Chinese Drama 2022

Wild Bloom (Chinese Drama Review & Summary)

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• Genre: 90s Era, Entrepreneuership
• Release Date: 27 November 2022
• Origin: China; Adapted from an A Nai novel
• Cdrama: 36 Episodes

 

Cast

• Zhao Liying as Xu Banxia
• Ou Hao as Tong Xiao Qi
• Li Guangjie as Zhao Lei
• Liu Wei as Wu Jian Zhe
• Ke Lan as Gao Yuejin
• Ren Zhong as Feng Yu
• Feng Jiayi as Qiu Bizheng
• Wang Jinsong as Xu Youren
• Sun Qian as Ye Mao

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7 July 2021: This drama is yet to be confirmed.  Rumour has it that Zhao Liying is interested to play the lead in this drama.

6 August 2021: Further rumour had come out that this drama will be a reunion of Liying and Wang Yibo.  Filming will commence by mid-September 2021.

22 August 2021: The drama has been renamed as Savage Growth. Nope, back to Wild Bloom.

16 August 2022: It has now passed the review so it is ready to air… soon.

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Quick Precis

This drama is about entrepreneurship in the 90s.

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Episode 1

Zhao Liying is seriously pretty and perky.  I love this drama already.  I want to watch entrepreneurship.

1998

Xu Banxia exorcised the bad luck of a rather sorry-looking Tong Xiao Qi with wet twigs while he was in his underpants.

Flashback to 1991

Tong Xiao Qi desperately knocked on Xu Banxia’s scrapyard to sell his wares.  When Chen Yu Zhou turned up, was shocked to find that Tong Xiao Qi was selling them stolen manhole covers.

Yu Zhou told Tong Xiao Qi to leave.

Tong Xiao Qi was at the end of his tether.  He needed money to pay for his mother’s hospitalisation.

Banxia felt sorry for him so she gave him money and then told him to turn up the next day so they could secretly return the manhole covers to where they belonged.

Tong Xiao Qi was quite useful to Banxia and Chen Yu Zhou because he could drive and was able to ‘borrow’ a truck from his employer.

Unfortunately, when he returned the truck, he was fired for borrowing it illegally.

Anyway, he returned to Banxia’s junkyard and told her what had happened.  Banxia told him that he could join her and Chen Yu Zhou to manage the scrapyard.

One day, Tong Xiao Qi took Banxia back to her apartment on his bicycle.  He had not left yet when he heard the ruckus at her place.

Banxia had come home to find her boyfriend in bed with another woman and when she complained he started strangling her.  Tong Xiao Qi came up to protect Banxia but it got out of hand and ended with Tong Xiao Qi being sent to prison for 5 years for grievous bodily harm.

Now, 1998.

Banxia got his back.  She made him the vice president of her company and took him with her to attend the National Steel Conference where they met businessmen that of course had to do with steel.

Episode 2

All Banxia wanted from Tong Xiao Qi was for him to cover her back so she does not get drunk and embarrassed herself.

Banxia heard a very lucrative transaction from Wu Jian She, who proposed a cooperative.  She immediately put forward her company to be part of it.  Wu Jian She that they need to speak to the guest of honour, Zhao Lei as he is a big businessman who had foreign contacts.

Poor Banxia got so drunk because Tong Xiao Qi seemed to have disappeared.

She later got so annoyed with him when she found out that it was because of a girl that he vanished.

Anyway, Banxia had a more pressing problem.  Her company lacks the capital so she went to see her father.  Banxia’s mother died from giving birth to her

Anyway, Banxia has a stepsister who gets everything but when she asked her father to lend her money, her stepmother immediately said that they don’t have it.  Her father immediately told her to leave but then Banxia had an ace on her sleeves.

She said that if they refused to give her the money then she does not have a choice but to sell the house which was her grandmothers, passed to Banxia’s mother and she has the deed in her name.

Episode 3

Banxia really wanted to be part of the steel transaction.  She looked for a land where the steel might be stored.

The village leader wanted a million rent for the wasteland which Banxia cannot afford.

She went to people who could help her, though they tolerated her, they were patronising but Banxia is made up of sterner stuff.  She managed to get some money but still not enough.

