Episode Summary
Wei Jinghai publicly reveals Zhao Jiadi's true identity as Zhao Xin's son, leading to Zhao Jiadi's defiant departure after being dismissed by Li Minxian. While Zhao Jiadi grapples with his future and considers resigning, receiving encouragement from Cai Yanzhi and Huang Hu, Li Zhijin is confined at home but learns a shocking truth about Wei Jinghai's father and Zhao Xin. Meanwhile, Huang Ruiyang continues his mysterious activities in Hangcheng, and Wei Jinghai admits to using Zhao Jiadi as a scapegoat. The episode ends with Zhao Jiadi contemplating his resignation and Li Zhijin planning to run away.
Spoiler Alert
So, the episode kicks off with a bombshell moment: Wei Jinghai, in front of everyone, decides it's the perfect time to expose Zhao Jiadi's big secret. Turns out, our boy Zhao Jiadi isn't just some hardworking Joe at Risheng; he’s the honest-to-goodness son of Zhao Xin, the big cheese over at Jinhai. You can imagine the collective gasp in the room! Li Zhijin, bless her heart, immediately tried to smooth things over for Zhao Jiadi, while Fan Longquan, ever the interrogator, hit him with a barrage of questions. To his credit, Zhao Jiadi took each one seriously and answered thoughtfully.
This whole revelation, however, was too much for Li Minxian, who pretty much showed Zhao Jiadi the door. But before making his exit, Zhao Jiadi, with a whole lot of guts, delivered a pretty epic speech. He laid it all out: he’s carved his own path in Hangcheng through sheer hard work, never once leaning on his father's influence. He emphasized that he hasn't played dirty, backstabbed anyone, or done anything shady. He’s not about to let someone else's drama define him or leave him without a place to stand. And with that, he walked out.
Driving back, you could just feel Zhao Jiadi's world crashing down. All those past moments and struggles came flooding back, and he finally just let it all out, screaming into the distance. It was a powerful moment.
Meanwhile, we cut to Huang Ruiyang, who’s trying to look all chill, fishing by a lake, but you can tell he's internally freaking out. His subordinate reminds him he’s been in Hangcheng for over a month and hasn't accomplished a single thing. Huang Ruiyang, though, plays it cool, saying Hangcheng is a complicated place with "deep waters". Classic.
Back at the Li household, Li Zhijin is basically under house arrest, and she is not happy about it. She’s throwing things around, insisting that Zhao Jiadi shouldn't be dragged into beef from the previous generation. But then, Li Minxian drops another bomb: Wei Jinghai’s father apparently died because of Zhao Xin. That revelation just stunned Li Zhijin into silence. Elsewhere, Jiao Ye is busy warning his crew to keep a low profile when who shows up at his warehouse door? None other than Huang Ruiyang, whom Jiao Ye quickly ushers inside.
Zhao Jiadi, back in his rented place, starts packing up his life. Even Shang Bao can see something is seriously off with him. Then, Cai Yanzhi makes a timely appearance and whisks Zhao Jiadi off to a horse-riding arena to clear his head and talk things through. She asks him what his next move is. Zhao Jiadi admits he was planning to start his own business, but with this massive blow-up with the Li family, those plans are probably toast.
Cai Yanzhi, ever the supportive friend, tells him not to throw in the towel so easily. If Hangcheng is a no-go, there's always Hai Cheng. But Zhao Jiadi is resolute. He says he’s got ties in Hangcheng now and he’s not leaving. He’s determined to tough it out, whether it’s good times or bad, because if he backs down now, he feels like he’ll never recover.
Later, Jiao Ye pays Wei Jinghai a visit, mentioning Huang Ruiyang’s little drop-in. Jiao Ye speculates that Wei Jinghai is pretty much a shoo-in for the General Commander position now. But Wei Jinghai reveals his true game: he just pushed Zhao Jiadi out front to take the heat, a scapegoat essentially. The real decision-making power, he says, still lies with Li Minxian. Oh, the tangled webs these characters weave!
Fan Longquan, meanwhile, hasn't been idle. He’s been digging into Wei Jinghai’s affairs, which is clearly getting under Wei Jinghai's skin. Fan Longquan's wife, Shen Yulan, brings him a meal and, like the insightful partner she is, senses his distress. She knows her husband well and advises him that if he genuinely cares about Zhao Jiadi, he should just talk to him directly and clear the air, so there are no regrets later on. Good advice!
Over at Risheng, Han Xuedong and Wang Qihan are discussing the Zhao Jiadi situation, with Han Xuedong typically worried about how Zhao Jiadi offending the Li family will impact the company. Wang Qihan, who’s seen Han Xuedong’s shameless side plenty of times, isn't really fazed by his attitude. Zhao Jiadi, looking for some perspective, goes to help Huang Hu in his garden. Huang Hu shares his own stories of entrepreneurial struggles, talking about how even in the toughest of times, there can be a breakthrough. He encourages Zhao Jiadi to keep fighting and believe in himself, because belief can unlock infinite possibilities. This advice really seems to resonate with Zhao Jiadi.
That night, we see Zhao Jiadi alone, painstakingly writing and rewriting his resignation letter. At the exact same time, Li Zhijin, who hasn't been able to get in touch with Zhao Jiadi, decides she’s had enough. She packs a bag, ready to run away from home. With bodyguards posted outside her door, escape seems impossible. But, in a stroke of luck, the housekeeper steps in, creating a diversion to draw the guards away. Li Zhijin says her goodbyes to the kind housekeeper and makes a break for it, suitcase in hand.
