Resumo do episódio 19 de The Company
> Resumos de The Company
The ancient, heavy gates of Rain Manor slowly opened to welcome Bi Zhi, Su Beilu, and other guests for the Double Ninth Festival. A Ning, introducing herself as the niece of the former butler Li (who had returned to his hometown due to illness), and accompanied by the white-haired child Little Scrappy, greeted everyone, asking for understanding if their hospitality fell short. She was complimented for bringing a vibrant energy to the stately manor.
As the guests arrived, they offered their greetings and good wishes to Elder Yu. Elder Yu, however, was particularly struck by Bi Zhi’s appearance, noting his uncanny resemblance to an old friend and marveling that he seemed unchanged after thirty years. Bi Zhi clarified that Elder Yu was likely thinking of his deceased father, whom he was often told he strongly resembled.
The scene had a solemn undertone, as earlier, Elder Yu had been seen mourning his deceased daughter, Xiuyun, firmly vowing that today, those responsible for her death must receive their due punishment. Wu Yunong then gently introduced her husband, Wei Zhuoran, a Western medical doctor, to her godfather, Elder Yu. Elder Yu received Wei Zhuoran with disdain, criticizing Western medicine and those who abandon profound Chinese traditions for what he deemed "superficial knowledge" from abroad.
When guests expressed curiosity about Elder Yu’s renowned collection gallery, A Ning led them there. Bi Zhi observed the unusually heavy presence of bodyguards, a departure from Elder Yu's typically open demeanor. A Ning explained that such measures were necessary for a collection so vast and rare it could be considered "half a museum."
Bi Zhi also found A Ning's impressive knowledge of the collection, identifying a "Coiled Dragon Bronze Tripod Cauldron" that Elder Yu had only recently displayed, suspiciously deep for someone newly arrived as a butler's niece. Su Beilu also noted her surprising expertise, though A Ning attributed it to diligent study.
Meanwhile, the Hong brothers, two guests, engaged in a tense discussion about calligraphy that soon spiraled into an argument about the financial state of their family's martial arts center and the ambitious plan to open a women's swimming class. The younger brother felt unappreciated and burdened by the center's financial woes while the elder seemed to take all the glory.
Later, Elder Yu hosted a gathering featuring fragrant chrysanthemum liquor, inviting guests to partake in Double Ninth customs like appreciating flowers and wearing sprigs of dogwood. Wu Yunong delighted everyone with a song, but Elder Yu remained distant, seemingly lost in thought. Su Beilu, sensing an inexplicable oddity about the manor, confided his unease to Bi Zhi. That evening, Elder Yu unveiled a unique entertainment: a live-action Liubo Chess game where the guests would serve as chess pieces.
He and Bi Zhi would be the players, directing the "pieces" across the courtyard, which was meticulously designed to replicate a Liubo Chess board. The first team, either black or white, to reach the center of the courtyard would win, with a generous prize of 10,000 silver dollars for every member of the winning side.
Elder Yu revealed a new rule: if two chess pieces met, he would present them with a mysterious brocade pouch, the contents of which remained a secret. He strategically separated existing pairs like Wei Zhuoran and Wu Yunong, and the Hong brothers, explaining that this would ensure at least one person from each original group had a chance to win the prize, regardless of which side won.
Su Beilu, however, felt a sinister undercurrent, suspecting Elder Yu’s true intention was to provoke conflict among the guests. Little Scrappy, excited by the game, eagerly joined the White team. A Ning further detailed the rules, explaining how bamboo chopsticks would determine movements, which she would announce by striking a black bronze bowl for the Black team or beating a white drum for the White team, with candles illuminating the path.
Su Beilu, finding the red ink used for writing names on the chess pieces inauspicious, privately warned Bi Zhi to remain vigilant, fearing the game might "bewitch hearts." In a hushed conversation, the elder Hong brother pulled Master Pan aside. He dismissed circulating rumors about the martial arts center's imminent failure as malicious gossip from rivals, designed to make Master Pan withdraw his investment.
He assured Master Pan of the center's financial stability and promised to reconsider the women's swimming class project. Simultaneously, Bi Zhi took the opportunity to ask Elder Yu if he could claim the Liubo Chess set as his own if he won the game, emphasizing its personal importance. Elder Yu, honoring his past connection with Bi Zhi's father, readily agreed but reiterated the inviolable rule: the game, once started, could not be stopped until a victor emerged. Bi Zhi assented.