Her father turned up with 300,000 but wanted ther to pay it back with interest as well as surrendering the deeds to her house to him.  Banxia said that it will never happen.

Her father comprised by saying that she was mortgaging the house to him and if she can’t pay at the given time, she will forfeit the house.

Banxia was resigned to how selfish her father and stepmother were but she told her father that she will treat it as a mortgage as long as he gives her 500,000.

Banxia, Chen and Tong went to the village to negotiate with the village leader who said the he will rent the land for 500,000 but this was really too much.

So Banxia, Chen and Tong came away with no real fruit to their labour.

Chen told Tong that if the wasteland is somehow polluted no one would want to rent it.

Episode 

The Banxia Group is really starting from scratch.  Tong has been made in charge of trucks that are not fit for purpose but somehow he was able to fix them with the help of a crew he was able to gather.

It was unfortunate though that they had to resort to dumpling crude oil into the seaside to pollute the place so no one would touch it.  This was a reaction when the village chief was getting greedier and greedier by increasing the rent exorbitantly plus the fact that he was unwilling to give Banxia Group a chance because it is a very small company headed by a woman.

Chen tried to stop Tong but it was too late as the deed was done.  The oil had started flowing into the sea.

Episode 5

I am loving this drama.  There are so many side stories that is so believable and sometimes rather tragic.  The cinematography is good and Liying is killing her role as the feisty Banxia.

Anyway, the village chief finally agreed to rent out the land to Banxia with the condition that she was to clean up the place but pay compensation to the villagers whose livelihood depends on the sea.

Banxia agreed because of guilt despite not really her fault.

She did beat up Tong who was feeling the guilt as well but he would do it again if it meant helping Banxia.

Zhao Liying showed her swollen hand from repeatedly slapping Ou Hao during filming.

He took himself away from the Banxia Group and promised that if the police would question about the oil spill, he will go to jail for it.

He stays at the truck compound with his drivers.

Chen came to see him while he was with Gao Xin Yi and the drivers having hotpot at the yard.

Chen later told Tong that Banxia will pay for all the trucks which Tong will managed honesty, no drugs and drinks and not to get into trouble with the law anymore.

Zhao Lei had become Banxia’s backer.  He will lend her money but he has conditions.  He will have final decisions on everything.  Beggars can’t be chooser so Banxia had to agree.

There was a doctor, a chief in general surgery at the hospital who developed a crush on Banxia.  He tried to give her money but she knew that it has emotional strings so she turned him down as she was not looking for any kind of relationship.

Episode 6

It is the opening of Binhai Banxia Storage Yard attended by Qiu Bizheng, Guo Qidong and Zhao Lei.  It was a success that so much so, Guo QiDong offered to invest.

Zhao Lei gave her the loan she asked and everything was peaceful for once.

The workers are happy to queue for their salary which was reasonable but then they got interrupted by an elegant lady who was very irate.  She wanted to know where Tong Xiaoxi was.

Banxia recognised her as Gao Yue Jin, the business chief of the whole county.  Banxia told her that Tong should be in the truck yard.  She went with her they found Gqao Xin Yi at the yard playing cards with Tong and the drivers.

Gao Yue JIn was screaming at Xin Yi while Banxia took Tong away with her and told him that the person they can’t upset was Gao Yue Jin as she can close down their business.  She advised Tong to keep away from Xin Yi.

Gao Yue Jin took Xin Yi away but came back again after a few days demanding to see Xin Yi.

Tong was flummoxed because he had not seen Xinyi. Gao Yue Jin told him that he must not have anything to do with Xinyi as they belonged in different worlds.

Tong asked the other drivers to look for Xinyi.  He found her and again will get himself into trouble as he told Xinyi to stay with him at his apartment.

As if Banxia has trouble enough. She with Mr Wu, Feng Yu, Qiu Bi Zheng and Guo Zidong went to Siberia (?) to get the steel.  On their way, Mr Wu spoke with Banxia to tell her that he could only give her 5000 shares rather than 15,000 as he originally promised.  He said that he could not abide doing business with a foreigner, Mr Zhao, through her.

