[NORTHWARD]
[Episode 24]
[eWorld, Zhongguancun]
Hey.
Why did you stop me?
We're delivery riders,
not an F1 racing team.
They're obviously picking on us.
Wanghe isn't here right now.
Whatever we say won't make a difference.
Let's just listen to whatever they have to say.
We'll figure something out when he gets back.
But we can't give them something to hold against us.
I said we'll think about it.
I didn't say we'd definitely come up with a solution.
You've been coding so much that your brain's stopped working.
Let's give Wanghe a call first.
Let him know what's going on.
Where are you?
In the hospital room.
How's Uncle Xie doing?
He got a few stitches.
It's nothing serious.
He'll be discharged after a couple more days of observation.
How are you guys doing?
Song is really picking a fight.
We'll hold out for now.
We'll let you know if we can't handle it anymore.
Alright.
Before I get back,
don't make any decisions.
We'll discuss it when I return.
Okay.
Then on behalf of me and Haikuo,
give our regards to your dad.
I'm hanging up.
I'm fine here.
If you're busy, you can go back.
I'm not busy.
I'm really fine here.
Your mom's here too.
Don't worry.
Don't say that.
I've finally managed to come visit.
Let me fulfill my filial duty.
Filial duty?
Don't move.
If you really want to be filial,
hurry up and give me a grandson.
Stop pretending to be busy.
It's your own business.
Hey.
Fine, I'm pretending to be busy.
Only you are truly busy.
Even Liang has a daughter now.
You're comparing me to him?
He's making good money too.
He opened a farm.
He says his crayfish
is being sold in Beijing and Shanghai now.
Right? He's successful in his career
and has a harmonious family.
Harmonious?
I heard that
this Liang did something bad.
His wife caught him cheating.
His nose was even broken.
You, you...
Stop talking nonsense.
Go find a girlfriend quickly.
No time.
If you really don't have time,
finding someone who's already available is fine too.
Hello?
Fenghua, where are you?
Tianjin.
What's wrong?
My mom fell while working.
[Nurse Station]
Is she okay?
I don't know. She's in the hospital.
They said
she needs to do a CT scan.
Fenghua,
can you lend me some money?
[Nurse Station]
How much do you need?
Is 5,000 okay?
I have some money on me,
but I'm afraid it's not enough.
[Nurse Station]
No problem, I'll transfer it to you right away.
[Transfer amount: 5,000 yuan]
[WeChat Pay]
[Nurse Station]
Aunt Liang.
Did something come up?
It's nothing.
If you have something to do, you should go back first.
I know you're busy.
Uncle Xie appreciates your thoughtfulness.
When he is discharged from the hospital,
we'll go to Beijing together.
We'll have a meal together then.
Alright.
I'll just say goodbye to him then.
Okay.
I know you're all working very hard in Beijing.
Tell him.
He can understand.
Besides,
I'm here.
Drive the car back.
Give it to Xingchi.
They need to do some intense street canvassing these days.
They could use it.
You...
didn't get much sleep yesterday.
Do you want to take a nap before you leave?
No need.
I'm worried about you driving while fatigued.
It's just the beginning.
During the 11/11 Sale,
I worked for 72 hours straight without any problem.
I'm off.
Go to the rest area if you're sleepy.
Don't you know
how Fenghua treats you?
Don't play dumb here.
Fenghua and I are like brothers.
Blood-related.
Get out.
Brothers?
Fenghua is a girl.
She doesn't have big ambitions,
but under such a fierce competition in Beijing,
she still endured it 'till now.
Don't you understand?
Isn't it all for you?
Don't play dumb here.
What am I playing dumb about?
If you don't understand, don't talk nonsense.
Last year,
when her family was renovating,
Lao'er
found a diary
under Fenghua's bed.
It was all about you.
This proves
that Fenghua likes you
and it's not something that just happened recently.
If it wasn't for you,
she would have gone back home long ago.
Don't you want to give it a try with her?
Give it a shot.
Look.
Look at the rain.
This, this, this...
It's getting damaged.
Yeah.
Once the rainy season hit,
those few intern college students
all left.
