Our Times Episode 32 Recap
> Our Times Recap
Xiao Chuang and Xie Hang were playfully bickering over a video game at home when Xie Hang's pager suddenly alerted her to a call from the Beijing headquarters. Before she left to return the call, Xiao Chuang tried to continue playing her game, which led to more teasing exchanges between them. Meanwhile, Tan Qizhang convened a meeting to announce several new personnel appointments. Xu Yiwan was named the general manager of Huayan's office in Hong Kong, China, responsible for purchasing.
Qi Rongbin became the marketing manager, and Man Huansheng was appointed as the personnel manager. All three expressed gratitude and some nervousness at their promotions. The biggest announcement was the appointment of Pei Qinghua as Huayan's vice general manager, a role he accepted humbly, acknowledging the collective effort and Tan Qizhang's leadership. Pei Qinghua also requested colleagues to continue calling him "Xiao Pei" rather than "Mr. Pei," as the latter sounded a bit ominous in Chinese, like "always losing money."
Xiao Chuang was busy making grand plans to propose to Xie Hang in Hong Kong, China. He discussed three elaborate romantic scenarios with Zhang Pingping, envisioning stained glass windows, doves delivering rings in a scene reminiscent of the movie "The Killer", and even light projections on a central building reading "Xie Hang, marry me!"
Xiao Chuang loved the idea of combining the best elements of all plans, emphasizing that money was no object for this once-in-a-lifetime event, which he wanted to be "eternally memorable" for Xie Hang. He decided they would aim for the proposal next month. Back in Guangzhou, Lydia met with Xie Hang to congratulate her on successfully clearing inventory, a feat none of the other domestic departments had managed.
Lydia then delivered unexpected news: Xie Hang was to return to Beijing to take charge of the newly established PC Department at the headquarters, reporting in two days. Xie Hang expressed hesitation about leaving her work in Guangzhou, but Lydia reminded her that the idea for the PC market originated with Xie Hang, making her the ideal person to "witness its growth." That evening, Xiao Chuang prepared a romantic candlelight dinner at home, which Xie Hang playfully exposed as takeout.
Both had important news to share. Xiao Chuang, excited, announced that their long-planned trip to Hong Kong, China, was fully arranged and they could go anytime. Xie Hang then reluctantly revealed her transfer to Beijing, explaining that while she would usually decline other opportunities, this particular project was her own initiative, and she felt compelled to see it through. Xiao Chuang, visibly disappointed despite his feigned cheerfulness, agreed to postpone their trip, though he had been "yearning" for it.
The following morning, Xiao Chuang received numerous calls from suppliers reporting high rates of malfunctioning VCDs. He was deeply concerned about Linghang's reputation, but Lu Hainiu, occupied with his girlfriend Qian, seemed indifferent. Lu Hainiu argued that production was strained due to high order volume and denied any processing issues, as no machines had been returned for factory inspection. Qian interjected, accusing Xiao Chuang of being an ingrate for dismissing them now that his business had grown.
Annoyed, Xiao Chuang demanded she leave, then informed Lu Hainiu that he would personally inspect the returned machines, vowing "to settle it the proper way" if component issues were found. He also revealed that his own factory's construction had begun two months prior, and once completed, he intended to terminate all contracts with Chen Village.
Meanwhile, Xie Hang, unable to reach a busy Xiao Chuang by phone, decided to go to the airport alone, leaving her house keys for him under a flower pot. Xiao Chuang later learned of her departure from Zhang Pingping and realized he had missed her call. Feeling upset, he initially refused to contact her but eventually sent her a pager message, asking her to "stay safe" and promising they would go to Hong Kong, China, together upon her return.
Xiao Chuang and Zhang Pingping inspected the malfunctioning VCDs, discovering that the pickup heads were damaged and, more importantly, had been swapped out for non-standard parts. Xiao Chuang concluded that Chen Village had tampered with the machines and vowed to confront Lu Hainiu the next day. He decided to call Xie Hang but realized it was past midnight and assumed she would be asleep, unaware that Xie Hang was still awake, waiting for his call.
