Our Glamorous Time Episode 40 Recap
> Our Glamorous Time Recap
Peter Smith, the President of DP Greater China, met with Chen Zheng, the President of Simeiqi, and Chen Yayi, Chen Zheng’s assistant. Peter, who spoke four languages fluently, cut straight to business, stating that he already had a verbal agreement with Chen Zheng’s father and was prepared to raise the acquisition price by two percent, but no more. He expressed his disdain for wasting time and left Chen Zheng to consider the offer.
As he walked away, Peter stopped to tell Chen Yayi she was beautiful and took a picture of her, despite her protest. He then instructed his assistant to find out the brand of the dress Chen Yayi was wearing, as that was what he was truly interested in. Later, Chen Zheng’s father inquired about Peter and the DP investment. Chen Zheng expressed his frustration, describing Peter as a "nutjob" who was so rehearsed he barely ate during their meeting.
He strongly opposed selling shares, fearing foreign takeover. His father, however, saw the investment as an opportunity for Chen Zheng to learn company management and as a safeguard, given Simeiqi’s declining performance under Chen Zheng. He advised Chen Zheng to rally the other shareholders to maintain control.
Chen Zheng grudgingly acknowledged the need to engage the older shareholders, whom he disparagingly called "old folks," but his father quickly corrected him, urging him to manage the company with the same careful control needed for a complex stew. Meanwhile, Gu Yanzhi took Li Jinyuan to Yellow Crane Tower for a change of scenery. He knew she was upset about her online posts being deleted.
Gu Yanzhi used the historic site's poetic couplets to metaphorically suggest she could overcome her frustration. Inspired, Li Jinyuan embraced his suggestion to build her own platform where people could express themselves freely. She envisioned an app for "sharp-tongued but harmless" debates, fostering positive energy, and even asked Gu Yanzhi to invest. Though they struggled with a name, Li Jinyuan was excited by the entrepreneurial idea. Li Zhicheng visited a Derier store to buy a diamond ring.
He provided a gold ring, presumably Lin Qian's, and requested a new ring one size smaller. Later, he gathered his former military comrades, including Wasp, for dinner. His friends jokingly asked about his "Mrs." and when the wedding would be. After some teasing, Li Zhicheng revealed his mission for them: to help him prepare a marriage proposal. The unexpected announcement left his friends stunned. At a Simeiqi shareholder meeting, Chen Zheng announced DP’s investment plans.
Shareholders voiced concerns about Simeiqi becoming a foreign entity. Chen Zheng clarified that while DP would hold 35% of the shares and he personally held 30%, the other shareholders collectively owned another 30%. He confidently argued that if they united, they could still control Simeiqi's direction, and that DP’s entry was an opportunity for Simeiqi to expand and challenge Wenda and Xinbaorui.
After securing their tentative agreement, Chen Zheng signed the equity sale contract and asked DP's assistant to have Peter sign it, emphasizing that Peter should meet him to discuss DP's plans in China, as they were now "in the same family." Li Zhicheng invited Lin Qian to her shop under the pretense of discussing a plan document. Unbeknownst to her, Wasp and his team were hidden, attempting to stage an elaborate military-themed proposal using remote-controlled toy tanks, planes, and ships.
The rehearsal had gone well, but the live performance was a disaster: the toy plane crashed into a mannequin, the ship sprayed water, and the tank hit a wall, creating utter chaos. Seeing Lin Qian's confusion and the ruined proposal, Li Zhicheng quickly covered for his friends, scolding them for "playing with toys" in a clothing store and ordering them to leave, much to Lin Qian’s bewilderment. DP’s clothing stores suddenly appeared across Linhai City overnight, alarming Li Zhicheng.
He felt this aggressive launch signaled ill intent and tasked Gu Yanzhi with investigating all DP stores and providing a summary report. Li Zhicheng then called Ning Weikai to discuss the situation. Ning Weikai, having just learned of DP's expansion himself, dismissed Li Zhicheng’s concerns as "worrying before worry is due," believing it wasn’t easy for foreign companies to penetrate the Chinese market. Li Zhicheng remained cautious, convinced that DP was well-prepared and required careful handling.
