Subtitles brought to you by the Time of Our Life Team @ Viki
[Our Glamorous Time]
[Episode 43]
DP's second tier brand
is using up Simeiqi's online marketing resources.
It's very intense and very popular.
Do you even still have a chance to take back Simeiqi?
It will be difficult. Peter said
he would reconsider the positioning of Simeiqi and he hasn't given me an answer.
Simeiqi is trapped.
If this continues, it will be a matter of time before DP
- takes the entire apparel market of Linhai. - Xin Baorui is badly affected, too?
DP stores have Xin Baorui stores surrounded.
Our sales are plummeting.
If this continues, we should all worry.
So we should come together against DP
Li Zhicheng talked to me the other day and proposed a way for us all the work together.
- Are you interested? - Li Zhicheng?
You have been cozy with him lately.
We should just forget about our old grudges
and become friends?
You don't have to decide anything yet.
Go talk to him.
It's really beautiful here.
Ms. Zhu, how did you find this place?
Beautiful and elegant.
Now I know why he likes you so much.
He hasn't been well these days.
And he won't say what is bothering him.
- So... - Did he tell you to come to me?
Of course not.
He doesn't love me, but he is good man.
I can't watch him like that.
The video of Weikai on the designers contest
I watched it over and over again.
Yet I've watched the part where he won the 1st prize
only once.
It was enough for me to remember how awesome he was.
And how genuine he was.
That was when
I realized
he had someone else on his mind.
Why are you telling me this?
I don't know what happened between you two,
but I believe he would never lie to you.
It is more complicated than you think.
When it comes to love, I can't tolerate
dishonesty.
Dishonesty.
What would I not give
for him to be dishonest with me?
I have more to give him.
And yet he doesn't even bother to lie for me.
Any way,
I hope you can talk to each other about whatever it is.
Work it out.
He is a good man.
I don't want to see him in so much pain.
It's a shame he missed you.
Thank you.
We have been fighting each other for so long.
It's time we stopped and did some thinking.
Right. It's all been a fight between friends now that I think about it.
So many local companies with potential
have fallen under the attack of foreign competitors.
They have top guns, and we have slingshots.
We can't win a one-on-one fight.
President Ning!
Sit.
Let me say what I think now that we are all here.
Simeiqi is being controlled and undermined by DP,
but you still have great distribution channels and celebrity support.
You are also still very powerful when it comes online marketing.
So I was thinking of using this strength of yours to launch a joint campaign for the three of us.
Xin Baorui's sales are hurt badly and you won't cave and sell to DP.
You could give up some of your premium store spaces for the products of the three of us.
So President Chen takes care of marketing.
I provide outlets.
- It's all temporary. - What about Wenda?
- What will Wenda be doing? - Wenda will be on manufacturing.
We manufacture for the three of us. We provide manpower and we all provide funding.
This sounds like a very complicated partnership.
So many details are involved.
It won't be easy in reality.
It won't. But we have to do this before
DP claims 50-60% of Linhai's
apparel market. I have worked out a plan
and Gu Yanzhi is making it happen as we speak.
We will need someone to take the lead.
I can do that.
You really are a former member of the special military forces,
- going on the offensive so fast? - Xin Baorui is in a big trouble.
Wenda is the least affected of us three by DP.
So, I will take the lead.
Since we are talking about a partnership, let me be honest with you.
DP has all our stores surrounded.
At such a hard time, I can't convince the board of directors to go with your plan.
And even if they do, they will want to have a say in this.
I can't promise anything
before you can offer a specific action plan.
Let me ask you this, President Li,
What is more important, having a say in the campaign or winning the campaign?
You were a soldier so you should know.
The win is always for the commanders. The foot soldiers die.
It's a hard time for Xin Baorui.
I have to protect it.
I can't take the risk.
President Ning!
Shall I take you back, President Ning?
Gao Lang,
I have a very important decision to make.
DP is on their way to claiming the lion's share.
It will be a big blow for our local companies.
The three of us
have had so much history between us.
Maybe it's time we put it all behind us.
President Ning, I don't know much
about business, but I know
you already have the answer.
I support you whatever your answer is.
I've met Peter. He is an ambitious man.
Director Zhu, that's why I wanted you to talk to President Ning.
We have to come together against foreigners.
I heard DP plagiarized Qingcheng.
Is it true?
I looked into it. DP has plagiarized
in many markets around the world.
So I called off manufacturing once I found out.
I have terminated our partnership.
You were right and you have guts.
We can't allow this bad precedent in Linhai.
Come in.
Mr. Chairman?
Good timing. Come on over.
Li Zhicheng has told me about his plan.
