Ordinary Glory Episode 20 Recap
> Ordinary Glory Recap
Gao Sicong confirmed his interview was scheduled for 10 AM the day after tomorrow. Wu Kezhi reviewed Gao Sicong's proposal, noting issues with the sales revenue forecast needing scenario analysis, incomplete data descriptions, and missing debt and equity ratios. He remarked that such "stupid mistakes are common among rookies," but added that Sun Yiqiu had never made similar errors. Meanwhile, Xu Manager and Zhao Manager discussed Lan Qianyi's recent change in demeanor.
Xu Manager found her sudden shift from being "a poor mistreated lass" to "a happy and hardworking bee" suspicious, wondering what she was "up to." Zhao Manager, however, believed Lan Qianyi had simply "learnt her lesson" and criticized other colleagues for their inconsistent opinions, urging them to take a stand. Gao Sicong reflected on Wu Kezhi's comment and previous advice from Jiang Nan, feeling a mix of emotions about his own career path.
Later that day, Wu Kezhi inquired about Lu Siqiu, only to be told he had left at noon, claiming to meet a client, though it was clear he hadn't even taken his bag, likely indicating he was gambling or getting a massage. Wu Kezhi dismissed Lin Yuming and Sun Yiqiu to go home. As Sun Yiqiu was leaving, he encountered Lan Qianyi.
Just then, Lu Siqiu appeared and jokingly asked Lan Qianyi if she was on a "date," causing her to quickly depart. Lu Siqiu then warned Sun Yiqiu to abandon any thoughts of pursuing Lan Qianyi, stating she would either become like Manager Yu if she married or Director Pan if she remained single, neither of which he could handle.
Lin Yuming, witnessing the exchange, became frustrated with Sun Yiqiu's passive nature, scolding him for letting Lu Siqiu walk all over him. Sun Yiqiu invited Lin Yuming to his home, explaining his desire to reveal his true thoughts. Sun Yiqiu's mother warmly welcomed Lin Yuming, delighted to meet her son's boss. She poured wine and, finding Lin Yuming's face familiar, prompted him to perform an impression that amused them both.
In Sun Yiqiu's room, Lin Yuming was surprised to see numerous Go competition awards, which Sun Yiqiu explained he had kept secret after failing his professional certification exam. He recounted how people used to assume he was smart for playing Go, but their eventual disappointment led him to conceal his past to avoid misunderstandings.
Sun Yiqiu then demonstrated Go, explaining that its core principle of hiding one's intentions doesn't translate well to the corporate world, where secrecy can lead to misunderstandings with allies, not just opponents. Lin Yuming realized Sun Yiqiu's perceived cowardice was a calculated strategy in his rivalry with Lu Siqiu, and reassured him that Wu Kezhi and he would support him. As Lin Yuming left, he reflected on how much more they had communicated that night than ever before.
He shared his Weibo side account for jokes and encouraged Sun Yiqiu to follow him, questioning if they were friends. Lin Yuming advised Sun Yiqiu not to view everyone as an opponent, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing allies from enemies, as one cannot fight alone. Sun Yiqiu, reflecting on his long-standing solitude from Go, acknowledged that while he was accustomed to loneliness, no one truly desired it.
He recognized that the world was not a chessboard, and outside of it lay an infinite realm where understanding and consolation were crucial for moving forward. Meanwhile, Gao Sicong called Jiang Nan to report that his Xinyuan Energy Conservation project proposal had been rejected without a specific reason.
Jiang Nan explained that such rejections usually indicate common mistakes and guided him through revisions, advising him to include scenario analyses for sales revenue and detailed descriptions for all financial data, and to adhere to standard formats by reviewing other proposals. Gao Sicong, reinvigorated, decided to cancel his external interview and remain at Jinchen. Back at the office, Lu Siqiu and Yin Manager were seemingly discussing stocks but were actually making inappropriate comments about female employees.
A distressed female employee reported this to Yu Wenli, who then confronted Wu Kezhi, demanding he manage his team member, Lu Siqiu, more effectively for openly harassing staff. Wu Kezhi, suppressing his anger, told Lu Siqiu to "get lost," asserting that Team IV, unlike him, still had dignity. Lu Siqiu offered a perfunctory apology, promising to apologize to the female employees and urging Wu Kezhi to calm down.
