Our Glamorous Time Episode 4 Recap
> Our Glamorous Time Recap
After Li Zhicheng publicly destroyed the defective children's apparel, he seriously declared that someone must be held responsible for the significant losses Wenda suffered. He announced his decision to fire four senior managers, asserting their undeniable responsibility and stating he would not tolerate their presence at Wenda starting the next day.
Vice President Xue Mingtao tried to defend the managers, arguing against such drastic changes in a volatile market and highlighting the difficulty of replacing key personnel, like the highly paid Director of Design. He urged Li Zhicheng to remember that a business, unlike the military, required flexibility in addition to loyalty. Li Zhicheng, however, countered that Wenda was "on life support," and "aggressive medication" was precisely what was needed when the patient was so ill.
He then revealed his plan to demote Vice President Gu Yanzhi, holding him primarily responsible as a leader, and reassign him to Aida, Wenda's subsidiary, as its Vice President. Xue Mingtao reluctantly agreed to implement Li Zhicheng's directives. Later, Chen Zheng called Ning Weikai, acknowledging Li Zhicheng's unexpected ability to resolve the crisis. He expressed concern about Grace, finding her hard to deal with and suspecting she knew all their plans.
Chen Zheng hinted at something he "ran into" earlier that day. In her studio, Lin Qian informed her brother, Lin Mo Chen, of her decision to remain in China, explaining that while a life in America with him offered a predictable, potentially good outcome, she preferred the unpredictable, "magical" unknown of staying to pursue her dreams.
Lin Mo Chen respected her choice, tearing up her plane ticket as a symbolic gesture, stating he would no longer interfere with her dreams or career. He emphasized that from now on, all her hardships and joys would be the result of her own choices. The next morning, Lin Qian discussed her plans with Yayi, who noted Lin Mo Chen's quiet departure.
Lin Qian expressed her desire for independence, asserting that she was an adult capable of handling her own problems without her brother's constant intervention. When Yayi questioned her decision, reminding her of their online store's closure and their looming rent, Lin Qian clarified that while she still aimed to be a top designer, she was realistic about her current capabilities.
Citing her idol, Raf Simons, who worked for Dior despite advocating design freedom, Lin Qian explained that working for a large company would provide valuable experience and opportunities for growth. Furious about his demotion, Gu Yanzhi confronted Li Zhicheng and demanded an explanation. Instead of arguing, Li Zhicheng simply handed him a file. After reading its contents, Gu Yanzhi was left stunned, beginning to understand the scope of Li Zhicheng’s larger strategy.
Li Zhicheng visited his father, who was recovering from a stroke. His father expressed displeasure that Li Zhicheng had burned the defective fabrics in front of the media without consulting him, but Li Zhicheng dismissed this as unimportant. Li Zhicheng then directly questioned his father about Li Zhiqian's death, stating he found it hard to believe his older brother died from drunk driving, as Li Zhiqian never touched alcohol. His father claimed Li Zhiqian drank secretly when under immense pressure.
Li Zhicheng refuted this, noting Li Zhiqian was about to sign a major deal with You'a and had no reason to be stressed. He accused his father of pressuring Li Zhiqian, recalling a decade-long conflict where Li Zhiqian's efforts to reform Wenda were constantly stifled. His father retorted that he was protecting Li Zhiqian from the harsh realities of the business world, suggesting Wenda would have collapsed without his guidance, and accused Li Zhicheng of sharing his brother's naivety.
Li Zhicheng remarked that his father's words hadn't changed in ten years, but then, seeing his father's condition, softened his tone and promised to uncover the truth behind his brother's death before leaving to handle company matters. Li Jinyuan tried to convince him to stay for dinner with Uncle Xue, but Li Zhicheng declined. Lin Qian began her job search.
During an interview at Simeiqi, she honestly stated she needed a job due to a rent increase and had given up on her personal business for now. The interviewer described Simeiqi's design process, which involved collecting top brands' designs and adapting them for the market. Realizing this meant merely copying, Lin Qian later called Yayi to decline the offer, explaining she refused to be a "copycat designer."
She then interviewed at Xinbaorui, where the interviewer, Mr. Zhu, mocked her for graduating from St. York University three years prior with no "decent" corporate experience, suggesting she had been "unemployed." Lin Qian defended her entrepreneurial experience as valid work, but Zhu dismissively stated he was "not in the mood to be reasonable" that day and rejected her. Frustrated, Lin Qian called Yayi to complain, speculating Zhu might have a bias against St. York University.
