Our Glamorous Time Episode 21 Recap
> Our Glamorous Time Recap
The intense May 20th sales battle was imminent, with Aida, Xinbaorui, and Simeiqi all preparing vigorously. At Aida, Li Zhicheng instructed his teams to set up 20 customer service hotlines, prepare flash-sale products, and update the website page every five minutes. Simultaneously, Xinbaorui's President, Ning Weikai, called for his entire department to work 24 hours, emphasizing the importance of this battle.
Meanwhile, Ning Weikai and Chen Zheng met, with Chen Zheng perplexed as to why Ning Weikai was casually drinking champagne with a major battle looming. Chen Zheng expressed his anxiety over Y-Fancy's sales already surpassing Simeiqi and Xinbaorui and urged Ning Weikai to act. Ning Weikai, remaining calm, called Gao Lang closer and whispered instructions for him to initiate their plan. As Gao Lang departed, Ning Weikai confidently declared that Aida's "mourning bell" was about to toll.
Shortly after, Monkey at Aida reported an urgent situation: a hacker had intruded into their internal system, with the breach likely originating from a new employee. Li Zhicheng immediately ordered Grey Bear to monitor all new staff for suspicious activity and to raise the firewall before the hacker was alerted. Li Zhicheng then went to the design office and found Lin Qian listening to music, feeling insecure about her Y-Fancy street brand, a style she hadn't tried before.
She worried whether the public would accept its style and value, likening her current anxiety to waiting for university admission results. Outside, Aida's sales were skyrocketing, and a bell rang, signaling their sales had broken 100,000 yuan. Li Zhicheng led Lin Qian to the cheering conference room, where Gu Yanzhi confidently stated Aida's strong momentum. However, Gu Yanzhi's smile soon faltered when he discovered the number of first-place lottery winners had far exceeded the 10 he had set.
Monkey rushed in to report that a virus, called "grey pigeon," had hacked the system. If it wasn't promptly shut down, it would lead to 2,000 first-place winners, resulting in 20 million yuan in prizes. Gu Yanzhi's brow furrowed in concern. On the other side, Chen Zheng was gloating, believing Li Zhicheng's company must be in disarray. Ning Weikai, however, remained serious, insisting the outcome was uncertain until the very last moment.
Chen Zheng worried about the hacker, but Ning Weikai assured him that the hacker was well-briefed on what to say and what to conceal even if caught. Ning Weikai concluded that Li Zhicheng was now in a precarious situation, "between a rock and a hard place." To prevent further losses, Gu Yanzhi strongly urged Li Zhicheng to immediately close the page and halt sales.
Li Zhicheng flatly rejected the suggestion, arguing that stopping now would kill the momentum as the drawing had just begun. He decided to take the risk, aiming to establish Y-Fancy as an influential brand and ensure Lin Qian's success as the collaboration designer. Grey Bear then reported that Xiaogao was the hacker but had managed to escape. Li Zhicheng immediately ordered the police to be called and for Xiaogao's employment profile to be provided.
The phone rang with reports that the prize money had already reached 15 million yuan. Li Zhicheng firmly declared that the sales page could not be stopped. Gu Yanzhi anxiously ran in, pleading with Li Zhicheng to reconsider and stop the losses, pointing out the mounting financial burn. Li Zhicheng, with unwavering focus, emphasized that Aida's reputation was at stake. He believed that as long as customers continued to purchase, Aida would still profit.
Gu Yanzhi grumbled, accusing Li Zhicheng of being reckless. Soon after, Monkey brought good news: the system had finally stopped, with the prize money totaling 19,770,000 yuan. Gu Yanzhi let out a sigh of relief, his worry turning to joy. In their office, Li Zhicheng and Gu Yanzhi received a call from Grace, who inquired about the situation. Li Zhicheng truthfully explained the hacker intrusion and the nearly 20 million yuan in prize money.
Grace questioned the feasibility of such a large payout, but Li Zhicheng asserted that Aida's reputation was more important than the money. He declared that even if he had to withdraw from Linhai City's clothing industry, he would ensure Aida won the hearts of the people, making a "back-to-the-wall" stand. Grace decided to assist by promoting Aida positively in the media.
Li Zhicheng also told Wasp to introduce an additional 230,000 red envelopes, but with a new rule requiring customers to spend over 3,000 yuan to participate in the drawing, aiming to keep customers engaged. Grace assured them that the media was on board, and Aida's brand image and Y-Fancy's trend would become headline news. Gu Yanzhi observed the increasing sales and celebrity endorsements of Aida's announcement, noting the shift in public opinion.
Chen Zheng and Ning Weikai received news of Li Zhicheng's decision to pay out the prize money. Chen Zheng found it unbelievable, but Ning Weikai accurately assessed it as Li Zhicheng's final, all-out battle for a decisive victory. Ning Weikai proposed a price reduction to seize market share, which Chen Zheng initially opposed, arguing Simeiqi shouldn't be involved in Xinbaorui's conflict with Aida. Ning Weikai reminded Chen Zheng of Xinbaorui's crucial support for Ankara's orders and subcontract factories.
Despite his anger, Chen Zheng reluctantly conceded, agreeing to lower prices. Gao Lang was instructed to proceed with the plan. At Aida, employees were enthusiastically celebrating sales breaking 100 million yuan when a manager rushed to inform Li Zhicheng and Gu Yanzhi that Xinbaorui and Simeiqi had announced another 20% price reduction. Gu Yanzhi worried about mass customer returns, causing Li Zhicheng to sigh.
He realized Ning Weikai was indeed fighting a desperate battle, willing to inflict damage on himself to harm the enemy. Li Zhicheng received an update that Xiaogao had been arrested by the police. While this was good news, the overall situation was mixed, as Xinbaorui and Simeiqi's sales had now surpassed Aida's, though Aida still achieved 100 million yuan in sales.
Li Zhicheng went upstairs to check on Lin Qian, who was ill with a cold from continuous overtime and preparing to leave. Without a word, he gently picked her up and carried her back to bed. He tended to her, expressing his worry and blurting out that he liked her, which caused Lin Qian's face to flush. Lin Qian coyly asked him to repeat what he said.
Li Zhicheng then stood at attention and loudly declared his love for her, asking her to be his girlfriend. Lin Qian shyly accepted. Later, Lin Qian chatted with her brother, Lin Mochen, on WeChat, sharing the news of her new relationship. Lin Mochen, however, expressed strong disapproval, perceiving Li Zhicheng as too cunning and calculating, using "art of war strategies" like "bucking the gate" to manipulate situations for profit and loyalty.
He worried Li Zhicheng was unsuitable for Lin Qian, fearing she might be unknowingly exploited. Lin Qian playfully insisted that her decision was made, arguing that Li Zhicheng's business strategies were separate from his genuine kindness towards her. The next morning, Lin Qian brought breakfast for Li Zhicheng and his team, stating that they could face any difficulties together. Li Zhicheng felt touched, and they sweetly shared a cup of orange juice.
Gu Yanzhi then arrived, reporting that Xiaogao had been criminally detained by the police. Xiaogao confessed to earning 3 million yuan from the hacking but insisted he acted alone and refused to name any mastermind. Meanwhile, Ning Weikai, aware of Xiaogao's arrest, confirmed with his subordinate that arrangements had been made for Xiaogao's family, ensuring his silence as the scapegoat. Ning Weikai acknowledged Li Zhicheng's unexpected success in gathering evidence and establishing the case.