Chen Rui is the best.
Look how reliable he is.
Indeed.
Rui.
Coming. Wait for me.
Have you made any new discoveries?
Here's the thing.
These past couple of days,
I just sent an email to the local
cultural department in Verona.
But they haven't replied to me yet.
So I looked it up on their foreign website.
During the Qing Dynasty,
there were indeed quite a few merchant ships
traveling between China and Italy.
Some documents were destroyed during World War II.
However, some customs records still remain.
I think we can look into it.
We still need to know who those families are.
Thank you.
Be careful.
Don't we already know this?
Little Polo, right?
Mr. Zhou
the name Polo is very common in Italy.
It's like in our country,
if you go to the police station to look for someone named Wang Jianguo.
If you only know the person is called Wang Jianguo
and nothing else,
it would be exhausting to search.
Yes.
I have an idea.
Don't a few families
in the notebook have surnames?
Let's start with the
county records and family genealogies along the canal.
We can look for some clues.
Right.
Let's start by investigating our own families first.
I remember
our family has a genealogy book.
Let me make a call to my hometown
and ask them to make a copy and send it over.
Just the genealogy book might not be enough.
Let's also check if there are
any related old items in our own homes.
Like the old silver coins in our family.
We also have a shoehorn at home.
Ask your mom to check her side of the family.
But because of her work,
she moves a lot.
They might not have been able to keep old items.
I remember Xingchi told me
that the Xie family has a small wine flask, right?
The Xia family has one with a foreign language too.
Xingchi knows about it too?
We talked about it in Beijing.
He was so excited when he heard about it.
Said he'd give us great credit for it.
Did he say when he'll be back?
No, he didn't mention that.
Well, whatever.
Let's see how long he can hang in there for.
The kids have grown up.
Don't force them.
If parents are too strict,
it's easy to create resentment.
If he could be sensible
like Chen Rui or Haikuo,
I wouldn't worry.
As long as he doesn't cause trouble, I'm content.
Even if he stays at home all day,
doing nothing,
I'll be happy if he just lies around at home.
Shipping has resumed.
When can Boss Xie return to the river?
Master Zhou!
Ms. Bian.
What brings you here?
Do you have a moment?
I'd like to take up a few minutes of your time.
I have time.
You taught me a few quick dishes last time, right?
I tried them at home, but they didn't turn out well.
Why not?
It just didn't taste good.
I was wondering if
there was something wrong with my method.
I bought some groceries again today.
Please teach me.
Could you demonstrate it for me once?
Listen, Ms. Bian,
you're underestimating the complexity of cooking.
It's not that simple.
You need to learn gradually,
practice little by little.
When I first started learning to cook, it was the same for me.
My food wasn't good either.
I had to learn too.
I even had to find a master to teach me, right?
Then let me become your apprentice.
I've been really interested in cooking lately.
Please teach me.
I'm quite easy to teach.
Ms. Bian,
I think we should
stop beating around the bush.
Becoming an apprentice is fine,
but
I don't think we're a good match.
Well...
You haven't even tried.
How do you know we're not suitable?
There are many things about my situation that you might
not be aware of.
I
still want to wait for her a bit longer.
I know.
But she's been gone for a long time.
Master Zhou,
I think
you have the right to pursue your own happiness.
Are you saying
you plan
to just keep waiting like this?
Until when?
Don't tell me
you're going to wait your whole life.
I don't know if I'll wait for my whole life or not,
but I know if I stop waiting
and she happens to come back,
I'll definitely regret it.
Understand?
[Fenghua Express]
He, you're back.
Yes, I'm back.
Are you okay?
Is Auntie alright?
I'm fine.
It's nothing. Just a slight fracture, no big deal.
It's okay.
Come, come.
Thank you, thank you.
Go on with your work.
Take it easy.
Let me do it.
Fenghua.
Did you get all the medical checkups done?
Yes, we had X-rays taken.
It's nothing serious.
X-rays can only show bones.
You should've taken this opportunity
to have a thorough physical examination.
What's the point of a checkup?
I'm as fit as a fiddle.
You can't be too sure about that.
