a child.
Mr. Qiu dismissed her explanation, still angry about both the lost patron and the public on-air incident. He told her to stop selling her current product and reassigned her to a punishing outdoor live stream, threatening her job if she refused. Xu Yan quietly accepted the new assignment. Xu Yan later conducted an outdoor live stream from Daxingfa Supermarket at Jingzhou Cultural Park, promoting non-GMO cold-pressed rapeseed oil, beef balls, rice, and flour.
During the stream, Fang Lei brought Yu Lan and other friends to the site. The friends began making disparaging comments, questioning why Xu Yan, as a Shen family daughter-in-law, was selling basic groceries in such an environment, calling it "degrading" and saying it made people look down on her. Yu Lan, angered by their snobbery, fiercely defended Xu Yan.
She reminded them of their own humble origins, recalling how Ms. Meng and her husband slept in warehouses, how Ms. Ma used to be covered in cement dust from her family's cement factory, and how she herself, a contractor's wife, used to cook for workers when needed. Yu Lan declared that none of them should forget their roots and abruptly dismissed them all.
As Yu Lan and her friends departed, she instructed her assistant, Liu, to have someone place massive orders for hundreds of packs of rice, flour, and oil under the guise of company benefits. Other friends, inspired by Yu Lan's speech, also placed large orders, quickly clearing out the company's entire stock. The staff was astonished by the unexpected surge in sales. Later, Shen Haoming appeared to meet Xu Yan.
He mentioned that he was back for reporting and asked if she wanted to add any clauses to the divorce agreement. He also urged her to return to her news anchor position, offering help, but Xu Yan firmly refused, stating her current job was good. Shen Haoming then tried to give her a bank card, explaining it was basic compensation she deserved as his former wife.
Xu Yan refused it, explaining their fundamental differences: he learned to leverage connections and resources, while she learned to seize every opportunity to climb from poverty. She told him their different values meant they shouldn't be together. She walked away, stating that since they had decided to divorce, they should become strangers. Shen Haoming watched her leave, still unable to comprehend why they were drifting apart.
