Ordinary Glory Episode 34 Recap
> Ordinary Glory Recap
At the investment committee meeting, the issue of "Justice Online's" negative online reception was raised. Director Qu noted the widespread bad reviews. Gao Sicong explained that he and Sun Yiqiu, along with Thunder Fire Studio employees, had meticulously filtered through thousands of negative reviews, finding a significant number to be redundant or highly repetitive. He revealed that "Justice Online" was unable to fund a public relations response as all their resources had been poured into product development.
This manual analysis, though tedious, was their only effective strategy. Wu Kezhi added that instead of struggling for an answer, they should return to the problem itself and use these troubling reviews as their strongest weapon. Gao Sicong then presented their findings: the negative campaign was orchestrated by the three most capable PR teams in the MMORPG industry, indicating that powerful competitors were investing heavily to sabotage "Justice Online."
He argued that this demonstrated "Justice Online" had already gained its rivals' recognition even before securing market acknowledgment. Convinced, the project was approved, with Wu Kezhi expressing his faith in Sun Yiqiu and quoting Warren Buffett on being "fearful when others are greedy, and greedy only when others are fearful." Thunder Fire Studio, Gao Sicong, and Sun Yiqiu were overjoyed, as were Wu Kezhi, Lin Yuming, and Ding Libo for Sun Yiqiu.
After the successful approval, Wu Kezhi questioned Sun Yiqiu about his takeaways from the "Justice Online" project. Sun Yiqiu admitted that, preoccupied with his expiring contract, he had focused only on popular projects, realizing now he wasn't even qualified for them. He concluded that there's no shortcut in investment; to achieve good results, one must grow alongside the founder.
Wu Kezhi agreed, allowing Sun Yiqiu to search for his own project, but strictly from Team IV’s pool, which was often disparagingly called the "trash can" by others in the company. Despite the label, Wu Kezhi pointed out that Team IV consistently met their KPIs with these "trash projects," which he believed were more suitable for Sun Yiqiu’s current situation. He instructed Lin Yuming and Ding Libo to guide Sun Yiqiu, dismissing Lin Yuming’s protests about his workload.
Sun Yiqiu resolved to make another attempt to stay, no longer feeling alone in his endeavors. Meanwhile, Lan Qianyi was tasked by Chief Xu to begin working independently on her own project, "Qiancheng Solar," based on a feasibility report she had previously written. He urged her to submit the proposal quickly, as Manager Ma was in a good mood after the approval of another project (China-Europe logistics). Her project was subsequently accepted.
However, Hao Shuai continued to face mistreatment under Yin Shengchao, enduring ridicule and being relegated to menial tasks like making coffee and paying for colleagues' orders. Lan Qianyi, celebrating her new project, decided to treat her friends to dinner. Hao Shuai, feeling down, initially refused to join, but Sun Yiqiu and Gao Sicong insisted, pulling him along. At dinner, they noticed Hao Shuai’s low spirits and encouraged him to vent.
Hao Shuai, however, insisted he was fine and accepted his situation. He admitted that his previous recklessness was due to his own failure to understand the corporate world, its hierarchy, and its rules. He concluded that sometimes the truth doesn't matter, and one must simply follow the rules, even if it means surrendering to authority. He then left early, citing work.
As Sun Yiqiu prepared for a crucial meeting with a founder, Wu Kezhi sent him a message on his phone to rest well. Sun Yiqiu silently vowed that the next day was his last chance, and he must secure the project. The following day, Team IV anxiously awaited news from Sun Yiqiu’s meeting. Simultaneously, Lan Qianyi’s solar energy project was officially accepted, much to the joy of her energy team colleagues.
In another department, Hao Shuai attempted to flag issues he discovered in the financial report of "Mofan Fashion," a project managed by Yin Shengchao, but he was sharply rebuked and told to simply do his assigned duties. Sun Yiqiu’s meeting began awkwardly, with the founder absorbed in his computer and asking Sun Yiqiu to wait. Fearing a bad start, Sun Yiqiu then overheard terms from the game of Go being spoken from the computer.
Realizing the founder was an avid Go player, Sun Yiqiu shrewdly leveraged this shared interest to break the ice and successfully win the negotiation. Back at the office, Team IV celebrated Sun Yiqiu's triumph, acknowledging both his preparation and a stroke of luck. They believed that once the Risk Control Centre approved the project, Sun Yiqiu would become the project manager, naturally leading to his contract renewal.
Over celebratory drinks, a tipsy Sun Yiqiu expressed profound gratitude to Wu Kezhi for teaching him what kind of investment consultant he wanted to be, to Ding Libo for negotiation guidance, and to Lin Yuming (jokingly) for his food orders. He sincerely expressed his deep desire to stay in Team IV and continue working with them, hoping his wish would come true. However, the celebration was short-lived for Lan Qianyi.
Manager Ma abruptly decided to change her project, proposing an offshore wind power project that he himself had rejected the previous year, blaming the prior rejection on insufficient research. Chief Xu attempted to argue for Lan Qianyi’s solar project, which had already passed Risk Control, and suggested working on both simultaneously.
Manager Ma adamantly refused, citing insufficient manpower in the energy division and criticizing Lan Qianyi as "too difficult to please and ambitious," comparing her to "another Wu Kezhi" who didn't understand rules. He ordered Chief Xu to "educate that girl properly." Later, as Lan Qianyi was informed of the project’s termination by Zhao, she remained outwardly calm, but tearfully sent the project termination email, observed by a sympathetic Chief Xu and other colleagues.
Meanwhile, Chief Su raised concerns with Yin Shengchao about "Mofan Fashion," mentioning rumors of operational problems and senior management departures. Yin Shengchao dismissed them as baseless, insisting he knew the boss well and the project was sound. Unseen by Yin Shengchao, Hao Shuai appeared preoccupied, having already discovered financial loopholes in Mofan Fashion’s report. Elsewhere, Lin Yuming’s mother tried to set him up on a blind date.
He initially refused, claiming to be too busy, but quickly changed his mind when his mother described the girl as "very pretty" during their phone call. His colleagues teased him, with Ding Libo and Wu Kezhi concurring that despite the girl's beauty, Lin Yuming had no chance. Determined to prove them wrong, Lin Yuming resolved to meet her. The good news for Sun Yiqiu also proved fleeting.
Wu Kezhi received a call from Manager Li Shensi, who informed him that the Risk Control Centre had rejected Sun Yiqiu's project. While the project itself was sound, the issue lay with the "designation" of the person in charge. Li Shensi explained that the project required one to two years for execution, which conflicted with Sun Yiqiu's expiring contract.
When Wu Kezhi urgently proposed renewing Sun Yiqiu's contract, Li Shensi clarified that the HR Department refused, citing Sun Yiqiu's lack of "accomplishments" for the company. Wu Kezhi erupted in frustration, calling it a "stupid rule." Li Shensi, revealing the company's unstated policy, sadly explained that this guideline effectively meant they had "no plans to renew any one-year contracts" from the outset.
Wu Kezhi implored Li Shensi for help, but Li Shensi reiterated that despite his personal regard for Sun Yiqiu, company rules were absolute, and even higher management like Director Qu or Chris could not overturn the decision.
