Our Times Episode 17 Recap
> Our Times Recap
After passing her probation, Abby was given the choice of which department she wanted to work in. She decided to pursue her original ambition of becoming an accountant in the Financial Department, which she excelled at. Lydia was surprised by Abby's decision, having assumed that anyone capable enough to be her assistant would want to remain in the CEO's office. Abby explained that she simply wanted to pursue what she was best at.
Meanwhile, Xiao Chuang and Pei Qinghua faced a difficult situation at Baosong. They waited for Director Yu for a long time, only for him to eventually show up and then leave, sending his Secretary Yang to deal with them. During an inspection of the faulty machines, Pei Qinghua observed that the workers had not followed the training precautions, leading to an overload and equipment damage, which was outside the scope of Conpo's warranty.
Pei Qinghua informed Secretary Yang that repairing the machines would cost around 500,000 yuan for imported parts. Secretary Yang angrily accused them of being "compradors" who exploited Chinese money for foreigners and threatened to cancel the phase two contract if the phase one equipment issue wasn't resolved without cost to Baosong. They called their boss, Tan Qizhang, who instructed them that the phase two project was crucial and they should not burn bridges unless absolutely necessary.
Despite this, Xiao Chuang was furious and wanted to return to Beijing, but Pei Qinghua urged him to calm down, pointing out that Xiao Chuang had become increasingly impatient and impetuous since he started dating Abby. Back in Beijing, Abby heard crying from Lydia's office after finishing her overtime. She entered to find Lydia distraught and the room in disarray. Despite being told to leave, Abby stayed, bringing wine to share.
Lydia confessed that she suffered from bipolar disorder, which explained her erratic behavior, including asking Abby to buy coffee during her interview and arrange doctor's appointments. She revealed that her ex-husband was remarrying and asked Abby to send him a "disgusting gift" as a wedding present. Abby, however, sent a music box that played a song her ex-husband had once played for her, believing that the past should be left behind and Lydia should not be trapped by it.
Later, Lydia received a thank-you note from her ex-husband, which included similar sentiments to Abby's. Despite Abby's insubordination, Lydia appreciated her help and granted her transfer to the Financial Department the following week, saying she was the one who should be thanked. After their argument, Pei Qinghua stayed at the hotel, calculating repair solutions to minimize costs. He realized that using second-hand parts was the only way to achieve significant savings.
Xiao Chuang initially opposed this, arguing that as Conpo salesmen, they represented Conpo's interests and shouldn't compromise on professional conduct by suggesting used parts when new ones were available. Pei Qinghua countered by explaining his desire to save the state-owned enterprise's resources and prove that they were not "compradors" as Secretary Yang had claimed. Xiao Chuang, seeing Pei Qinghua's conviction, called Lu Hainiu, a contact who specialized in second-hand parts from companies like Daoan.
Lu Hainiu, initially reluctant to work without profit, agreed to help as a favor to Xiao Chuang. With their solution in hand, Xiao Chuang and Pei Qinghua presented it to Director Yu. Secretary Yang reiterated his stance, but Director Yu, after some thought, agreed to the second-hand solution, stating that the phase two order would still be theirs if the repairs were completed quickly.
Upon their return to Beijing, Xiao Chuang and Pei Qinghua found the office busy with preparations for a visit from Conpo's Vice President, who was coming for a meeting and a tour. Xu Yiwan warned them to be cautious when reporting to Tan Qizhang, as he was in a bad mood due to his daughter Tan Yuan's visa rejection. Pei Qinghua seemed momentarily lost in thought, and Xiao Chuang quickly covered for him.
They then met Tan Qizhang and Lin Yimin. When Pei Qinghua started to mention the second-hand parts for Baosong, Xiao Chuang discreetly stopped him, deeming it inappropriate for the moment. Lin Yimin announced that Huayan would be the first to present at the upcoming Seminar of Enterprise Informatization Construction, with Spencer from Conpo's headquarters attending. Xiao Chuang was tasked with delivering the main speech, and Pei Qinghua with writing the draft.
Pei Qinghua later went to the library to research visa guides and encountered Tan Yuan. He learned that her next visa interview was scheduled for the following month. Knowing she had no classes on Thursday afternoons, he offered to help her prepare by role-playing the interview process with questions he would compile. Meanwhile, Director Yu traveled to Beijing for a meeting.
Wang Chong picked him up, noting that Director Yu was specifically summoned by Ms. Luo, who had been transferred back to the department and promoted to Director. Director Yu complained to Wang Chong about Ms. Luo's constant criticism, especially regarding his work and approach to enterprise collaboration, and revealed that Xiao Chuang and Pei Qinghua had used second-hand parts to fix Baosong's equipment.
In another development, Shu Zhi Hong, a journalist who had recently been released after being caught investigating illicit activities as an undercover reporter, was assigned to cover the Enterprise Informatization Construction seminar. Despite her initial disinterest, she intended to dig for "dirt." Wang Chong seized this opportunity to approach Shu Zhi Hong, offering her leads on Huayan's alleged commercial misconduct, including selling "used foreign garbage" and taking kickbacks.
Shu Zhi Hong visited Huayan pretending to be a buyer from Northeast Property Insurance, specifically requesting to speak with Baosong's salesmen. Xiao Chuang and Pei Qinghua met her. During their conversation, Shu Zhi Hong hinted at knowing Baosong's management well and inquired about second-hand channels for other brands. Xiao Chuang, sensing her true intentions, set a trap by mentioning a specific manager at Baosong.
When she falsely confirmed knowing him, he deduced she wasn't a genuine buyer and discovered a recorder in her bag. Shu Zhi Hong then revealed her journalist's badge, threatening to expose them if she found any wrongdoing. Xiao Chuang remained unfazed, asserting that they had done nothing wrong, taken no kickbacks, and had helped a state-owned enterprise save resources.