Episode 7

The troop arrived in Russia.  They had a mini-tour of the steel factory and signed contracts with their contacts.  They then ended up in the police station for breaking and entering when they had to use forced entry to the villa they were supposed to stay.  They found out at the station that they had been swindled by professionals.

A consul came to the Chinese Embassy to bail them out.

The men sort of resigned to losing their money and then going home but Banxia refused to give up.  She said she is staying and looking for her steel.

Meanwhile, Tong can’t pay his men so they suggested that they do a spot of kidnapping to get money.

Tong told them to beat him up because he promised the boss that he will live a good honest life.

Episode 8

The men left to go home leaving Banxia alone to follow the money trail and source out steel manufacturers.  Feng Yu did leave some money and the Chinese Embassy’s number so they can buy her a ticket home.

She was looking everywhere but getting nowhere as she does not speak Russian.

At her hotel, Banxia fainted.  The hotel called the embassy which sent a doctor and a girl to look after her.

Banxia was so happy that the girl speaks Russian and agreed to be her translator

Meanwhile, Mr Qiu happily told Mr Zhao that they were scammed in Russia but Banxia refused to return home.

Mr Zhao was so worried for Banxia, he took it out of Mr Qiu.  Mr Zhao then called Banxia and told her to return.  Money is not everything, there is one life to live.

Banxia was thinking about it and even went to a market to buy presents but she saw Nina and she chase after her.

Xiao Yan translated.  Nina said that she was hired to pretend as the daughter of a steel man by a Chinese man.

When Banxia threatened her with the police, Nina told her that she will make it up to her.  She has an uncle at the Black with loads of scrap steel.  She will take her to meet him.

Banxia with Yan went but she did tell Mr Zhao where she was going.

Mr Zhao was very worried about her but he knew she is headstrong.

When she contacted him again, she told him to give her 24M for the steel.

When he asked if she had seen the steel, she had to admit that she had not but she has a gut feeling that the transaction was legit.

Against company policy, Mr Zhao arranged the money for Banxia, though he told her not to get scammed a second time.

I am loving their developing relationship.  So cute.

Episode 9

I am loving this drama so much. The interpersonal relationship is so good.  You wanted Banxia and her team to do well.

Banxia was jubilant coming back because she was able to find steel.

And then, the scrap metals were considered first class because they were from derelict tanks from the Baltics.

Banxia told her crew that austerity is over.  They are going to be rich.

Episode 10

This did not happen.  They were poorer than ever.  The price of steel has gone so low, they would have lost millions if she sells.

Zhao Lei advised her to grit her teeth and hang on.  It is easier said than done because lawsuit after lawsuit was lodged against her company for non-payment of loans, salary, rent, etc.

Poor Banxia was so stressed she ended up in prison for evading taxes.

Tong went to beg Ye Mao to lend him 120,000 to pay the tax so Banxia is let out of prison.

Banxia was allowed out and immediately went to Ye Mao’s mother to explain about the tax evasion and the steel.  The mother was rather impressed with Banxia for her tenacity as a businesswoman.

Poor Zhao Lei was greatly affected by his business with Banxia as well.  His company did not approve of him lending 24M to Banxia so he was demoted.

Episode 11

Autumn 1997

It got worst before it got better.

Guo Gidong sued her for the unpaid loan.  He then told Banxia that if she agreed he will take all her still at a very, very low price which enraged Zhao Lei, who was in the meeting

Ye Mao was berating poor Banxia for relying too much on Tong Xiao Xi who had been working day and night so earns the money to pay the salaries and rent of Banxia Steel Co.

Banxia had already removed the truck business from Banxia Steel Co so that if they go bankrupt, he won’t lose his trucks.

But Tong Xiaoxi was so devoted to Banxia which annoys Ye Mao, who had elected herself to be a trucker’s wife and goes with him every time he has a job.  Tong had a very serious accident because he fell asleep on the wheels. Ye Mao was with him at the accident and told Banxia all about it.  She gave him the money Tong earned.

Ye Mao took over the running of the trucks while Tong is in the hospital.

Zhao Lei was transferred to the general office.

