My Bargain Queen Episode 22 Recap
> My Bargain Queen Recap
While Peter Bao was on the phone, angrily dismissing the caller for disturbing him, a groggy Ai managed to send a message to Xia Qian, indicating she was in "Room 2011." Xia Qian rushed to the room and intervened just as Peter Bao was making unwanted advances. He claimed Ai was merely drunk and that he had done nothing, but Xia Qian brushed him aside, helped Ai out, and told him to leave.
Later, in a safe place, Ai expressed her shock, saying she never expected Peter Bao to be such a person. Xia Qian agreed but insisted they should inform Sheng Zhening. Ai was reluctant, pointing out that Peter Bao was Evergreen Hotel's spokesperson and due to perform at the Building No. 2 opening ceremony the next day. A last-minute replacement would cause significant losses, and Ai blamed herself for being so naive.
Xia Qian comforted her, assuring her that she was safe now. Despite Ai's reservations, Xia Qian decided to tell Sheng Zhening, worried that Qi Lin might use Peter Bao to undermine Evergreen. Sheng Zhening, upon hearing the news, immediately dispatched An An to investigate Peter Bao's past. The investigation quickly revealed Peter Bao's scandalous private life, confirming Sheng Zhening's suspicion that Qi Lin planned to exploit this to attack Evergreen.
At the grand opening ceremony of Evergreen Hotel's Building No. 2, Qi Lin confidently awaited her moment to strike, only to be outmaneuvered by Sheng Zhening. Instead of Peter Bao, the renowned violinist Lu Ming was introduced as the new brand spokesperson. A news report then surfaced, exposing Peter Bao as being "suspected of sexual assault." A surprised Qi Lin confronted Sheng Zhening, asking when he uncovered her scheme.
Sheng Zhening explained that he had found her persistent promotion of his publicity plan suspicious from the start. He admitted Qi Lin's execution was flawless, but Peter Bao himself had exposed the truth. Xia Qian reiterated that if she hadn't arrived in time, Ai might have been assaulted.
Sheng Zhening acknowledged that while he averted a major scandal, the last-minute change of spokesperson had still cost Evergreen dearly in initial publicity and led to many of Peter Bao's fans canceling their reservations in Building No. 2, causing a significant dip in its occupancy rate. Qi Lin attempted to convince Sheng Zhening to collaborate with Lihe Capital, highlighting the substantial investment Lihe had made to acquire Evergreen and suggesting a peaceful acquisition.
However, Sheng Zhening firmly rejected the offer, stating that Lihe Capital's business philosophy was fundamentally different and would lead to Evergreen being "torn apart" and eventually resold. He refused to allow his father's legacy to be destroyed. Learning of Building No. 2's low occupancy, Xia Qian proposed selling rooms through her live streaming platform. Sheng Zhening agreed to a trial, and Xia Qian excitedly detailed her plan to showcase the rooms and services to attract new customers.
However, after three days, the live stream only generated fifty new reservations, leaving Xia Qian disheartened due to her small fan base. Sheng Zhening reassured her, reminding her that gaining followers takes time. He then revealed his own strategy: he had contacted friends in the film and television industry to use parts of Building No. 2 for filming, free of charge, on the condition that the entire crew stay at the hotel.
This would guarantee occupancy and provide valuable advertising for the building. Meanwhile, Fu Shuangshuang's mother faced a financial crisis after a P2P investment scam collapsed, causing her to lose all her money and risk losing her mortgaged house. Overwhelmed by the news, she collapsed. Qin Hebo, present at the scene, rushed her to the clinic. When Fu Shuangshuang arrived, she learned that Qin Hebo had paid off her mother's debt.
He initially downplayed the amount, but eventually admitted it was "half a million." Fu Shuangshuang, feeling burdened, insisted on repaying him with interest based on bank loans. Qin Hebo clarified his intentions, stating he just didn't want the person he cared about to be unhappy and asked her not to feel burdened. He jokingly added that if she continued to go on blind dates, he would "break you up" because he was "the bad guy anyway."