When I was young,
one of the neighbors in our courtyard,
an old lady,
she seemed fine normally,
but one day, she suddenly had a stroke.
That's not a very auspicious thing to say.
Let's not talk about it anymore.
Anyway, you need to be careful.
Find some time to get a full physical examination.
I got it, Fenghua.
Go back to your work.
Go.
Will you be alright?
Yes, yes, I'll be fine.
Hello, Fenghua.
Mom.
What's wrong? Is something the matter?
I miss Granny Ma.
Could you burn some joss paper for her later?
It's not Qingming Festival today.
I insist.
Alright, alright.
I will.
Don't use the paper money.
I want the gold ingots.
Take a basin.
Go burn it at Granny's doorstep.
Okay, okay, I got it.
I'm cooking.
Siyi.
Where are you?
I miss you so much.
What?
Work injury?
Yes.
This, this...
That doesn't seem appropriate.
What's inappropriate about it?
You were injured while working, after all.
Make the company pay a bit more.
Our finances
can ease up quite a bit.
I mean...
Ms. Xia has been good enough to us.
We shouldn't cause trouble for her at this time.
Fenghua has been good to us.
That's because our family is willing to work hard.
We're valuable to her.
Why isn't she good to others then?
Who isn't she good to?
She's wholeheartedly devoted to everyone.
What's the use of being so devoted?
Yuanbao went to Bee.
He's earning several thousand more a month.
Then why don't you go?
Who begged you to stay in the first place?
We're talking about medical expenses here.
Why bring up other things?
He Tianming, let me tell you.
Even close brothers keep their accounts clear.
You have to work and help with management,
but you earn so little and I can't even complain?
Honey.
Mom's sick.
Let's go brew the medicine.
Yes.
You're right.
Look at the state of our home.
Our home is in such a state.
We can't even afford to eat now.
Why do you still care about friendship?
♫What will you do without me♫
♫Who will dry your tears?♫
♫Who will hold up an umbrella and comfort you♫
Who is it?
Fenghua, are you asleep?
♫You're afraid of loneliness on a sleepless night♫
♫What will you do without me♫
♫Who else knows what's on your mind?♫
What's up?
♫Why did you let go of me and leave♫
Come in and talk.
No, no. It's not necessary.
♫Didn't we promised to love each other forever?♫
Can my mom's injury be considered a work-related injury?
Of course it is a work-related injury.
I forgot to mention it.
We've bought insurance.
You basically don't need to pay this time.
That's great!
Then, about the medical expenses you paid in advance for my mom before...
It's okay.
We'll talk about that after the reimbursement is done.
♫Don't look at me, I'm not crazy♫
Is there anything else?
Nothing else.
Get some rest early.
♫I'm just heartbroken♫
♫Maybe if I wait, you'll come back♫
Coming! Wait a moment.
♫What will you do without me♫
Give me a raise.
♫Who will dry your tears?♫
A thousand more per month would be fine.
Yuanbao and Shen are working at Bee
♫Who will hold the umbrella for you?♫
and their salaries are over 10,000 now.
What if I don't give you a raise?
If I don't give you a raise,
will you go to Bee?
That won't happen.
If you don't give me a raise...
Bee pays more.
Then go to Bee.
I won't stop you.
Go ahead.
Take your mother and your wife with you.
I can't afford to support idle people now.
[Decline] [Answer]
[Mother]
[Decline] [Answer]
[Mother]
[What if employees want to quit?]
Look at how much we've burdened Ms. Xia.
How could you ask her for a raise?
I just mentioned it.
I didn't say it was necessary.
Mom,
he's working so hard there.
Shut up.
You must apologize to Ms. Xia.
Just tell her we're not leaving.
We have nowhere else to go.
Who says we have nowhere to go?
If she tells us to get lost, she'll have to pay compensation.
With that money…
With that money,
we can rent a storefront.
Tianming can do food delivery,
and the two of us can rent a storefront.
Then we can be our own bosses.
Mom.
I know.
You think I'm nagging.
You find me troublesome.
You won't listen to me anymore.
From now on, don't listen to me.