Episode 12

Yey!  Finally good news for Banxia and Zhao Lei.  China was offering competitive prices for steel

Banxia finally being able to get some money is a welcome news not only for her but also for me. 🤣🤣🤣 Because I can’t really take it anymore.  Banxia needed a break.  Her team needed a break.

The money is rolling in at last.

Mr Wu, Mr Qiu, Mr Feng and Guo Gidong came to visit.  Banxia told Wu, Qiu and Feng that she has a second consignment coming and if they want they can invest.  She then dropped Guo Gidong in it saying that he had been pilfering money from Mr Qiu.

Mr Qiu was raging and told Guo Gidong that he will see him end up in prison.

Banxia asked Tong that she will take the truck business back to Banxia Steel Co and their old agreement will stand.  Banxia, Chen, and Tong are shareholders.

Tong did not complain and just signed the new contract without reading it because he Banxia wholeheartedly.

Ye Mao’s mother came to the truck yard where Banxia paid her her loan with interest.  The mother was not happy with Ye Mao working so closely with Tong.  She told Banxia that she will give Tong and Ye Mao a chance if Banxia makes Ye Mao works in Banxia Steel Co with her rather with Tong.

Banxia agreed.

Episode 13

Ye Mao started working for Banxia,  She actually good at accounting.

Binhai Banxia International Steel Company had officially opened a plush office.   The work is going well.

Finally a light-hearted episode.  Chen is in love and he is being mercilessly teased about it.

Banxia went on a dinner date with Zhao Lei who presented her with a gift.  She thought it was a necklace which made Zhao Lei uncomfortable because it was really a letter opener.  He said European gift people letter openers as a sign of friendship.

Banxia stuck the knife into her steak and said it was a good knife letter opener.

Banxia and the guys upgraded their seaside yard into a working pier.

President Ye (Ye Mao’s mother) was a guest of honour.  She gave many useful tips, information and encouragement to Banxia.

Banxia later told the guys that they should consider opening their own steel mill so they could really be real industrialists like they had discussed and dreamed before.

Episode 14

Mr Wu threw a dinner party for Mr Feng, Mr Qiu with Guo Sidong, newly released from prison and Banxia.

He also invited Zhao Lei and the sneaky Qin Fan Ping, who used to be Zhao Lei’s assistant who took over Zhao Lei’s job after Zhao Lei resigned.  Qin asked Banxia if at any point there was bribery that went on between her and Zhao Lei.

Banxia was so annoyed with Qin and warned him that the Steel business is a small community and should not get too big for his boots.

Anyway the dinner did not go well as Mr Wu tried to asked everyone to cooperate in trying to put a bid on the National Steel 2 project but he said that he will have a 50 percent share with Mr Qiu 20, Banxisa 20 and Feng 10

Banxia was not having it as she wanted 40 percent with Mr Wu’s 40 percent.

Chen’s romance is going well but his girlfriend is rather suspect.  He showers her with branded gifts and he started coming to work late.

Tong teased him that he was so loved up he was ignoring his job.

Chen dashed into the toilet to throw up blood.  Tong saw it and told him that he was taking him to the hospital but Chen refused and beg Tong not to tell Banxia.

Episode 15

Zhao Lei finally agreed to work with Banxia under the condition that it will be on his terms.  She agreed immediately which surprised him.  But she said she knows, he will not hurt her.

It was Feng’s wedding.  The mother-in-law was a bit of a dragon and asked that Feng gives her daughter a grand wedding.  She invited many but in the end, they did not stay long.

She was so upset but a drunk Feng told her that he warned her the people will not celebrate a wedding from a newly divorced.

Episode 16

This is a sad episode.

Chen collapsed in front of Banxia, Tong and Ye Mao, so they took him to the hospital.

Doctor Su confidentially told Banxia that Chen has terminal lung cancer.  It is inoperable as it has spread too muchl

Banxia did tell Chen about it but she let Tong know because she wanted Tong to take her to see Zhou Qian so she could come to an arrangement with Chen’s girlfriend

Tong told Banxia that Zhou Qian is a liar and a trickster.

Banxia spoke to Zhou Qian.  Banxia wanted Zhou Qian to date Chen.  She will be paid 10,000 per month.  Zhou Qian disagreed.  She wanted 20,000.

