Our Times Episode 21 Recap
> Our Times Recap
Pei Qinghua returned to his hometown carrying several bags, but his mother was unreceptive, only asking if he had been transferred back to the research institute. When he confirmed he hadn't, she shut the door on him and left his belongings outside. Pei Qinghua waited by the door all day until his mother finally let him in that night, simply telling him there was food on the stove.
The next morning, Pei Qinghua offered her traditional Chinese medicine he had brought from Beijing, but she refused to drink it. Instead, she took him to his late father's grave, demanding he explain his actions. Kneeling before the tombstone, Pei Qinghua confessed, "Dad, sorry. I became a businessman." His mother insisted he say it louder.
She then spoke to her husband's grave, lamenting that Pei Qinghua had forgotten his oath and was following his father's old path, calling him an unfilial son. Pei Qinghua remained kneeling, closing his eyes to listen to his inner voice as Tan Yuan had once advised him. He realized that if his father were alive, he would have supported his decision. Upon returning home, Pei Qinghua explained to his mother that he had thought everything through.
He assured her he was not pursuing business for mere profit or speculation, but genuinely saw it as a career that embodied his ideals. He acknowledged that he had always followed her wishes, studying diligently to get into Yanjing University and work in research, believing it was the only valuable path. However, he emphasized that times had changed, and his current pursuit was not shameful.
He spoke of a future where they would produce their own computers, bringing them into every home for a better life, an endeavor that would benefit the nation and fulfill his ambitions. His experiences had solidified his belief that this was his true calling. His mother listened in silence, tears streaming down her face, before turning and walking into the house. The following morning, Pei Qinghua prepared to return to Beijing, believing his mother would eventually come to understand him.
Just as he was leaving, his mother called out to him and handed him a bag of food for his journey. She admitted she had spent the night contemplating his "grand ambition" and, while she didn't fully comprehend it, she somehow understood. She revealed her deep fear, stemming from her inability to stop his father and losing him.
Although she didn't understand his ideals, she couldn't stop him this time and decided to support him, making him promise to always be righteous, honest, and never harm anyone. Pei Qinghua promised, thanked her, and bid her a heartfelt farewell, urging her to take care of herself and promising to visit. Back in Beijing, Pei Qinghua called Tan Yuan's dormitory, but the dorm manager informed him that all the students were out for graduation parties.
He left a message for Tan Yuan, informing her that he had solved his problem and was staying. Later, when Tan Yuan returned and saw the message, she smiled sincerely, relieved that Pei Qinghua's issue was resolved. Meanwhile, at Huayan, Lin Yimin announced that Xu Yang would be appointed the new marketing department manager. Just as Xu Yang was expressing his gratitude, Pei Qinghua walked in.
He immediately declared his interest in competing for the position, much to Lin Yimin's annoyance, who stated that Xu Yang had already been appointed. However, Tan Qizhang intervened, suggesting a competitive selection process based on sales performance, highlighting Pei Qinghua's consistently strong track record. Tan Qizhang proposed that Huayan's two major orders – Baosong Phase 3 and Yuanzhou Petrochemical General Factory's information transformation project – be assigned to Xu Yang and Pei Qinghua, with the winner becoming the marketing manager.
Lin Yimin objected, pointing out that Baosong was a long-standing client and a guaranteed success for Pei Qinghua. To counter this, Pei Qinghua chose the challenging Yuanzhou project, and Xu Yang accepted the contest. After the meeting, Lin Yimin angrily confronted Xu Yang for agreeing to the competition, stating the position was almost his. Xu Yang explained that he wanted to win fairly against Pei Qinghua, believing that otherwise, he wouldn't gain the respect of his colleagues.
Lin Yimin reminded Xu Yang of his seniority and worried about him losing, implicitly revealing he had tried to secure the easier Baosong project for Xu Yang. Xu Yang assured him he would do his best with Baosong Phase 3. Later, Xiang Yifei, who had interned with Tan Yuan at Huayan, approached Pei Qinghua. Remembering Pei Qinghua's past words, he expressed his desire to join Huayan after graduation, even offering to intern unpaid.
Pei Qinghua informed him that he couldn't directly handle recruitment but offered to take Xiang Yifei with him on his upcoming business trip to Yuanzhou. He promised that a good performance could significantly increase his chances of getting hired, which Xiang Yifei enthusiastically accepted. Tan Qizhang invited Pei Qinghua to dinner, noting that Tan Yuan wasn't home as she was spending time with classmates before her visa interview.
