Negotiator Episode 23 Recap
> Negotiator Recap
At the CAEA office, President Zhou sternly warned Tong Wei against her continued involvement with Xie Xiaofei. He explained that Xie Tian Cheng, the current head of Xie Corporation, was furious that Tong Wei was assisting Xie Xiaofei, and this could severely jeopardize her career at CAEA, a strategic partner of Xie Corporation.
President Zhou reminded her of her non-compete agreement, stating that if she were forced to resign, she would be unable to work in the same field for two years, effectively ending her path to the New York headquarters and multinational negotiations. He urged her to choose her career over someone who had recently entered her life.
Later, President Zhou contacted President Qu via phone, assuring him that he had spoken to Tong Wei and that Chairman Xie could rest easy, as he (President Zhou) would try his best to secure the picture of Tang Mi Cai. Back at Tong Wei's home, her aunt's demeanor towards Xie Xiaofei turned openly hostile after learning of his misfortune. During a family dinner, the aunt deliberately withheld food from him and mocked him for freeloading.
Xie Xiaofei, his pride wounded, angrily excused himself from the table. Tong Wei vehemently defended Xie Xiaofei, scolding her aunt for her lack of basic respect towards a guest. She then went to Xie Xiaofei's room and revealed her own harsh upbringing under her uncle and aunt's guardianship after her parents' death, explaining how she had learned to endure their unkindness and urged him to also bear such temporary grievances. Convinced, Xie Xiaofei agreed to stay.
Meanwhile, Tong Wei's aunt continued to complain about Xie Xiaofei in the living room, but Tong Tiantian managed to shift her parents' focus by mentioning Qin Tianyu's persistent interest in Tong Wei. After being comforted, Xie Xiaofei and Tong Wei discussed strategies for finding Tang Mi Cai. Later that night, a still-hungry Xie Xiaofei was caught by Tong Tiantian while trying to sneak food in the kitchen.
To avoid being discovered sneaking out for her own late-night snack, Tiantian reluctantly took him along. At a local eatery, Xie Xiaofei was captivated by the Shanghai snacks, but Tiantian's attention was fixed on Sun Hao and his band who had just walked in. Realizing Tiantian's crush, Xie Xiaofei boldly approached Sun Hao, striking up a conversation about guitars and successfully obtaining his WeChat for a delighted Tiantian. Separately, Tong Wei met with Xia Shanshan for afternoon tea.
Tong Wei recounted her experiences with Xie Xiaofei in the United States and asked for Shanshan's help in utilizing Old Qi's connections to find Tang Mi Cai. Xia Shanshan once again mentioned Qin Tianyu to Tong Wei, but Tong Wei repeatedly rejected Qin Tianyu, stating instead that she was very happy to have met Xie Xiaofei, as this encounter had given her the courage to love and hate boldly, making her no longer fantasize about a stable married life.
Soon after, Xie Xiaofei sought Luo Bin's help regarding Tang Mi Cai. Luo Bin, out of loyalty, gave Xie Xiaofei the key to a club suite and encouraged him to move out of Tong Wei's house, promising to help him and expressing his confidence in him. Luo Bin also mentioned that Zhao Chenxi had informed him about Xie Xiaofei's troubles. Just as he finished speaking, Zhao Chenxi arrived, and Luo Bin discreetly left them alone.
Zhao Chenxi told Xie Xiaofei that she had given up on him, and hoped he would treat her as a friend and no longer refuse her help. At the same time, Yang Xiao, acting on his own agenda at the company, informed Song Haojie that Xie Xiaofei, not Zhao Chenxi, was the true cause of his Sanya project's failure, inciting Song Haojie against him. Upon learning this, Song Haojie decided to eliminate Xie Xiaofei, who now had nothing.
Xie Xiaofei accepted Luo Bin's help and packed his belongings to move to Luo Bin's place. Before leaving, Xie Xiaofei reminded Tiantian to take good care of Tong Wei and not to help Qin Tianyu pursue her. When Xie Xiaofei arrived at Luo Bin's club, he found it in disarray, trashed by Song Haojie. Song Haojie was there, sitting triumphantly and arrogantly demanding if Xie Xiaofei was responsible for his Sanya project's failure.
