Northwards Episode 31 Recap
> Northwards Recap
After Shao Xingchi assaulted a customer, the incident quickly escalated into a public outcry on social media. Xie Wanghe went to the police station to pick up Shao Xingchi, expressing his deep dissatisfaction with his actions. He rebuked Shao Xingchi for failing to grasp the gravity of the situation. However, Shao Xingchi countered, accusing Xie Wanghe of treating employees merely as tools for profit and ignoring the harshness of the company's policies.
He wished Xie Wanghe would listen to his grievances and understand his desire for everyone to be treated with humanity, acceptance, and respect, lamenting that Xie Wanghe was not like his old self. Xie Wanghe, infuriated by these accusations, defended his stance, highlighting the numerous job opportunities Bee provided and the livelihoods dependent on it.
He reminded Shao Xingchi that he had secured him the station chief position using his own stock options, only for Shao Xingchi to nearly ruin the station and prevent employees from earning money with his utopian ideals. Shao Xingchi retorted, questioning Xie Wanghe's constant focus on money and lack of conscience, arguing that delivery riders deserved care and legal protection. Xie Wanghe insisted that in a competitive society, effort dictated reward, and that his policies were not coercive.
He acknowledged Shao Xingchi's good intentions but pointed out that they weren't appreciated, making Shao Xingchi feel wronged. He then shared his own struggles as a "Beijing drifter" and how he treasured his opportunities, urging Shao Xingchi to pursue his utopia with his own resources from now on. Meanwhile, Zhou Haikuo was drowning his sorrows in a bar. Xie Wanghe, also frustrated, drove to meet him.
Zhou Haikuo revealed he had broken up with his girlfriend, attributing it to his poverty. He was unsurprised when Xie Wanghe confided that he and Shao Xingchi had fallen out, remarking on their frequent disagreements. However, Xie Wanghe insisted that this time felt different. In a corporate meeting, Qiu Lin and Mr. Song seized the opportunity to complain to Meng Wei about Shao Xingchi's actions, subtly criticizing Xie Wanghe.
Meng Wei acknowledged the severe damage to the company's image and the delay in Series D funding. Xie Wanghe accepted responsibility, confirming Shao Xingchi's resignation and promising to handle the fallout. He then proposed a plan to apply for subsidies for merchants, offering three to five yuan per order and requiring exclusive contracts. Mr. Song, skeptical, questioned if this was another one of Xie Wanghe's "buddy" projects, referring to Zhou Haikuo’s analysis.
Meng Wei instructed Xie Wanghe to find a suitable person for the ground promotion, explicitly forbidding nepotism. Later, in the restroom, Xie Wanghe taunted Qiu Lin, comparing him to a "mad barking dog" that "likes to bite people." Qiu Lin, enraged, threatened to retaliate, warning Xie Wanghe not to cross him. Trouble continued to mount as He Tianming urgently called Xie Wanghe, reporting a mass resignation at Station 203.
Many riders, upset by Shao Xingchi's departure, had quit and taken company electric bikes with them. He Tianming explained that Shao Xingchi, out of kindness, had not collected deposits from these young, poor riders. Xie Wanghe, exasperated, appointed He Tianming as the new station chief for 203, overriding He Tianming's protests. Concurrently, Xia Fenghua’s express station was recognized as a company model, receiving an award and a 100,000 yuan bonus.
A senior executive from the company's headquarters invited her to work there, responsible for corporate culture development, praising her as the best candidate. While deeply moved, Xia Fenghua politely declined, citing her intention to return to her hometown, Honghuai City, Jiangsu, feeling that her long "Beijing drifter" life had left her emotionally drained. She thanked the company for the recognition, viewing the award as a perfect end to her Beijing journey.
Soon after, He Tianming informed Xia Fenghua that Shao Xingchi was in trouble. Xia Fenghua found Shao Xingchi at a bar, where he was eating noodles. She joked about his "refined taste" and inquired about his next steps. Shao Xingchi mentioned trying to modify off-road vehicles with a friend. Xia Fenghua then offered him a job at her express station, explaining the simple duties of loading, sorting, and reporting issues.
Shao Xingchi initially resisted her firm boss-like demeanor, even joking that she was more "brutal" than Xie Wanghe. Just then, Xie Wanghe arrived and overheard the remark, leading to a tense exchange about Shao Xingchi speaking ill of him behind his back. As Xie Wanghe stormed off, Xia Fenghua chased after him to explain, but her chronic anemia left her breathless and with heart palpitations after only a few steps. Xie Wanghe quickly helped her into a nearby shop.
They discussed Shao Xingchi, with Xia Fenghua criticizing Xie Wanghe for his poor communication. Xie Wanghe felt misunderstood, arguing that he had not fired Shao Xingchi and that he had used his hard-earned credibility to resolve Shao Xingchi's mistakes, feeling it was unfair for Xia Fenghua to automatically side with Shao Xingchi just because he seemed weaker.
Later, Xie Wanghe proposed to Meng Wei to implement an employee welfare program, specifically suggesting expanding the successful cafeteria model from Station 203 to other stations, which provided affordable boxed meals to riders. However, Meng Wei dismissed the idea, stating that Shao Xingchi's policies at 203 had proven ineffective and hadn't fostered company cohesion. Zhou Haikuo visited Shao Xingchi, bringing meat skewers.
Shao Xingchi asked Zhou Haikuo to convey a message to Xie Wanghe: he would retrieve the stolen electric bikes or compensate the company himself. He stated his intention to remain estranged from Xie Wanghe, declaring his desire to "live humanely" rather than just chase money. At the express station, Wang Yuan's mother arrived, apologizing to Shao Xingchi for her son’s role in the incident that cost Shao Xingchi his job.
She explained that Wang Yuan had been bullied, and Shao Xingchi had intervened. Seeing Wang Yuan's mother reminded Shao Xingchi of his own. She also shared her disillusionment with Beijing, realizing that city life wasn't as simple or happy as they had hoped for families like theirs. That evening, Shao Xingchi confided in Xia Fenghua that he wanted to return to Flower Street. To his delight, Xia Fenghua revealed she, too, was planning to go home.
She expressed her exhaustion from years in Beijing, admitting her initial fear of being left behind by her ambitious friends, but now felt it wasn't worth the constant struggle. As a typhoon and heavy rain battered Beijing, Meng Wei warned Xie Wanghe that the company had invested heavily in this "battle" against Yuntu, raising subsidies to their maximum.
He stressed that failure would mean the end of capital opportunities and Series D funding, urging Xie Wanghe to succeed or be "doomed." Xie Wanghe, in turn, contacted booming merchants, pushing for exclusive contracts, and mobilized Bee's delivery force, ordering them to work 24/7. He Tianming also joined the delivery efforts, despite his mother's pleas to take time off for his wife's prenatal check-up. Xie Wanghe oversaw operations, insisting that no one stop until the very last moment.
Overwhelmed with work, Xie Wanghe couldn't see Shao Xingchi off. Instead, Zhou Haikuo drove Shao Xingchi to the station. As he departed, Shao Xingchi, reflecting on his past failures but feeling a renewed sense of purpose with Xia Fenghua, playfully asked Zhou Haikuo to "stuff a bubblegum into Xie Wanghe's keyhole" the next time he visited his home.
