I chanced upon this series while browsing an article about the “expected” give and take in relationships especially in the business world. At 40 episodes, the series started off slow and steady, differing from the norm by focusing on extensive multi-generational perspectives of employees in the financial institution & industry. (Specifically a bank and an asset management company equivalent).
The series uses 2 different generations of employees – of generation X and generation Y, whereby the former shines its light on Zhao Hui and 3 friends from college (Su Jian Ren, Xie Zhi Yuan, Miao Che), who ultimately ends up in the financial industry and the latter focuses on Tao Wuji (and his girlfriend Tian Xiao Hui) and 2 banking colleagues – Hu Yue and Cheng Jia Yuan.
Although the 4 friends share similar educational background and a mentor, their personality & career track diverges significantly. Zhao Hui is a successful vice president of the Shen Mao bank who has great business acumen and respected by his colleagues for his impeccable performance & ethics at work. Su Jian Ren is a keen competitor in the same bank, taking a slightly different route whereby he places more importance on relationship-building (rather than actual technical capabilities). Miao Che on the other hand, holds strongly to his principles of honesty, throwing away his career in Wall Street to return as an auditor in Shen Mao bank. Xie Zhi Yuan embarks upon a venture capital/ asset management company, with shady businesses as his goals are focused on making money.
As senior management in the bank, they have interaction with the more junior colleagues – Tao Wuji, Cheng Jia Yuan and Hu Yue. At first glance, Tao Wu Ji and Tian Xiao Hui are a close couple who are chasing for their happiness in their new respective career. Having different family & financial background, Wu Ji is more down to earth with clarity in his mind to be ambitious but having core values to adhere to. Xiao Hui on the other hand, holding a good life & money as the security she & her mother always yearned, is a lot more flexible but as ambitious for quick money. Cheng Jia Yuan is a trust fund child, having less worries on financial matters hence coming across as more laid-back & less ambitious. Hu Yue, as she admits herself, is a more ordinary girl hoping to survive in the large bank.
As the 2 generations cross path, each individual faces various temptations at work, often shaking their own core values & key principles. Many a times, the individuals are put to the corner to make decisions – whether to go with the flow or set their own boundary to maintain their principles. As a drama, am sure the series has taken some liberty to dramatised many of the situations.
However, working in the financial industry, I also felt that many of these situations are very real and the choices faced by these individuals are reflective of a realistic situation, even outside of China. Some of these includes:
Garnering deposits-taking
The early episodes focus on the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of the branch employees having to obtain deposits from customers. Due to the “unrealistic” setting of the KPIs, employees are tempted to go around the system for short term deposits, even to the extent of taking opportunities to taking cuts in order to meet the KPIs. Some key messages from herewith – setting the right targets for employees to chase after is really an important aspect as most individual work for money. Unrealistic KPIs with opportunities to wind up with ways around it would really put these employees to choose an honest life or selling unscrupulously. Good example, selling funds which are high risk (but with high returns), ignoring the real needs of the customers who may need lower risk products.
Scams and anti-fraud campaigns undertaken with the elders
The bank employees – Hu Yue and Wu Ji are shown to take their responsibilities a step further – providing advice to the community in the apartment on potential scams to assist the community to raise awareness and protect themselves against buying products which are not suitable for themselves. In the normal circumstances, these activities are undertaken by the Central Bank and NGOs.
Promotions at work via relationships, not just based on capabilities nor performances
When Cheng Jia Yuan is posted to the Marketing Department, while Tao Wu Ji is banished to a rural branch, there are disappointments all around for the new joiners. Again, some key messages. Emotional intelligence when facing such setbacks are important. Cheng Jia Yuan has had some help from his father (Su Jian Ren) who has provided some nudging & recommendations to assist the posting. Tao Wu Ji although capable & putting in a lot of effort, unfortunately is seen as a trouble-maker who goes against the natural flow of the norms in the banking processes. While relationship-building is an important aspect of any business, it is also true that the circle of friends & society that we mix in will have an impact. Employees who have the connections to the rich will always have an advantage – the connections provide opportunities. In many cases, people are willing to enrol their children in expensive elitist schools from a young age, to nurture the kind of relationships for their future life. If you do not have the family nor financial background, the concept of fake it until you make it is something many aspire for.
