Our Glamorous Time Episode 12 Recap
> Our Glamorous Time Recap
Li Zhicheng met with Gu Yanzhi, who revealed he had applied to transfer back to the head office, an approval he had expected to come after the Mingsheng project. Li Zhicheng firmly stated he would not approve Gu Yanzhi's departure from Aida. Gu Yanzhi expressed his frustration, feeling that Aida did not need him because Li Zhicheng made all decisions independently, never including him in discussions.
He felt like a mere "furnishing" and contrasted Li Zhicheng's style with his late brother, Li Zhiqian, who would discuss everything, big or small. Li Zhicheng explained that his military background had ingrained a direct, order-giving style, and apologized if it was not to Gu Yanzhi's liking. He confessed that after his brother's mysterious death and Wenda's near collapse, he couldn't trust anyone, but Gu Yanzhi was the first person he had come to trust.
Li Zhicheng earnestly asked Gu Yanzhi to stay, explaining that he needed him to handle strategic planning, just as he needed Lin Qian on the front lines. Gu Yanzhi, with a humorous remark about whether "planning in the rear" involved massage chairs, ultimately agreed to remain at Aida. Meanwhile, Hanchong stormed into Ning Weikai's office, demanding to know why a charity budget had been included in a project's expenses without his consultation.
Ning Weikai explained it was a public relations fund for the upcoming Ankada uniform deal and that he had the authority to approve such a sum without needing Hanchong's input. Hanchong, persistent, then brought up the failure of the Mingsheng project, accusing Ning Weikai of wasting company resources and ultimately losing the order, even suggesting he should quit. Ning Weikai retorted that his CEO position was board-appointed and he wouldn't be dictated by Hanchong.
He reminded Hanchong that if not for Hanchong's strong objection to hiring Lin Qian, Aida wouldn't have had the opportunity to win the Mingsheng project, as Lin Qian was the designer behind their success. Stunned, Hanchong had no response and angrily left the office. During a Xinbaorui board meeting, Chairman Zhu publicly announced Hanchong's appointment as the company's executive director.
Filled with a sense of triumph, Hanchong immediately used his new position to once again challenge Ning Weikai, criticizing the immense costs and ultimate failure of the Mingsheng project. Ning Weikai, frustrated, defiantly offered to resign if the board questioned his competence. Zhu Hanjing stepped in to defend Ning Weikai, asserting that he was not solely responsible for the Mingsheng project's loss.
Undeterred, Hanchong then provocatively suggested that Ning Weikai might have intentionally lost the order to Aida, given Wenda's recent resurgence. Ning Weikai vehemently denied the accusation and, looking directly at the board, vowed that Xinbaorui would not be defeated by Aida again, promising to secure the Ankada uniform order. At the Cheng residence, Grace and her assistant arrived to interview President Cheng. They inadvertently overheard a heated argument between President Cheng and his daughter, Meizi.
Meizi expressed her strong desire to quit school and study art abroad, while her father adamantly pushed for her to pursue a business degree, dismissing art as merely a hobby. After Meizi tearfully left, President Cheng apologized for the family drama, explaining his daughter's recent rebelliousness. Grace, quick to seize an opportunity, proposed an interview that would cover President Cheng's work and family life, suggesting that including Meizi might help improve their relationship.
President Cheng, impressed by Grace's tact, agreed to the interview. During a televised segment of the interview, President Cheng announced Ankada's plan to upgrade all airline uniforms, stating his intention to actively secure bidding opportunities in China and his wish for these new uniforms to be designed and "Made in China" to showcase Chinese ideas and designs to the world.
Inspired by Ankada's reputation for having the most beautiful flight attendants, Chen Zheng of Simeiqi suddenly decided to hold a "Goddess in the Cloud" uniform beauty contest. He instructed his team to partner with the Xinyang app to organize the event, aiming to promote their project with Ankada among beautiful women and showcase the evolution of uniform design. Chen Zheng expressed confidence that this proactive approach would give Simeiqi a significant advantage.
Watching President Cheng's interview on television, Li Zhicheng's gaze was fixed. Gu Yanzhi, observing his CEO's intent focus, gently tried to temper his ambition. He pointed out that while the Ankada project, a significant order worth 200 million yuan (40,000 sets of uniforms at 5,000 yuan each), was indeed enticing, Aida was still fully occupied with the recently acquired Mingsheng Group deal, lacking the immediate financial and human resources to take on another major project.
Gu Yanzhi warned against taking excessive risks, stressing the need for careful, solid steps. After a moment of thought, Li Zhicheng asked, "What if someone invests in Aida?" Gu Yanzhi was taken aback by the suggestion. Li Zhicheng visited Grace at H Group, directly proposing an investment in Aida. Grace was somewhat surprised and initially offered a personal loan and an introduction to Ankada, explaining that her previous help was primarily out of respect for his late brother, Li Zhiqian.
