01x20 - Episode 20

[bunniefuu]

THIS STORY IS FICTIONAL - ANY

SIMILARITIES TO REALITY ARE COINCIDENTAL

Liu Mu!

What happened?

How did I end up like this?

Your head is really as swollen

as a pig's after last night!

Don't you remember what happened?

-Did you drink last night?

-Ouch!

I

I bought some food

from a convenience store.

And I bought two bottles of beer.

Huang Jintiao, you know you can't drink.

Two bottles? Two glasses are enough

to knock you out!

I felt troubled.

Do you remember what happened

after you drank the beer?

I don't remember.

Molesting and robbery.

I was molested and robbed?

You molested and robbed someone!

You were beaten up by those

who went to your victim's aid.

Rubbish! Don't play such tricks on me!

I won't believe you! How could it be?

I must have got drunk

and injured my face by falling.

You don't believe me?

-What are you doing?

-Getting the evidence.

What evidence?

Here's the physical evidence.

This bag looks very familiar.

And there's a witness too.

Pan Mei Mei?

I robbed and molested Xiaomei?

Don't crack such jokes!

It's not funny at all!

Look carefully.

Do I look like I'm joking?

I would never do such a thing!

All I want to do is to protect Xiaomei.

Why would I molest and rob her?

If that weren't the case,

how did her belongings end up with you?

And how did you get beaten up?

Think about it.

Come in.

Let me.

It's all Huang Jintiao's fault.

You know I have a weak heart.

After how he scared me yesterday,

I couldn't sleep well all night,

I woke up with a heavy head this morning.

Zhenyu asked me to rest at home.

And Zhenting has no classes today.

She can help her.

Auntie, actually,

I brought someone here.

Xiaomei.

I'm sorry.

What is he doing? Tell him to get up!

She's telling you to get up.

How dramatic!

You're not acting in a movie!

I'm sorry, Xiaomei.

I was drunk last night,

I did something really terrible

and unforgiveable to you.

I deserve death.

He must have been watching

too many TV dramas lately.

These aren't phrases used in daily life.

He picked them up through watching TV.

He regards you as his empress.

Ask him to spare me!

He already frightened me

out of my wits last night.

I don't want to be scared to death.

Xiaomei, I'm returning this to you.

If there's even a single dollar missing,

I'll expect compensation!

Why is there so much money in here?

She's talking to you.

Xiaomei, this is to compensate you

for your mental anguish.

Xiaomei, don't be afraid of me.

I won't frighten you again.

Should I ever appear

in front of you again,

I'll be struck by lightning

and die a terrible death.

Hey.

Are you going to leave just like that?

Are you done talking yet?

Xiaomei.

Xiaomei,

you must take good care

of yourself from now on.

He must have watched

too many Korean dramas.

This is so mushy!

Auntie.

Are you all right?

Don't worry. He has given you up.

You're-so-Pretty told me that.

She says you don't want him

to bother you again.

So I gave him a good scolding.

I promise

he'll give you up completely this time.

I don't think he'll dare to see you again

after what he did to you.

If there's nothing else,

I'm going to work.

Rest well.

-Musen.

-Yes?

I just want my money back

I don't want a cent of his money.

Auntie, don't go easy on him.

He gave you such a terrible fright.

He should compensate you

for your mental anguish.

He won't need this money anyway.

What do you mean by that?

The money is meant for his wedding.

His grandmother saved it for him.

He was supposed to use it

for his wedding in future.

He lied to his grandmother and said

that he had assaulted someone

and would have to go to prison

if he didn't compensate them.

Only then did his grandmother

take the money out for him.

That idiot!

-Hey.

-Yeah?

You must return the money

to his grandmother then.

-To his grandmother?

-Yes.

All right, I'll go now.

-Musen.

-Yeah?

Why did you say

he wouldn't need this money?

Isn't it obvious?

My buddy is dim-witted.

He'll never get married.

I think he's destined

to be lonely all his life.

He's really pitiful.

The thought of it breaks my heart.

Forget it. I'm leaving.

Jianzhi, how could you do this?

How could you leave a pretty lady alone?

Good morning, Richard.

He's more interested in gambling

than in me.

