Ordinary Glory Episode 17 Recap
> Ordinary Glory Recap
Gao Sicong and Lan Qianyi unexpectedly met at the cinema entrance. Gao Sicong, surprised, asked if they had come together, but Lan Qianyi clarified they had run into each other. Soon after, Sun Yiqiu arrived with Li Shi Yan. Li Shi Yan introduced herself, and Gao Sicong introduced himself and Lan Qianyi as Sun Yiqiu's colleagues. When deciding on a movie, Sun Yiqiu mentioned he wanted to see an action film.
Li Shi Yan eagerly suggested an action movie called "Battery," even though Sun Yiqiu thought she preferred "Into Wall Street." Lan Qianyi, who initially wanted to see an action film, quickly changed her mind, stating she no longer felt like watching it and would go for a comedy with Gao Sicong, and they parted ways. After their respective movies, Gao Sicong loudly complained to Lan Qianyi that their film was "unbelievably bad."
Meanwhile, Li Shi Yan gently probed Sun Yiqiu's thoughts on the action movie, asking what he would do if he were the hero. She then offered to buy him dinner to reciprocate the movie ticket, but Sun Yiqiu politely declined, citing work commitments. Before leaving, Li Shi Yan asked for his ticket stub, declaring, "From now on, I'll keep all our ticket stubs," before booking a car and departing.
The next morning at work, Lan Qianyi asked Sun Yiqiu how long he had been dating the "pretty girl" from the movies. Sun Yiqiu quickly explained that Li Shi Yan was not his girlfriend, a story Lan Qianyi seemed to believe. Moments later, Hao Shuai enthusiastically confronted Sun Yiqiu, demanding to know why he had hidden his "girlfriend" from him. Gao Sicong and Lan Qianyi stifled their laughter, leaving Sun Yiqiu thoroughly exasperated.
Hao Shuai continued to tease Sun Yiqiu, who was trying to convince him that Li Shi Yan was not his girlfriend, insisting he saw Gao Sicong and Lan Qianyi talking earlier. In the elevator, Wu Kezhi encountered Director Yan, a confident businesswoman and an investor from Luocheng Group, who was on her way to meet Director Qu. During their discussion, Director Qu acknowledged Director Yan's long-standing trust and financial support.
Director Yan, known for being straightforward, informed Director Qu that while there was no inherent reason to renew their contract, her analysts had suggested exploring other promising investment firms. She assured him she wouldn't completely abandon King Capital, but her team would re-evaluate the investment sum for the next fund. Later, Manager Wang cornered Wu Kezhi, informing him that Director Yan had specifically requested his presence for dinner and drinks, implying the investment amount depended on him.
Wu Kezhi vehemently refused, citing prior commitments and suggesting Manager Wang find someone else. Manager Wang, growing increasingly frustrated, insisted. He even threatened to resign if Wu Kezhi wouldn't cooperate. Lin Yuming then added that he and Zhou Qingyu would also quit, saying "We can all quit since there's no funds." Lin Yuming further teased Wu Kezhi, remarking on his transformation from a "teenage heartthrob" to someone "irresistible to mature women."
Director Yan's assistant then arrived, delivering a gift for Wu Kezhi – a stylish, smooth shirt – along with an invitation to meet at her private club the following night. Desperate, Wu Kezhi attempted to feign illness to Manager Wang, claiming a heart ailment from too much drinking, but Manager Wang dismissed his excuse, demanding a medical report that Wu Kezhi couldn't provide.
Lin Yuming and Zhou Qingyu understood Wu Kezhi's internal struggle, recognizing that while such duties were commonplace for other consultants, Wu Kezhi held firm to his principles. Sun Yiqiu proposed a drastic solution. He took Wu Kezhi and Lin Yuming to the rooftop, where he presented them with notoriously spicy skewers, rumored to cause severe digestive distress for days. Wu Kezhi, seeing no other option, began to consume the skewers, even drinking the accompanying soup.
Lin Yuming and Sun Yiqiu joined him in solidarity. Afterward, they finished a large tub of ice cream. Soon, Lin Yuming and Sun Yiqiu were both suffering from stomach issues, frequently rushing to the restroom. To their surprise, Wu Kezhi remained completely unaffected. Zhou Qingyu, seeing his colleagues' discomfort, urged Wu Kezhi to reconsider, emphasizing that Team IV was already understaffed and his two colleagues were pushed to their limits daily.
Wu Kezhi went to the pantry to fetch hot water for the ailing Sun Yiqiu and Lin Yuming, a gesture Gao Sicong observed with a hint of unease. Back in their team area, Jiang Nan, who had left to meet a client, had assigned Gao Sicong a stack of documents to revise by the end of the day.
Eventually, Wu Kezhi decided to accept the dinner invitation but set a condition with Manager Wang: if he successfully signed the contract, Team IV must be allocated a new, competent team member. Manager Wang readily agreed. Wu Kezhi then instructed Sun Yiqiu and Lin Yuming to summon Hao Shuai to the meeting room to strategize, acknowledging Hao Shuai's superior experience in dealing with clients.