He congratulated Pei Qinghua on resolving his family issues, freeing him to fully dedicate himself to sales. Tan Qizhang then questioned Pei Qinghua's decision to take on the Yuanzhou project, acknowledging its difficulty and the strong competition. Pei Qinghua revealed his true motivation: to secure Xiao Chuang's return to Huayan. Tan Qizhang praised his loyalty but advised him to be pragmatic.
He explained that due to national macroeconomic regulation and tightened cash flow, Yuanzhou Petrochemical, though a large state-owned enterprise, was facing financial constraints. He recommended two key strategies for winning the Yuanzhou bid: emphasizing price advantage and acting swiftly. He instructed Pei Qinghua to depart the very next day. Meanwhile, Xiao Chuang returned with a heavy box of deposits, having secured orders for 150 units.
Lu Hainiu, impressed by the success, decided to invest 100,000 yuan, claiming it was a small initial sum but promising more. The two celebrated their partnership. Lydia was preparing to leave Interflow and offered Xie Hang a position at Jefferson, praising her potential, conscientiousness, and even her coffee-making skills. Xie Hang accepted, hoping a new environment would help her move forward and allow her to learn from Lydia.
Lydia wanted Xie Hang to join the marketing department to develop her sales potential. Xie Hang completed her handover at Interflow and looked forward to her new role, despite admitting her lack of computer knowledge. Lydia encouraged her to focus on adjusting her mindset. Xiao Chuang then visited Qian Donglai to order 300 units of laserdisc players, presenting the deposit.
Qian Donglai, clearly impressed, gave Xiao Chuang a signed photo of Chow Yun Fat and boasted about his friendship with the star, promising to take Xiao Chuang to Hong Kong to meet him after they closed the deal. Xiao Chuang inquired about the delivery, but Qian Donglai claimed high demand and tight stock. An employee then interrupted, announcing the arrival of 50 units for another client, Mr. Huang, which were promptly sent out.
Seeing this, Xiao Chuang suggested he would pay the full deposit upon delivery, but Qian Donglai insisted on the deposit upfront for an order. Xiao Chuang accepted this and asked to be notified as soon as his order arrived, receiving a receipt from Qian Donglai. At Yuanzhou Petrochemical General Factory, Wang Chong discussed Jefferson's large-scale machine with Director Wei.
Director Wei, reflecting on his impending retirement and the factory he had built, expressed that Jefferson's expensive offer was unacceptable given the current macroeconomic controls and the factory's limited budget. He acknowledged that Conpo's proposal was more suitable due to its reasonable pricing and flexibility. Recognizing Huayan's involvement, Wang Chong dismissed an assistant and then secretly attempted to persuade Director Wei to leverage the project for his own retirement.
He proposed a plan that would both save money for Yuanzhou and provide financial benefits for Director Wei, leaving the final decision up to him. Pei Qinghua, accompanied by Xiang Yifei, presented Conpo's mainframe solution to Yuanzhou Petrochemical. He highlighted its advantages, including an optimized system connection, robust encryption for confidential projects, and asynchronous data transfer. He further sweetened the deal by offering training courses and free maintenance, recognizing the high cost and complexity of mainframe operations.
Xiang Yifei felt confident about their success, observing the positive reactions from the executives, and expressed his ambition to one day be as impressive as Pei Qinghua at Huayan. However, Pei Qinghua cautioned him against premature celebration until the contract was officially signed. Just then, Wang Chong appeared, claiming Jefferson's bid had already been rejected and he was merely observing. Pei Qinghua dismissed him as a "business thug."
Director Wei commended Pei Qinghua's presentation, stating they would hold an internal meeting to discuss it further and would notify him of their decision. Later, Pei Qinghua called Tan Yuan to help her prepare for her upcoming visa interview, simulating a Q&A session. He posed the final, crucial question: whether she would return to China after completing her studies.
Tan Yuan confidently affirmed her intention to return, stating that her country needed her and she wanted to use her knowledge to serve it. She also emotionally added that she had people she cared about in China and wanted to be with them. Impersonating the interviewer, Pei Qinghua "approved" her visa, commending her honesty.