I never knew that!

So you're a real gambler!

Not really.

I don't know much about gambling.

-I've never even been to a casino.

-What?

I get it.

Someone gave you money to gamble.

If you lose it, it's not your loss.

If you win, you get to keep your winnings.

No, I mean

you handed me S$200,000 me

and told me to gamble online.

You must have your reasons for doing so.

If you're giving this mission to me,

I'll try to do my best.

You're right.

But I won't tell you the reason for now.

How did you do last night?

Sorry, Richard. I lost S$30,000.

Keep going.

You want me to continue gambling?

Yes.

I'll give you

a three-day gambling holiday.

Your mission is to gamble

as much as you can.

This gambler is back.

I'm in for a hard time.

Get up.

I'm telling you to get up!

Didn't you hear that?

Don't bother me, all right?

I'll give you money.

Do you want to gamble?

Of course I'll gamble

if you give me money.

I know.

You're planning to get rid of me

with a hundred dollars or two.

Listen to me. This is my home.

You are my son. I'm your father,

I'll live here till the day I die!

It's not just a hundred or two.

I won't consider

a thousand dollars or two either.

It's not just a thousand or two.

S$10,000 or S$20,000? I'll think about it.

So you would even cut off ties with me

if I give you S$20,000?

You're the one who doesn't want

to acknowledge me,

not the other way around.

Alas.

Honestly,

I don't want to see that look on your face

but I can't go elsewhere.

All right. Let's part on amicable terms.

Here, give me the money.

Don't assume I don't know

what you're thinking.

Once you've lost all the money,

you'll come back

for free food and lodging!

You sound as if you want to beat me up.

That's right! Are you giving it to me?

If not, forget it!

Enough of this nonsense!

I'm going to sleep.

S$200,000.

S$200,000?

You really have that much money!

You know gambling websites too?

You're really advanced!

Don't waste time talking rubbish

if you want to gamble.

Come on, what do you want to play?

I know every game.

Roulette, Baccarat and Big and Small,

I know them all.

Baccarat.

Baccarat is my forte.

I'll play with S$10,000 first.

Didn't you give them the money?

They didn't want it.

They didn't?

Why would they not want money?

Did you get into big trouble?

Forget it if you won't tell me.

Fortunately, you got the money

meant for your wedding back.

I don't want to eat.

Why don't you want to eat?

Your skin is icy cold.

My heart has grown cold,

and so has my blood.

Your heart and blood have grown cold?

I'll call Liu Mu.

Only I went on medical leave.

Liu Mu didn't. He has to work.

Don't bother him with all sorts

of trivial matters.

I'll call Jianzhi then.

He has to work too.

Why should you call him?

I'm very worried about you.

Look, your forehead is icy cold,

and you're not eating your noodles.

You want to make a call, right?

Call Granny Mahjong.

Granny Mahjong?

Didn't you say Granny Mahjong wants

to introduce Hua from the bakery to me?

All right, I'll call her at once.

Hello, Granny Mahjong.

I'll forget Xiaomei once I'm married.

My older son will complete

his National Service next month.

He says he wants to further

his studies in the US.

As you know, education in the US

is very expensive.

It's all in US dollars.

So I want to sell my gold for US dollars.

How much have you invested?

Just two kilograms,

I receive the interest monthly.

The gold is deposited with the company.

Anyway, tell Musen to sell the gold.

-I'll tell him.

-Thank you.

By the way, I hear you're getting married.

Congratulations!

You must invite me to your wedding.

Thank you.

I'm going, then. Bye.

Zhenting, you can go.

There aren't many customers after lunch

I can manage.

It's all right. I brought books here,

I can study here.

I have a question.

What will happen if an investment company

loses money for a client?

Investments can result

in profits or losses.

If it's a legal arrangement

and the client agreed to it,

the investment company won't have

to bear any legal responsibility.

But if investors

who were persuaded to invest

through dishonest or fraudulent means

lose money as a result,

the company will face legal action.

Are you worried about

my future brother-in-law?

As you know,

Musen bought a condo and a car

within the last two years.

He has been earning money too quickly.

It makes me feel uneasy.

I heard from Jianzhi

that this investment company

is very large.

