The Justice Episode 8 Recap
> The Justice Recap
Cheng Yizhi drove Wu Lizi around Shanghai, hoping to buy sheet music, but all the bookstores were closed. He felt disappointed because he had planned for it to be a day of "double happiness," especially after Shenqin Cotton Mill chose Longying Private Bank's Jing'an branch for financing. Wu Lizi reassured him not to overthink things, saying she wasn't expecting anything from him.
Later, at a celebration, Secretary Feng and others congratulated Cheng Yizhi on successfully securing the financing for Shenqin Cotton Mill. Secretary Feng praised Cheng Yizhi’s outstanding ability, but Cheng Yizhi humbly attributed the success to Longying Private Bank's commitment to supporting industry. Professor Lu, however, sharply criticized Cheng Yizhi, suggesting his participation was for vanity rather than genuine concern for the factory.
He challenged Cheng Yizhi, asking if he truly cared about the factory's well-being, why he wasn't worried about Japanese yarn flooding the market or the real intentions behind Zhaozheng Bank's involvement. Professor Lu asserted that if Cheng Yizhi genuinely thought of the factory, he should be anxious, not complacent. Cheng Yizhi was left deep in thought.
Meanwhile, Wu Lizi, using the alias Judy from Harold Daily, visited Innovation Construction to interview Dr. Xu Shu about the soon-to-be-completed building of Jinghua No.2 Middle School. Secretary Guan informed her that Dr. Xu was on an indefinite vacation. He described Dr. Xu as a young, erudite all-rounder who studied civil engineering and architectural design at a university based in Naples, Italy, but had only completed one project: the Jinghua No.2 Middle School building.
Wu Lizi hinted that her newspaper only published interviews with the person themselves and that failing to secure one would be a significant missed opportunity for Dr. Xu and the company. This subtle pressure led Secretary Guan to disclose some places Dr. Xu frequently visited. Upon returning home, Wu Lizi found Wang Ma ill with a fever and immediately showed concern, asking if a doctor had been called.
She learned that Cheng Yizhi was already in the kitchen preparing hot red bean soup for Wang Ma. Wu Lizi tasted the soup and praised Cheng Yizhi's cooking skills. He explained he learned from various ladies, like Mrs. Zhang, Mrs. Li, and Mrs. Wang, back when he worked in a dried goods shop selling ingredients like red beans, lotus seeds, tangerine peel, and brown sugar.
Cheng Yizhi almost confessed that he had once cooked red bean soup for Wu Lizi's mother, but he stopped himself, instead promising to cook it for Wu Lizi anytime she wished. Wu Lizi playfully responded that she would become too fat if she ate it every day. Cheng Yizhi later initiated a private meeting with Shimazaki Tadashi over coffee. Cheng Yizhi noticed a discrepancy between Shimazaki's Chinese business card, which listed him as "Clerk of the Credit Dept.
," and his Japanese business card, which said "Investigator of the Credit Dept." He questioned Shimazaki about his investigations in Shanghai. Shimazaki explained it was a translation difference and that he was merely an analyst. Cheng Yizhi then directly confronted Shimazaki, reminding him of the May Thirtieth Movement and the cruel exploitation of Chinese workers by Japanese mills, which were financially backed by Zhaozheng Bank.
Cheng Yizhi accused Shimazaki's apparent sincerity and empathy of being a mere "fig leaf" for economic invasion, making Shimazaki a "major accomplice" in their scheme to seize Chinese industries like Shenqin Cotton Mill. He urged Shimazaki to consider his actions carefully. Afterward, as Wu Lizi was returning home by rickshaw, she spotted a distraught Cheng Yizhi walking alone. She got off and joined him.
Cheng Yizhi confessed that being a bank manager was more complex than he imagined, explaining that the competition between Chinese and Japanese textile mills was not just about industrial development but also national interests. Wu Lizi praised his profound thoughts. She then produced a piece of the special candy Cheng Yizhi had left in their old "room" and asked how he knew to buy that particular kind.
Cheng Yizhi revealed that Wu Lizi’s mother had told him that Wu Lizi loved that candy, and he had wanted to bring Wu Lizi "a little sweetness" during her difficult life. He explained that when he finally went to visit her mother, he discovered she had passed away and Wu Lizi had moved. Wu Lizi then told him she found the candy when she returned to the "room" to retrieve a forgotten brooch.
She expressed how much she cherished that candy but had stopped eating it to savor it, and that she couldn't find it anywhere in Shanghai. Cheng Yizhi told her he bought it at the Wharf market, a hub for imported goods, and offered to take her there on a sunny day. Following their meeting, Shimazaki Tadashi intervened, leading Zhaozheng Bank's director to withdraw the financing for Shenqin Cotton Mill.
