The Murder in Kairoutei Episode 4 Recap
> The Murder in Kairoutei Recap
Jiang Yuanxing received an urgent call informing her that Cheng Cheng was drunk and causing a disturbance at a bar. Upon arrival, she found Cheng Cheng injured and intervened in an argument where the other party claimed Cheng Cheng had insulted his upbringing, leading to a violent altercation in which Cheng Cheng also beat some of them. To resolve the situation, Jiang Yuanxing paid 20,000 yuan to the other party via her phone, as she didn't have enough cash.
She then helped a severely inebriated Cheng Cheng back to a hotel room. As she cleaned herself in the room after Cheng Cheng had vomited on her, he stirringly awoke and, through the blurred window, caught a glimpse of her, feeling a flicker of affection. When she emerged, he pretended to be asleep.
She left a note on the nightstand, along with her bank card and its PIN, stating that Gao Guangyi would reimburse her but warning him not to overspend. Soon after Jiang Yuanxing left, Cheng Cheng received a mysterious phone call. The caller, using a voice changer, mocked him for possibly falling for Jiang Yuanxing, accusing her of only being nice to him because he was useful, and asserting that she was merely manipulating him.
Cheng Cheng was angered by the call and demanded to know the caller's identity, but the caller hung up. Despite Jiang Yuanxing's earlier efforts to contain the Kairoutei incident, a video of the alleged assault of a young girl at the hotel was leaked, rapidly spreading online and triggering widespread public outrage. This development caused immense pressure on the Hongye Group, with many netizens reprimanding the company. During a family meeting, Gao Hongjie suggested finding someone to delete the posts.
However, Teng Jun argued that deleting the posts now would only make matters worse. When asked, Jiang Yuanxing stated she had not witnessed the incident personally, and Gao Hongjie revealed that the surveillance cameras were broken. He asserted that the Hongye Group would not escape the scandal unscathed, though his wife, Ji Dongmei, insisted that her son, Gao Zijian, could not have committed such an act, claiming someone was deliberately framing him, though she couldn't provide proof.
Shiyao then proposed that Gao Zijian should publicly clarify the situation, but Ji Dongmei vehemently opposed, fearing it would ruin Gao Zijian's future as he was the only male heir of the Gao family. Gao Guangyi, exasperated, demanded silence and instructed Jiang Yuanxing to immediately arrange a press conference for the following morning, where Ji Dongmei would explain the situation to the public. He also ordered Gao Zijian to be sent to the police for investigation.
Gao Hongjie protested, but Gao Guangyi firmly declared his decision. Overwhelmed by the argument, Gao Guangyi suffered a heart palpitation and collapsed, requiring immediate hospitalization. At the hospital, doctors assured the family that Gao Guangyi was stable, but at his specific request, they concealed the true severity of his condition from the other family members. While most family members left, Jiang Yuanxing and Lin Zhenhui stayed behind to care for him. The discussion about Gao Zijian continued among the family.
Ji Dongmei reiterated her refusal to send Gao Zijian to the police, arguing that a criminal record would forever tarnish his future. Shiyao countered that protecting him would only spoil him further. Ji Dongmei then accused Shiyao of ulterior motives, questioning if she genuinely wanted to help or if she had another agenda. Jiang Yuanxing pointed out that her proposed solution was for everyone's benefit, but Ji Dongmei dismissed her, reminding her it was a family matter.
Jiang Yuanxing, having ensured her assistant had deleted all of Gao Zijian's related videos, observed the press conference and knew the issue was far from settled. The following day, Ji Dongmei held a press conference regarding the Kairoutei Hotel incident. She asserted that the company had investigated thoroughly, confirming an assault had occurred but denying any sexual assault, claiming the staff had safely escorted the girl home and that the victim and her family had been compensated.
She urged the media not to believe rumors, stating that the public security bureau was investigating and their findings would be followed. However, the media was unconvinced, questioning the lack of a Q&A session and demanding the full video and the identity of the perpetrators. Later, in the chairman's office, Gao Hongjie brought a reluctant Gao Zijian to apologize to Gao Guangyi.
Gao Hongjie admitted Gao Zijian had hurt the group's reputation and made Gao Guangyi sick, but downplayed the incident as merely a party that got out of hand due to drunkenness. Gao Guangyi, however, reminded them of the importance of choosing friends wisely for people in their position.
Teng Jun interjected, holding Gao Hongjie accountable for protecting Gao Zijian, reminding everyone of the Gao family's "Five Noes," which explicitly prohibited actions that damaged the family's reputation and carried a five-year ban from the Hongye Group for offenders. Ji Dongmei accused Teng Jun of trying to ruin her son's future, but Teng Jun insisted he was merely upholding justice.
Gao Hongzhi, who had just returned from overseas, suggested that a one-year ban would be sufficient, calling the strict family rules outdated. Shiyao, supporting Teng Jun, argued that one year was too short and pointed out that Teng Jun's own one-year punishment was nearly over. Gao Hongjie defended Gao Zijian as "still a child," arguing for leniency.
The argument escalated, prompting Gao Guangyi to curtly end the discussion by asking Gao Zijian if he still remembered he was part of the Gao family. After the heated family meeting, Gao Hongjie and Ji Dongmei discussed the Kairoutei incident privately. Ji Dongmei expressed her suspicion that someone was orchestrating the scandal from behind the scenes, specifically mentioning Teng Jun, who had been demoted from his General Manager position a year prior and likely harbored a grudge.
