Ten Years Late Episode 24 Recap
> Ten Years Late Recap
Following Jin Ran’s sudden disappearance and the recent scandal, employees at Feitu gossiped about his absence. Some speculated he might have run away after causing trouble, recalling past rumors of him emptying a company and driving someone to their death on Wall Street. Yuan Lai, overhearing this, quickly admonished them, urging them to focus on work and warning that the company would take action against those spreading rumors.
She also delegated urgent tasks, instructing them to approach Mr. Ji or Vincent if needed. Vincent and Jin Ran's secretary, Wen Ya, were also searching for Jin Ran. Wen Ya confirmed that Jin Ran hadn't informed her of his whereabouts and had been unreachable since morning. Vincent found this peculiar, especially since even his closest associates were unaware.
Ji Aoting insinuated that Jin Ran might have disappeared on purpose, echoing previous accusations from Lin Shan that Jin Ran had similarly manipulated another company, Megi, and was now deliberately creating issues to aid a rival group in a hostile takeover of Feitu. Vincent, however, maintained his trust in Jin Ran, believing he wouldn't abandon his responsibilities and that Lin Shan’s accusations were born of anger.
Nevertheless, recognizing the need for continuous operations, Vincent temporarily assigned Ji Aoting the responsibility for the Green Path Plan, acknowledging that company matters couldn't be stalled by Jin Ran’s absence. Anxious, Yuan Lai repeatedly tried to contact Jin Ran via calls and messages, asking where he was and when he would return. She also reached out to Zhao Chengzhi, who also could not get in touch with Jin Ran.
Yuan Lai worried that Jin Ran might once again leave without a word, just as he did five years ago. At Xinyi's company, her director introduced a new colleague, Simon, with effusive praise. The director then instructed Xinyi to transfer the Carnot project to Simon, citing Xinyi's pregnancy as a reason to reduce her workload. Simon echoed this, suggesting Xinyi should be grateful.
Xinyi countered that she was perfectly healthy and capable of managing the project, but the director remained firm, asserting that company clients belonged to the company and the decision was final. Meanwhile, President Jiang, who had recently acquired shares in Carnot, arrived at Xinyi's office. In the elevator, she overheard two employees complaining that Simon, a sycophant with no real ability, had taken advantage of Xinyi's pregnancy to steal her client and a promotion opportunity.
During the meeting, President Jiang immediately cut short Simon's flattering remarks and directly questioned him about Carnot's market performance last year, its plans for the current year, specific advertising channels, reach, feedback, and user growth data. Simon was unable to provide any concrete details, stumbling through his explanation that he had only just taken over the project.
President Jiang then highlighted that the previous project manager, Xinyi, had deeply impressed Carnot's leadership with her thorough understanding of the company, leading to successful collaborations. She concluded that Simon was unsuitable for the role and requested the former client manager be reinstated. When Xinyi's director tried to argue that Xinyi's pregnancy would be a hindrance, President Jiang asserted that pregnancy is a woman's right and should not impact her work unless it genuinely interferes.
She lauded Xinyi's dedication and past performance, insisting she resume the Carnot project. Furthermore, President Jiang announced that Aimei Group planned to launch a new smartphone this year and wished for Xinyi to lead its promotion, emphasizing that this opportunity was specifically for Xinyi, not her company. After the meeting, President Jiang advised Simon that superficial flattery yields only short-term benefits, while genuine ability is crucial for sustained career growth.
The director promptly called Xinyi into her office, suddenly showering her with compliments about her exceptional abilities and claiming she had personally championed Xinyi's cause to President Jiang. She enthusiastically reassigned both the Carnot project and the Aimei smartphone promotion to Xinyi. She then tried to subtly probe if Xinyi already knew President Jiang, a question Xinyi deftly sidestepped by asking if such a connection was relevant to her taking on the Aimei case.
Yuan Lai discovered that Zhang’s Property in Hong Kong was seeking a public welfare project and took leave to propose Feitu’s Green Path Plan. Unbeknownst to her, Jin Ran had already arrived in Hong Kong and was meeting with Mr. Zhang, a long-time friend. Jin Ran successfully presented his company’s vision for an integrated tourism brand. Mr. Zhang praised the plan as excellent and they quickly agreed to a partnership.