They disburse interest payouts

to the investors on time too.

It should be fine.

You're just like Mom.

You're always worrying too much.

Yes, people like us

are always hard on ourselves.

Auntie Bee Hoon?

Yes, your mom got her to join.

Who else invested besides Auntie Bee Hoon?

Uncle Egg, Auntie Vegetable,

the auntie who sells herbal tea

and a few others.

Mom is really too much.

Why did she ask others to invest

without telling me?

And you too! You didn't tell me either!

My future mother-in-law told me

not to say anything,

I wouldn't dare to blab.

She meant well.

What if they lose money?

They're all small business owners

working hard to eke out a living.

Don't worry. I'm keeping an eye on things.

And I'll help Auntie Bee Hoon

sell her gold, okay?

Mom asked me to be home for dinner early.

Join us too.

My future mother-in-law wants to see

her son-in-law?

All right. I'll be there right after work.

Tell her I'll buy more food.

Hello, Linda.

A client of mine wants to sell some gold.

Her name is Ong Kim Choo.

She owns 2 kg of gold.

All right. Thank you.

Bro Musen, what just happened?

You suddenly barged into my office.

How would I know what happened?

My client wants their gold back,

but the finance department won't allow it.

Why is that?

How would I know?

They say they're acting upon instructions.

What happened?

How would I know what happened?

You're the director.

Boss, the finance department says

that the gold Ong Kim Choo deposited

with the company can't be traded for now.

Thunder, you're just who

I wanted to see. Let's talk inside.

-The finance department says

-I meant to talk to you about this.

The company has a situation to deal with.

All transactions have to be

halted for now.

What happened?

We're under investigation.

Someone reported us to the authorities

and described our investment plan

as a pyramid scheme.

How could this be?

It's obviously an attack

from jealous competitors.

We're running an honest business.

We needn't be afraid

of slanderous accusations.

But during the investigation,

we have to comply with orders

and temporarily suspend

all sales and purchases.

But this will cause consternation

among our clients.

So this news mustn't be leaked.

Hold a meeting

with your agents immediately.

Think of ways to reassure the clients.

You can tell them

that it's not a good time to sell

because gold prices are low now

or any other such reason.

The company has to tide

through this crisis.

I bought your favorite duck drumsticks.

Here's a roast duck drumstick

for my future mother-in-law.

-Thank you.

-And one for my dear wife.

Look, Musen is so nice to you.

He's really nice to you too.

That's obvious! He's not like you.

Auntie, what about You're-so-Pretty?

She says she doesn't want to hold

a wedding banquet.

I don't want too much fanfare either.

There's no need to hold a grand banquet.

There won't be that many guests.

But the bare minimum

should be seven or eight tables

for our close relatives and friends.

Marriage is the most important event

in one's life.

It only happens once.

Don't you agree, Musen?

I'll go with You're-so-Pretty's wishes.

You two should talk about it.

There's no need to discuss it further.

We won't hold a wedding banquet.

You're-so-Pretty doesn't like crowds.

I think we'll skip that.

I have no choice.

We'll go with her wishes.

By the way, have you done

what Auntie Bee Hoon wanted?

I brought the documents over.

Ask her to sign them and tell her

the money will be transferred

to her account in a week's time.

I'll leave them here.

Is Auntie Bee Hoon selling her gold?

Why?

Doesn't she earn

good interest on it monthly?

Mom, I haven't even started on you yet.

Why did you ask Auntie Bee Hoon,

Uncle Egg and Auntie Vegetable to invest?

I didn't,

I just asked Auntie Bee Hoon.

She told the rest about it.

They came to tell me that

they were earning so little interest

in each month.

They heard that this was

such a good investment.

Who wouldn't want to earn more?

There are risks to investments.

I didn't add salt to this soup.

I'll get the salt.

I know there are risks to investments.

But we have nothing to worry about

with Musen around.

Right, Musen?

Yes. I'm here. It'll be fine.

Did you hear that?

Let me.

Kopi Gah Dai,

why don't you look for another job?

This job is stressful

and carries huge responsibilities.

Like Auntie Bee Hoon's request.

They all know you.

Should their investments fail

It's not that I don't trust you,

-I just feel that

-I know.

