Ordinary Glory Episode 3 Recap
> Ordinary Glory Recap
Most of the interns had returned to the company, but Sun Yiqiu was still missing. Gao Sicong noticed Sun Yiqiu was not in their chat group and called him, only to find his phone switched off. Other interns made mocking remarks about Sun Yiqiu, with one saying he deserved it for volunteering to go to Pudong, and another suggesting he was too ashamed to return after failing.
Gao Sicong intervened, telling them to watch their words and that they were going overboard. Lin Yuming also attempted to call Sun Yiqiu, leaving a message, but confirmed his phone was off. Lin Yuming then questioned the other interns for not noticing Sun Yiqiu's absence from the chat group, for which Gao Sicong took responsibility, admitting his negligence.
Wu Kezhi, annoyed by the interns' laughter, dismissed the concern, stating Sun Yiqiu was an adult capable of taking care of himself, and urged everyone to go to dinner after a long day. When Sun Yiqiu finally arrived at the office, it was empty. He charged his phone and retrieved his soaked receipts from his bag.
He then saw a message from Gao Sicong indicating that everyone had left for dinner and shared the location, though the message also contained the mocking voices of other interns. Wu Kezhi, upon seeing Sun Yiqiu still working, told him to drop everything and go join the others for dinner, then returned to his own desk. Soaked from the rain, Sun Yiqiu rushed to the restaurant.
Through the window, he saw his colleagues enjoying their meal together, seemingly without waiting for him. He hesitantly entered, and upon seeing him, Lin Yuming and Gao Sicong quickly invited him to sit down. Lin Yuming raised a toast, thanking everyone for their timely data submission which helped expose Manager Qiao.
Gao Sicong apologized to Sun Yiqiu for his previous oversight, and Lin Yuming praised Sun Yiqiu’s data as the most comprehensive and accurate, subtly admonishing the others for not checking on him. Following Lin Yuming's prompt, several interns approached Sun Yiqiu to add him on WeChat. Lan Qianyi, feeling unwell from being caught in the rain, excused herself and left, with Gao Sicong offering to walk her out.
Later, walking home, Sun Yiqiu pondered Lin Yuming's advice about trying his best to fit in. He reflected that throughout his life, he had rarely belonged to any group, always feeling like he was fighting the current alone. The sudden warmth and friendliness from his fellow interns made him uneasy, as he sensed their underlying motives but found the feeling of acceptance irresistible, like an intoxication.
He later sent a message in the group chat about the rain stopping, only to receive dismissive and playful replies from other interns, further highlighting his struggle to truly connect. Manager Wang advocated for Wu Kezhi's promotion to Director Qu, highlighting his instrumental role in securing a recent contract.
Director Qu agreed to consider a raise for Wu Kezhi but set two conditions: Wu Kezhi must personally approach him, and he must find a suitable replacement for his current position in Team IV. When Manager Wang relayed this to Wu Kezhi, he outright refused to consider it, explaining that no one would willingly step into a role often perceived as a "trash can" or "scapegoat." Manager Wang urged him to think about his subordinates' futures.
Around the same time, Sun Yiqiu approached Lin Yuming, asking for work because he noticed other interns were all writing reports. Lin Yuming was surprised by Sun Yiqiu's unusual eagerness for what he described as a basic, often boring, and torturous task, but agreed to let him learn, provided he wouldn't demand Lin Yuming's time for teaching.
Wu Kezhi later discussed Lin Yuming's stagnant career, noting he had been a manager for over three years, and confessed that he felt responsible for holding him back. Wu Kezhi then entrusted Lin Yuming with the "Somersault Cloud" project, emphasizing its importance for Team IV and Lin Yuming himself, despite acknowledging that many others lacked faith in it.
