Beneath the Waves

At the start of the millennium, PHS mobile phones swept across the country. Armed with sharp business acumen, Gao Sheng opened a PHS store that thrived instantly. A loyal and generous man, he paid off his brother Zhao Peng's gambling debts, hired him at the shop, and advanced him a full year's salary. When Zhao Peng's child fell seriously ill, Gao Sheng gave him money without hesitation—he had gone above and beyond for his friend. Yet when Gao Sheng received insider news that PHS devices would soon be fully phased out, turning his massive stockpile into worthless scrap metal, a brutal test of human nature awaited him. While Gao Sheng was drowning in anxiety, Zhao Peng—the "good brother" he had rescued time and again—was egged on by his wife Yu Wei to storm the shop and stage a hostile takeover. Twisting the truth, the pair claimed Zhao Peng was the sole force behind the store's success and that Gao Sheng merely reaped the rewards. They demanded a 70% stake in the business, threatening daily disruptions if their demands were not met. Betrayed by the man he had treated like family, Gao Sheng's heart turned cold. Flashbacks flooded his mind with memories of their bond: Gao Sheng once took a punch from loan sharks to shield Zhao Peng, rushed financial aid when his child was critically ill, and sincerely hoped to share prosperity with his friend. But Zhao Peng's vicious snarl and Yu Wei's venomous words laid bare the depths of human greed for Gao Sheng.