Ordinary Glory Episode 7 Recap
> Ordinary Glory Recap
Sun Yiqiu brought pan-fried buns from an old shop for Lin Yuming and Wu Kezhi to enjoy. Shortly after, Hao Shuai made a boisterous entrance to Group Four, introducing himself loudly as Sun Yiqiu's partner and asking everyone to look after him. Sun Yiqiu quickly pulled Hao Shuai to the rooftop, where Hao Shuai, annoyed, demanded to know why Sun Yiqiu had ignored his calls and texts, implying he was giving up.
Sun Yiqiu asserted that in this "game," he would not allow himself to be in a passive position. Hao Shuai apologized for his previous impatience, admitting he wasn't nice, but insisted he was trying to help, arguing that he was more experienced. He then asked if Sun Yiqiu had reviewed the three proposals he sent overnight. Sun Yiqiu confirmed he had, noting that writing three 3,000-word proposals in one night seemed hasty.
Hao Shuai dismissed this, asking which proposal Sun Yiqiu would choose. Sun Yiqiu selected the second one, calling it "slightly more interesting" but "still not good enough." Sun Yiqiu acknowledged Hao Shuai's experience but firmly stated that he would take full charge of their project proposal as previously agreed, making every move with a clear objective and without hesitation.
He then challenged Hao Shuai's earlier claim of being pre-selected by the company, asking if Hao Shuai truly believed he would fall for it, and pointed out that if the test truly didn't matter, Hao Shuai wouldn't be there. Lin Yuming praised Sun Yiqiu to Wu Kezhi, marveling at his progress from memorizing a dictionary in a week to now picking projects and writing proposals. He expressed his genuine hope for Sun Yiqiu to pass the test.
Wu Kezhi, however, was dismissive, stating that Sun Yiqiu needed substance, not just appearances, and was still far from competent. Moments later, Wu Kezhi received a phone call from Manager Wang, informing him that the Shengcai project materials had been rejected by the Risk Control Centre. Wu Kezhi angrily confronted Lin Yuming, demanding to know why the non-operating profit and loss for Shengcai Fresh Produce hadn't been calculated.
Lin Yuming claimed he had no information about it, but Wu Kezhi retorted that if that were true, the materials wouldn't have been rejected. Lin Yuming admitted his mistake and apologized, which only fueled Wu Kezhi's anger, scolding him for making such a "stupid mistake" despite prior warnings. Wu Kezhi acknowledged Lin Yuming's bad mood but stressed it was no excuse, emphasizing that the project could not afford any errors. Lin Yuming accepted full blame.
Manager Wang then arrived, chastising both Wu Kezhi and Lin Yuming as "useless" and prone to mistakes, threatening them with dismissal. Sun Yiqiu quickly sought out Zeng Hao for an explanation. Zeng Hao clarified that such data problems could be very serious, and if they were suspected of submitting false financial information, it would lead to significant trouble. Hao Shuai showed Sun Yiqiu his profile, boasting about securing angel investors thrice in college.
Sun Yiqiu was unimpressed, pointing out that his current trainee status implied those projects had failed. Hao Shuai retorted that his experience made him superior to "nerds with no actual experience." Noticing Sun Yiqiu's lingering worry about Lin Yuming, Hao Shuai probed, but Sun Yiqiu told him to mind his own business. Hao Shuai defended his inquisitiveness, stating that gathering information was crucial for an investment consultant, even playfully claiming he could read minds and women.
Sun Yiqiu later asked Wu Kezhi if he could help with the situation. Wu Kezhi simply retorted, "What can you do?" Before Hao Shuai left, Wu Kezhi warned Sun Yiqiu not to let Hao Shuai "lead him by the nose again." Sun Yiqiu presented his project, "Tell Her Relationship Counselling," explaining that the idea stemmed from his own life, believing many people like him struggle with self-expression and would benefit from such a platform.
Hao Shuai, though initially interested, quickly questioned its profitability, stating that any good project must demonstrate its expected return to the Investment Committee. Sun Yiqiu outlined his profit model, based on charging for frequency and time, with free services for subscribers. Hao Shuai swiftly calculated the substantial cost of hiring counselors and concluded that breaking even was "totally impossible," dismissing the project as "mediocre and stupid" and unlikely to attract investors.
However, he then pivoted, suggesting an unconventional approach: the project's true value lay not in charges but in free services. By sharing interesting stories from members, they could generate "traffic"—the most valuable asset in the internet age. This traffic could then be monetized through advertisements and, more ambitiously, by developing these real stories into "intellectual property" for collaboration with animation and production firms, promising considerable returns.
Hao Shuai advised Sun Yiqiu to incorporate these insights into his proposal, stressing that "the key in securing investment lies in telling a story that can move the heart." Sun Yiqiu reflected on his own inexperience, acknowledging that despite Wu Kezhi's warning, he was still a "rookie" compared to Hao Shuai, whose professional judgment was far more advanced than simply memorizing facts.
