The Justice Episode 2 Recap
> The Justice Recap
Huang Ruhong, referred to as the "Elder Master," recently visited the Jing'an Branch of Longying Private Bank, leaving Mr. Xu in a foul mood. Mr. Xu's aide, noting Clerk Tan's ambition for promotion, suggested he be made a drummer. However, Mr. Xu dismissed the idea, subtly highlighting Tan's lack of acumen compared to Cheng Yizhi. Shortly after, Cheng Yizhi presented Mr. Xu with two bottles of asthma medicine, a quantity Mr. Xu found surprisingly difficult to acquire.
Cheng explained that he had used balcony tickets for the Great Stage to entice Mr. Qian, the owner of the pharmacy, to deposit money at Longying Private Bank. Mr. Qian, a keen theater enthusiast, readily agreed, promising to deposit 100 taels of Erqibao Silver immediately and a total of 1,000 taels by the end of the month in exchange for more tickets.
Cheng confessed he had overstepped his authority as a clerk by handling such transactions but asserted it was for Mr. Xu's health. Impressed by Cheng's initiative and resourcefulness, Mr. Xu made an exception, promoting Cheng to drummer and establishing a commission system of one li for every tael of deposit he secured. Cheng then requested that Heart-shaped Face be assigned as his assistant, a suggestion Mr. Xu approved.
Meanwhile, Wu Lizi, now working as a maid in the Lin Residence, was sent by Secretary Jia to procure a golden pen from Charlie, a dealer in antique goods. Upon examining the pen, Wu Lizi recognized it as belonging to the prominent Moro family, French aristocrats who had recently been elected as directors of the Municipal Council in the French Concession. She concluded the pen was stolen and refused to complete the purchase.
Charlie, in response, cruelly mocked Wu Lizi, reminding her of her father, Wu Zhifu's, recent death. He insinuated that if she truly sought revenge, she would need to delve into the "underneath world" and find him there. This triggered a flashback: Wu Zhifu, a general manager at Shanghai Deposit Bank, had tragically fallen to his death from the rooftop of the Fu Lin Building, leaving a suicide note confessing to embezzlement.
Subsequently, police raided their home, leading to Wu Lizi and her mother moving to a modest room in the slums. Later, subjected to continued condescension from Secretary Jia and still stung by Charlie's remarks, Wu Lizi defiantly resigned from her position at the Lin Residence, lamenting the unused piano left there. As a newly appointed drummer, Cheng Yizhi, accompanied by Heart-shaped Face, began his door-to-door solicitations.
They distributed half a kilo of flour and four eggs to residents, advocating for Longying Private Bank's competitive interest rates and superior service compared to other institutions like Si Da Private Bank. During his rounds, Cheng visited Wu Lizi's mother, offering her the provisions. She invited him in for tea, but soon experienced a sudden chest pain. Cheng immediately assisted her in taking her medicine.
At the bank, a frantic Sun Dahu demanded to withdraw 50,000 silver dollars from his account, convinced that a fortune-teller's prophecy guaranteed him winnings at the casino. Assistant Manager Wan attempted to placate him by offering only 50 taels, but Sun Dahu insisted on the full amount, eager to gamble. When Wan sought Mr. Xu's intervention, he expressed frustration over Cheng's supposed inability to manage clients like Sun Dahu.
Cheng interjected, reminding Wan that Sun Dahu had always been his client. Cheng then proposed a daring wager: he would borrow 100 silver yuan from the bank to provide to Sun Dahu. If Sun Dahu won at the casino within the hour, he could keep the 100 silver yuan. However, if he lost, he would not only be prohibited from withdrawing his existing deposit but would also owe Cheng an additional 100 silver yuan.
Believing his luck was assured, Sun Dahu enthusiastically agreed and led Cheng to the Atlantic Club. Meanwhile, Charlie took Wu Lizi to the Great Stage, explaining that it was a gathering place for influential bankers, tycoons, warlords, and gang leaders. He clarified that he was not asking her to be a mere hostess, but to utilize her intelligence and proficiency in English and French to discreetly gather valuable commercial intelligence from their conversations.
He offered a cash reward for any useful information, implicitly suggesting this could also be a way for her to uncover details about her father's case. Reluctantly, Wu Lizi agreed, hopeful that she might find clues to the truth behind her father's death. At the Atlantic Club, Sun Dahu quickly began to lose heavily. Cheng observed the game closely and noticed the dealer and a gambler colluding.