You're worried that

they'll lose all their savings.

How about this?

I'll redeem all

the other neighbors' investments.

I'll tell them that gold prices

have been fluctuating lately,

and that it's safer for them

to keep their money in the bank.

You won't have to worry then.

I heard from Jiahui

that some people invested

all their life savings.

It's really a huge responsibility.

Don't worry about us.

We can be happy even if we live simply.

But I can't accept it.

If I leave just like that,

my efforts over the past two years

will go down the drain.

It won't go down the drain.

Experience is capital.

You can forge a new career with this.

A new career?

You're clever.

Even if you have to take another path,

you can still forge a successful career.

Do you really have such faith in me?

Of course.

If I disregard my wife's advice,

it'll be at my peril.

I promise

I'll take good care of you for life.

Jasmine, listen to me,

I only want to know

how much gold our clients

have deposited with us.

You're the finance director.

Who else should I ask?

Richard?

Richard told me to ask you.

All right, forget it!

You're just in time. Come in.

Xiaozhen from the finance department

secretly sent me a message.

The company took in 3,800 kg of gold

in the last three months,

750 kg has yet to be returned.

750 kg?

It has a market value of S$60 million.

Granny Mahjong says Hua is very busy.

She has lots of appointments.

So she's only free to meet

after work today.

Why should a bakery worker

think she's a celebrity

and expect appointments in advance?

Are you coming with me?

Are you coming with me?

Where to?

Didn't you hear what I said?

I'm going to meet Hua.

Will you come with me?

Are you crazy?

Why should I follow you on a blind date?

I don't really want to go either.

But the more I want to forget someone,

the harder it is to do so.

Hello, Boss.

Yes, I need to talk to you.

It's urgent.

All right, I'll be there soon.

Come on, let's go to the teahouse.

What?

Hurry.

Turn right ahead.

Turn right, Dumbo!

I know. You said that many times.

I write and hold chopsticks

with my right hand.

I wipe my bottom with my left hand.

Why do you have to call me Dumbo?

You know that's my weakness.

Do you think I want to be like this?

I can turn back

if I go the wrong direction.

Why do you have to call me Dumbo?

Can't you be smarter?

Do you think I don't want to be?

I was born this way!

Do you think everyone must be

as clever and capable as you are?

I'm capable? How am I capable?

What's wrong with you?

You're behaving strangely today.

What happened?

Nothing. Drive.

Boss, we must be responsible

to the clients.

Some of these clients invested

their life savings.

They invested their hard-earned money.

There are naturally risks

to every investment.

It's just like trading in stocks.

Some people earn money,

and some lose money.

Can you hold

the stock exchange responsible

if you lose money?

Of course not. Why?

It's just a trading platform.

Our investment firm

only offers a platform too.

Do your clients give you a share

when they earn money?

They don't.

So we don't have to be responsible

for their losses.

The problem is that gold prices

have not fallen.

In actual fact, gold prices increased

by 8% this month.

We offer clients returns of up to 30%.

Where does the money come from?

We invest with the clients' money, right?

Do you think

there are such profitable investments?

I'll tell you.

We use the second batch

of investors' money

to support the first batch,

the third batch's money to support

the second batch and so on.

By the way, it's time for you

to pull out of this.

I told you.

Greed can motivate one to succeed,

but it can also lead to failure.

Look, you have a car, a home and gold.

Those greedy people fulfilled your greed.

If you stop at the right time,

you'll succeed.

If you're too late, you'll fail.

So Boss, the company isn't

under investigation, right?

And the clients aren't going to get

this S$60 million back.

All this money

has fallen into

the hands of people like me.

This is fraud!

This is a dog-eat-dog world.

The business arena is just like a warzone.

If we beat a retreat at the right time,

we'll enjoy the spoils of victory.

But Boss, the clients will lodge reports

against us

if they can't get their money back.

Yes.

Someone has to be responsible.

Haven't you found such a person already?

He Jianzhi. You recommended him.

I hear he's diligent.

He's performing well.

He can replace you.

Boss, you want Jianzhi

to be responsible for all this?

Not me.

It's you.

He's my good friend.

