Episode Summary

In Episode 11 of "Created in China," Liu Jun faces a severe financial crisis at his factory, pushing him to consider desperate measures. His friend, Qian Hongming, rejects a corrupt business offer and instead takes a major personal and professional risk by leveraging his new job to secure a crucial three-million RMB loan for Liu Jun. With his business saved and a misunderstanding cleared, Liu Jun's romance with Yu Shanshan finally begins. However, the period of success is brutally cut short when a worker's negligence leads to a fatal ammonia leak at the factory, ending the episode on a tragic cliffhanger.

Spoiler Alert

Created in China, Episode 11 Recap: A Costly Favor and a Fatal Mistake

Episode Summary

Just as Liu Jun's factory begins to see the light, a devastating financial crisis threatens to pull it under. His friend, Qian Hongming, wrestling with his own moral temptations, makes a high-stakes decision to help, leveraging his new job to secure a risky loan. With the business saved and a romance finally blossoming, Liu Jun's world seems perfect—until a horrific accident born from negligence plunges everything into chaos, setting the stage for a tragic fallout.

Spoilers & Key Developments

  • The Price of "Success": Qian Hongming gets a firsthand look at how his old classmate, Gao, got rich by illegally flipping letters of credit. Though tempted, Qian ultimately refuses to get involved.
  • Liu Jun's Desperation: Facing financial ruin, Liu Jun is pushed to the brink, contemplating everything from taking on loan sharks to cooking the books.
  • A Friend's Gamble: After a promotion to manager of a new bonded zone, Qian Hongming risks his career by bending the rules to get Liu Jun a three-million RMB line of credit.
  • A Second Chance at Love: Liu Jun discovers that a misunderstanding has kept him and Yu Shanshan apart. Learning she is single, he asks her out, and their relationship quickly deepens.
  • Tragedy Strikes: A worker, Cao Fei, violates safety protocols during a night shift, causing a fatal ammonia leak that results in his own death.

Full Recap

The Temptation of Easy Money

The episode opens with Qian Hongming reuniting with his old classmate, Gao, and the eight years since they last met have created a staggering wealth gap between them. Gao is candid about his new fortune, admitting he's been exploiting his position at a bank to illegally trade letters of credit for profit. He sees Qian's talent and urges him to do the same. For a moment, Qian is tempted by the fast track to wealth, but the thought of his family and the stability he values holds him back. He turns down the dangerous offer, choosing integrity over illicit gain.

Desperate Times at the Factory

Meanwhile, Liu Jun's factory is on the verge of collapse. His father, Liu Shitang, tries to help by secretly mortgaging his shop, but the assessed value is too low to make a difference. The father-son duo turns to a private lender, Mr. Li, who is willing to offer a loan but at an astronomical annual interest rate of 36%. Liu Jun's attempt to negotiate is shut down cold; Li makes it clear he profits from the deals banks won't touch, and his rates are non-negotiable.

Backed into a corner, a desperate Liu Jun confesses to Qian Hongming that he sees only two ways out: falsify his company's books to get a bank loan or hope for a miracle. The conversation weighs heavily on Qian. That night, he tells his wife he's about to get "unusually busy." The next day, he resigns from his job. Impressed by his skills, his company offers him a promotion instead, putting him in charge of establishing a new branch in the bonded zone. Seizing the opportunity, Qian immediately uses his new authority to arrange a three-million RMB short-term loan for Liu Jun, asking only that it be paid back when the credit period expires.

A Glimmer of Hope

The capital injection works wonders. Liu Jun's factory sees a massive boost in productivity, and he repays the full amount within four months. With the crisis averted, life improves for everyone. Qian Hongming's lifestyle gets a significant upgrade; he starts planning to buy an imported car and a luxury home. Back at the factory, a key technician, Luo Qing, resigns to study for the civil service exam due to family pressure. Though disappointed, Liu Jun supports his decision.

The good fortune extends to Liu Jun's personal life. At a forum with Qian, he runs into Lu Huadong and learns the truth: Yu Shanshan was never dating Lu Huadong. Her previous rejection was due to a personal vow not to date before turning thirty. With the misunderstanding cleared, Liu Jun immediately calls Yu Shanshan and asks her to a movie. She happily accepts. During the film, their easy chemistry is undeniable, and their relationship finally begins to blossom.

Disaster Strikes

Just as Liu Jun is basking in the glow of professional success and romantic happiness, disaster strikes at the factory. An ammonia leak triggers an alarm on the night shift. The worker on duty, Cao Fei, had fallen asleep and is jolted awake by the siren. He casually saunters over to inspect the problem, ignoring a prominent "No Entry" sign and failing to follow the emergency procedure of shutting off the main valve. As he fumbles with the equipment in a direct violation of safety rules, he inhales a lethal dose of the toxic gas and dies on the spot.

The episode ends abruptly at the scene of the accident, leaving Liu Jun's brief period of triumph shattered and paving the way for an intense investigation and labor dispute.