Episode Summary
Ma Weiguo refuses surgery despite Jin Tong's persistence. He convinces Dong Qian to invest in the restaurant by admitting he was wrong about his friends. Li Lianbao discovers Ma Weiguo forged a love letter years ago, which caused a long-standing misunderstanding with Dong Qian. The four friends resolve the conflict over dinner and agree to share leadership of the restaurant, with Tong Qiu taking charge of marketing.
Spoiler Alert
Ma Weiguo Faces Reality
Jin Tong is not taking no for an answer. She tracks down Ma Weiguo and insists he see a doctor. She wants him to try Traditional Chinese Medicine. Ma Weiguo resists at first. He eventually caves and goes with her. The visit does not go well. The doctor is blunt. He tells Ma Weiguo to get surgery immediately. He suggests combining it with other treatments. Ma Weiguo barely reacts. He accepted his fate a long time ago. He walks away without agreeing to anything.
The Pitch to Dong Qian
Ma Weiguo and Li Lianbao head over to see Dong Qian. She has no interest in seeing Li Lianbao. She leaves him outside and meets only with Ma Weiguo. He is there to make a deal. He wants her to collaborate with them. She refuses. Ma Weiguo decides to get honest. He opens up about his recent change of heart.
He admits he used to resent his friends. He was angry when Wang Chunsheng and the others kicked him out of the group. He viewed Wang Chunsheng as lazy. He saw Li Lianbao as ambitious but unskilled. He thought Tong Qiu was just a spoiled kid with no drive. That perspective shifted recently. He sees their strengths now. He changed his mind about revenge. He asks Dong Qian to invest in Penglexuan. He wants his friends to succeed.
The Forged Love Letter
Li Lianbao waits outside in a panic. Ma Weiguo walks out and delivers the news. Dong Qian agreed to the deal. Li Lianbao gets suspicious. He wants to know why she listened to Ma Weiguo. He barges into Dong Qian's office. She pulls out an old love letter. Li Lianbao reads it and laughs. The content is ridiculous. Then he sees the signature. It says "Li Lianbao."
He realizes the problem immediately. He never wrote that letter. Dong Qian went to the meeting spot mentioned in the note years ago. Li Lianbao never showed up. She felt humiliated. She held a grudge against him for years because of it. Li Lianbao recognizes the handwriting. Ma Weiguo wrote it with his left hand.
Old Grudges and New Plans
Jin Tong corners Ma Weiguo again. She wants to take him to another department for checks. They start arguing. Li Lianbao interrupts them. He is furious about the fake letter. He looks ready to throw a punch. Wang Chunsheng calls just in time. He summons the group for dinner.
Li Lianbao tells Wang Chunsheng and Tong Qiu about the forgery. Wang Chunsheng demands an explanation. Ma Weiguo claims he just wanted to help Li Lianbao and Dong Qian get together back then. This brings up old memories. The anger dissipates. The four friends start drinking and sharing stories about their youth.
The conversation shifts to business. Wang Chunsheng nominates Ma Weiguo for Chairman. The group disagrees. They want Wang Chunsheng to lead. Wang proposes a solution. All four of them will be Chairmen. Tong Qiu steps up. He acknowledges Wang Chunsheng's contribution as a champion. He decides to handle the technical side for Penglexuan. He gets to work immediately. He calls old clients to promote the roast duck restaurant.
Ma Weiguo tries to sneak back to his room later. He wants to avoid Jin Tong. She is too quick for him. She blocks his path and insists on continuing his treatment.