He's as close as a brother.

How can I do that?

You can make it up to him.

Where there's life, there's hope.

You're his hope.

Submit your resignation tomorrow.

Aren't you getting married?

Get married with a happy heart

and enjoy your honeymoon.

I'll have plans for you when you get back.

What happened?

You lost everything?

I recouped all the money you lost.

And I won more. Look.

S$100,000?

S$100,000.

S$100,000!

Brilliant!

Of course, I'm brilliant.

No one can beat the King of Gamblers!

Listen.

I'm the King of Gamblers!

I need to pee. My prostate is acting up.

Well?

-Did you win?

-I won!

You really bet on that?

Are you done peeing?

Yes.

Did you wash your hands?

Is it a legal requirement

to wash my hands after peeing?

You're not to touch my computer

until you wash your hands.

It'll be your fault if my luck is gone

after I wash my hands.

Go wash your hands!

You're really troublesome!

Son, blood is thicker than water.

If both of us strive together,

we'll definitely earn

hundreds of thousands,

or my surname isn't He!

I'll take your surname.

I've washed my hands.

I'm dead tired after gambling

for three entire days.

Why are you still so energetic?

Do you see my legs floating in the air?

If we win more,

I'll be able to fly!

You're crazy!

-Are you hungry?

-I'm starving.

-Who's that?

-Me.

It's Liu Mu. Go to the washroom quickly!

I know Liu Mu too. What's the problem?

I don't want him to see us gambling.

-Go quickly! Go on!

-I

I'm coming.

I thought you might have passed out.

You didn't answer my calls.

I was sleeping.

My phone was on silent mode.

Do you feel better now?

I'm fine. I'm going back to work tomorrow.

I have something to discuss with you.

Let's talk outside.

I've been stuck at home

for three whole days.

I've been waiting for you to say this.

You're finally asking me to be

your best man, right?

That's not what I want to talk about.

What is it then?

I'm going to resign.

You're going to resign? No kidding!

You're doing fine.

Why do you want to resign?

Do I look like I'm joking?

Very good, Lin Musen!

The company is rife with rumors

that you're being headhunted.

Is that true?

I'm really being "headhunted" indeed.

Who will take your place if you leave?

You will.

Me?

I brought you into the company for this.

Liu Mu, did something happen?

Will Hua think we're stingy

for arranging the date here?

No, Hua wanted to meet at the coffee shop.

She says it's more budget-friendly.

I suggested the food court

since it's air-conditioned.

We don't want them to be all sweaty

during a blind date.

I never expected Hua to be so sensible.

Honestly,

I've never seen a child

as sensible as Hua.

It would be

Jintiao's fortune to marry her.

Yes.

What are you doing?

You're the one who asked to meet Hua

and expressed interest in marrying her.

Why are you so listless?

Hua is here.

Granny Thunder, Granny Mahjong.

You're elders. Don't stand.

Take a seat.

Granny Thunder, have you been well?

I'm fine.

She's hale and hearty.

She walks like she's flying.

She doesn't suffer

from aches and pains like me.

Lately, my hands feel as if

there are heavy weights attached to them.

-It's so hard to lift them.

-Alas.

You sit down to play mahjong all day.

Those aches and pains are no surprise.

Granny Mahjong, I'll give you a massage.

I feel bad.

It's only right. We should respect elders.

Hua is really nice to the elderly.

She doesn't collect payment

from poor old folks

who buy bread at her bakery.

It's not that I don't collect payment.

I pay for them,

I don't own the bakery.

Listen to that! She's such a caring child.

That's really rare!

Young people these days

click their tongues in annoyance

when they're behind seniors

who walk slowly.

Granny Thunder,

what goes around comes around.

They'll find out how it feels

to have others

click their tongues in annoyance at them

once they grow old themselves.

I like that!

Thank you.

Hua, talk to Jintiao.

You're the stars today.

I'm Qiu Meihua.

People call me Meihua.

You can call me Hua.

I'm Huang Jintiao.

You can call me Jintiao.

Don't sound so distant.

We're all neighbors.

We're bound to meet every day.

Jintiao works for a big company.

This year he's in his thirties now,

but he doesn't have a girlfriend.