Gao Hongjie, however, suggested not being overly prejudiced against Teng Jun, as Shiyao could still restrain him. He then questioned Gao Guangyi's loyalty to the family, given the passing of his wife (Gao Hongjie's eldest sister). Ji Dongmei countered, stating that she considered Gao Guangyi slightly better than Teng Jun, primarily because neither had children, which left the path clear for Gao Zijian to inherit the Hongye Group.
Meanwhile, Jiang Yuanxing updated Gao Guangyi, informing him that his business call had been postponed and confirming she would bring Cheng Cheng to meet him that night. However, on the way to meet Gao Guangyi, Cheng Cheng abruptly asked Jiang Yuanxing to stop the car. He declared that he had changed his mind, stating he didn't want Gao Guangyi to get his way so easily, and announced that from that moment on, he would set the rules of their "game."
He then exited the car, leaving Jiang Yuanxing to relay his change of plans to Gao Guangyi. Gao Guangyi, though disappointed by his son's defiance, expressed understanding. He entrusted Cheng Cheng's care entirely to Jiang Yuanxing, asking her to try and meet his demands, and sternly warned that as his son, Cheng Cheng needed to learn to stand on his own, or else he risked being "eaten alive" by the cutthroat corporate world. Jiang Yuanxing assured him she understood.
Upset by Cheng Cheng's broken promise, Jiang Yuanxing decided to address his stubbornness. She calmly expressed her hunger and invited him to dinner at a high-end restaurant with a French-only menu, deliberately leaving him to struggle with ordering. Cheng Cheng eventually discovered a hidden Chinese menu near the restroom, realizing Jiang Yuanxing had intentionally put him in an awkward position.
He accused her of holding a grudge, to which she admitted, warning him that if he broke a promise again, the consequences would be more severe than a French menu. Jiang Yuanxing then empathized with his feelings towards Gao Guangyi, acknowledging his anger and understanding his reluctance to accept a father who was absent for over twenty years. She proposed a bet: if she could truly surprise him, they would sit down and talk things through.
Cheng Cheng, wanting to surprise her first, agreed and went to prepare a trick. While he was away, Jiang Yuanxing received a call from Teng Jun, who congratulated her on her promotion to Deputy General Manager, implying that he had facilitated her rise and that everything was proceeding according to his plans. After Jiang Yuanxing ended the call, Cheng Cheng returned with a plastic rose, which he magically transformed into a real one, believing this was both romantic and surprising.
Unimpressed, Jiang Yuanxing declared she would show him "real romance and surprise." She took his hand and ran out of the restaurant without paying, leaving Cheng Cheng astonished by her "dine and dash" bravado. Acknowledging her victory in the bet, Cheng Cheng agreed to listen. Jiang Yuanxing urged him to stop resisting his opportunities, emphasizing the need to separate emotions from rational decisions, and to consider his future carefully as time was running out.
Cheng Cheng promised to reflect on her words. He then playfully asked if she had developed feelings for him due to her kindness. Jiang Yuanxing, smiling, deflected, claiming it was purely professional, then retorted by asking if he had fallen for her. Before he could answer, she received another urgent phone call and had to leave abruptly. Cheng Cheng offered to drive her, but she reminded him that her car was parked nearby.
As she left, he recalled how the restaurant staff had greeted her as "Ms. Jiang" upon their arrival, realizing then that the "dine and dash" was merely a prank; she was a regular and likely hadn't truly evaded the bill. Amused by her trick, he decided he needed to buy his own car so he could drive her to and from work every day.
The Kairoutei incident continued to escalate, with news reports explicitly linking it to Ji Dongmei's son, Gao Zijian, and severely impacting Hongye Group's stock price. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Jiang Yuanxing advised Gao Guangyi to personally address the public. She proactively contacted five major online platforms to live-stream a press conference, ensuring maximum coverage.
Despite protests from Gao Hongjie and Ji Dongmei, who worried about Gao Zijian's future and the ongoing market turmoil, Gao Guangyi, ignoring his own ailing health, proceeded with the conference. He delivered a solemn apology on behalf of Hongye Group for the negative social impact, expressing sorrow for the victim and her family. He promised full cooperation with the police, no cover-ups, and pledged to bear all compensation costs.
Acknowledging security and management flaws at the hotel, he announced Kairoutei's immediate closure for rectification, stating that all involved personnel would face consequences, and welcomed continuous public and media supervision. Following the press conference, Jiang Yuanxing approached Ji Dongmei, reiterating Gao Guangyi's request for Gao Zijian to promptly cooperate with the police investigation, emphasizing that only the truth would clear his name and protect his future.
Ji Dongmei, however, was suspicious, questioning Jiang Yuanxing's presence at Kairoutei during the incident and accusing her of being Gao Guangyi's proxy. Jiang Yuanxing explained she was there to get authorization from Gao Zijian for the Swan Project's data, which he had withheld. Ji Dongmei, despite her lingering doubts, eventually brought Gao Zijian to the police station for investigation, making a public statement of cooperation. Gao Zijian, seemingly unrepentant, joked to his mother about his newfound popularity.
Still determined to uncover the truth behind the leaked video, Ji Dongmei called a meeting with all Kairoutei staff who were present that night, including Jiang Yuanxing. She introduced an electronics engineer and demanded that everyone hand over their mobile phones for inspection, claiming the engineer could recover any deleted videos. She offered a choice: comply or face immediate termination from Hongye Group.
While other employees reluctantly surrendered their devices, Jiang Yuanxing firmly refused, stating she would await a written termination notice if Ji Dongmei decided to fire her. Ji Dongmei, now openly suspicious, confronted Jiang Yuanxing, suggesting her refusal indicated guilt and that her phone contained incriminating evidence.
