Rising With The Wind Episode 22 Recap
> Rising With The Wind Recap
Yang Jian shared that his father had only two skills: making wontons and heavy drinking. When his father was drunk, he would become violent. To escape this, Yang Jian stopped going home often after the age of thirteen, leaving Zhaoyang and her mother to become his father's new targets. He later felt a deep sense of guilt for not being there to protect them.
Believing Zhaoyang would never truly accept him because she hated his father, Yang Jian's sole desire is to take care of her for the rest of his life. He also explained that he avoids alcohol, fearing he might lose control and become violent like his father. Meanwhile, Zhaoyang’s mother expressed her displeasure with having to move out of their nice house and Zhaoyang quitting her job.
Yang Jian pacified her, explaining that Zhaoyang was pursuing her dream of being a designer and assured her that their living conditions would not worsen, as he and Zhaoyang would continue to provide for her. For Zhaoyang's first day as a designer at Teng Yue, Jiang Hu immediately assigned her a task: to film a promotional video and start a weekly one-hour livestream. The livestream would showcase her design process and the factory's operations until the new product launch.
Jiang Hu explained this was a marketing strategy by TT Media to maximize Zhaoyang's value, turning "Lord Zhaoyang's" transformation into a designer into a major selling point. Despite Zhaoyang's reluctance, Jiang Hu insisted, asserting her authority as the boss who doesn't run a losing business. They filmed a video where Zhaoyang introduced herself as both "Lord Zhaoyang" and "Xiang Zhaoyang," announcing her new journey at Teng Yue and promising to unveil a brand-new version of the company.
Zhang Wenshan saw the video and was angered that Jiang Hu had used his large order to support her factory only to then poach the designer he wanted for his own brand's crisis management. He noted that Jiang Hu's new, higher-end positioning for Teng Yue seemed poised to compete directly with Free Unicorn's casual shoes, a move his predecessor, Jiang Qisheng, had foreseen but deliberately avoided. Zhang Wenshan decided he needed to confront Jiang Hu.
Jiang Hu made several attempts to contact Tang Ya at Aneda but was repeatedly blocked by the front desk. Shortly after, news broke that Aneda was launching a new line of canvas shoes using the 'Flowing Scenery' design, marketing it as a "Chinese-style revolution" led by a St. Laurent award-winning designer. At the Teng Yue factory, the director was dismayed, as the design they were promised was now being used by a competitor.
Jiang Hu took full responsibility, admitting her mistake was not signing a contract with Tang Ya immediately, as she had underestimated how quickly Aneda would react and capitalize on the opportunity in the canvas shoe market. Mei Shaowang, an investor in Aneda, noted that distributors were rapidly increasing orders for the 'Flowing Scenery' shoes, thanks to the market buzz generated by the Shangchun Art Project and Teng Yue.
He acknowledged Jiang Hu's marketing skill but was surprised by Aneda’s rapid supply chain response. He explained that Aneda was seizing a market opportunity and that Jiang Hu's event had highlighted the power of influencer traffic, though he considered not retaining Xiang Zhaoyang at Aneda a misstep. When Zhaoyang went to Aneda to speak with Tang Ya, she was turned away with the message that Tang Ya was busy but that her bonus would be settled regardless of her resignation.
Later, Jiang Hu went to see Xu Si and met Ms. Li, a pregnant co-founder of the app 'Fanyue.' Ms. Li explained that her partners had forced her to sign a stock withdrawal agreement, and she felt her years of effort were being erased. Xu Si promised to help her seek maximum compensation for being terminated during pregnancy.
However, he also advised her that the smartest approach was to cut her losses, pointing out that her proposal to feature maternal and child products was ill-suited for the app's current focus. He suggested this idea had great potential as an independent project and offered to review her business plan, stating his interest in supporting promising founders. After Ms. Li left, Jiang Hu teased Xu Si about his reputation for investing in ex-girlfriends, implying the pregnant woman's visit was suspicious.
Xu Si countered that she should see him as a noble investor supporting female entrepreneurs. Jiang Hu noted he had advised both her and Ms. Li to retreat. Xu Si explained this was a strategy of "retreating to advance"—avoiding unproductive disputes to focus on a clearer future. As Zhang Wenshan called to discuss production, Xu Si advised her not to talk business on an empty stomach.
At a cafe, Zhang Wenshan questioned Jiang Hu's plan to develop new, higher-end products for Teng Yue, arguing she should stick to the lower-end positioning her father favored. Jiang Hu firmly stated that Teng Yue needed to evolve. Zhang Wenshan then issued an ultimatum: if she proceeded with her new products, he would terminate Teng Yue's OEM orders for Free Unicorn.
To his surprise, Jiang Hu immediately agreed to give up the OEM orders, reiterating her refusal to abandon Teng Yue's new direction. At a product meeting, Zhaoyang presented her new design for Teng Yue. Incorporating high-quality materials like New Zealand wool and advanced treatments for durability and comfort, the shoe was well-designed but very expensive, with a projected retail price of over 500 yuan.
Jiang Hu rejected it, declaring that Teng Yue's target customers could not afford shoes in that price range and that she needed a quality, comfortable, and lasting shoe priced under 200 yuan. The factory staff murmured that they had hired a demanding "diva" and not just a designer. Upset by the rejection, Zhaoyang went home and began painting on the wall. Yang Jian learned from Wu that her design had been vetoed.
At dinner, he comforted a disheartened Zhaoyang, reminding her of her childhood habit of painting on the wall to solve problems, like when she figured out how to make red shoes for her school choir. He encouraged her to take her time, assuring her that she could overcome this challenge. Later, Jiang Hu was at Xu Si's place. Having failed in her attempt to cook, they were having takeout. She complained about the food and sat far from him, calling it the appropriate social distance between an investor and a founder. Amused, he then proposed another collaboration.