I think it's time we came together.
Conventional weapons won't win the war with DP.
We need to go nuclear.
We will be able to stand against DP as long as we stay together.
Weikai, I hope you two can work together.
It won't be just for your companies. It's for the apparel market
of Linhai as well.
Hope we will have a good time working together.
President Li.
Me too.
Weikai, I want to know how DP is doing
with their retail sales.
It's pretty good.
What does that mean?
I read on the news that they are doing so well
there are big lines out of their fitting rooms.
Is DP hyping it or is it true?
I want to hear the truth.
Mr. Chairman, DP is growing rapidly.
We are losing market share for it.
I don't want to go home now.
Take me to our stores.
Sure, Mr. Chairman.
Weikai.
I don't need them here. Let them get back to work.
You are dismissed.
Whatever happened to Xin Baorui?
There are more clerks than customers.
The outsiders do know a few tricks.
Don't worry, Mr. Chairman.
Now that we've agreed to join hands with Aida and Simeiqi,
we will work through this together.
I trust you.
All my life
I worked hard for Xin Baorui.
Today I want to be a shopper here and not a boss.
Do you have any suits that are right for me?
Get one for me.
Or course, Mr. Chairman.
Xiao Li.
Get a suit for Mr. Chairman.
What color would you like, Mr. Chairman?
Any color that makes me look younger.
I'll be right back.
Weikai, how do I look in this?
You rock!
Put Hanjing on the video chat.
Sure.
Weikai?
It's me, Dad.
Dad? What's it you are wearing?
What do you think? Do I look younger?
At least 10 years younger. What are you doing at the store?
I wanted to look fancy.
Right, Dad. Come right back from work. I made chives dumplings, your favorite.
What do you say?
Great! I can almost smell it.
Hanjing, Xin Baorui's stores
are not doing well.
Do you know why?
Because of DP.
No. Because we Chinese believe in
building your family before your career.
I met your mom when I was in a difficult time.
But things started to get better for us after we got married.
I believe if you and Weikai come together
things will get better for Xin Baorui.
Mr. Chairman.
Dad. What are you saying?
Your dad is old and worries for you.
If Weikai will marry you,
if you two get married, Xin Baorui will be your dowry.
I will make sure your wedding will be
magnificent.
Dad, I have to go now.
Come back early for dumplings.
Weikai,
if you marry Hanjing,
you'll get more than Xin Baorui
and more than just money.
You will get a girl who truly loves you.
Mr. Chairman, Hanjing has been
family to me.
She is like a sister.
Don't worry. I will help Hanjing
run Xin Baorui.
I never wanted to drag you two together
this way.
Weikai, you really can't see
how much Hanjing loves you?
You really can't see how much I
as her father, want to help her?
Weikai, if you two get together,
Xin Baorui
will be successful again.
I'm sorry, Mr. Chairman.
To be honest,
I already have someone.
Mr. Chairman, Hanjing is a good girl.
I believe she will find someone who loves her.
Someone better than me.
Someone who truly loves her.
Forget it. Forget it.
Take me home.
Mr. Chairman, are you alright?
Someone help!
[Emergency Room]
-Hanchong. - Ning Weikai,
where is my dad?
He is in there.
Ning Weikai, what did you do to my father?
I...
What the hell did you do? Tell me?
Hanchong! Are you out of your mind? This is hospital.
Weikai?
What happened?
He was alright on the video chat with you.
Then he said he wanted to go home.
And he just fainted. I don't know what happened.
Ning Weikai.
I've always thought you were on to something against us.
Are you happy now?
Let me tell you, Ning Weikai, if anything happens to my father,
I'll have you answer for it.
- Doctor? - Who is family of the patient?
- I'm his daughter. - I'm his son.
He had a heart attack.
By the time we prepped him for the surgery, it was already too late.
We did our best. Sorry.
Doctor? Please help!
Sister!
So Dad is gone, just like that?
You are back? I have good news.
I sent Snowy Smoke to the Institute of Material Science.
If the trial succeeds, we are ready for mass production.
What's wrong?
Wake up!
Chairman Zhu has passed away.
When?
This afternoon. Heart attack.
Big changes are coming down on Xin Baorui.
Well, that was sudden.
Ning Weikai has lost his only ally in Xin Baorui.
Can he hold Xin Baorui together?
It'll be so hard. He is not a Zhu.
CLOSED
Subtitles brought to you by the Time of Our Life Team @ Viki
Dad is gone.
You have to finish what he started
and take Xin Baorui to success. You must beat DP.
You believe in me?
I know Dad well, and I know you.
So I know you won't lie to me.
