[E] LAND OF WEALTH / 匯通天下 [TVB][2006]

Written by Funn Lim

This will probably be my shortest recap for any episode in this series because episode 9 is totally devoted to business talk and like I have said many times in this Episodic Thoughts, whenever this series goes into business talk, I tune off because I can't understand a single thing they say. Same as here.

Mr Kiu was exercising in the cold but he was in poor health. In fact Mr Kiu was in better health than him. Anyway...

 So Mr Cho was very angry that Mr Kiu may appoint Yun Tin as 1st taukeh to replace him. He secretly arranged for a meeting with the managers of 13 branches of Ding Fung Sing, telling them mostly lies and some part opinion about how Mr Kiu being so despicable has been side stepping him in favour of Yun Tin and that one assistant manager who was a step away from being a manager (thus will get increased salary plus bonus and other benefits) was fired because Mr Kiu thought he made a huge mistake as to some loan. The truth is that assistant manager resigned because he felt responsible for giving a bad loan, Mr Kiu never asked him to leave at all. In fact Mr Kiu hardly runs the bank at all and left it to Mr Cho. Anyway Mr Cho said in light of these circumstances, he felt he should just resign, retire and go away before he is fired. The 13 managers seemed very angry on his behalf because

 a. if Mr Cho is being side stepped so will they

b. they were all personally trained by Mr Cho all those years ago and were very loyal to Mr Cho

c. Mr Cho dealt with them on a daily basis so they didn't feel that connection with Mr Kiu

d. Mr Cho was a very good liar, Oscar has found its new Best Actor.

So the 13 managers agree to boycott Mr Kiu and push for Mr Cho to become the new big boss of the bank.

Meanwhile Mrs Cho ochestrated for Yun Tin, wife, Mrs Kiu and even Jun to leave town for a few days with the pretense that the father of Mrs Cho and Mrs Kiu was very sick. Yun Tin suspected something was amiss and Ching too but Yun Tin said "Don't worry, I have my plans".

 Everybody seems to have their own plan in this episode. Even Mr Kiu seems suspiscious but later I discover that is due to bad acting.

So all left. Mr Kiu was alone with his servant who found out the 13 managers all left their respective branches and was here in Ping Yiu. Mr Kiu was shocked (hence the  bad acting because he seemed like he knew what was going on when actually he didn't) and knew Mr Cho was behind this. He deduced that they were ready to push him out of his position. So he went to see Mr Cho personally, enquiring about his health and said in no uncertain terms that "You must be well soon. The daily managements of the bank needs you. You and I have been working together for so long, you are responsible for making our bank this famous in this region. I can assure you you are my only choice for 1st taukeh. Be well soon". For a moment Mr Cho seems convinced by Mr Kiu's assurance.

Then Yun Tin destroyed it all when on his way to balik kampung, he met up with an investor in a deal that Mr Cho rejected as too high risk. King Yin overheard the conversation with that client loudly saying "I am sure you must be the 1st taukeh soon! You're young and wise in choosing your investors!". King Yin rushed home to tell his father this news and Mr Cho was very angry that "For a moment I almost believed that cunning old fox! He wants to take my position away? No way! I will not commence with my plan, there is no more need to even give him face anymore!". In fact in this scene we found out that Mr Cho worked for the bank since he was 15 and he contributed a lot to the bank. I deduce that he married Mrs Cho when Mr Kiu married Mrs Kiu, like consolidation of power. Mr Kiu is obviously younger of the 2.

 What plan you might ask? Coming soon.

Mr Kiu knows it is of utmost urgency he must see and speak with the 13 managers. So he wrote 13 letters asking his male servant to go but his male servant hurt his leg and Bak Chuen was there when he took the male servant home. Bak Chuen volunteered and the servant even feel Bak Chuen was suitable and could be trusted. And so Bak Chuen went in heavy snow to the place where the 13 managers were and they all refused to read the letters, threw them onto the floor and stomped on it. Bak Chuen left dejected and told Mr Kiu what they said, where Mr Kiu was extremely hurt to hear them calling him vile, bastard, ungrateful and heartless. Mr Kiu then found out about that accusation about tet assistant manager and he concluded "So you (Mr Cho) really want to go on with your plans?" and he sighed.

Bak Chuen asked why he tolerated the 13 managers. After all a manager must never leave his position without permission from the boss and they're needed this time of year to I think manager/deliver the government's money failing which Ding Fung Sing would be at fault and charged for something. This part I didn't get. But Mr Cho did it in such a way that he will get Mr Kiu in big trouble with the authorities. Mr Kiu explained "The 13 managers were all trained by Mr Cho therefore they feel loyalty towards him. I can't fault them for that. I can't just replace all 13 of them because it requires years of experience to be in that position. Mr Cho trained them well. I don't want to meet with the 13 managers just yet because if I did that, my relationship with Mr Cho is irrepairable. I don't want to do that. Mr Cho was my trusted assistant, in fact without him the bank would not have survived the years of turmoil due to the problems with the government. I owe him that much to give him a chance."