Fu Shuangshuang's mother, immensely grateful, showered Qin Hebo with attention, insisting that Fu Shuangshuang take over all household chores to allow Qin Hebo to rest, much to Fu Shuangshuang's chagrin. Fu Shuangshuang's job search was proving difficult, with repeated rejections. Xiao Lin offered her an accountant position at his company. However, considering Qin Hebo's prior actions, Fu Shuangshuang declined, muttering that she couldn't "trouble you anymore" and that if she accepted, he would "go bankrupt."
Shortly after, she received a call from Ivy Technology, informing her that she did not pass the secretarial interview but offering her a sales position, which she accepted. Inspired by comments in her live stream about Evergreen's delicious food, Xia Qian proposed a collaboration to develop and sell semi-finished food products. Sheng Zhening found the idea promising and informed her about an upcoming quality control meeting.
He advised her against staying up late to prepare, but Xia Qian, determined to impress, worked tirelessly through the night. The next morning, Sheng Zhening arrived to pick her up, having anticipated her all-nighter. Before the meeting, Xia Qian urged him to be "objective and fair," and not to show her any special favoritism. During the quality control meeting, Sheng Zhening questioned the target demographic, initial funding, and taste consistency of the semi-finished products.
Xia Qian admitted she couldn't guarantee the exact restaurant taste but promised to create samples for his personal approval. Recognizing Evergreen's weakness in e-commerce, Sheng Zhening decided to use this project to "test the water" and approved it. After the meeting, Xia Qian overheard hotel employees gossiping about her, suggesting she only passed the quality control meeting because she was Sheng Zhening's girlfriend, implying that the project was easy to pass for "Mr. Sheng's girlfriend."
Sheng Zhening was about to intervene, but Xia Qian stopped him. She candidly admitted that being his girlfriend had indeed given her an advantage, as it allowed her easy access to him and the opportunity to present her project. She resolved that the only way to silence the gossip was to make the project a resounding success, benefiting both Evergreen and her company, Worth Or Not.
Soon after, Xia Qian and Mu Xiaoyan launched a live stream featuring Evergreen's "luxury food gift box" semi-finished meal kits, selling "two thousand" units on the first day. Xia Qian excitedly shared the good news with Sheng Zhening, but he then received troubling news: Chef Fang had resigned. To protect Evergreen's culinary reputation, Sheng Zhening immediately halted the restaurant's operations and instructed An An to contact headhunters for a new chef.
Xia Qian suggested refunding customer deposits for the semi-finished meals, but Sheng Zhening advised waiting two more days to avoid damaging the live streaming studio's reputation. Xia Qian wondered why Chef Fang would suddenly resign after so many years. Sheng Zhening deduced that Qi Lin was behind it. Indeed, Qi Lin's assistant confirmed they had arranged for Chef Fang's son's overseas education and promised Chef Fang a green card.
The headhunter provided a contact for Chef Hu Zhen, a fellow apprentice of Chef Fang, making him an ideal candidate. Xia Qian cautioned Sheng Zhening that Chef Hu was notoriously difficult to hire, having rejected many high-end restaurants. Undeterred, Sheng Zhening decided to call him. To their astonishment, the phone number matched that of "Uncle Hu," who worked at Xia Qian's mother's restaurant.
Xia Qian was bewildered, questioning why a legendary chef was working in a small eatery and pretending to be incompetent in the kitchen. Despite his eccentric behavior, Uncle Hu, knowing Sheng Zhening was Xia Qian's boyfriend, agreed to help. In a separate development, Wu Zhiwen, Chairman of Langyue Hotel, offered Qin Hebo a general manager position, commending his management skills at Evergreen. Qin Hebo expressed hesitation, citing his lack of experience with hotel chains.
Later, he saw Fu Shuangshuang, heavily intoxicated, at a company dinner. He carried her home and, distressed by her condition, decided to resign from her job on her behalf. Qin Hebo then revealed his plan to start a live streaming company and offered Fu Shuangshuang a position as an anchor and bargainer, giving her a year to pay back the five hundred thousand he lent her mother, stating her current job was "too slow to make money."