Li Zhicheng refused, stating that his brother would not have approved of such personal assistance and insisted on a long-term business partnership. Grace bluntly told him that H Group would likely not be interested due to Aida's low production value. However, Li Zhicheng passionately argued that Aida was a shared venture between him and his brother.
After careful consideration, Grace called Li Zhicheng and agreed to H Group's investment in Aida, clarifying that while they were friends, business would be strictly business. Soon after, they met and formally signed the cooperation agreement. Ning Weikai discussed the Ankada project with Zhu Hanjing. He acknowledged that while the bidding was ostensibly open to all companies in Linhai City, only Xinbaorui, Simeiqi, and Aida truly possessed the capability to compete.
Zhu Hanjing, noticing Ning Weikai's calm demeanor, asked if he had a strategy. Ning Weikai confidently dismissed Simeiqi, explaining that Chen Zheng, despite his marketing prowess, lacked a strong production line, which would necessitate reliance on numerous second-tier suppliers. Ning Weikai planned to disrupt their supply chain, rendering Simeiqi largely ineffective. He concluded that Aida, therefore, was their true formidable opponent.
Zhu Hanjing then pointed out that Aida had yet to make a visible move, but Grace's close association with Li Zhicheng made her a significant figure behind the scenes. Cheng Feng brought Meizi to H Magazine for her photo shoot during Grace's exclusive interview. Grace discreetly asked Cheng Feng about his relationship with his daughter, and then seized the chance to subtly praise Aida and request an opportunity for them in the Ankada project.
Cheng Feng, grateful for Grace's assistance, agreed to advocate for Aida. Soon after, Grace accompanied Cheng Feng on a visit to Aida, where Li Zhicheng and Gu Yanzhi warmly received them. Cheng Feng commended Li Zhicheng's swift progress with Aida and their professional handling of the Mingsheng project. However, he raised concerns about Aida's financial stability and experience for the large-scale Ankada uniform order.
Gu Yanzhi reassured him by highlighting Aida's backing from the Wenda Group, a major asset in Linhai City. Grace then revealed that H Group had also become a shareholder in Aida, further solidifying its financial position. Cheng Feng, now satisfied, promised to strongly recommend Aida to Ankada's headquarters, provided their design proved compelling and interesting.
He then handed Li Zhicheng an internal draft of the Ankada cooperation intention letter, noting that Aida was the first of the three major candidates to see it, urging him to study the bidding requirements thoroughly. Li Zhicheng then escorted Cheng Feng to the design studio, where Lin Qian was engrossed in studying airline uniform styles and fabrics.
Lin Qian presented a replica of Ankada's current uniform, explaining it was created from online images to analyze the original designer's approach and pinpoint areas for improvement. She articulated her design philosophy, noting that Ankada's existing uniforms, though aiming for a "royal flight experience," appeared overly extravagant and "showy like a crazy rich" for the Chinese market, which favored understated luxury. Her design direction, therefore, was to "keep it simple," enhancing Ankada's inherent elegance.
Cheng Feng was deeply impressed, remarking that her vision aligned perfectly with Ankada's internal goals for a refreshed image and praising her meticulous research. He confidently stated that even without seeing the final design, he believed the new uniform would be a classic. He high-fived Lin Qian in encouragement, leaving her visibly delighted. While Chen Zheng was busy organizing his "Goddess in the Cloud" beauty pageant, he received a phone call from Ning Weikai.
Ning Weikai, aware of Grace's growing influence with both Li Zhicheng and Cheng Feng, and also dealing with internal struggles with Hanchong, subtly probed Chen Zheng about his subcontractor visits. Chen Zheng accused Ning Weikai of targeting Simeiqi, but Ning Weikai denied it, instead proposing that they had a common adversary in Aida.
He used an analogy, cautioning that while it was easy to handle a "kitten," it would be much harder if it grew into a "lion," implying that if Aida became too powerful, it would threaten them all. Chen Zheng acknowledged their shared interest in combating Aida. Late at night, Lin Qian video-called her brother, Lin Mochen, who immediately chided her for still working.
Lin Mochen revealed he had reviewed Aida's financial reports and believed the company was in a precarious state, doubting that even the Mingsheng project could fully revive it. Lin Qian confidently countered, explaining that Aida was pursuing another significant opportunity: a 200 million yuan uniform deal with Ankada Airlines. She assured him that both she and Li Zhicheng were confident in securing the project.
As she was praising Li Zhicheng's business acumen, stating he had "never lost any game in this business playground," Li Zhicheng himself walked in and overheard her. Lin Mochen, still on the call, jokingly accused Li Zhicheng of violating labor laws by making Lin Qian work so late. Lin Qian quickly defended her boss, claiming she enjoyed working late and was "the best employee in China." Li Zhicheng, with a smile, promised to "do something big" just to prove Lin Mochen wrong.