At a skating rink, Qi Rongbin proposed to Xu Yiwan, who was due to leave for Hong Kong, China, the next day. He spoke of the company's new housing allocations, suggesting that as a married couple, they could qualify for a larger apartment. He expressed his insecurity about the "melting pot" of Hong Kong, China, and its temptations, wanting her to wear his ring to ward off "bad men."
Xu Yiwan, touched, accepted his proposal, and he emotionally placed the ring on her finger amidst cheers from onlookers. At the construction site, Chen villagers, led by "Old Chen," created a disturbance, accusing Xiao Chuang of ruining their livelihoods by building his own factory. Lu Hainiu, present during the confrontation, first feigned sympathy, then deflected blame, telling Old Chen to confront whoever was cutting off his "stream of revenue." Xiao Chuang, losing patience, called Brother Hu for help.
Upon Brother Hu's arrival, Old Chen and his group, recognizing Hu's intimidating presence from years past, quickly dispersed, allowing construction to resume. In Beijing, Xie Hang proposed her "Limited Edition for China" computer, emphasizing the need to lower prices and "show sincerity" to win the competitive pricing in the domestic personal computer market, which Lydia supported. Still troubled by Xiao Chuang's lack of contact since her arrival, Xie Hang appeared frail.
Lydia advised her that "guessing will solve nothing" in a relationship and urged her to have an open and frank conversation with Xiao Chuang. Xie Hang called Xiao Chuang while he was dealing with the Chen Village incident, but he, overwhelmed, quickly hung up, leaving her feeling disappointed. Back at Huayan, Tan Qizhang gave Pei Qinghua his former office and discussed future plans.
Pei Qinghua proposed continuing the research into new products, focusing on a strong price-performance ratio for the upcoming price war. Tan Qizhang, impressed that Pei Qinghua was already thinking ahead, approved his plan. However, Tan Qizhang then challenged Pei Qinghua to lower the price of their new PC to under 10,000 yuan, a figure Pei Qinghua's current specs couldn't meet.
Man Huansheng found the task "impossible," but Tan Qizhang explained it was a test of Pei Qinghua's capabilities, a "lesson" to gauge his "strength" before proposing new ideas. Tan Qizhang secretly devised his own spec sheet for comparison. Pei Qinghua, struggling with the price reduction, confided in Shu Zhihong, lamenting the difficulty of achieving infinite goals with limited resources. He used an analogy of buying an interview outfit with only 100 yuan.
Shu Zhihong immediately took him shopping, demonstrating aggressive bargaining and purchasing a whole outfit for 100 yuan, despite the initial asking price of 220 yuan. She explained her strategy: investing in timeless, high-quality outer garments (like coats and shoes) while buying cheaper, season-based inner clothing (like T-shirts) that would quickly become outdated, not worn out. This experience gave Pei Qinghua a sudden breakthrough.
He realized their team had been "mistaken" by always seeking "the finest components," an approach that defied "Moore's Law." He explained that computing power doubles every 18 months, making components like monitors, with their long lifespans, prone to becoming obsolete long before they wear out. Therefore, it was unnecessary to invest in excessively durable parts. He promptly called a tender meeting for all monitor suppliers to drastically lower prices by requiring a shorter, more practical lifespan of 20,000 hours.
Pei Qinghua then presented his revised plan to Tan Qizhang, successfully achieving a price under the 10,000 yuan target. The marketing department named the new computer "Huayan Tempest," signifying its ambition to "storm the market" and "mark a new era." Tan Qizhang approved the plan with a nod, but his internal wariness of Pei Qinghua continued to grow. He then instructed Man Huansheng to show Pei Qinghua and Qi Rongbin the information he had gathered from a Hongbo Computer exhibition, suggesting they learn from their competitors' motherboard designs.