During the meeting, Hao Shuai presented his analysis: all investment consultants who successfully secured contracts with Director Yan shared one common trait—they were "handsome." Conversely, those who failed were, in his words, "not." He concluded that Director Yan "really cares a lot about looks." Hao Shuai also highlighted Director Yan's remarkable alcohol tolerance, noting that no one had ever managed to get her drunk enough to sign a contract, but he maintained that "there is still hope."
To prevent them from getting drunk first, Hao Shuai devised an elaborate plan: when Wu Kezhi prompted Director Yan to drink and she pretended to take a phone call, Sun Yiqiu should covertly refill her glass. He also instructed them to discreetly spit out alcohol into various receptacles like towels, cups, trash cans, or even potted plants.
Meanwhile, Manager Xu and Manager Zhao finally gave Lan Qianyi the green light to participate in the combustible ice project, instructing her to prepare a report. As Lan Qianyi was gathering her documents, Hao Shuai pulled her into the meeting room to role-play as Director Yan for their practice session. Lan Qianyi quickly identified a critical flaw in their current plan.
She argued that as a woman, Director Yan would likely be offended and angered by direct attempts to get her drunk. Instead, Lan Qianyi proposed a different approach: engaging Director Yan in a conversation about emotions and life experiences. She theorized that if they could touch upon a sad or vulnerable topic, Director Yan would voluntarily want to drink to cope, making her more amenable.
Lan Qianyi shared a three-step method: first, listen and encourage her to reveal her inner thoughts; second, express support and use examples to reiterate her points; and third, adopt her perspective, abandon rationality, and wholeheartedly side with her. If successful, Director Yan would feel understood and be more willing to drink with them. Hao Shuai was impressed by her insights.
Wu Kezhi then wrapped up the meeting, asking Lin Yuming to compile a list of conversational questions based on Lan Qianyi's techniques and to prepare hangover medicine. In the pantry, Sun Yiqiu thanked Lan Qianyi for her valuable suggestions. Lan Qianyi commented on Wu Kezhi being "pretty interesting" and "so old-fashioned."
She mused that being admired by a rich and beautiful woman like Director Yan wasn't inherently bad, and leveraging that fondness for a long-term collaboration shouldn't be difficult, yet Wu Kezhi treated her "like an enemy." Sun Yiqiu suggested it was Wu Kezhi's principle not to take advantage of others' feelings, a notion Lan Qianyi found hard to believe in the modern world. Wu Kezhi was diligently researching Director Yan.
Jiang Nan returned to the office and noticed Gao Sicong's computer screen displayed job search results. Jiang Nan told Gao Sicong he wouldn't stop him from seeking opportunities elsewhere but insisted he complete his current work properly until he left. Gao Sicong retorted that Jiang Nan was the reason he was leaving, claiming he wasn't even given a chance to "go to the battlefield." Jiang Nan accused him of blaming others.
Jiang Nan then presented a project plan for "Bayer Tech" that Gao Sicong had written, which Jiang Nan had already reviewed. He told Gao Sicong he didn't believe he knew what he truly wanted, explaining that in their profession, the return often fell short of the effort invested. He criticized Gao Sicong's impatience and desire for compliments, which he believed made his work "lacking in substance" and "without operational value."
Gao Sicong felt that Jiang Nan was implying he lacked substance and asked why he hadn't told him earlier. Jiang Nan sighed, stating he had said all he could and it was up to Gao Sicong to understand. As quitting time arrived, most employees were cheerful, but Wu Kezhi, Sun Yiqiu, and Lin Yuming appeared downcast, knowing they were headed to their "battlefield."
Wu Kezhi reluctantly put on the shirt Director Yan had given him and reminded Sun Yiqiu to take their hangover medicine before they departed for Director Yan's private club. Director Yan made an elegant entrance, flanked by two assistants. It soon became clear that the situation in the private room was entirely different from their expectations. Hao Shuai's elaborate plan to get her drunk couldn't be executed at all.
Director Yan's assistants proactively intercepted all toasts, claiming she wasn't feeling well and drinking on her behalf. Sun Yiqiu, narrating, realized that Director Yan was never truly drunk because she brought assistants who could hold their liquor well, and she didn't drink herself. Efforts to engage her in personal conversation also failed, as she maintained she had "nothing to say" when Wu Kezhi tried to apply Lan Qianyi's techniques.
That night, it was Sun Yiqiu and Lin Yuming who quickly succumbed to the alcohol, forgetting their purpose. Only Wu Kezhi, though not drunk, continued to struggle for the sake of work, enduring the difficult circumstances. A slurring Lin Yuming told Wu Kezhi to ensure Director Yan returned home safely before he and Sun Yiqiu left. After Lin Yuming and Sun Yiqiu departed, Director Yan pulled Wu Kezhi into her car.
The next morning, a hungover Sun Yiqiu met Lin Yuming and realized that Wu Kezhi hadn't contacted either of them since the previous night. Both admitted they were too afraid to call him, speculating he must be utterly exhausted.