Ning Weikai, you have some guts sitting here.
[Mourning]
What makes you think you have the right to mourn my father?
You think you are one of us?
- Take it off! - Hanchong! Stop it!
I stop it?
Dad was alright and then he suddenly died.
Ning Weikai is number one suspect.
You know Dad had heart problems.
But why did it happen now? Why the timing?
I'll call the police unless you have a very good explanation.
Okay.
If calling the police makes you feel better,
I won't stop you.
Hanchong, stop it.
Zhu Hanjing, are you still the daughter of the Zhu family?
It's our dad!
I suspect it has all been part of his plan.
He's always had his eyes on our family business.
He murdered our father!
I'll preside over today's meeting.
I suggest we all spend a minute in silence thinking about our old chairman.
Okay.
My father left the company with me.
I will do everything in my power
so Father will be proud.
I will give the company everything I have until the end of the world.
Every one of you good gentlemen
was my father's faithful associate and you built this together.
I now expect your support for me just like my father did.
The first item on the agenda,
Motion to terminate all financial support to Xin Baorui.
Zhu Hanchong, how can you?
Xin Baorui is the life's work of the Chairman.
Ning Weikai, you are not a member of the board.
You are still sitting here because
the late chairman trusted you.
Please don't waste his trust.
Now let's vote.
All in favor of the motion?
I'm against it.
Father told us to keep Xin Baorui.
He wanted to see Xin Baorui come together with Wenda to fight DP.
With Wenda?
Do you know the late chairman carried Xin Baorui
in a lifetime of rivalry with Li Zhongming of Wenda?
How could he possibly have said that in his last moment?
I'm assuming you didn't hear it from Father,
but from Ning Weikai.
Why he would make all this up
I think every one in this room will know.
Hanchong, stop accusing people without any evidence.
If I have evidence, he will be in police custody now.
You are asking me for evidence?
President Ning, the group has decided.
Xin Baorui no longer has clearance to borrow money from Zhus Group.
Hanchong is way past the line.
We've lost Zhus' financial support.
All we have left is our cash supply.
Show me the company's cash flow statement.
You may go now.
So little? What can we do with so little money?
Not to challenge DP. That's for sure.
That's alright, Hanjing. Why don't you go home for now and let me handle it?
I want to stay and help you.
That's alright. I'm already grateful for everything you did.
Leave it to me. Don't worry.
Then, are you leaving Xin Baorui?
Don't worry. I will stay.
I will do everything I can until we get to the end of this.
Let me know if you need anything.
There is a Chinese saying:
A new officer sets fires to mark the beginning of his tenure.
You are the new chairman of the board of directors.
You must do something big so people will respect your authority.
You got any idea?
The apparel market in Linhai
is split between the three of us.
Wenda, Xin Baorui and DP.
If Xin Baorui and DP form a partnership,
we can bring down Wenda and take the whole market.
Oaky.
My father spent his life fighting Wenda without anybody coming out as the winner.
If I can bring down Wenda,
that'll be fulfillment of my father's dying wish.
So what do you want me to do? Say it.
Push Ning Weikai out. Take over Xin Baorui.
Very well. I've been wanting to do just that.
Cheers!
Since the chairman passed away,
things have been different at Xin Baorui.
I want to say sorry.
The three-way partnership as you proposed may have to go without...
You know what? Zhu Hanchong will go out of his way to make your life miserable.
Yes.
Have a look at this.
Do you know how Vatti, the oven-maker, succeeded as a high-end brand in the Chinese market?
They know what Chinese consumers want.
They are chic and they adhere to the international standard of quality control.
They also joined the local brands
to build a wall
to secure their market share.
They make it hard for foreign companies to get in.
Why can't we do this in the garment industry?
But, President Li,
a partnership is not something that just happens.
I've worked out some of the details.
We can look at them together.
I have a plan to take on DP and I want to hear your inputs on it.
I'm listening.
The consumers know about DP,
but they don't know what the initials stand for.
We could stir the pond and catch some fish while the water is muddy.
I need some small brands. The smaller the better.
Brands coming out of a household studio.
As long as their names sound similar to DP and their logos look like DP.
DB, DC, DE, DF, and the like.
President Ning, you have your connections in Europe.
I need you to bring me some
products that are similar to DP's.
This might work,
as long as they are all Italian.
This will have a negative impact on DP's brand recognition.
They are trying to put out the message that
Italian brands equal high-end brands.
People say outsiders know the tricks.
Let's get more outsiders.
Let their messages conflict with each other.
This way, people know
outsiders are just so-so.
So I need President Ning to fire the first gunshot.
Gao Lang, book me a first class ticket to Italy.
