Monday, June 1, 2009
ULTIMATUM
 Zoe (Ye Yu Chen)  Fann ( Fang Song Qiao)
 Li Nan Xing (Zhang Feng)  Li Nan Xing ( Zhou Zhi Da)  Tay Ping Hui ( Sun Jie)  Felicia ( Sun Min)  Zhang Zhen Huan (Fang Song Qing) Synopsis
Years ago, Ye Song Nian, the boss of Phoenix Corporation, raped his employee, Zheng Wen Yu, who was already pregnant with her husband's child at that time. Months later, both Wen Yu and Song Nian's second wife, Su Zhen, give birth to daughters in the same hospital and due to the nurses' negligence, the identities of the baby girls were swapped. Wen Yu discovers that her biological daughter suffers from congenital heart disease. Out of a mother's desire for her child to receive the best medical care coupled with hatred towards Song Nian, she decided to capitalize on the situation by perpetuating the mistake. Thus, Ye Yu Chen and Fang Song Qiao, whose identities were swapped, grew up in two disparate environments. In his old age, Song Nian goes into semi-retirement, having handed the running of his company to his god-sister (Jiang Ruo Lin) and sons (Ren Xiao and Ren Yi). Ruo Lin's son, Ren De, works in Song Nian's company. Yu Chen also holds the position of an AVP.
On the surface, the family seems to be a harmonious. However, beneath this facade, everyone is eying Song Nian's position, clamouring to gain Song Nian's favour so that they might be entrusted with an important role in the company. Having grown up in such a scheming and manipulative environment, Yu Chen's survival instincts are honed.
Song Qiao's childhood, on the other hand was filled with unhappiness. Wen Yu vents her hatred towards Song Nian on her. She was often scolded and beaten for every little mistakes made. Song Qiao bears with it in silence and grows up to be a lawyer.
When Song Qiao was young, she had an extraordinary encounter with a boy, Sun Jie. Sun Jie's father, Sun Nan Hai, had been a conman and was made a scapegoat in a kidnap. The young Sun Jie resorted to theft to support his younger sister, Sun Min, until he became Song Nian's foster son. He and Yu Chen get along very well. Over 20 years later the girls, whose identities had been swapped at birth, get acquainted through a molest case. Yu Chen's god-brother, Ren De, molests an employee, An Qi. The righteous Song Qiao takes Ren De to court. Ruo Lin is worried that Song Nian might learn about the case. Yu Chen volunteers to resolve the issue. Yu Chen initiates an out-of-court settlement and demands a huge compensation but Song Qiao is persistent on hauling Ren De to court. Though on opposing ends, the girls could not help but admire the other's strength and character. Phoenix Corporation has grown into a conglomerate over the years; its business includes overseas casinos and luxurious cruise. The aged Song Nian is undecided who should be his successor. Song Nian's oldest son had been killed in a botched-up kidnap years ago (unknown to all, this has been Ruo Lin's doing). Second son, Ren Xiao, is secretly obsessed with Ruo Lin and blindly supports everything she does, pushing for Ren De's succession of Song Nian's empire and treating his own wife, Yuki, coldly. Su Zhen's son with Song Nian, Ren Yi, is ambitious but incapable, often messing up what he sets out to achieve. Fortunately for him, Yu Chen is always at hand to help clear his mess.
Yu Chen grew up in an environment of distrust and she is constantly embroiled in vicious struggles with Ruo Lin's clique. Due to her ability to keep her cool and turn situations around, she finally gains her father's trust and becomes the CEO of Phoenix Corporation. Yu Chen had had an unforgettable relationship. Three years ago, she met the famous Zhang Feng, dubbed as God of Gamblers, in Macau and had planned to marry him. However, he vanished on the eve of their wedding, and was never seen again. Rumour has it that he has been killed by his enemies. Yu Chen refuses to believe those rumours and she continues to harbour the hope of his return. She meets Zhou Zhi Da, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Zhang Feng (though the two are polar opposites in all other areas), and is convinced that the two are actually the same person.
A-Da is a bona fide gambling addict who is skilled in all forms of the vice and has problems keeping a job. Helpless, his wife (A-Bao) recommends him for the job of a cleaner at the café where she works. Yu Chen is convinced that A-Da is Zhang Feng, who might have suffered from amnesia due to some accident, but the latter doesn't even know her.
Sun Min is Sun Jie's younger sister, and has been a fan of the art of gambling since she was young. She had aspired to learn from the God of Gamblers and upon a chance encounter with A-Da, becomes obstinately convinced (like Yu Chen) that A-Da is the God of Gamblers. To her, this is God-sent and knowing that the God of Gamblers doesn't accept female disciples, she hits upon the crazy idea of male impersonation, entering the cafés' service disguised as a man hoping to learn gambling from A-Da.
The master baker at the café is Fang Song Qing, Song Qiao's younger brother, who has been nicknamed Prince Cake because of his strapping good looks. “Infiltrating” the café as a guy, Sun Min thinks otherwise. To her, he is no more than a simple and honest guy whose world revolves around cakes. Unknowingly, they start to develop feelings for each other. As Song Qing has yet to realize Sun Min's gender, hilarious situations occur.
A-Da starts to become confused. He's been directionless all his life, and due to Yu Chen and Sun Min's persistence that he is the God of Gambler, he begins to question his own identity. He starts to believe he might be the God of Gamblers, and that he had suffered from amnesia due to an accident and that A-Bao had rescued him and brought him to Singapore to escape the f eu d in Macau . He subconsciously eases into the role of the God of Gamblers.
Song Qiao meets Sun Jie again and the latter falls in love with her. Song Qiao is unaware that Sun Jie is a prodigious thief until the appearance of the Interpol, He Chao Qun. He Chao Qun is seemingly interested in Song Qiao, and is determined to nab Sun Jie. Song Qiao makes the painful decision of ending her budding relationship with Sun Jie upon realization of his identity. Sun Jie loses his “gift for theft” to a hand injury during an accident, plunging him into the abyss of despair.
After exchanging her daughter for Song Nian's all those years back, Wen Yu has been secretly concerned about her daughter. She tries to get close to Yu Chen. Unable to contain her emotions any longer, she finally blurts out Yu Chen's real identity, much to Yu Chen's shock. After regaining her composure, Yu Chen is thrust into an emotional turmoil. For the power and status that she has fought so hard to gain, she cannot reveal her real identity, especially to the Ye family. She schemes to prevent Wen Yu from divulging the secret and at the same time, fends against Song Qiao, trying to obviate her contact with Song Nian. She even causes Wen Yu's death accidentally in her attempt to stop the latter from telling the truth. Hence, her life starts to go into turmoil.
In the course of Chao Qun's investigation into Wen Yu's death leads to the unraveling of her rape by Song Nian. Song Qiao vows to bring Song Nian to justice, but stumbles upon the shocking revelation of her true parentage and is confused. Yu Chen's true colours are revealed and this kindles Song Qiao's suspicion that the former had been behind the deaths of Wen Yu and Ren Yi.
A-Da cannot bear to see Yu Chen isolated and steeped in her criminal ways. Thus, he chooses to stay guard by her side though deep inside, he knows that Yu Chen would ultimately trudge upon the path of no return.
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Zoe (Ye Yu Chen)
Fann ( Fang Song Qiao)
Li Nan Xing (Zhang Feng)
Li Nan Xing ( Zhou Zhi Da)
Tay Ping Hui ( Sun Jie)
Felicia ( Sun Min)
Zhang Zhen Huan (Fang Song Qing)