When Yuan Lai arrived, Mr. Zhang called Jin Ran, activating the speakerphone so Jin Ran could covertly listen to their conversation. Mr. Zhang deliberately made the meeting difficult for Yuan Lai, alluding to business troubles at Feitu and suggesting that Jin Ran might have fled due to culpability.
Unaware that Jin Ran was listening, Yuan Lai passionately defended him, asserting that Jin Ran was highly responsible in both his professional and personal life, and that an urgent matter must have detained him. She highlighted their ten-year acquaintance, stating her deeper understanding of him, though she defined their current relationship as merely supervisor and subordinate.
Mr. Zhang thanked Yuan Lai for her trust in Jin Ran but ultimately rejected her proposal, claiming he had already committed to a similar project, without revealing it was Jin Ran’s. Yuan Lai left empty-handed, while Jin Ran, having overheard her heartfelt defense, felt a sense of relief regarding her true sentiments. Ji Aoting presented his Green Path Plan documents to Vincent, who, trusting Ji Aoting, readily approved them.
Vincent also delegated other routine departmental tasks to Ji Aoting during Jin Ran's absence, emphasizing that Ji Aoting was his primary support. Ji Aoting then attempted to take control of the Peixin Island project. However, Vincent firmly stated that due to its complexity, he would personally oversee that project and instructed Ji Aoting to focus solely on the Green Path Plan.
Frustrated by this, Ji Aoting later met with Bob, venting his frustration that despite his many years at Feitu, he still lacked Jin Ran’s influence, with Vincent withholding the crucial Peixin Island project. Bob discreetly reminded Ji Aoting of their prior discussions about a plan involving board members, a suggestion Ji Aoting, feeling increasingly marginalized, decided to pursue. Shen Shuangshuang received gifts from two colleagues who sought advice on how she "won over" Zhao Chengzhi, a notoriously stubborn bachelor.
Shuangshuang confidently boasted that Zhao Chengzhi had actively pursued her, attributing it to his good fortune in finally meeting someone as "virtuous, beautiful, and smart" as her. Later, another bouquet of flowers appeared on her desk. Zhao Chengzhi, suspecting it was from another suitor, abruptly pulled Shuangshuang into his office for a confrontation. Their heated argument, where Zhao Chengzhi playfully pointed out Shuangshuang's supposed flaws such as poor cooking and messy habits, was overheard by curious colleagues lurking outside.
Chen Zhengli intervened, claiming he had sent the flowers to wish them happiness, saving the couple from further public embarrassment. That night, Zhao Chengzhi received a call from his father, a law professor. He brazenly lied that he was single and consumed by work, but his cover was nearly blown when his father overheard Shuangshuang in the background, forcing him to invent a clumsy excuse about watching a movie.
Afterwards, Shuangshuang was shocked to realize her boyfriend's father was the strict professor she remembered from university. At home, Ding Ang was engrossed in his game's internal testing when Xinyi arrived with a cake, mentioning that his mother had visited her company earlier. Ding Ang immediately assumed the worst, believing his mother had caused trouble for Xinyi, recalling his own past experiences of her interfering in his life choices.
He angrily called his mother to confront her, but Xinyi quickly clarified the misunderstanding. She explained that his mother had actually gone to her company to defend her against a boss who was sidelining her due to her pregnancy and giving away her promotion to a connected colleague. Ding Ang, thoroughly embarrassed, stood silently. To defuse the awkward tension, Xinyi playfully announced that she and the baby were hungry, and the three of them went to have dinner together.
Meanwhile, Gu Sa picked up Jin Ran at the airport, intending to take him to see their son, Alex. While Jin Ran was with Alex, the boy playfully used Jin Ran's phone to initiate a video call with Yuan Lai. Yuan Lai was devastated to see Gu Sa's arm casually draped around Jin Ran's shoulder.
Her heartbreak intensified when Alex told her that Jin Ran was "with mommy" and that "mommy said the three of us will go out to play later." Believing they were a family, Yuan Lai quickly fabricated an excuse about being busy and hung up, visibly hurt. Afterwards, Gu Sa attempted to persuade Jin Ran to stay the night for Alex's sake, but Jin Ran declined, citing urgent company matters.
He then sent Yuan Lai a message requesting a meeting at the company the following day. Yuan Lai received the message, but her gaze drifted dejectedly towards the sky, her spirit wounded by what she had witnessed.
