Something Just Like This Episode 29 Recap
> Something Just Like This Recap
Qian Xixi and Duan Ran were both relieved that Fei Fei had found peace, as evidenced by her happy social media post. Qian Xixi, however, stated her clear intention not to return to Rui Live, finding deep contentment in her current, seemingly mundane job. She explained that it offered her a "sense of reality" she cherished and wished the period wouldn't end quickly. Duan Ran handed her several books, suggesting they would be helpful for learning.
Qian Xixi playfully complained they were too complex for her relaxation time, but Duan Ran gently patted her hair, implying she could read them after her rest. Duan Ran's parents missed Qian Xixi, who had not been home in a while. Duan Ran's father, Duan Shengyun, was the one who actually wanted Qian Xixi to read those books, hoping she would take this opportunity to reflect and "recharge."
His mother, however, worried that such a "break" sounded more exhausting than relaxing. At the retail counter, Qian Xixi was frustrated as many customers would only try on clothes, take photos, and then order online. She initially paid little attention to the books Duan Ran had given her, casually placing them aside.
It was her store manager who noticed one of them, titled "The Balanced Scorecard," remarking that it was a famous, essential read for all business managers, an expensive hardcover edition worth about 100 yuan. Realizing their value, Qian Xixi immediately retrieved the other two books, which she had been using to prop up clothes hangers in the storeroom. Meanwhile, Cola arrived at Cloud Live, expecting to meet Chen Lang.
The receptionist informed her Chen Lang was in a meeting and required an appointment, but Cola insisted, stating her name. She was led to a general work area and given a product catalog. Cola was greatly disappointed that Chen Lang's promises of an exclusive dressing room and live stream room were not met, only being told to "bear with it" due to the Singles' Day rush. Chen Lang’s assistant dismissed her, saying he was too busy.
Duan Shengyun discussed the upcoming Singles' Day with Duan Ran, emphasizing its equal importance for both online and physical stores. He expressed concern that e-commerce platforms' excessive discounts and coupons were "seriously disrupting the retail market." He suggested Duan Ran learn from how physical retail alliances operate, where businesses "sit down peacefully to negotiate issues, solve problems, and formulate industry rules." He stressed the necessity of a "collective system" for the e-commerce sector.
Later, Duan Ran visited Su Su, bringing her a pile of snacks. He urged her to "distribute coupons with all your might," promising that after Singles' Day, she would be rich and wouldn't need blind dates. Su Su successfully launched the first wave of coupons, boosting Rui Live's fan count by 30,000 and increasing orders by 10%. Just as Duan Ran was celebrating this success and planning a company lunch, Yu Shi arrived with grim news.
He had received an email from the Apparel Alliance, demanding that all online apparel prices match those in retail stores and strictly forbidding discounts. Failure to comply would result in the termination of all partnerships. Duan Ran's celebratory mood instantly plummeted to anger. Zhang Jiayun speculated that the Apparel Alliance's move wasn't impulsive but "premeditated." She warned that if Rui Live complied with the unified pricing, they would lose all competitive advantage, and their Singles' Day sales would barely increase.
This would also render their employee stock ownership plan "empty talk," putting Rui Live in severe jeopardy. Duan Ran decided that for Singles' Day, they would stop selling branded clothes and instead focus solely on non-branded items from their warehouse. Yu Shi then proposed a "united front" or a "live streaming alliance" to combat the Apparel Alliance, echoing Duan Shengyun's earlier advice about forming a collective organization.
Duan Ran immediately tasked Yu Shi with contacting other successful live streaming companies to build this alliance. At Rui Live, Zhang Jiayun's team took stock of their limited inventory of non-branded clothes, finding only "35 blouses" and "66 dresses," some of which were extremely outdated. They realized the quantity was insufficient for sales. Despite the dire situation, Zhang Jiayun rallied the team, reminding them of their commitment to employee stock options and the need to push through.
She then announced a plan: everyone would meet at the clothing market at 5:30 AM the next day to "rush in, pick everything, snatch everything, and buy everything." Mao, however, interjected, cautioning that their stylish "princess-like" appearances would make them easy targets for shrewd market vendors, who would "slaughter" them on prices. He advised them to wear ordinary clothes as a disguise.