Song Haojie scornfully called Xie Xiaofei a "stray dog" and threatened Luo Bin, demanding he choose between Xie Xiaofei and himself, or face daily destruction of his club. To protect Luo Bin, Xie Xiaofei feigned indifference, claiming he was only there to say goodbye and would not stay. Luo Bin, however, dramatically insisted he would rather sacrifice his club than abandon a friend, preventing Xie Xiaofei from leaving.
Song Haojie then escalated his threats by invoking Luo Bin's father's partnership with Ke Wan. Unmoved by Luo Bin's display, Xie Xiaofei angrily rejected his offer, accusing him and Song Haojie of staging the entire scene. He stated their friendship wasn't worth Luo Bin abandoning his club and disregarding his father, and demanded Luo Bin never contact him again. Later, President Zhou called Xie Xiaofei directly, reiterating his warning.
He emphatically told Xie Xiaofei that if he truly loved Tong Wei, he must leave her. He explained that Xie Tian Cheng's wrath and Tong Wei's non-compete clause would inevitably crush her career at CAEA if she continued their relationship. President Zhou appealed to Xie Xiaofei's conscience, reminding him of Tong Wei's aspirations to work at the New York headquarters and operate on a global stage, implying that Xie Xiaofei was hindering her progress.
Later, while Xie Xiaofei and Zhao Chenxi were together (Zhao Chenxi had previously offered him financial help, which he rejected as he didn't want to compromise their friendship), they were ambushed by a group of thugs. Sun Hao and his band, who happened to be nearby, intervened and scared the attackers away.
Xie Xiaofei and Zhao Chenxi both noted the odd nature of the attack, sensing it was not about robbery but intimidation, likely orchestrated by Song Haojie or Xie Tian Cheng. To avoid further endangering Zhao Chenxi, Xie Xiaofei suggested finding a different place to stay. However, Zhao Chenxi insisted he remain with her, reminding him of their friendship and her willingness to help, and offered for him to stay at her place as long as he wanted.
The following day, after Yang Xiao visited Zhao Chenxi's home, her mother confronted her about Xie Xiaofei staying there. She demanded Xie Xiaofei leave, dismissing him as unworthy due to his fallen status and contrasting him with Yang Xiao, whom she considered a much more suitable match. Zhao Chenxi vehemently argued against her mother's materialistic views on love and marriage. Consequently, Xie Xiaofei left Zhao Chenxi's residence.
With nowhere to go after leaving Zhao Chenxi's residence, Xie Xiaofei made the painful decision to break up with Tong Wei for her own good, motivated by President Zhou's earlier words. Unable to call Tong Wei directly, he reached out to Tong Tiantian, admitting he was homeless and asked her to help him find a place to stay. (He had previously confided in Tiantian that Luo Bin's club was destroyed because of him.
) Meanwhile, Tong Wei frantically tried calling Xie Xiaofei, but his phone remained off. She called Tiantian, who confirmed Xie Xiaofei hadn't contacted her either. Zhao Chenxi also inquired in person with Luo Bin, learning that Xie Xiaofei had checked out of his temporary lodging. Growing increasingly worried, Tong Wei reported Xie Xiaofei missing to the police in person.
However, the police could not open a formal case, as Xie Xiaofei had no physical disabilities and was last seen appearing normal by a taxi driver who accepted his phone as payment. Afterwards, Tong Wei confided in Xia Shanshan via phone, expressing her deep concerns, but Shanshan, while sympathetic, warned Tong Wei to focus on her own professional standing, reminding her that her support for Xie Xiaofei could lead to severe consequences for her career at CAEA.
Later, Tiantian received a text from Sun Hao and met him in person, where he recounted seeing Xie Xiaofei get into a fight and leave with a "rich-looking woman," leading Tiantian to deduce that Xie Xiaofei was with Zhao Chenxi. Prompted by Xia Shanshan, Qin Tianyu confronted Xie Xiaofei in person about his disappearance and the rumors of his breakup with Tong Wei. Qin Tianyu presented Xie Xiaofei with photos, insinuating an inappropriate relationship between Xie Xiaofei and Zhao Chenxi.
Xie Xiaofei denied any wrongdoing with Tong Wei but then deliberately asked Qin Tianyu to tell Tong Wei that he was now involved with Zhao Chenxi and to stop bothering him. He explained to a bewildered Qin Tianyu that he needed Tong Wei to hate him, as he couldn't bear for her to suffer hardships alongside him, believing she wouldn't accept their breakup otherwise.