Wu Kezhi issued a stern warning: if it happened again, Lu Siqiu should "go back to where he came from." To diffuse the tension, Lu Siqiu promptly presented a new project: the acquisition of a private cinema, boasting it was a "mature project" worth "100 million" and could be signed immediately due to his connections, significantly boosting Team IV's performance.
Wu Kezhi later received a call from Manager Wang, congratulating him on the acquisition and taking credit for Lu Siqiu's involvement, advising Wu Kezhi to be patient and magnanimous towards capable individuals. Despite the apparent success, both Wu Kezhi and Sun Yiqiu felt something was amiss with the acquisition project. Lu Siqiu, eager to push it through, instructed Sun Yiqiu to send the proposal to the Risk Control Centre, but Wu Kezhi intervened, requesting more time to review historical data.
Lin Yuming saw no issues, noting the cinema's value had grown from 3 million to 30 million in three years under Lu Siqiu's initial management, making 100 million a good acquisition price. However, Sun Yiqiu felt something was amiss, articulating his suspicion: "The problem with this project is that it went too well."
He also highlighted Lu Siqiu's gambling nature, questioning if a seemingly straightforward 30 million to 100 million deal would satisfy him, and found Lu Siqiu's unusual punctuality that day particularly suspect. Lu Siqiu, growing impatient, repeatedly pressed Wu Kezhi to submit the proposal, emphasizing the 100 million value and accusing Wu Kezhi of "being personal" and delaying for no valid reason.
Meanwhile, Lan Qianyi was still assigned menial tasks, even being asked by Xu Manager to pick up his car and buy toy cars. She proactively brewed medicine for a sick Cui Manager, which surprised Xu Manager. Zhao Manager, however, defended Lan Qianyi against colleagues' ridicule, asserting that she shouldn't be treated like a maid and deserved to participate in projects.
Shortly after, Zhao Manager assigned Lan Qianyi to perform due diligence at the Smooth Drive car accessories warehouse, instructing her to review audit reports and inventory, and surprisingly told her to go home directly afterward, without returning to the office or retrieving Xu Manager's car. Lan Qianyi was taken aback by this sudden shift. As Sun Yiqiu and Lin Yuming continued to examine the private cinema project, they concluded that Lu Siqiu was indeed "up to something."
They identified that while the cinema's shift to a franchise model from direct sales, expanding into third and fourth-tier cities, might not immediately show returns in accounts, the market expansion created significant invisible assets not accounted for in the current valuation. Wu Kezhi acknowledged their consensus but emphasized that merely knowing the problem was "far from enough."
Manager Wang, influenced by Lu Siqiu's complaints about Wu Kezhi's "narrow-mindedness" and incompetence in delaying the project, called Wu Kezhi, delivering a "last warning" to submit the proposal immediately. Wu Kezhi, having no other option, personally delivered the contract to the Risk Control Centre, but not before subtly requesting Director Pan's secretary to convey that he desired the merger and acquisition case to be processed "the slower, the better."
Later, Gao Sicong sought out Wu Kezhi to express his gratitude, informing him that his revised proposal had been approved and he had decided to remain with the company. Wu Kezhi wished him well working under Jiang Nan. After completing her due diligence, Lan Qianyi, while reviewing materials in her car, called Cui Manager (as Zhao Manager was out), expressing her suspicion that "something feels off."
She noted that the product prices were significantly lower than market rates and the person in charge was overly eager to please, making her suspect issues with the supply channel, despite all documentation and inventory appearing "complete." Cui Manager, however, dismissed her concerns, urging her to return to the office immediately, stating she couldn't investigate such matters alone. Later, Lu Siqiu approached Wu Kezhi about the M&A case review, but receiving no clear update, he pulled Sun Yiqiu aside.
Lu Siqiu aggressively questioned Sun Yiqiu about Wu Kezhi's intentions, warning him not to rely on Wu Kezhi, whom he described as "a failure who can't even protect himself," and advised Sun Yiqiu to "have a clear picture of the situation" and "not be a fool."