Mao then shared three bargaining "secret techniques": "create a diversion" by showing disinterest in desired items, "bluff" by exaggerating competitor prices, and "be brutal" by offering two-thirds less than the asking price and slowly walking away if rejected. Amidst these urgent plans, Zhang Jiayun, burdened by her temporary CEO role, expressed her longing for Qian Xixi's return.
Duan Ran secretly instructed Zhang Jiayun not to disclose the company's current struggles to Qian Xixi, hoping she would return to a stable environment rather than a "mess," and affirmed that Qian Xixi's smile made all his efforts worthwhile. The next morning, the Rui Live team, dressed in their plain disguises, stormed the wholesale market. During their chaotic shopping, a man harassed Mr Five. Mao immediately intervened, punching the man.
Zhang Jiayun tried to break up the fight but was shoved by another person. Unexpectedly, Chen Lang, who was also at the market for sourcing, stepped in to defend Zhang Jiayun, but he too was injured in the brawl. The fight ultimately prevented the Rui Live team from continuing their bulk purchases. Duan Ran's meeting to form the Live Streaming Alliance began with very few attendees, leading him to wonder if people were simply stuck in traffic.
One attendee from Jinduoduo Live mistakenly thought the conference room was a bar, while another initially confused Duan Ran for a delivery man. Duan Ran passionately addressed the small group, explaining the Apparel Alliance's "unreasonable requests" regarding pricing and discounts, and how these demands "insulted the spirit of live streaming." He urged them to unite to gain leverage in negotiations, stressing the need to protect their industry's "passion and spirit." However, the other company representatives were largely unenthusiastic.
One declared he had "no interest in fighting a war," asserting that his small company couldn't afford to provoke the Apparel Alliance. Another stated his company didn't solely rely on branded goods and could "live" by selling other products. Duan Ran warned them that if the Alliance could dictate prices and discounts today, they could forbid selling unbranded goods tomorrow.
A skeptical CEO pointed out that Duan Ran, as QE's scion, could always "pack up and try something else" if live streaming failed, while smaller companies would become "sitting ducks" or "cannon fodder." Duan Ran vehemently denied this, assuring them he was "one of them" and would fight "until the end" to secure what they needed, promising not to abandon them.
More company representatives eventually arrived, but many seemed to view the alliance as a last resort rather than a shared vision. Later, Zhang Jiayun thanked Chen Lang for his intervention at the market, offering to treat him to a meal. Chen Lang, in a charmingly smooth manner, credited his presence at the market to "fate," claiming he wouldn't have met such a "beautiful girl" otherwise. Despite her modest attire, he insisted she looked like a "fairy."
He then cheekily requested a meal as compensation for his "pain," which Zhang Jiayun, though flattered, politely postponed, citing current circumstances. Back at Rui Live, sales were dismal, generating "close to nothing." The small batch of clothes from the market had sold out in less than an hour, leaving streamers like Yuanbao to sell spicy strips and Little Duckling to hawk cheap toys to fill their airtime, with minimal profit.
Many streamers had taken days off, expressing that they had "nothing to stream." Zhang Jiayun worried that with Singles' Day approaching and "nothing to fight with," Rui Live was in a precarious position. Duan Ran, trying to reassure her, insisted, "When there is a will, there is a way." Duan Ran went to a dental clinic to address a broken tooth that was hitting a nerve.
To his surprise, Chen Lang was also there, his face swollen from the market brawl. They playfully mocked each other's fear of the dentist. Chen Lang dramatically claimed his injury was "for love," a "work-related injury" for "true love." Despite their bravado, when the dentist explained that Duan Ran's broken tooth would be quite painful to fix, both men became visibly anxious, and during the actual treatment, their cries of pain were equally loud.
Later, Su Su, dressed up and wearing freesia-scented perfume, asked for a day off for a blind date. She explained her mother had been constantly urging her to go and asked who would manage the control room in her absence.