Which zodiac year were you born in?

The Year of the Pig.

The Year of the Pig? That's good.

You should be 30 if you were born

in the Year of the Pig.

I'm 29.

You should be 30.

My friend was born in the Year of the Pig.

He loves pork chops.

I remember it very well.

My birthday hasn't arrived yet.

Just order anything you like.

It's all right. Water will do.

I have leftover food at home.

I'll heat it up when I get back.

We mustn't waste food.

Hua is very thrifty.

Don't worry about me.

Order anything you like.

All right.

Granny Thunder, let's go get some food.

Let the two young people have a nice chat.

All right.

Let's go.

Your grandma told me

that you're working for a big company.

What's your position?

No wonder you've been

so smartly-dressed recently!

That's a must.

How much do you earn?

Average.

How much is that?

I'm usually thrifty too.

Once we're married,

we can pay for our home together.

This is just our first meeting.

Do we have to look that far ahead?

Your grandma says you like me

and want to get to know me.

I know you always walk by the bakery

to see me.

No, I have never seen you

when I go that way.

And that's the only route I can take.

That's the only way leading to my home.

You're really funny. You're so adorable.

I'll be honest with you.

I have lots of suitors.

But if they're not too old,

they're just uncles.

Some are lecherous too.

I like more reserved men like you.

I agree.

To what?

To date you.

To be your girlfriend.

To be your fiancée.

Do you mean this so-called

gold buyback scheme

and overseas land investment

are all fraudulent schemes

to cheat clients out of their money?

And the S$60 million

is gone just like that?

Yes. This is what they call

a pyramid scheme or Ponzi scheme.

I don't believe it!

Our company has its office

in the most expensive district.

We have 20,000 clients

and investments of over S$2 billion.

How could it be a fraud?

This is just bait to attract investors.

And we've become accomplices.

So who's the mastermind?

Mo Yicong and Richard.

Tell them to be responsible then.

They came up with this plan.

Do you think they'll let themselves

be implicated?

I'm the operations director

of the investment department.

I'm in charge of all investment projects.

Do you think

I can absolve myself of blame?

Not unless I resign

before the matter blows up.

So this is why you want to resign?

Yes.

I'll hand in my resignation

to the company tomorrow.

Everyone at the company will think

I've been headhunted,

just like you thought.

The company will then appoint you

as the operations director

to replace me.

This is my true motive for bringing you

into the company.

You're going to be my scapegoat.

I don't believe you.

I don't believe you'd do this to me.

Your best friend

will be the one to stab you in the back.

We've been buddies for so many years.

I know you well enough.

Jianzhi.

Are you willing to go to prison for me?

Do you have to ask?

We're buddies, aren't we?

Who else can you seek help from?

I'm the only one

who can help you with this.

Anyway, I probably won't ever get

another chance

to be an operations director.

So tender your resignation quickly

and let me enjoy this for the moment.

You're really so stupid!

I'm not stupid.

Once I go to prison in your place,

you'll be indebted to me.

When I'm out of prison,

you'll have to support me.

I'll depend on you

for the rest of my life.

I don't want to be indebted to you.

Listen. You can't stay in this company.

When you get to work tomorrow,

the first thing you have to do

is to put your resignation letter

on my desk.

What about you then?

I'll go to prison for a few years at most.

But you're getting married.

Don't worry about that.

Remember to put the resignation letter

on my desk tomorrow.

Did I tell Liu Mu

I'd go to prison in his place

because I wanted him to think

I was a loyal friend,

or I did intend to do it?

Tell me.

How much money do you need?

S$300,000.

S$300,000?

Liu Mu, I really don't have

any other option.

Can you help me?

Back then, Liu Mu took the bride price

he gave to Zhenyu back immediately

to solve my problem for me.

Had it not been for him,

I'd have been in prison.

Now that he's in trouble,

how could I not help him?

But it took me a lot of effort

to make it this far.

Richard Mo seems to find me useful.

If I go to prison, all this will be gone.

And I will lose my chance with Zhenting.

She'll become a lawyer soon.

A lawyer will never date an ex-convict.

But can I stand and watch

Liu Mu go to prison?

What kind of friend am I if I do that?