The Lion's Secret Episode 3 Recap
> The Lion's Secret Recap
Mu Wanqing arrived at work and deliberately found fault with Liu Qing, telling him to park her car. Liu Qing, distracted on his phone, deliberately refused, causing clients from Huayue to be stuck in the underground garage. Furious, Mu Wanqing went down to investigate and found Liu Qing's car blocking the entrance.
When confronted, Liu Qing provocatively explained that he didn't enter her car because she had previously instructed him not to enter her "private territory," and he considered the car's interior her private space. Mu Wanqing, realizing he was playing word games, angrily demanded her car keys.
She considered firing Liu Qing on the spot, but Li Na advised against it, explaining that an irregular dismissal would pressure other employees and transferring him to a different department might make her seem petty after such an incident. Mu Wanqing, left with no good options, decided to tolerate Liu Qing for the time being. Meanwhile, news of Mu Wanqing's marriage had spread from the board of directors, and her office was overflowing with wedding gifts, with more expected.
Mu Wanqing, annoyed, told Li Na to take any gifts she liked, remarking there were enough for several girlfriends. Fu Jundie then arrived, commenting on the numerous wedding gifts before giving Mu Wanqing Liu Qing’s personal data. The documents indicated a history of misconduct and expulsion from both a hotel job at Jiameisi Hotel and Orting University for aggressive fighting.
However, Fu Jundie's investigation revealed that neither the hotel nor the university had a strong recollection of Liu Qing, leading her to suspect the resume was fabricated. Mu Wanqing, dismissive, remarked that a rogue like Liu Qing wouldn't have an honorable resume anyway. Fu Jundie then received an urgent call about a serious incident at her Dongchuan Martial Club; the person she previously fought was back, faking an injury with a group of accomplices.
Fu Jundie was ready to go resolve it herself, describing the initial incident as a mere soft tissue contusion, but now they were engaging in accident faking. Concerned about Fu Jundie's potentially impulsive nature, reminiscent of her father, Mu Wanqing insisted on accompanying her and asked Li Na to prepare some cash for a monetary settlement. As Mu Wanqing rushed out, Liu Qing, who was on his time-off, saw her and requested a lift home.
Upon learning of Fu Jundie's predicament, he offered his help. Mu Wanqing skeptically questioned his abilities, especially since she had cash to deal with the problem. Liu Qing then took the wheel and drove them to the Dongchuan Martial Club, assuring Mu Wanqing that he wouldn't harm Fu Jundie, his "mahjong partner."
He then told Mu Wanqing to stay in the car, giving himself ten minutes to resolve the issue without money, promising she could "kill them with cash" if he failed. Inside, Liu Qing observed the commotion where the thugs from Emicton Consulting Company presented a fake hospital diagnosis claiming a "comminuted tibial fracture" for their supposed victim.
Liu Qing subtly used a slingshot to hit the "injured" man's foot, causing him to cry out in pain and immediately stand up and walk around, exposing his fraudulent injury. Returning to the car, Liu Qing casually informed Mu Wanqing that the problem was solved, claiming he just "got beaten." Mu Wanqing was confused and called Fu Jundie, who confirmed that everything was indeed settled and that the other party would cover all the aftermath expenses.
She asked Mu Wanqing to thank Liu Qing for his help, unaware of the details. Mu Wanqing began to see Liu Qing in a new light. Unbeknownst to them, Lei Shuo, the actual boss of the thugs, arrived shortly after Liu Qing left. He had previously seen Liu Qing with Mu Wanqing, prompting him to investigate.
He chastised his subordinates for their incompetence, pointing out the discrepancy between their claim of a comminuted fracture and the reality of a soft tissue injury to the ankle. He apologized to Fu Jundie for his team's actions, admitting they were misled and acted wrongly, and offered to cover all repair and medical expenses. Fu Jundie, wanting to avoid escalating the situation, accepted his apology and declined his offer to punish the thugs further.
Lei Shuo's subordinate reported back that Liu Qing was seen with Mu Wanqing, the general manager of Maoyuan Heavy Industries, and that they had already registered their marriage. The subordinate also noted that Liu Qing only observed the situation at the martial club for a short time before leaving.
Lei Shuo, recalling previous warnings about Liu Qing, reiterated to his subordinate that they should always avoid Liu Qing and never confront him, then asked about Fu Jundie's relationship with Mu Wanqing, learning they were close friends and that the Mu family financed the martial club. He also urged his team to use their martial arts training for legitimate purposes, not to act like a gang.
The next morning, Mu Wanqing's changed attitude was evident when she told her assistant not to wake Liu Qing, allowing him to sleep longer, and even offered him a ride to work. Liu Qing, initially surprised by her politeness, observed that she didn't like owing favors. Upon arriving at the underground parking lot, Mu Wanqing abruptly told Liu Qing to get out, clearly not wanting to be seen with him.