So Mr Cho contributed significantly to the business! No wonder Mr Kiu seems so nice to him, never really side step him and truth is Mr Cho is competent. In fact now I know why Yun Tin can never be 1st taukeh. Mr Cho somewhere in this episode also mentioned his plan was to strike and push Mr Kiu to retire so that he can take over the bank.

All the drama and frankly I was huh? Because if 13 managers were to boycott you, wouldn't you fire them all? Mr Kiu's reason for not firing them was because they were important and without them the daily running of the bank would pratically shut down. But just imagine all 13 managers were on a boat and it sank. One day all 13 died. Does it mean that the bank will not be operable any more? What about 13 assistant managers? Wouldn't they be eager to take over the position and may be as trained as well? Silly if you ask me.

Anyway Mr Cho went full speed away with his plan. Mr Kiu refused to meet with 13 branch managers personally and asked them to meet him. One agreed to meet him in secret because he saved this guy's life years abo which affected his own health. Don't ask me what because I was still confused over the 13 managers on a ship analogy made up by myself. But that guy will resign so that he didn't have to take sides.

Mr Kiu now knows he is in a desperate situation. He can't let his bank which is now in his hands as the 3rd generation to close. But the 12 managers were still angry and skeptical about his integrity because of that lie told by Mr Cho about the assistant manager. Bak Chuen did asked Mr Kiu why Mr Cho thought the way he did and Mr Kiu sadly sighed "I don't want to have any rivalry with him, it is he who thinks the other way". Bak Chuen then asked "What about the assistant manager? Maybe we find him and let him speak the truth to the 12 managers so that they will change their minds about you?" and Mr Kiu sadly said "He has retired and no one knows where he is. It is hopeless".

Wow Mr Kiu, you can be so negative sometimes.

The servant said "Master, I remember he said he may wish to retire to this place where it is beautiful and peaceful. Maybe he is there". THIS PLACE meaning I can't remember which place. Bak Chuen looked hopeful and said "Sir, let me find him. I will bring him back, I promise!" and Mr Kiu now looked a bit hopeful said "Alright. The meeting with Mr Cho and the 13 managers will be held next month. If you can find him, bring him straight to me". And Bak Chuen practically ran.

Bak Chuen went to the village as said by the servant, Mr Kwan. He saw a bunch of women and a young pregnant woman crying for someone to come home and he enquired where was the assistant manager and the young pregnant woman said "He is my husband but he hasn't come home yet. He went up the mountains and he has yet to come back!" and Bak Chuen said "He must be trapped in the mountains because of the heavy snow storm. I will find him!" and Bak Chuen ran towards the mountains with the women crying "No! No! Come back! You will only kill yourself in the storm! Noooooooo...".

Bak Chuen ran and ran and kept crying the assistant manager's name. But he couldn't find him and he persisted and suddenly he heard a loud rumbling and he looked behind him and it was an avalanche!! He ran and ran for his life and so now the question remains to  be answered;

In this amazing race, who will win? The avalance (nature) or Bak Chuen (man)? Need you know the answer?

Next episode preview, Mr Cho pressures Mr Kiu to sign and Mr Kiu wavers in his resolve and reaches for the brush...

Frankly the special effects is horrible in this episode. Obviously green or blue or rainbow screen.

No sign of Ko Wa, no sign of Sung Man and just  a peep of Jun. But this episode explains why Mr Kiu is so polite to Mr Cho and why Yun Tin, no matter what he does will never be 1st taukeh. In a way I can't fault Mr Cho since he worked very hard for the business. Like Mr Kiu said "Mr Cho is the backbone of this bank during its lowest point. Perhaps we can endure hardship together but when we have fortune and success, that will divide us". Mr Kiu seems reluctant to hurt Mr Cho but Mr Cho is of course very pissed off.

John Chiang is a revelation in this episode, managing to act a myrid of dramatic events with one singular expression. Yes I am being sarcastic. I thought he knew what was going on with Mr Cho since he looked so sly and all but then he actually didn't. So half the time he was just clueless. So all that sly look was really much ado about nothing. It didn't help there is not one emoting on the part of John Chiang and his cantonese is hard to understand too, especially when talking business.

Likewise Kenny Wong is just plain boring. I look at him I want to snore and it didn't help that he too had that one singular expression throughout the crisis.

And let's talk about the crisis. How dumb is that? Like my boat sinking analogy, how can one person run a large establishment without any contingency plan for any possible strike by the managers? How can this itself can be allowed to cripple the business? What abou replacements? Mr Kiu doesn't seem like a tough boss, he doesn't even seem like a competent boss. What about showing of power in this power play? This part of the series suddenly went stupid in my opinion.

Moses Chan did ok in this episode. Still the wide eyed boredom look, but at least he is emoting more than Kenny Wong and John Chiang combined.

I think the story needs Sung Man, Ko Wa and Jun back if not it is going stupid. I mean can't TVB write a better crisis than the one given? Where is Sung Man? I am sure he can think of a solution instead of the bull that is Bak Chuen who just knows how to charge ahead without prior planning or Mr Kiu himself who is just clueless.

Truth is Bak Chuen is a good man and the idea of Jun marrying him is not that bad. At least the bank is in good and decent hands. But then true love should triumph right?