Banxia was suprised but agreed.  She told the girl that Chen must not know about the deal

Episode 17

Poor Feng’s marriage is on the rocks already as he can’t control his wife who is putting his business in jeopardy.

As Qiu reported Banxia for selling firearms, Banxia reported him to.

It turned out Qiu had more to lose because the police found fake goods in his warehouse.  He begged Guo Sidong to take the blame for him and he will look after family

Chen unfairly blamed Tong for transferring the truck business out of Banxia Steel again.  Ye Mao was forced to confess that Tong did not have anything to do with it.  In fact, he does not know anything about it.  But Ye Mao said that she discussed it with Banxia who agreed with her.

Everyone was in tears, including me, when Chen made Tong promise to always look after Banxia in case Chen dies.

Episode 18

Poor Chen is creating memories with his girlfriend who has started to realise that Chen might die soon.

Feng told Banxia to take over his factory because he wanted to retire in his hometown to have some peace and quiet.

Banxia went to Shenyang to buy equipment from a closing steel mill but she got embroiled in the sad and pathetic life of the villagers.

Zhao Lei told her to leave it alone and not get involved but she did ignore him and stopped returning his calls.

Episode 19

There are some implied bed actions in this episode.

Zhao Lei was so worried of Banxia, he went to Shenyang to check on her and it was a good thing too as she just came back to her hotel room but found it thrashed.

Banxia was so happy to see Zhao Lei that she jumped into his arms and kissed him while he took her to bed.  Afterwards, it was a little awkward but Banxia told him that she will take responsibility for him for what happened which made him smile.

His presence made everything more comfortable for Banxia.  He was able to reach out to the elusive new owner of the steel mill by literally jumping to the change on a hole made on the frozen lake.

He later came back to the hotel almost on the point of hypothermia.  Banxia hugged him tightly.

Zhao Lei told him that the boss had agreed to meet her where she asked him to treat the people humanly and provide them with water and electricity and some sort of life insurance.  The boss finally agreed.

Meanwhile, Zhou Qian climbed to Chen bed and told him that it was her first time.  Chen nervously said it was his first time too.  Their love story is tragically beautiful.

On the other hand, Ye Mao and Tong had a bust-up because Ye Mao made draconian changes at how the truckers should do their work and behave.  She hung new rules and regulations in the sleeping quarters of the men and made so much noise while they were sleeping after having had to work at night.

The guy called Tong to sort things out.  When he saw what Ye Mao did, he understood his men.  The rules and regulations were just like being back in prison again.  So he removed them but Ye Mao who just came in put them back again. Tong removed them again and she put them back again. This happened a few times.

They started having a war of words until Tong told her that his Boss never told him to change his crew.  It was up to Tong to manage them.

Episode 20

Tong and Ye Mao broke up but Chen made Tong see the way.  Chen said that while Tong was in the hospital, Ye Mao work with the truckers and then spend the nights looking after Tong in the hospital.  Chen said he is Team Ye Mao and Tong should mend his ways and apologise.

Meanwhile, Banxia and Zhao Lei are totally loved up but Banxia told him to go back to Binhai to oversee the company as Chen is ailing while Tong is mopping at the truck yard.  Banxia stayed in Shenyang because has the bright idea of recruiting a whole community to go back to Binhai with her to work in her steel mill.

There was a poignant call between Banxia and Chen. Chen said that his days are numbered and he knew that Banxia knows.  That was really sad.

Episode 21

The people from Shenyang had arrived and were welcomed by Binhai Banxia.

Mr Wu came to see Banxia about cooperation but Banxia turned him down saying that she will have to take over the mill.  She was doing this for Chen.

Chen had decided to go to Maldives with Zhou  Qian but Tong was so worried he kidnapped Chen to take him to the hospital. Chen was resisting so Zhou Qian finally put her foot down and told Chen that everyone around him was worried for him.  In the end, Chen agreed to go.

Zhao Lei had been asked by a British Company to meet up in Shanghai for an interview.

Banxia was upset but she was resigned about it as she had always known that Zhao Lei would leave one day once he finds a job at a foreign firm.

