The Power Source (2022)

Eye-opening drama about the running of a State-Owned company. With a cracking story & cast

This drama was extremely interesting for me with its insights about how a Chinese State-Owned companies is run. Then, add a great story, brilliant characters and an amazing cast, and I found myself binge-watching a 36 episode drama about a manufacturing firm and the development of engines.

The cast is fantastic. Yang Shou does a great job of portraying the social-awkward brilliant researcher Wei Cheng (who is actually socially awkward, it's not just an excuse for some idol-CEO to be nasty to everybody) and Jiao Jun Yan has become one of my new favourite actresses as (girl-crush material) welder Jin Yanzi, a blue-collar worker who wants nothing more than swapping her blue helmet for a white one (a sign of being a team leader). They start off on the wrong foot when Wei Cheng is a judge for a welding competition and points out that some of her skills are obsolete which makes her come second instead of first. She thinks he's all just theory and knows nothing about work in practice. But they end up appreciating the other's skills and knowledge.

The drama begins when the chairman of Litsun decides that they don't make any money as a manufacturing company to keep going and have to re-invent themselves as a finance firm instead. Now he has to get everybody on board for his plan, from the workers to the provincial party leadership. The drama shows the impact this initiative has from the workers straight through to the top. But also, it shows the importance that is being placed on developing technology domestically rather than always importing parts (and engines) from abroad. The tension between continuing research and making money is one that drives this drama but because it's made personal and has great characters, it's really gripping.

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