Master of My Own Episode 9 Recap
> Master of My Own Recap
Ning Meng grew increasingly frustrated as Fang Jian consistently ignored her calls and messages regarding documents required by Lu Jiming. After discovering he was active on social media but unresponsive to her, she realized his obstruction was deliberate and reported it to her boss, Shi Ying. Shi Ying immediately called Fang Jian and got through, with him claiming the documents had already been sent.
Ning Meng checked the front desk and initially found nothing, but later located a package addressed only to "Eaglestone Capital," without her name, explaining the oversight. Just as Ning Meng prepared to deliver the file, Lu Jiming called, urging her to hurry. Upon her arrival, he immediately requested another document: a shareholder resolution. Trying to be more efficient, Ning Meng suggested he list all necessary documents at once to avoid repeated trips.
Lu Jiming reacted defensively, accusing her of trying to teach him his job and developing a "temper." Swallowing her frustration, Ning Meng left to fulfill the new request. Ning Meng contacted Fang Jian again, stressing the urgency. Learning from her previous experience, she frequently checked for the delivery, but days passed with no package and Fang Jian became completely unresponsive.
Prodded by Lu Jiming, Ning Meng went to Yuanyuan Real Estate in person, only to find the office nearly empty and be told Fang Jian had already left for the day. Returning to Eaglestone in the pouring rain, a defeated Ning Meng was met by Shi Ying, who had the shareholder resolution in hand. Shi Ying explained she had gotten it directly from Yuanyuan's CEO at a dinner party.
Hearing how Fang Jian had made excuses, Ning Meng resolved to "do both"—call and message—in the future. After giving Ning Meng some ginger tea, Shi Ying sent her to Lu Jiming. However, upon receiving the document, Lu Jiming demanded yet another: a Self-financing Undertaking Letter, needed by the next morning. At her breaking point, Ning Meng asked if he was deliberately targeting her. Lu Jiming scoffed, reminding her their limited partners weren't obligated to provide on-demand service.
He berated her for her slow performance, noting the first document took three days and the second five. Ning Meng retorted that she had worked for him for three years and was not careless; she had pushed so hard that people turned against her, but whether they provided a document was out of her control.
Lu Jiming yelled back that she had gained a temper but no skills since changing jobs and that if she was incapable, she shouldn't waste his time. Ning Meng finally shouted back that his wealth didn't give him the right to trample on others' self-esteem and that her capabilities were not for him to judge. Despite her anger, Ning Meng went back to Yuanyuan Real Estate.
She found Fang Jian and confronted him, subtly referencing her knowledge of Yuanyuan's financial instability. She warned that if they couldn't even pass risk control, the project might be jeopardized, implying his delays were hurting his own company. Her firm stance and inside knowledge worked; a chastened Fang Jian promised to provide the letter the next day. Later, Shi Ying called Ning Meng into her office and showed her a rejected due diligence questionnaire, asking her to spot the error.
Ning Meng was mortified to realize she had forgotten to have the copies stamped—a basic but critical mistake. Shi Ying, however, reassured her a corrected version was already on its way. She then explained that Fang Jian's obstruction was because he felt Ning Meng's rank was too low to deal with him. More importantly, she revealed that Lu Jiming's piecemeal requests weren't a personal attack but a reflection of the strict, stage-by-stage requirements from the trust and asset management departments.
Realizing she had let her emotions cloud her judgment, Ning Meng apologized. Shi Ying, seeing Ning Meng's potential, encouraged her to learn from the experience and grow quickly. That evening, an exhausted Ning Meng received a call from Lu Jiming's friend, asking her to pick up a heavily intoxicated Lu Jiming from a club. She reluctantly went and, to her surprise, encountered Su Weiran, her college senior.
Seeing him brought back memories: how he, as an exam proctor, had trusted her when she was nearly accused of cheating, and how she had once planned to give him a birthday gift, only to retreat when she saw him with another woman he called "Suan Juzi." At the club, Su Weiran helped Ning Meng get Lu Jiming into a car and offered to accompany her, seeing she was struggling.
During the ride, he praised Lu Jiming's rare success as a young investor who built his firm without his father's money. He revealed he had recognized Ning Meng immediately but hesitated to say so since she seemed not to know him. He complimented her transformation from a quiet student in glasses to her current confident self.
Su Weiran shared that after working in investment banking on Wall Street and at BDI, a top VC firm in Silicon Valley, he had returned to Shanghai as an executive director, noting China's growing importance in global business. Realizing they were in the same industry, they exchanged contact information. Afterward, Ning Meng excitedly told her friend You Qi about the reunion.
You Qi grilled her for details, and Ning Meng confirmed Su Weiran was more handsome than ever and likely single, as he wore no ring. The next day, as Ning Meng prepared to deliver the final document, Lu Jiming informed her that Yuanyuan Real Estate was off the project. Puzzled, she asked why. Lu Jiming guided her to connect the dots: Fang Jian's evasiveness and her own observation that Yuanyuan had launched no new projects that year.
She correctly deduced that Yuanyuan was in financial trouble. Lu Jiming confirmed there was something fishy, though not outright fraud. Analyzing their financial statements, Ning Meng discovered they had misclassified factored receivables under "other liquid assets" and had a suspiciously low bad debt provision. Recalling a past dispute involving their Tianyuan New City project, her calculations revealed a 30 million yuan shortfall in their capital increase that they couldn't explain. Based on Ning Meng's findings, Lu Jiming formally decided to drop Yuanyuan and find a new limited partner.