Mr Wu went to see President Gao regarding the bidding for the No 2 steel project.    The president was not amused when she saw the bribe Mr Wu presented herl.

Episode 22

President Gao told Mr Wu that times had changed and to take his money.  As they were old friends, she will ignore the bribery as if it did not happen.

Mr Wu knew he was beaten but not quite yet because he tried to find other avenues to make sure Banxia does not get the State No 2 Steel contract.  He asked Manager Hong of an international company to recruit Zhao Lei.

Manager Hong invited Zhao Lei to dinner.

Zhao Lei was surprised to find Mr Wu at the dinner as well.

Mr Wu said that he had been singing his praises to Mr Hong who had found Zhao Lei application to the company and would like to offer him a job now.  It was tempting as it allows him to be able to work in America as well.

Zhao Lei said that he will think about it.  But he was so tempted he went to see Mr Wu the next day.  He was promised shares if Mr Wu wins the bidding.

Meanwhile, Banxia told Zhao Lei that she won’t be going with him at the bidding conference because she was not used to the protocol but she said to bid for the steel mill as high as he can,

Episode 23

This is the drama of the year.

This episode is a cryfest for me.

Banxia was double-crossed by Zhao Lei.  Despite Banxia screaming to up the bid at the other side of the phone, he stopped and let Mr Wu wins.

Zhao Lei then later told Banxia that he did it for her own good.  He did not want her to go bankrupt but this only incensed Banxia because she told him he did not know her truly because once she sets her mind to something, she will go for broke.  She wanted the steel mill for Chen because she promised him.

So she threw Zhao Lei out who confessed that he did go to Mr Wu and was promised a job.

Meanwhile, Chen sneaked out of the hospital to fly with Zhou Xiao to the Maldives.

The hospital called Tong who turned up with Ye Mao. Tong called Banxia and reported that Chen is gone and reckoned that Chen was at the airport.

They all met up at the airport and eventually found Chen and Zhou Xiao.  Banxia told Tong to let Chen go but then Chen started throwing up blood so they took him back to the hospital

Later, Banxia told Chen that she did not gr the mill.  Chen said that they can still build their own mill.  Banxia made Chen promise to live and see the mill they are going to build.

Chen was in the intensive care.  Banxia, Tong and Ye Mao alternated in staying with Chen to give Zhou Xiao a respite as she confessed her heart was breaking as she can’t come to terms that the man she had fallen in love with was dying

Episode 24

Zhao Lei and Banxia reconciled and had a lovely time in Shanghai.

Chen is hanging on.

Mr Wu asked Banxia to invest in his steel mill but she had to tell him she doesn’t have the money.

President Gao warned Banxia that building her own mill will be problematic.

Episode 25

Zhao Lei works in another company and has an LDR with Banxia

Banxia told Chen that their dream of building their own mill will come into fruition soon.  She has already rented the land to build their steel mill adjacent to their post and steel yard.

Chen begged Banxia to let him see their port for the last time.

Tong with Zhou Xiao and Young Su sneaked out Chen and met Banxia at their port.  Chen was happy and died peacefully. 😭😭😭

Zhou Xiao was ready to leave when she saw Banxia looking all sad and forlorn at the living room.  Banxia gave Zhou Xiao the bank book that Chen for her but Zhou Xiao declined it.  She said it had been so traumatic and she wanted to forget everything so she does not want any reminder.

The person who loves money was Banxia’s father.  Banxia was emotional so she visited her father and bought his affection with loads of money.  Banxia said that money seemed the sum total of their relationship so she will give him money so they could have a proper father-daughter relationship.

Banxia had gotten hold of Chen’s bucket list and had been doing it herself including opening a school for the villagers.

Meanwhile, Mr Wu & Qiu were having a major problem with the mill.  They don’t have enough money to run it adequately. Their engineer warned that it could explode but their real problem was the pollution.  The villagers started to complain that their waters were polluted.  Their shrimps and fish are dying and the people are ending up in hospitals.

Episode 26

Tong and Ye Mao got engaged then broke up the next minute when Tong found out that Ye Mao applied to NYU without telling him.  She then got accepted to study for a year but Tong can’t take it.