Okay.
Hanjing.
Waikai, I'm sorry.
Hanchong is adamant. I can't bring him around.
That's okay. I don't want to
come between you and your brother.
Don't beat yourself up. I just don't want him to rush into anything
and forget about the interest of the company.
I know what the chairman had always wanted.
He wanted to do our own brand
and keep it from falling into the hand of foreign companies.
That's why we must form a united front against the foreigners.
I'm discussing a partnership with Li Zhicheng.
I'm going to Italy.
It's about time we pulled some business tricks.
Feel it. How does it feel?
It feels cool.
Yes. This fabric has a special property.
It cools you down.
- You sure? - Yes.
Many customers have told me this fabric keeps them cool
and comfortable. I took it to the lab
and I found it can lower the apparent temperature by two degrees.
So I have a bold idea.
I want to build a line of function clothes
taking advantage of this property of Snowy Smoke.
But I don't know exactly what to make yet. What do you think?
If it was me,
I would make shirts.
Shirts?
Right. People get sweat stains
on the chest and under the arms. Embarrassing.
If we make shirts with this fabric,
people won't have to embarrass themselves like that.
And shirts work for everyone. Men and women.
Men and women?
Right. This is what Qingcheng is all about.
Comfortable and free of worries for everyone who wears it.
Let me think about it. I'll run a feasibility analysis.
Domenica di.
Dita di Rosa.
I expected just a couple of brands from Italy.
I never thought you'd bring back so many.
There are a lot of brands like these in Italy.
They were excited to sell their products in China.
- Really? - And they said they would come for free.
I took them all since it was within our budget any way.
Brilliant. Now we watch Chen Zheng.
These are the new buyers shops.
Have IT put them on the online platform.
According to the existing plan,
DP must know about any changes to the platform.
That's alright. This is everyday maintenance.
Off you go.
Peter.
It's quiet today? Where are our customers?
They said another Italian brand opened a store.
It's called DF. They are cheaper.
- What's it called again? - DF.
President Chen. This is the ad plan Peter has approved.
Please put it online.
Of course.
Zhicheng, DP's ad is ready. I'm sending it to you.
- Okay. Another one. - Get a couple of horizontals.
Okay.
Good.
Okay. Let's take a break.
Jinyuang, have a look at this.
This cheap wig is killing me. Get me out of it.
Why do I have to dress like a foreigner?
Calm down.
DP wants to maintain an aesthetic distance.
So people remember it's a foreign brand.
What's wrong with people? Why do they worship foreign brands?
Is the grass really greener on their side of the fence?
That's alright. Our goal is...
I know. We are faking DP. Got it.
When was this ad up?
Two days ago and it's everywhere now.
They put up their ads the day after we released ours?
They were prepared.
Someone stole our ads.
It might be Chen Zheng. He handled the ads.
Go around Chen Zheng in the future.
But I bet Li Zhicheng is the one behind this.
I studied his moves.
Plagiarized ads.
Get the lawyer. We'll sue them. We'll bankrupt them.
Come in.
President Chen, you wanted to see me?
Take a seat, Lao Ji.
I wanted to discuss advertising with you.
Advertising? I'm with IT.
I know. That's why I wanted to talk to you.
You are in charge of the pop up ads?
Yes, I am.
I want a pop up ad, the kind you can't close no matter what you do.
Or you can close it but the close button is tiny.
That's easy. What is the ad for?
Nothing.
I just want a pop up ad and
it will cover this cart.
This way when customers try to add items to their carts,
they simple can't find the cart. That'll drive them crazy.
You want to give them bad user experience?
President Chen, have you considered the consequences if we do this?
♫ I believe, if you still don't understand ♫
♫ Having you in my life is the best thing to ever touch my heart. ♫
♫ I believe no matter how many days will pass, ♫
♫ When I look at you, I forget to let my tears fall. ♫
♫ The sunset when you look back ♫
♫ When you smile into the camera ♫
♫ Don't know if I'm the glitter of a tear or the grin on a smiley face. ♫
♫ When you look at me, ♫
♫ The earth keeps on spinning. ♫
♫ Time is frozen. ♫
♫ I believe if you still don't understand ♫
♫ Having you in my life is the best thing to ever touch my heart. ♫
♫ I believe no matter how many years will pass ♫
♫ When I see you, I forget to... ♫
♫ Waiting for you, you and me. ♫
♫ Let's keep walking in the snow view. ♫
♫ Let the snow turn our heads white. ♫
♫ I believe, believe you will understand. ♫
♫ Having you in my life is the best thing to ever touch my heart. ♫
♫ I believe, when many years have passed. ♫