Chance upon this series on Netflix and what a great surprise this is. The series can be classified as journey in the financial network, with focus on office-politics with a kaleidescope on the fundamental of human nature & personality.
The series uses Wu Ke Zhi (portrayed by Mark Chao) as the backdrop character, a down-and-under old-timer as investor consultant in the world of investment/ asset management company. He has great hunches for picking good investment opportunities, but is inflexible in buttering up to the senior management & playing to the flow of office politics. He has bottom-lines which he adheres to strictly, which puts him in disadvantage positions to go up the corporate ladder in the world of investment consulting. When an intern without any college degree, Sun Yi Qiu, joins his team, they encountered various roadblocks together, cementing their relationship as mentor-disciple. Sun Yi Qiu is portrayed by Bai Jing Ting.
The beauty of this series is really in its ordinary stories, which entwines with the personality and how they face the everyday office issues. The series explores the investing consultants’ career in different perspectives.
The characters and journeys of the main 4 interns are as different as night and day, but the first job & its struggle binds them together. Gao Si Cong is the arrogant, confident & competitive intern who thinks he is special. Hao Shuai is the rich 2nd generation who is out to prove his worth, but bring in with him the lackadaisical attitude. Lan Qian Yi is the only rose amongst the interns, and I guess the odd one out in the investment finance industry. Last but not least is Sun Yi Qiu, an unassuming high-school dropout who is as introvert as he can be and lacks the communication & finesse of the smooth-talking consultant. It is interesting how the interns are put into the various teams within the office whereby they learned the hard way on how to face their own weaknesses. The arrogant Si Cong facing off with a cold supervisor who does not give praises, the rich kid Hao Shuai facing his nemesis in the slippery supervisor Mr Yin who is great in turning the situation to his advantage and Qian Yi in managing a colluding team who is totally biased against her. What the interns learn is perseverance and managing the weather in the office to survive and fit in.
Series also looks at team work and competition. At all levels of employees – intern, freshies, middle management, upper management. As interns and freshies, the sharing helps them tide through the difficult times at work. As middle management, the insecurity blows up when team mates may shine over the supervisors and fellow middle management are the rivals for the limited seats for promotions.
Dealing with the daily issues in office – the difficult part is really not about the actual execution of the work. The difficult part has and always will be in managing the human factors. Differences in opinion, clashes in personality, balancing individual agenda & motives.
Many of the daily struggles showcased in the series are very real, and providing food for thoughts:
- Investing with profitability focus, and maintaining the original objectives of the projects & ventures. Eg of the PC video game by Mr Ye
- Prioritisation of money as motives & giving in to own greed. Eg Yin Sheng Chao, Hao Shuai’s supervisor
- Giving a chance to employees who do not meet the standard template of resume Eg Sun Yi Qiu
- Managing temper, jealousy, gossips, even slanders(!) at work is a struggle every employee will face at work. No one is exempt.
I always believe one’s first time experiences in office affects how you view things in subsequent years and shaping one’s career perspective. At the same time, perseverance & beliefs with EQ prepares one to face off with the stumbling blocks that come with the journey in career.
The series uses Go-games to instil some teachings in life principles. Patience is a virtue. Going back to basic when facing obstacles. Sacrificing a small piece for a bigger picture win. But I love the motto that the Go game is created as an entertainment, the most important thing is to enjoy the game and not to focus too much on the winnings and losings.
Some office characters are quite amusing too. Ms Yu is portrayed as a good friend of Wu Ke Zhi who is striving to balance her role as mother, wife and employee. The key villain – Mr Qu, the big boss of the investment consultancy firm, is an enigma. His push and pull tricks with Wu Ke Zhi exposes his insecurity, especially in dealing with his younger subordinates.
I didn’t like the environment in the Energy department, which is spearheaded by Mr Ma, and the 3 stooges. The environment seems toxic with an unreasonable lead who ostracises others. I am amazed how Lan Qian Yi eats her own humble pie to fit in, and very surprisingly she wins them over time. Personally, I do not condone the kind of secretive manner they manages the situations, lacking transparency in communication.
The environment in the IT department is slightly better, I presume Mr Jiang (Gao Si Cong’s supervisor) is a little more effective. But I also do not like the manner that he never communicates properly the intention & objectives and expects the employees to just follow his instructions. The relationship between the supervisor and Si Cong is very weird, it is almost as if Gao Si Cong puts Mr Jiang on a pedestal and worshipping him.
The environment in the 4th Team under Wu Ke Zhi is also a little weird. The leader has a temper issue, and managing EQ is not his best. Although he has a sentimental side especially in protecting his own team members. I guess every teams and departments have their quirks, and none is perfect. Key is finding one’s best fit and managing it to our best ability. Culture at work is important as that really determines whether one is genuinely happy at work, on top of doing what one loves.
My only grouses are the drinking culture and the working late in office culture. In many of China’s series, it is almost expected that office workers are expected to work late, reverent to their seniors and entertain via drinking. Although it may not be wrong in specific situation, such behaviours as the series has shown, is quite alarming and points towards office bullying. Eg getting Lan Qian Yi to do the menial works and tasks for other more senior colleagues.
I have always liked Bai Jing Ting’s acting. He is good in the personality, but this is not any different from the previous roles that he has had. Looking like a lost lamb, and lacking confidence. This is the first time I am watching Mark Chao in a series, and I like his style and acting. Lan Qian Yi is portrayed by the actress Qiao Yin who is in Nirvana in Fire 2, although I am not extremely impressed with her performance. The others are believeable in their respective roles.
Conclusion : 8/10
Totally captivating as a non-romance series. Although quite long at 41 episodes, it does captures your imaginations and focus for a series. Not too demanding on the level of concentration and always capturing your attention to continue watching. For people who works in office (big or small), watch it and enjoy the everyday drama that we faces.
Cheng's Musings 