Banxia and Zhao Lei’s own LDR is not ideal.  They seemed to be falling further apart.

Banxia collapsed due to a perforated intestine or something that ended with her being hospitalised.  She refused to let Zhao Lei know but he found out anyway and rushed to her side.

Banxia, however, noticed that he was way too busy because he might be with her but he was working on his laptop nonstop as she was.

President Gao ordered Mr Wu to stop his machines being pollution is becoming widespread.  Despite the order, Mr Wu told Mr Qiu to keep the machine going

Episode 27

The pollution and other problems at Mr Wu’s mill were getting out of hand that even Mr Qiu was alarmed.  He did not know what to do so he went to Sidong in prison for advice.

Sidong told him to get his money back and invest in Banxia’s mill.

It was easier said than done because Mr Wu refused to give his money and threatened Mr Qiu that if he insisted, he will report him for misappropriation of funds

Tong and Ye Mao got back together when Ye Mao found out that Tong was selling the trucks and was studying to be a chef of Sichuan food so he could go with her to America.  He would open a restaurant while she studies.

Banxia asked Zhao Lei if he ever thought of giving up his job in Shanghai and returning to Binhai.

Zhao Lei said that he like working in Shanghai and with foreign company

Episode 28

On 31 December 1999, Tong married Ye Mao.  Ye Mao tried to encourage Banxia to catch her bouquet but Banxia refused.

As Zhao Lei was going back to Beijing the next day, he and Banxia left early and waited for the first light of 2000 by the seaside.  After soul-searching, both decided that they just should be friends as they are leading to different paths.

Ban Xia drove Zhao Lei in the morning to the airport and more or less said their final goodbyes.

Zhao Lei was just getting his boarding pass when he saw the ring box from his jacket packet.  He grabbed his tickets and left the building.  He was hailing a taxi when he saw Banxia returning to the airport.

They ended up hugging passionately. Zhao Lei then went on bended knee to ask her to marry him.

Meanwhile, Mr Qiu went back to consult Sidong in prison.  Sidong advised him to go to a journalist about the pollution

Mr Qiu did pay a journalist to take photos just to blackmail Mr. Wu but everything got out of control because the press made a feature of the pollution caused by the Government back steel mill.

They are all facing bankruptcy, Mr Wu, Mr Qiu and Mr Feng as shareholders

As a last resort, Mr Wu went to Banxia to ask her to take over his factories

Episode 29

Banxia refused to help Mr Wu.  He got so annoyed he convinced the Xitian village people to sue Banxia for polluting their seashore so they would rent it out cheaply to Banxia.

So Banxia Steel Mill construction ground to a halt.

Episode 30

Zhao Lei came to the rescue and told Banxia to tell Mr Wu that she will help him afterall.

Banxia introduced Zhao Lei to her father officially as her husband to be.

Banxia’s vengeful ex-husband came back and kidnapped Banxia’s father.

Episode 31

Ye Mao is pregnant which she did not want as she was determined to study at NYU.  She even had a fight with Tong because of her wanting not to keep the baby.  But during an ultrasound, she changed her mind as she listen to her baby’s heartbeat.

Banxia’s father was not kidnapped by Wang Quan but instead he made the father that he is back.

Banxia with Tong went to the little hovel of Wang Quan where they see how poor the condition of his life.  Banxia gave him money but this only made Wang Quand.  He showed them the colostomy bottle he had to carry to wee all the time.  Their meeting did not end well.

The Steel Mill completed the first phase with flying colours.

Banxia was returning back to the office when Wang Quan crashed his taxi in her car.  As she got out, he followed her and would have killed her if some men who was on overtime did not see theml.

As it is Banxia ended in the hospital with a minor concussion and a spinal condition.

Zhao Lei came rushing back to her and said they must sue Wang Quan but Banxia said that she will not sue him because she actually felt guilty at how Wang Quan ended up only half a man.

Anyway, after a month, Wang Quan was let out of prison and Banxia with Zhao Lei were waiting for him outside

Banxia gave him money and told him to start over.  She will send him monthly allowance.

Episode 32

The mill if fully functioning and it was quite progressive.  Everyone was happy.