Manager Wang informed Wu Kezhi that Lin Yuming was ordered to publicly review his mistake at the next quarterly meeting. Wu Kezhi vehemently protested, calling it a "humiliation" and suggesting they "just fire him" instead, arguing it was a common, minor error. Manager Wang hinted that Director Qu's initial reluctance towards the Shengcai project made Wu Kezhi accountable for its outcome, urging him to humble himself and beg Director Qu.
Wu Kezhi defiantly refused to "learn" to avoid trouble, stating he would take responsibility for his own problems and not involve others. He stormed off, intending to confront Director Qu and take the blame himself. Lin Yuming chased after him, declaring that if Wu Kezhi resigned, he would quit as well. Lin Yuming hurried out of the company to meet clients, as the Shengcai contract was scheduled for signing the next day, while Wu Kezhi had not yet returned.
Hao Shuai reappeared in Group Four, telling Sun Yiqiu his proposal was "pretty good" and ready for submission. Wu Kezhi, seeing Lin Yuming rush out, felt a pang of sadness. Later, Wu Kezhi observed Hao Shuai coaching Sun Yiqiu on presentation techniques near the elevators. Hao Shuai was explaining how to end a presentation provocatively to elicit empathy and guide the committee's conclusions, also suggesting Sun Yiqiu study prominent industry leaders' public speaking videos.
Wu Kezhi interrupted, chastising Sun Yiqiu for not submitting his meeting minutes and neglecting work for the test. Sun Yiqiu promptly delivered the minutes to Wu Kezhi's desk. Wu Kezhi warned Sun Yiqiu that Hao Shuai was playing a calculated game, like "Chinese checkers," where he would always aim to jump over Sun Yiqiu to get ahead, rather than just using simple tricks.
Sun Yiqiu defended his collaboration, arguing that Hao Shuai's experience and capability were valuable, aligning with Wu Kezhi's own advice to work with people who offer value. Wu Kezhi accused Sun Yiqiu of giving in and sacrificing his pride to be Hao Shuai's "lowly servant." Sun Yiqiu calmly responded that in his current situation, "pride can't solve any problem," admitting Hao Shuai was more competent.
He affirmed that he "must first survive to have the rights to speak," and would only "think about my pride if I manage to stay." Wu Kezhi went to find Director Qu but was told he was unavailable, meeting a business partner, forcing Wu Kezhi to leave. In the elevator, Wu Kezhi spotted Hao Shuai.
As Hao Shuai exited, Wu Kezhi deliberately bumped him, spilling coffee on his shirt, and sarcastically advised him to "wash off the dirty things on you while you can, otherwise, your shirt will be ruined." Later, Wu Kezhi found Sun Yiqiu practicing his speech and urged him to "read it out" loud and practice diligently. He vividly described the anxiety of public speaking—racing heart, sweating palms, and a blank mind—to emphasize that only thorough preparation could prevent embarrassment.
Meanwhile, Lan Qianyi, who had arranged to practice with Li Xiaxian, was stood up because Li Xiaxian prioritized dinner with a senior. Lan Qianyi noted that many interns were working overtime in the office, leveraging the environment to gather information and monitor competitors. Sun Yiqiu asked Hao Shuai to practice their presentation together. Hao Shuai, however, dismissed the idea, claiming his "real experience" made practice unnecessary for him, though it might benefit "inexperienced rookies."
He insisted that as the presenter, and having submitted the proposal, he would not reveal his speech content to Sun Yiqiu, reserving the "freedom to improvise on the spot." Sun Yiqiu expressed his disappointment, believing that as partners, they should be honest with each other. He felt a pang of despair, realizing Wu Kezhi was right about Hao Shuai's self-serving intentions.
Hao Shuai then launched into an attack on Wu Kezhi, calling him "unprofessional" and a "useless thing" who lets subordinates take the blame, accusing him of sacrificing the entire team. Enraged, Sun Yiqiu punched Hao Shuai. Hao Shuai retaliated, and they began fighting on the rooftop. Both suddenly received a company notification on their phones, bringing their altercation to an abrupt halt.
The notification announced the second test for trainees: they had to pick a project and convince their partner to invest. It was revealed that Wu Kezhi, humbled, had begged Director Qu to reconsider Lin Yuming's public review, not wanting him to face such public humiliation. Upon seeing the new test requirement, Hao Shuai immediately declared to Sun Yiqiu, "It's over for you, Sun Yiqiu. I won't invest in your project!"
As everyone else busied themselves with final preparations for the next day's investment committee meeting, Sun Yiqiu felt "doomed for real." Wu Kezhi encountered Hao Shuai again while going upstairs, but Hao Shuai ignored him and walked away. Sun Yiqiu later asked Wu Kezhi whether "the people" or "the project" mattered more in an investment. Wu Kezhi dismissed the question as trivial, stating that "the project and the people are tied together."
He explained that all proposals, reports, and data are produced by people, making such a distinction a "false proposition." Wu Kezhi concluded with a metaphor, advising that if the "shoes don't fit, the farther you go, the greater the pain." Sun Yiqiu pondered this, wondering if Hao Shuai's past failures, like his own, stemmed not from the outcome, but from the realization of fruitless effort.