He exposed their cheating by pointing out the presence of two nine of spades in the cards. The club manager, however, dismissed Cheng's accusations, accusing him of causing a disturbance and slandering the club, suggesting he was an agent sent by a rival. When Cheng defiantly demanded to speak with the true owner of the club, he was severely beaten and forcibly ejected. Later, Mr. Xu visited a bruised Cheng, expressing his concern and offering a tonic for his recovery.
Cheng assured him that the incident was not directed at Longying Private Bank. Sun Dahu, having witnessed Cheng's integrity and courage, decided not to withdraw his deposit. Instead, he lauded Cheng's righteousness and, honoring their wager, gave Cheng the 100 silver yuan he had "lost." Cheng promptly returned the money to Mr. Xu.
Impressed by Cheng's handling of the crisis, Mr. Xu formally promoted him to Assistant Manager, noting that Cheng's outstanding debt of 50 yuan to the bank would soon be settled. Upon assuming his new role, Assistant Manager Wan deliberately assigned Cheng Yizhi to a small, isolated desk in a corner of the office.
Wan emphasized Cheng's youth, lack of experience, and outstanding debt to the bank, restricting his duties solely to collecting existing payments and explicitly forbidding him from approving new loans. Undeterred, Cheng Yizhi continued his compassionate outreach, bringing more food and a bottle of Heartache Reliever to Wu Lizi's mother. She recognized him as the dry goods store clerk who had once returned her lost earring.
During their conversation, Cheng learned that her daughter worked as a tutor and often returned home very late. Observing the simple and potentially indigestible dinner she had, Cheng grew concerned for her health. He then went out of his way to prepare a bowl of red bean soup and delivered it to her.
That night, Wu Lizi, using the alias "Hennessey," returned home late after a long evening at a foreign firm, where she used her English skills to gather commercial intelligence. She found her mother asleep, with the bowl of red bean soup and a note from Cheng reading, "Your mother is unwell, please take good care of her." She drank the soup. The next morning, Wu Lizi questioned her mother about the young man who had delivered the soup.
Her mother spoke highly of him and mentioned he planned to return at the end of the month. Suspicious of his intentions, Wu Lizi decided she would personally ascertain his identity. Later, Huang Ruhong conducted an inspection at Longying Private Bank. Mr. Xu delivered his monthly report, highlighting Assistant Manager Wan's successful investment in 1924 government bonds, which had generated an impressive profit of 8,000 taels.
However, Wan then accused Cheng Yizhi of gross negligence, claiming Cheng had irresponsibly approved a 4,000-tael loan to the faltering Lin Fu Rice Store. Cheng vehemently denied the accusation, demanding to inspect the ledger. Despite Cheng's protests, Mr. Xu, desperate to conceal the bank's underlying deficit from Huang Ruhong, dismissed Cheng Yizhi on the spot, using him as a scapegoat. Huang Ruhong merely affirmed Mr. Xu's prerogative to manage his staff without external interference.
Cheng Yizhi, maintaining his dignity, declared he would leave immediately, forgoing his remaining salary. Separately, Wu Lizi purchased some dim sum from Siruchun, her mother's favorite treat. As her mother enjoyed the pastries, Wu Lizi overheard customers discussing her father's death in connection with a figure known as White-faced Wei Delong. Outside the bank, Heart-shaped Face offered to leave with Cheng.
However, Cheng, determined to clear his name, instructed Heart-shaped Face to remain at the bank and act as his informant. Cheng then went to the Lin Fu Rice Store, where he confronted Mr. Lin and discovered that the actual loan amount was only 1,000 taels, not the 4,000 taels Cheng was accused of. Cheng took possession of the ledger and promised Mr. Lin he would resolve the misunderstanding.
He also advised Mr. Lin to consider changing the store's name to avoid confusion with the much larger Lin Shou Rice Store, an idea Mr. Lin rejected. The following morning, Assistant Manager Wan arrived at Lin Fu Rice Store to demand the 1,000 tael repayment. When Mr. Lin admitted he could not pay, Wan ordered his men to seize all the account books and arrest Mr. Lin. Cheng Yizhi arrived, attempting to intervene, but Wan ignored his pleas and proceeded with the confiscation and arrest.