They said it was typical of Banxia to coincide her wedding with the opening of the factory/mill.

It was a lovely wedding and Banxia and Zhao Lei decided to invest all their red packet wedding money on the Logistics business idea of Ye Mao.

Now, the steel factory was going to join the stock market.  Their representative warned that there should not even a hint of fraud and corruption so it can be accepted.

Banxia was very proud and confirm they understand.

Unfortunately, Mr Qiu had a couple of problems.  First Sidong is finally out of prison and second, the agent they chose for foreign business had told Mr Qiu that he will tweak the description of the steel so there will be tax evasion.  He assured Mr Qiu that it has nothing to do with their factory so Mr Qiu has nothing to worry about.

I must say Zhao Liying chemistry with Li Guangjie is really hot.  He is so manly and debonair.

Episode 33

Everything is going wrong at the mill.  Police had come to take financial documents in respect of tax evasion and possible historical smuggling

The mills and factories had been stopped which brought problems of not being able to fulfill their obligations to their customers!

Mr Qin, the foreign agent had been arrested which frightened Mr Qiu so much he contemplated fleeing but Banxia was able to talk him out of it.  Instead, Mr Qiu will surrender himself to the police.

Because they were going public, they’ve submitted documents already which put paid to their decision to honestly confess about their historical smuggling.

Episode 34

It is a stressful time for everyone especially to Banxia as she felt guilty as President Gao had been questioned as well for her role in selling government property.

Poor Mr Qiu collapsed with a brain hemorrhage and yet Sidong was unwilling to help and instead dropped everyone into it by pleading guilty to smuggling

Episodes 35 – 36

This has been a very watchable because of the fine acting by everyone but it ended not with a bang.

It is very disappointing.  You feel that after all that hard work where all the struggle of being an entrepreneur was documented, in the end, it ended with the lead being imprisoned for something she really was not guilty about.  She was just a victim of circumstances.

The struggles were real but it seemed the triumph was hardly mentioned.

This is not a drama that should be made 36 episodes because this is cheating the viewers.

Banxia was really never made to appear as if she really made it to the top.  The only sign of it was when she announced that they will make Youzhou Steel Manufacturing go public.

And before they could do that, they were sued for smuggling and selling off Government properties.

So the company was bankrupt.  But then, Sidong retracted his guilty plea saying that what he said previously was not correct but rather born from his hatred of Mr Qiu and Banxia,  It is his revenge.

So they were fined 6M.  Then they have to sort out the case of selling off Government properties.  This was apparently from that mill that Mr Wu had successfully put a bid on from the Government.

When Mr Wu transferred the mill to Banxia, he failed to tell her that the Government had stipulated that the machinery and everything inside the mill is Government owned.

Not knowing this, Banxia sold off and got rid of the antiquated paraphernalia to replace them with more modern, non-pollutant, and more competitive equipment suitable for the 21st century.  Unfortunately, the Government does not buy this reasoning because the law is the law.

Mr Wu felt guilty about it and as he love steel manufacturing so much he surrendered and was heavily find.

This should have been done and dusted but no!!!

So Youzhou Steel Manufacturing could resume going public!  Before the workers united could rejoice for the coming money for all of them, Banxia had an attack of conscience.  She said she will postpone it.

It got then really stupid because to assuage her conscience she was imprisoned for a year.  This for something she did not do, she did not think of, she did not order but she felt she had to pay for it.

This issue was when Chen mentioned to an impulsive Tong that the only way they could get the land from Binhai village was to pollute the land.  So Tong poured tanks of crude oil onto the land that seeped into the sea.

To be fair, the land later was cleaned up thoroughly and the people compensated.

So why Banxia, why?!!!!  Ban Xia is psychologically damaged.  She has a guilt complex, probably because her father’s treatment of her damaged her irreparably when he blamed her for her mother’s death from giving birth to her.

Or this is a tribute drama, national propaganda that entrepreneurs should always toe the line.

I personally give this drama ⭐️⭐️⭐️ because the ending is so bad I really felt let down.  With all her hard work, she should have some super triumphant moments but I did not see it because it was so fleeting if they were even there

 

The End

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