Episode Summary
Li Daoqi secures a major partnership by acting like a servant to a celebrity, shifting the company power dynamic away from Michael. While Li celebrates, Michael and Xing Kai plot to exploit him financially and dilute the brand with cheap products. Fu Yudong returns home to a peaceful reconciliation with his wife, while a new director pushes for a confrontational debate format for the upcoming livestream.
Spoiler Alert
The Hustle Pays Off
Li Daoqi is like a dog with a bone. He refuses to give up on Sister Wan. He waits for her outside meetings. He ignores the brush-offs. He just sits there until she caves.
Fu Yudong wakes up early and dives into work. Then the news drops. The partnership with Sister Wan is official. The office vibe shifts instantly. Xing Kai is thrilled. He calls an immediate meeting with the top brass. Michael, however, looks miserable. He knows the math. If Li Daoqi succeeds, the power shifts to him and Fu Yudong. Michael is losing his grip.
Fanboy Tactics
After the meeting, Fu corners Li. He wants to know the secret sauce. Li gets shy. He tries to dodge the question. Fu keeps pressing until Li cracks.
The truth is embarrassing. Li didn't win her over with a brilliant business plan. He joined her fan club. He followed her around like a servant. He fetched things for her. He basically acted like a glorified assistant until she gave him a shot. It’s desperate, but you can't argue with results.
Snakes in the Grass
Li notices something sad. Fu is living in his office. He tells Fu to swallow his pride and go home. Fu has cooled off anyway. He decides it's time to leave the office couch behind.
But the real drama is happening in the shadows. Michael isn't done. He calls Xing Kai for a private chat. They have a dirty scheme cooking. They plan to use the "Dr. Fu" brand name to push cheap, mixed-in cosmetics. If the high-end stuff fails, they will dump the product in small towns.
Here is the kicker. Xing Kai is just using Li for the initial cash. He plans to make Li handle all the expensive financing and production expansion later. If it blows up, Li takes the fall. Xing Kai wins no matter who gets burned.
The Livestream Wars
The company brings in Director Zhu to spice up the livestream. He wants friction. He suggests a debate format between Lin Anran and Zhang Ran. Their fanbases are different, so it makes sense.
Lin Anran wants to bring her sidekick, Xiao Jianjian, on screen. Zhang Ran hates this idea. She remembers that guy gave her grief in the past. She needs her own backup. She needs a partner in the booth. She doesn't know who to ask. Liu Bo tells her to stop overthinking it. Just find anyone who brings in views.
Dinner and Deception
Michael plays nice. He invites the whole crew to dinner to "smooth things over." It is a trap. He keeps trying to bait Li into saying something stupid about work.
Fu sees right through it. He plays defense all night. He interrupts whenever Michael digs for info. He tries to keep Li focused. But Li is too happy. He is riding high on the Sister Wan deal. He gets drunk and ignores the danger. He goes home and brags to his wife about how great everything is.
Domestic Peace and Zoo Duty
Fu finally goes home. He expects a fight. Instead, Zhang Ran is chill. She doesn't yell about him being gone for days. She is just supportive.
Cheng Man calls Fu. She is worried about Li drinking too much. She tells Fu to watch out for him. Zhang Ran hears this and makes a move. She suggests inviting Cheng Man over to hang out. She wants to be friends.
Meanwhile, Ge Kaiyang lands a gig. It isn't glamorous. He is cleaning up at the zoo. They start him on the night shift immediately.