Yayi suggested applying to Aida, touting its "hot" new boss, but Lin Qian dismissed it due to Wenda's chaotic internal situation. After work, Grace was accosted in a parking lot by a former boyfriend, who choked her, blaming her for his job loss. Ning Weikai intervened, rescuing her. He offered to take her to the hospital for her injured foot, but Grace insisted it was fine.
As they conversed, Ning Weikai subtly inquired about H magazine's upcoming "new talents in the work place" feature, hinting at his own suitability. Grace, however, replied that they already had a candidate, implying it was Li Zhicheng, but declined to confirm it as internal information. She thanked him for saving her but rebuffed his advances, stating there was an "order for everything." Ning Weikai then offered to drive her home, and she reluctantly accepted.
At her apartment, Ning Weikai tried to prolong his stay for a drink, prompting Grace to question his past actions: how he left Wenda with seven designers six years ago, crippling their efforts to launch a new brand. Ning Weikai clarified that Li Zhiqian had encouraged his departure, recognizing Wenda was "beyond salvage" and corrupt. He claimed Li Zhiqian, seeing his ambition to build a brand, released him to pursue his future unhindered by Chairman Li Zhongming's opposition.
Grace then aggressively asked why he repeatedly targeted Li Zhicheng. Ning Weikai admitted that from their first encounter, he recognized Li Zhicheng as a destined opponent, and it was a matter of eliminating the other or being eliminated himself. Grace concluded he sought to eliminate Chen Zheng next to become the sole dominant figure.
Ning Weikai found her aggressive demeanor attractive, but Grace stated he held no attraction for her and warned him against choosing sides too early, questioning if he truly wanted to be her opponent. At Wenda's new presidential election, Chairman Li Zhongming introduced Li Zhicheng, expressing satisfaction with his handling of the recent crisis and highlighting his capabilities. He declared that the entire Wenda Group would follow Li Zhicheng's lead, placing the family's future on his shoulders.
Li Zhicheng, however, surprised everyone by announcing he would not participate in the Wenda presidential election. Instead, he proposed a resolution to be appointed CEO of the subsidiary Aida, where he would focus on its development and the creation of an independent brand, believing this was the best decision for both Aida and Wenda. The board, after some deliberation, unanimously approved his appointment.
His father confronted him, bewildered by such a major decision made without consultation, to which Li Zhicheng calmly replied that his father "wouldn't agree anyway." Li Jinyuan also questioned her brother's actions, but Li Zhicheng reassured her he had a plan and asked her to focus on taking care of their father. Li Zhicheng and Gu Yanzhi arrived at Aida, with Gu Yanzhi already hard at work.
Gu Yanzhi showed him the small office, noting the lack of a proper CEO office and pointing out a vacant design studio on the rooftop. Li Zhicheng then convened a high-level meeting, where Gu Yanzhi introduced a significant opportunity: Mingsheng Group's "One Belt One Road Initiative" project, which included a bid for uniform manufacturing for their construction projects in Southeast Asia, valued over 50 million yuan.
Gu Yanzhi emphasized its "immeasurable strategic significance" for Aida's expansion and ability to attract investments. However, some managers expressed strong opposition, arguing that Aida's current capacity and lack of cash reserves made it "an ant trying to eat an elephant." They cautioned against taking such a risk, especially given Wenda's financial difficulties. Li Zhicheng firmly declared his decision to "must get this project" at any cost.
When the lack of experience in outdoor clothing design was raised, he stated they would "look for one." He later confided in Gu Yanzhi, explaining that his true goal at Aida was not just for Aida to survive, but to revitalize Wenda. He acknowledged Wenda was in an "impasse" due to "poor moral" among the board, "management conflicts," and "wasteful bureaucracy," and that Aida's success, leveraging Wenda's manufacturing resources, was the only way to "push Wenda to move."
He stressed that the success of this strategy hinged on securing the One Belt One Road project. Gu Yanzhi then asked if Li Zhicheng had a suitable designer in mind, to which Li Zhicheng replied with a confident smile that he did.
Elsewhere, Mr. Zhu, the Xinbaorui executive who had interviewed Lin Qian, spoke on the phone to Ning Weikai, disparaging St. York University graduates and mocking Lin Qian's lack of traditional work experience, suggesting she should simply marry a rich man. Ning Weikai curtly retorted that "studying more is better than marrying someone who asks what studying is good for." Later, as Lin Qian and Yayi were trying on dresses in their studio, Li Zhicheng arrived on his motorcycle.
He directly asked Lin Qian if the dress Yayi was wearing was made from the "old fabric from Wenda's warehouse." Lin Qian, after a brief, indirect confirmation, asked why he was there and how he knew her address.