Grace met with Peter Smith, who, after complimenting her taste, directly proposed an in-depth cooperation between DP and H Magazine, presenting a business proposal. Grace politely declined his invitation for dinner and stated that such a collaboration required an internal decision-making process and board review. Suddenly, Lisa from H Group's US headquarters interrupted, greeting Peter with surprising familiarity. Lisa praised DP's brands and marketing budget from their past collaboration in Italy, openly urging Grace to "dive into details."
Grace firmly reiterated the need for due process, and when Lisa tried to inspect the proposal, Peter made it clear it was for Grace. After they left, Grace's assistant questioned Lisa's motives, wondering if she was there for business or to flirt. Gu Yanzhi informed Li Zhicheng that DP had opened another ten stores, all of which were formerly Simeiqi's, solidifying the partnership.
Li Zhicheng concluded that this gave DP an immediate advantage in distribution and sales, but their weakness lay in production. He deduced that DP would now seek a contract manufacturer from either Wenda or Xinbaorui, which would inevitably lead to a direct conflict with Ning Weikai. Since DP had not yet contacted Wenda, Li Zhicheng decided they must take a proactive stance.
At Xinbaorui, Ning Weikai's assistant reported an inability to find substantial background information on Peter, describing him as having the "weirdest background." Zhu Hanjing then arrived, relaying that her father was aware of DP's aggressive entry into Linhai. She analyzed that DP would likely seek a local manufacturer to cut costs, and only Xinbaorui and Wenda met their requirements. Her father's directive was clear: Ning Weikai must act before Wenda and secure DP's manufacturing orders.
Ning Weikai agreed to contact DP to gauge their intentions. Peter's assistant presented him with information about Lin Qian's Qingcheng brand, noting it was owned by Wenda and managed by Li Zhicheng's girlfriend, Lin Qian. The assistant confirmed that Chen Yayi's dress had come from this very store. Later that night, Li Zhicheng strategically intercepted Peter's car. Peter found their meeting method "very unique," complimenting Li Zhicheng's resourcefulness.
He admitted to having thoroughly researched Li Zhicheng's military background and the market, understanding Simeiqi’s weaknesses and Wenda’s strengths, including its compliance with EU environmental criteria. Peter informed Li Zhicheng that he would decide on a sole manufacturer tomorrow. However, he then offered Wenda the exclusive manufacturing contract if DP was allowed to invest in the Qingcheng brand. Li Zhicheng unequivocally rejected the offer. Ning Weikai, feeling increasingly uneasy about DP's aggressive expansion, sought out Grace at H Group.
He expressed his concern that DP's ultimate goal was not just Simeiqi's shares, but control over the entire apparel market in Linhai City. He warned that if DP managed to bring down either Xinbaorui or Wenda, they would dominate the industry, and H Group would lose its leverage in any potential deals. Ning Weikai urged Grace and the Linhai clothing industry to unite against this "malicious businessman."
He then personally pleaded with Grace for another chance, but she coldly dismissed him, reminding him to maintain professionalism during her work hours. The next day, both Li Zhicheng and Ning Weikai received separate invitations from Peter's assistant to discuss manufacturing. To their surprise, they found each other at the meeting. Peter's assistant presented them with DP's manufacturing proposal and announced Peter would return in an hour.
Ning Weikai immediately saw through Peter's strategy, realizing he was forcing them into a "fight each other" scenario to extract the best deal. Both reviewed the "unfair contract," noting its low price, high output demands, and tight deadlines, which would force Xinbaorui to dedicate most of its capacity to DP, weakening its own brands. Ning Weikai advised Li Zhicheng against collaborating. When Peter returned, he was informed that Xinbaorui had withdrawn.
Peter acknowledged, "It seems that I don't have another choice?" Li Zhicheng then confidently asserted that Wenda met all of DP's conditions for a ready-to-run production line. He stated firmly that Wenda was not begging for the contract; rather, DP needed Wenda.