You choose
your own path.
[Fenghua Express]
Fenghua,
I'm sorry.
You don't need to give me a raise.
Just pretend I never said anything.
How did you come to this decision?
My mom said...
I don't want to hear what your mom said.
I want to hear your thoughts.
I was blinded by money.
I'm sorry.
Don't say that.
The industry hasn't been doing well lately.
I really can't give a raise.
Otherwise, I can't explain it to the headquarters.
I know.
You've done more than enough
for my family.
My mom,
my wife…
If it were someone else,
they would have been kicked out long ago.
They're not idle either.
I know you're under a lot of pressure.
You want to save more money for your child.
The child is one thing.
It's also about my mom.
Living with me,
not only hasn't she had a good life,
but she almost didn't have a place to live.
She works all day for me,
and when she gets sick,
I don't even have the money for medical treatment.
I feel like I'm such an unfilial son.
Alright.
Go to Bee.
Your mom and your wife can stay.
Fenghua.
You're here,
but your heart has run away.
You won't do well here either.
You might as well go out and try.
That's not what I meant.
Enough. No need to explain.
If you want to go, then go.
A grown man
supporting his family is nothing to be ashamed of.
If you go to Bee and see Xie Wanghe later,
throw a pebble in his sandals for me.
When he eats instant noodles,
throw away his seasoning packet.
Old Mr. Zhou,
good morning.
Thank you.
You haven't had breakfast, have you?
Thank you.
Have a bowl of hot tofu pudding.
Thank you, thank you.
Um,
Does Mr. Zhou
have time recently?
Yes.
What's the matter?
Remember that Ms. Bian from last time?
He didn't like her, right?
Well,
I have found another one for him.
She runs her own company in the city.
She's capable in business and is beautiful too.
Her age is also suitable.
How about we
meet her sometime?
We'll see.
I think
Yanlin isn't very interested in this matter.
Why is that?
He probably hasn't moved on his heart.
Let him be.
Yanlin is
stubborn.
He doesn't listen to anyone.
I'll ask Granny Ma to persuade him later.
Granny Ma?
Before, when Yanlin
had a falling out with that Zhimei,
it was Granny Ma who reconciled them.
I'll find her later
to persuade Yanlin.
If you arrange more matches,
let Granny Ma take a look too.
She's good at judging people.
Who's in charge of the Haidian District's business now?
The data that we worked so hard to improve
has dropped so much.
It's my oversight.
For this week's requirements,
I assigned them to two of Mr. Xie's subordinates.
They're still in the adjustment period.
Are they adjusting or just slacking off?
Go
and tell those two to come see me now.
Now!
Alright.
Mr. Meng, they've arrived.
Mr. Meng.
What's going on?
I'm sorry, Mr. Meng.
It's my fault.
If you want to fire someone, fire me.
Fire you?
Who do you think you are?
Would firing you solve the problem?
Mr. Meng, I think
our strategy for dealing with Yuntu's subsidy war
still needs optimization.
Who's in charge of the strategy?
What's going on with Xie Wanghe?
He went to Tianjin.
His father is in the hospital.
What for?
Wanghe's father was stabbed while trying to help someone.
He's under observation in the hospital now.
Is his life in danger?
No.
Go.
Call Xie Wanghe and tell him to come back.
Tell him to come back today.
If he doesn't come back today,
don't ever come back!
Go!
[Tianjin Taxi]
Mr. Meng.
Come in.
[Data Center]
Why has it dropped so sharply?
How's your father doing?
He'll be discharged after two days of observation.
I'm sorry,
I left in a hurry.
I didn't ask for leave.
[Data Center]
Did you think that if you told me about this,
I wouldn't let you go?
That's not it.
Then why?
Your father's hospitalization is such a big deal,
yet you didn't even tell me.
If you had told me immediately.
I could have helped you arrange things.
I have connections in Tianjin too.
It's really not necessary.
[Data Center]
I'm very angry about this.
I feel like you don't consider me as one of your own.
Mr. Meng,
I just left in a bit of a hurry.
I didn't think it through.
In the future,
if you encounter any difficulties,
you must tell me immediately.