Director Zhao immediately sought Cheng Yizhi, expressing his disappointment at losing access to advanced Japanese technology and equipment. Cheng Yizhi assured him it was a blessing in disguise, explaining that Zhaozheng Bank likely intended to take over the mill, and by agreeing to share creditor rights, Longying Private Bank had foiled their plan. Cheng Yizhi promised to use Longying's full support to help Director Zhao secure advanced machinery and technology elsewhere.
Cheng Yizhi's persistent efforts paid off, and Huang Ruhong was successfully elected as a director of the General Chamber of Commerce of Shanghai. Huang Ruhong celebrated with a lavish banquet attended by Shanghai's elite, including Commander Liao, who had returned from the hospital. Liao Lan praised Cheng Yizhi for his excellent work and asked him to deliver a bottle of imported French perfume to Wu Lizi, thanking her for her help when her father was hospitalized.
Cheng Yizhi returned home happily, only for Wang Ma to inform him that Wu Lizi had left just fifteen minutes ago to have tea with Mrs. Huang (Liao Lan). Cheng Yizhi realized Wu Lizi had lied, which left him displeased. Around the same time, Leizi reported to Huang Ruhong, admitting his focus on the Bixun Road Casino construction meant he hadn't contributed to the election campaign.
Huang Ruhong, however, praised Cheng Yizhi's public success and Leizi's efficient completion of the casino, noting Leizi's merit. Leizi then proposed capitalizing on the goodwill from General director Merieux of the Municipal Council by gifting the land at No. 136 Rue Amiral Bayle to him and Vice General director Schweitzer, which he believed would secure Huang Ruhong's influence in the French Concession. Huang Ruhong, however, advised caution, suggesting they "lay low for a while" due to their recent high-profile activities.
Huang Ruhong then showed Leizi a "Rejuvenation Agent" and instructed him to investigate its growing popularity in the market if it posed a problem. Later that evening, Wu Lizi rushed home and presented Cheng Yizhi with a silk scarf. When he asked if she had bought it with Liao Lan, she insisted she had. Cheng Yizhi, still suspicious from Wang Ma's earlier revelation, later secretly followed Wu Lizi. He observed her going to Innovation Construction.
Shimazaki Tadashi, feeling disillusioned, visited Cheng Yizhi and expressed his desire to work at Longying Private Bank. He confessed that his mother was Chinese and that he had come to Shanghai full of hope for economic cooperation, only to realize his expectations were naive, and his efforts within Zhaozheng Bank were merely a "fig leaf" for economic aggression.
Cheng Yizhi acknowledged his feelings but advised him that rather than leaving, he could achieve his ideals by staying at Zhaozheng Bank and helping Longying Private Bank acquire advanced Japanese textile technology and machinery, which were currently restricted by Japanese firms. Shimazaki understood Cheng Yizhi's counsel and promised to deliver good news soon. Cheng Yizhi then contacted Secretary Guan and arranged a visit to Xu Shu at Innovation Construction.
Secretary Guan enthusiastically tried to show Cheng Yizhi Xu Shu's designs, but Xu Shu, clearly irritated, stopped him and sent him away. Cheng Yizhi, impressed by the uniqueness of Xu Shu's designs compared to the prevailing Western styles in Shanghai, expressed his interest. Feeling understood, Xu Shu passionately recounted his design philosophy, drawing inspiration from his childhood experiences in a traditional Chinese courtyard with rockeries, long corridors, pavilions, and glassless windows.
He aimed to blend the efficient use of space in Western tall buildings with classical Chinese elements, envisioning a building that was both modern and traditional, possessing both Western appearance and Eastern spirit, standing in the French Concession to showcase true beauty. When Cheng Yizhi asked about the building's specific purpose to facilitate investment, Xu Shu grew enraged.
He scornfully dismissed the need for investment, accusing Cheng Yizhi of being arrogant and narrow-minded like other "sordid merchants" who would criticize an artist's meticulously developed concept with their "idle money." Cheng Yizhi, rebuffed, wished him good luck and left. Returning home late, Wu Lizi tried to sneak in but was caught by Cheng Yizhi.
He had bought a professional textile dictionary and asked her to help translate documents related to textile machinery; in turn, Wu Lizi encouraged him to learn English. Meanwhile, Cheng Yizhi learned from Heart-shaped Face that Leizi was attempting to sell Huang Ruhong's land at No. 136 Rue Amiral Bayle to Xu Shu for construction, having twice inflated the price. Cheng Yizhi immediately set out to intervene.