She then struggled to reverse her car into a large parking spot, prompting Liu Qing to tease her about her driving license. With a sigh, he took over and expertly parked the car, leaving Mu Wanqing astonished. Later, in her office, Mu Wanqing discussed the company’s cash flow situation, noting that selling departments could alleviate pressure and that the board was mostly in agreement.
Yu Manshan then approached Mu Wanqing, expressing her desire to independently assemble her R&D team without Qian Chang's interference. She explained that Qian Chang was pushing to place his own people in the team, making it difficult to advance their work, especially after many of his previous R&D projects were cut, leaving him and President Quan unreconciled.
Mu Wanqing acknowledged the existing prejudices against her since she took over Maoyuan, and the long-standing control President Quan and Qian Chang had over the R&D department. She passionately articulated her vision for Maoyuan, stressing the need for radical change to keep up with evolving times, asserting that the company must adapt or be left behind. She gave Yu Manshan her full support, assuring her to proceed confidently and promising to personally handle President Quan.
Yu Manshan then presented her bold plan to develop independent engine technology using a new ceramic sponge, showing an experiment where a petal remained intact at 400 degrees on the sponge, which currently withstands 1100 degrees. Her ambitious goal was to create a ceramic sponge capable of tolerating 3000 degrees, a target Mu Wanqing deemed challenging but worth pursuing, pledging her full support. Meanwhile, Liu Qing had observed Qian Chang covertly bribing a thug on surveillance footage.
That evening, as Yu Manshan left work, she noticed she was being followed by the same thug Liu Qing had seen. She pretended to call her husband to deter the follower, but he persisted. Just as the situation grew tense, a masked Liu Qing appeared. He swiftly rendered Yu Manshan unconscious to protect her, then scared away the thug.
When Yu Manshan awoke, Liu Qing pretended to be a concerned passerby who had found her, claiming he was on his way to an internet cafe and knew nothing about the chase. Suspicious of his opportune presence, Yu Manshan feigned interest in the internet cafe and followed him to observe his behavior. At the internet cafe, Liu Qing played a game, seemingly carefree, while Yu Manshan subtly questioned the staff about him, learning he had become a frequent customer recently.
The next day, President Quan, influenced by Qian Chang, stormed into Mu Wanqing's office, angrily demanding to know why she was handing the entire R&D department to Yu Manshan, interpreting it as an attempt to dismiss him. Mu Wanqing, prepared for this confrontation, calmly invited President Quan to dinner at a restaurant he particularly enjoyed and hadn't visited in a long time.
Over dinner, in a private room called Yue Yuan Hall, she reminisced about his and her father, Mu Jianjun’s, past triumphs, particularly a bold move early in their careers that defied expectations and led to immense success, highlighting their innovative spirit. Leveraging this nostalgia, Mu Wanqing then unveiled her plan to establish a new Financial Department to streamline the company's accounts and cash flow, emphasizing that President Quan was the most suitable person to manage it.
She reiterated that entrusting Yu Manshan with the R&D department was crucial for the company's future and its need to break free from traditional constraints. Initially reluctant and wary of Yu Manshan's new power, President Quan eventually softened, acknowledging the need for change and the potential for setbacks, much like their own experiences. He finally agreed to Mu Wanqing's proposal, to her relief.
Later, while on the phone confirming Mu Wanqing's schedule, Li Na accidentally bumped into a woman named Sister Mumu, who feigned a twisted ankle. Feeling apologetic, Li Na offered to take her for a meal and even bought her a pair of shoes. As Li Na was preoccupied, Sister Mumu seized the opportunity to secretly photograph Mu Wanqing's schedule. That evening, Mu Jianjun called Mu Wanqing, asking her to bring Liu Qing home for dinner.
On their way, Mu Wanqing, in high spirits after successfully handling President Quan, used an analogy about a hunter and an old fox to describe her situation. Liu Qing quickly grasped her meaning, cautioning her that the "old fox" (Qian Chang) was still a threat. He advised her to "beat it at its own game" by luring Qian Chang into a trap.
Liu Qing then tried to stop the car to buy some fruits, but Mu Wanqing, irritated, refused, reminding him he was going to "their home" and implying no need for gifts. Upon arriving home, Mu Wanqing was overjoyed to see her grandmother, whom she hadn't seen in a while. Liu Qing attempted to greet the grandmother, but Mu Wanqing tried to subtly deter him.
To her surprise, her grandmother already knew Liu Qing's name, having apparently been informed of his presence. After dinner, the family played mahjong. Liu Qing, trying to curry favor with the grandmother, subtly orchestrated the game to help her win the challenging "Thirteen Orphans" hand, despite Mu Wanqing's attempts to disrupt his efforts. The family celebrated the grandmother's win, teasing Mu Wanqing about her poor mahjong skills.