Manager Wang confronted Wu Kezhi, questioning his strong confidence in the project, suggesting it was merely an attempt to help the founder, Liu Chang, make a comeback after his previous shared-bicycle venture failed spectacularly. Wu Kezhi countered that while Liu Chang's previous venture failed, he maintained his credibility. He asserted his belief that successful investment hinges on backing the right person, not just the project itself, as a capable individual will eventually yield returns.
Soon after, Wu Kezhi received a message confirming the Somersault Cloud project's approval. He immediately returned to Team IV, instructing them to prepare materials. Sun Yiqiu again offered his help, only to be dismissively told by Lin Yuming to fetch two cups of coffee. The other interns groaned about the demanding industry analysis reports, envying Gao Sicong for his competence and Sun Yiqiu for being spared such tasks, though Sun Yiqiu was merely fetching coffee.
Gao Sicong advised Sun Yiqiu that everyone has their own value and he shouldn't overexert himself. Sun Yiqiu, eager to contribute, offered to write an industry analysis report for the new project. However, Wu Kezhi vehemently rejected the offer, explicitly telling Lin Yuming not to let Sun Yiqiu get involved, stressing "especially him." Feeling increasingly irrelevant, Sun Yiqiu found himself with no real work.
Wu Kezhi then handed him an English finance dictionary, instructing him to memorize it all, sarcastically adding that it would at least help him "pretend" in the future. Undeterred, Sun Yiqiu approached Lin Yuming again, persistently asking for the new project materials. Lin Yuming, worn down, reluctantly agreed but warned him strictly to keep it a secret from Wu Kezhi.
Zeng Hao, also an intern, offered to do the report for Sun Yiqiu if he encountered trouble, claiming to be good at it, but Sun Yiqiu politely declined, insisting on doing it himself. Zeng Hao then shared that all interns rely on templates for their reports and offered guidance, which Sun Yiqiu gratefully accepted. After days and nights of diligent work, Sun Yiqiu presented his completed report to Lin Yuming, who was genuinely impressed by its quality and professional appearance.
Lin Yuming then showed the report to Wu Kezhi, who also deemed it "pretty good" and suggested writing a letter of recommendation for Sun Yiqiu. Later, Sun Yiqiu thanked Zeng Hao for the templates. During their conversation, Zeng Hao revealed he was recruited from college and didn't know anyone in upper management, asking if Sun Yiqiu could help introduce him if the opportunity arose. Sun Yiqiu, with a difficult expression, promised to help if he could.
However, while using Sun Yiqiu's computer, Wu Kezhi stumbled upon the project materials and templates. He confronted Sun Yiqiu publicly, demanding to know what they were and if he had written the report. Despite Lin Yuming's attempt to intervene, Wu Kezhi angrily ordered Sun Yiqiu to shred the report. A distraught Sun Yiqiu questioned why his report, which Wu Kezhi had just deemed "pretty good," was now worthless simply because he wrote it.
Wu Kezhi sternly explained that while other interns could use templates because they possessed foundational knowledge from their years of study, Sun Yiqiu, lacking even the slightest understanding of industry analysis, was not learning but merely copying and fabricating. He warned that such a report could severely jeopardize the company's judgment on the project, concluding that Sun Yiqiu had written it for his own ambition, not for the project's success.
The other interns openly discussed Sun Yiqiu's public reprimand, some gossiping that Wu Kezhi was unwise to offend a well-connected newcomer and attributing Wu Kezhi's stagnant career to his poor judgment. Gao Sicong announced an upcoming intern training session. On the rooftop, Lan Qianyi found Sun Yiqiu and offered comfort.
She confessed to being frequently reprimanded during her own first internship because she, too, had consistently overexerted herself in a desperate attempt to prove her worth, without questioning whether the things she was so hard-pressed to prove truly belonged to her. Lan Qianyi urged him not to be discouraged and suggested he go eat before the canteen closed.
Sun Yiqiu was left to ponder her words, questioning his purpose, the failures he endured, and his relentless efforts to prove himself, wondering if what he strived to prove was indeed his authentic self.