Priorities to talents outside of the organisation
When Zhao Hui finds out he did not get the President’s job, it actually pushes him to the brink of taking a more risky decision – to fight for it in a more unconventional way. His disappointment is understandable – his capabilities and performance are for all to see from his many years in the bank, but they have parachuted someone from the outside to take over the job. I feel every single disappointment for him – been there, felt the worse kind, and bouncing back from such setbacks are not an easy feat. There will always be reasons given by the senior management – they needed different perspectives & leadership, there is still time for career progress after this new leader. But the reality is – the new person may not have the right qualification not skillsets, but given the chance nevertheless due to relationship.
Post the incident, with the pressure on financials to provide for surgery for his daughter & the deep feeling of being undervalued, he takes the unconventional route to fight back by ganging up with others – Xie Zhi Yuan and Wu Xian Long. Once others give in favours to him, it is the expectations that he should return the favours. And this is where the shady favours are not something one can pull out from easily. The requests seem ordinary enough, but to reject is sometimes not acceptable. Similarly at any working environment, the favours taken in the course of work, would need to be returned at some point in time. When the favours requested require bending our own core principles, this is where most work dilemma will come back to bite.
The morale of the story – owing favours to others are not something that is easy to manage. Splitting our professional career life from our day-to-day life is indeed not an easy feat, especially as both encompasses a big part of our daily life. BUT, each individual will have some key core values. Being flexible should never compromise these core values. In the line of banking especially, trust and honesty are very important and should never be broken. Sometimes, getting an outsider’s perspective may be able to give more clarity on any decision.
Of the various characters, I like many of these multi-faceted personalities. Zhao Hui is principled, but facing the dilemma of returning favours, he is unable to escape the guilt. The actor portraying Zhao Hui is a veteran, able to bring out the various emotions very well. I like his interaction with his daughter, and also Zhou Lin. Restricted but the need for love is great. I didn’t really like Zhou Lin as a character, but she provides the emotional support to the normally introverted Zhao Hui.
Miao Che is a loyal friend, but he places a bubble around him to ensure independence at all time. His character and attitude are so much representative of what an auditor would have – skepticism, attention to details, suspicious! I love his interaction with Zhao Hui, and also with Tao Wu Ji.
The youngster Tao Wu Ji is intelligent, and possess a sense of clarity on his objective in life and core values. Very seldom seen, he safeguards himself and manages his emotion well – providing an optimism for his own ambition. Originally putting Zhao Hui on a pedestal, almost like an idol, he is still able to clearly segregate idolisation and finding the truth through hard evidences. He is almost like a better version of Zhao Hui and Miao Che combined together.
On the other hand, girlfriend Tian Xiao Hui from the beginning has a little bit of annoying personality. She puts money above all, always prioritising her needs for more money (with the assumption that it will provide security to her). As the couple faces their own challenges at work, the dilemma each of them faces – how they behave and make decision shows more cracks in their relationship and diverging the couple’s track. Although the ending shows the two of them meeting each other at the park where they used to frequent when younger, there is indication that they remain friends but did not get back together. I would prefer such ending as I do not think that they would ever be able to align their core values, regardless of how much feelings they have for each other.
Su Jian Ren on the other hand, is emotionally charged and makes a lot of his decision based on his own heart. And a really soft heart he has, especially when it comes to romance. Villains are portrayed in the form of husband-wife team of Xie Zhi Yuan and Shen Jing (Tian Xiao Hui’s cousin) and Wu Xian Long. I thought it may be better to give some context on what shapes their thinking & decision-making, as I do believe there is a backstory to each individual.
Conclusion : 7/10
Although the series started off strongly, the ending leaves much to desire. The ending is not well managed, and looks a little sloppy. It is as if the series decide to end everything, and close off all the loose end in the last 2 episodes. Even the final dilemma for Zhao Hui is not well fleshed out and explained. For that reason, I think the series only deserve a 7.
Acting-wise, I think all of them performed very well. Realistic series, giving some insights into the banking and financial industries. Linking with the attachment and emotion, posing as daily dilemmas for everyday office employees. Being in the financial industry, trust is an important concept and the reputation of an honest finance personnel is everything that will make or break one’s career. May I never have any conflicts/ dilemmas that will test my bottom lines of my core values.
Cheng's Musings 