You should only try to figure it out on your own
if I can't think of a solution.
Have a seat.
This time,
your two guys still showed their inexperience.
The two of them
don't have much
entrepreneurial experience.
They're still a bit green.
Yuntu is pushing hard.
with subsidies
and shorter delivery times.
The upcoming battle will be tough.
We can't keep up with the subsidies anymore.
They just raised funds.
They're hoping to force us to burn money.
Then the only option left is to shorten the delivery time.
We've already reached our limit.
Didn't you say you could change to motorcycles?
It's still not feasible.
It's too dangerous.
If something goes wrong,
the risks outweigh the benefits.
Wanghe,
it's been almost three years since you graduated, right?
Since it's been almost three years,
you should understand what society is
and what a company is by now.
A company
is like a machine,
a precisely
structured machine
that runs on schedule.
Therefore, it cannot tolerate
any part malfunctioning.
But the parts aren't malfunctioning now.
Not keeping up with the machine's operating intensity
doesn't count as malfunctioning?
At 8,000 RPM,
the bearings start smoking.
We need to find a solution.
Either fix it
or replace it.
We can't wait until the machine stops
to reflect on it.
Mr. Xie.
Hello, Mr. Xie.
Got scolded?
No.
Then why do you look so deflated?
Have Song and Qiu Lin
done anything these past couple of days?
Just some grumbling,
saying you left without notice,
that you don't care about the company, and such.
Basically, they've labeled you as unprofessional.
That's all they're capable of.
When I was canvassing, I heard from Yuntu's sales rep that
they've got a new
high-performance server.
The program is being upgraded
and will be online soon.
What's online isn't important.
The key is the offline delivery speed.
However,
in terms of the app,
Yuntu's user experience is indeed better than Bee's.
Then change it.
Who's stopping you?
I'm by myself.
Yuntuan has over a dozen people just on the UI team.
And they're all from big companies.
If you have ideas, write them down first.
I'll immediately give feedback to the programming department.
Haikuo wrote it.
He submitted it, but there's been no response at all.
If there's no response, then follow up.
We're nobodies.
What right do we have to push them?
The programming department acts like they're all big shots.
Do I have to handle everything myself?
What are you two here for then?
Should I canvass for you?
Should I code for you?
Maybe I should collect your salaries for you too?
The delivery time
needs to be shortened further.
How is that possible?
How do you know it's impossible if you haven't tried?
We've already shortened the delivery time
by five minutes.
That's all squeezed out of the delivery riders.
Squeezed?
Are they not earning more money?
Did I force them to work overtime?
Cut the crap.
If you want to do it, do it. If not, get lost!
What does he mean?
What's he trying to say?
He was talking about the delivery riders, not you.
As if I'm willing to work for him?
Let's go home first, come on.
[Fenghua Express]
Zhu,
there are a few urgent orders here.
[Loading Area]
Please deliver them tonight.
I'll put it here.
Sister Hua, could you grab that package for me?
Fenghua, there are still so many orders.
We can't keep up at all.
We haven't even eaten yet.
[Fenghua Express]
It's okay.
You finish up and have dinner first.
I'll deliver them.
[Loading Area]
Wanghe?
Wanghe!
What's the meaning of this?
You came here and didn't say anything.
Are you playing undercover or something?
Still a fan of Chris Lee, huh?
You're quite loyal.
You think
everyone's like you?
What are you doing here?
Just passing by.
Passing by?
From where to where?
How could you possibly be passing by here?
Are you my boss?
Do I need to report to you where I go?
Fine, don't tell me.
They pissed me off.
Who?
Those two pissed me off.
You piss me off too.
How did I piss you off?
Don't falsely accuse me.
I rarely come here.
You won't even offer me a cup of tea.
You don't deserve it.
Did I offend you or something?
The employees I worked so hard to train
have all been taken away by you.
You think you're so great just because you're rich, huh?
It's not me.
It's market demand.
The volume of food delivery orders is much larger than that of express delivery.
It's normal for people to go where
the wage is higher.
I heard your company is going public.
Next year, if things go well.
