Episode Summary
Wang Chunsheng brings Ma Weiguo into the company to break a voting deadlock. Ma immediately demotes Wang and cuts Tong Qiu's benefits, causing major tension. Wang goes on a hunger strike until Ma tempts him with food. Ma hides a serious brain tumor diagnosis to stay and help the restaurant win a cooking contest. Li Lianbao tries to undermine Ma but ends up humiliated at a luxury store with a fake bag.
Spoiler Alert
The Boardroom Shakeup
The gang at Penglexuan is stuck in a deadlock. Wang Chunsheng realizes their four-person voting system is a disaster waiting to happen. It is too easy to get stuck in a two-against-two tie. They need a tiebreaker. Wang decides to bring in a fifth shareholder to fix the math.
He and Tong Qiu had already been working on Ma Weiguo behind the scenes. They wanted him in the mix. They even offered him veto power to sweeten the deal. Ma sees how sincere Wang is about this. He agrees to join the company as the Operations Director. Li Lianbao hates this idea. He does not want Ma involved. But he is outnumbered. The other three vote yes. Li has to suck it up.
Ma Weiguo Cleans House
Ma does not waste a single second. He starts making big changes immediately. His first target is Tong Qiu. Tong still has his day job at the bank. Ma thinks he offers zero actual value to the restaurant right now. He strips Tong of all his company benefits. Tong can only get them back if he quits the bank.
Then Ma turns his sights on Wang Chunsheng. He removes Wang from the Chairman position. His reasoning is brutal but simple. Wang does not know how to manage assets. He is bad at investing. Wang is furious. He is also helpless. He was the one who begged Ma to join. He has to take the demotion.
That leaves Ma and Li Lianbao as the power players. Ma actually respects Li's business instincts. He thinks Li ran things well in the past. Ma sets a new goal. He wants to expand Penglexuan within three months. The first step is winning the upcoming Duck King competition. Ma wants Wang to represent them in the contest. Li thinks that is a recipe for failure. He wants to send Chef Sun instead.
The Hunger Strike
Wang Chunsheng does not handle the demotion well. He goes home and collapses into bed. He refuses to eat or drink. Li Jing and Wang Fei try to cheer him up. It does not work. He forbids them from even saying Ma Weiguo's name.
Ma goes home and talks to Jin Tong. He lays out his vision. Jin Tong thinks he went too far. Wang is his big brother. He is not just an employee. Ma’s words cut too deep.
Li Jing eventually calls an intervention. She drags Ma and Li Lianbao to the house. She scolds Ma for being so harsh. Ma admits he just wanted to motivate Wang. He pushed too hard. Wang ignores them all. He stays in bed and gives them the silent treatment.
Truce by Pastry
Ma knows he needs to fix this. He also knows Wang’s weakness. He grabs some chive pockets. This is Wang’s favorite food. Ma sits by the bed and eats them loudly. He wafts the smell toward Wang. Wang tries to resist. The hunger wins. He gets out of bed and eats.
Secret Illnesses and Fake Bags
Ma has a secret he is keeping from the group. He has a glioma in his brain. It is pressing on his nerves. His doctor tells him to go back to the US for checks immediately. Ma refuses. The restaurant is at a critical point. He cannot leave now.
He asks Jin Tong how to properly apologize to Wang. She suggests a gift. Ma buys accessories for Wang’s favorite model hobby. He even hurts his hand trying to assemble the parts for him.
Li Lianbao is still plotting. He wants to beat Ma. He tries to get Dong Qian to partner with him to sign Chef Sun. She shuts him down. Li then heads to a luxury store. He intends to return a bag Ma bought. But he made a mistake earlier. He swapped bags with Zhang Xiaoshi in a rush. He hands the clerk the wrong bag. The store staff thinks he is trying to return a fake.