The game commenced with Bi Zhi making the opening move, instructing Hong Lie, a White team member, to advance three steps. Later, Elder Yu directed Wei Zhuoran, another White team member, to move. Bi Zhi's next dice roll resulted in an "all black" outcome, which A Ning identified as a "masterstroke" capable of capturing multiple pieces.
Elder Yu, however, stated that he had removed that particular rule to prevent excessive brutality, explaining that an "all white" result would lead to a peaceful draw, whereas other outcomes would necessitate confrontation. As the game unfolded, Bi Zhi noted Elder Yu's keen desire to win, observing his chess style resembled that of his father, and reminded him that "haste makes waste." Elder Yu then subtly directed Scrappy and Su Beilu to move, ensuring all participants remained engaged.
The game quickly escalated beyond mere play, as Wu Yunong and Wei Zhuoran began a ferocious argument. Wu Yunong, her sorrow amplified by the Double Ninth Festival coinciding with Xiuyun's death anniversary, confronted Wei Zhuoran. She blamed him for introducing Xiuyun to the married Zhou Mingxuan, which ultimately led to Xiuyun's tragic demise. Wei Zhuoran fiercely defended himself, claiming he was not solely responsible and accusing Wu Yunong of being too preoccupied with their own burgeoning relationship at the time.
He even harshly insinuated that she had "procured" Xiuyun, a charge Wu Yunong vehemently denied, declaring the impossibility of reasoning with him. Their exchange revealed deep, festering wounds. Amidst this, Bi Zhi, still pondering the true purpose of the game, questioned the elaborate chessboard design of the courtyard.
Elder Yu, taking a moment to put on warmer clothes, explained that after Xiuyun's death, as a solitary old man "barely clinging to life," he had found solace in transforming the courtyard into a personal chessboard, where he could walk and find comfort. While Elder Yu was away, the Hong brothers found themselves on the same chess position. A Ning appeared, presenting them with Elder Yu's brocade pouch. Inside, they discovered Xiuyun's dagger.
A Ning clarified that Elder Yu intended for them to decide their own fate, not necessarily through violence but through a shared choice. However, their existing management disagreements quickly flared. The elder brother berated Hong Lie for speaking carelessly about the martial arts center's finances in front of Master Pan.
Hong Lie retorted, expressing his legitimate concerns that expanding the center with poorly trained students would ruin their reputation and deplete their funds, especially given the considerable investment required for the uncertain women's swimming class. The older brother angrily dismissed Hong Lie's concerns about business, ordering him to leave.
Hong Lie, provoked, accused his brother of always sidelining him, revealing a long-held resentment: he believed his brother had deliberately prevented his own relationship with Xiuyun to curry favor with Master Pan, effectively pushing Xiuyun into her "ill-fated relationship" with Zhou Mingxuan. The older brother cruelly dismissed Hong Lie's affections, calling him indecisive and incompetent, and declaring that Xiuyun would never have loved him. Their bitter words quickly devolved into a physical fight.
A Ning returned to the chess board, announcing to Bi Zhi that the two meeting pieces had reached a resolution: a white piece had captured a black piece, meaning Bi Zhi's team had lost a player. Bi Zhi, hearing the sounds of struggle from the courtyard and realizing the Hong brothers were "at daggers drawn," attempted to halt the game.
A Ning, however, blocked him, reiterating Elder Yu's strict rule that the game, once started, could not be interrupted, and warned of the treacherous terrain within the manor. Bi Zhi pressed further, questioning the ethical implications of the mysterious pouch and the escalating violence. Elder Yu, calmly, reflected on the nature of chess, stating it could reveal the "unfathomable depths of the human heart," magnifying desires and even leading to "closest relatives harming each other."
He then recited a poignant poem about missing a loved one on Double Ninth Festival, "Among all the dogwood sprigs, someone is absent," subtly alluding to Xiuyun. He chided Bi Zhi for attempting to alter the rules of his game, asserting that he merely upheld "the sacred rules."
Despite Bi Zhi’s urgent desire to finish the game and stop the unfolding conflicts, Elder Yu deliberately slowed his play, seemingly relishing the unfolding drama and showing no inclination for a swift resolution. Meanwhile, the arguments among guests continued to escalate.
The elder Hong brother taunted Wei Zhuoran, mocking his struggling clinic and insinuating that Wu Yunong, as a married woman, was forced to "show her face in public" to support him, calling Wei Zhuoran a "pathetic excuse of a man." Wu Yunong was deeply hurt by these words, leaving Bi Zhi to wonder if the couple's outward display of affection was nothing more than a carefully crafted facade.