Congratulations, then.
Going public is just the first step.
The real challenge comes after that.
We have to fight to the bitter end.
We need to dominate this market,
and become the sole leader,
for us to catch a breath.
When you reach that point,
you should be very rich, right?
Money doesn't matter.
It just needs to be enough to spend.
What I want is industry status.
Many years from now,
I want to look back to today
and find that I, Xie Wanghe,
have made a contribution to this world.
What?
You don't believe me?
I do believe you.
You've always dreamed of the future.
I had doubts before,
but mostly, I wish you well.
I think if you really made it big,
you could help us out.
Even if there were no real benefits,
we could at least brag about it.
You know Xie Wanghe, right?
He's my childhood friend.
We lived across from each other.
We could even hear each other sleep talking at night.
Alright, I'll work hard then.
In the future, if you get drunk at a dinner party,
just video call me.
I'll definitely answer.
I'll greet each of them.
You'll definitely look impressive.
That day will never come.
Why?
I need to stay away from a company that doesn't treat
its employees as human beings.
Or else I'll have bad karma.
Did they call you?
I don't need them to tell me.
Anyone can see
Bee's performance
this past half year.
Let me say something harsh.
Even Emperor Qin building the Great Wall wasn't as ruthless as you.
Capital has its demands.
Once we've raised funds, we must expand rapidly.
We need to seize the market.
The market is only so big.
If we don't grab it,
others will survive instead.
I don't want to become
a stepping stone for others' success.
You won't be.
You already have the potential for success.
Cold-bloodedness.
You say that too?
What do you all mean?
Don't be angry.
I'm not insulting you.
I'm praising you.
All you've ever thought about since childhood was success.
I guess you got what you wanted.
Then what do you think I should do?
Increase the commission?
Reduce pressure?
Should I be a philanthropist
and have everyone wait to die together?
I don't care about others,
but don't be too harsh
on my old employees.
Don't just drink.
Eat something.
He's under a lot of pressure too.
Who isn't under pressure?
When I resigned,
Xiaohui disagreed with it from the bottom of her heart.
Why did she disagree?
For startup companies,
only one or two
in the same category can survive in the end.
Bee just raised its Series C funding,
but the money is almost burned through.
If it's burned through, just raise Series D then.
You think raising funds is that easy?
Each round dilutes the shares.
When shares are diluted to a certain extent,
and you can't go public,
you can only sell to a big company.
By then, the management will all be replaced.
Wanghe has equity.
Even if Bee is acquired, he won't lose out.
I know you want to talk about us two.
That's not what I meant.
You had a proper career before,
so you feel like you've lost out.
I had nothing,
so even if we fail,
I don't feel like I've lost anything.
We have different mindsets.
I just feel that...
Wanghe has changed.
That's normal.
Before, we were brothers.
Now, he's the boss.
We look at issues from different angles.
So what if he's the boss?
Does being a boss mean he can be unreasonable?
Can he just run his mouth without any consideration?
If this was back in the day,
someone like Wanghe would…
Enough.
Has your grandpa's spirit possessed you?
I really want to go to his house right now.
What for?
I...
I... I want to stuff chewed gum
into his keyhole.
I…
I'll go too.
I'll put cockroaches
in his bed sheet and quilt cover,
and pull out the fuse.
Eat something.
Boss!
Give me a pig brain.
Sure thing!
Nourish your brain and appease Xiaohui.
Open the door.
Who is it?
It's me, your dear old dad.
My dear old dad?
We don't have anyone like that here.
Cut the crap and open the door.
I'm holding in my pee.
Apologize.
What should I apologize for?
"If you want to do it, do it. If not, get lost."
Who said that?
I wasn't talking about you guys.
That won't do.
Haikuo and I are both law-abiding citizens.
We don't associate with reactionary bullies,
landlords, or capitalists.
Are you going to open it or not?
What can you do if I don't?
What are you doing?
Stop it.
Are you crazy?
My bladder was about to burst.
You really drank the Latour?
What's Latour?
Do you know?
I don't know.
Never heard of it.
Not a drop left for me.
You're sitting on my leg.