Episode Summary
State security agent Yang Guang goes undercover as a professor to bust a Taiwanese spy, Liu Lijing, who is trying to steal nuclear secrets. The operation is successful, but intel reveals a bigger threat: an impending attack on a Sino-European energy conference in Jiangcheng. Yang Guang leads a special team to secure the event. During the conference, a server named Wang Xiaoquan poisons Chinese delegate Xie Rujun (who had swapped drinks with the apparent target, European delegate Dai En). After a chase, Wang Xiaoquan dies by suicide, leaving behind a video claiming his motive was environmental activism against nuclear pollution.
Spoiler Alert
The Secret Path Episode 1: Recap & Spoilers
We open in a rather posh, classical-style restaurant. Meet Yang Youliang, a professor from Yanping University of Science and Technology. He's looking a bit uptight in his old-fashioned suit, hair neatly combed, distinguished with graying temples, but definitely giving off some seriously reserved, almost dull, academic vibes. Today is a massive deal for him: it's his first face-to-face meeting with his online girlfriend, Liu Lijing. This is the moment their digital romance transitions to the real world.
For the past six months, Liu Lijing has been pursuing Professor Yang with intense fervor, and that heat hasn't died down now that they're finally sharing a meal. She’s constantly serving him food and pouring drinks, her eyes practically burning with adoration. It’s almost… a little too much, you know?
Later that night, Yang Youliang, clearly quite taken with Liu Lijing, gives her a tour of his workplace – the Nuclear Physics Research Institute. Yeah, a totally casual date spot. Security is understandably tight, and Liu Lijing appears a bit on edge, but Yang Youliang smoothly reassures her it’s just a routine check.
Once they’re inside the lab, things get cozy. Liu Lijing wraps her arms around Yang Youliang from behind, her cheek against his back, whispering sweet nothings. Just as he turns, presumably to kiss her, things take a sharp turn. She suddenly raises her hand, and a syringe is expertly plunged into his neck. Yang Youliang’s pupils contract; before he can even register what’s happened, he slumps to the floor. Liu Lijing doesn't waste a second. She pulls out a USB drive, jams it into a computer, and her fingers fly across the keyboard. The file copy progress bar shoots up, and then she’s making a swift exit.
But hold on, Liu Lijing’s escape doesn’t go quite as planned. The moment she settles into her ride-share, two other cars come screeching in, effectively boxing her in. Several plainclothes officers close in, and a pair of shiny handcuffs clicks decisively around Liu Lijing's wrists. And who’s that cool character sitting in the passenger seat of the lead car, looking nothing like the somewhat awkward professor from dinner? It’s none other than Yang Youliang, but he’s shed his timid persona. He introduces himself: Yang Guang, Deputy Director of the Third Division of the Yanping Municipal State Security Bureau (think of it as their MSS or Guoan).
Plot twist! It turns out the Guoan Bureau had been tracking a Taiwanese spy organization for a while. Liu Lijing had been frequently contacting various research personnel, with her ultimate goal being secrets related to mainland China's nuclear energy sector. Yang Guang had been playing the role of her "prey," essentially turning their honeytrap strategy on its head. This elaborate sting operation allowed them to confirm the spy ring's plans and methods, leading to Liu Lijing being caught red-handed with the stolen data.
After Yang Guang finishes interrogating Liu Lijing, he and his section chief, Li Jian, head back to the Third Division headquarters. With the assistance of Chen Qiu (head of network technology investigation), and Tan Yaoduo, Zhang Lei, and Wang Hong from the operations section, they manage to decrypt a coded message found in Liu Lijing’s email. The real target wasn't just any data; it was an upcoming Sino-European Energy Enterprise Cooperation and Exchange Conference set to take place in the city of Jiangcheng.
The Bureau Director, Zhang Baiqing, lays out the situation. This Jiangcheng conference is a pretty big deal. The European delegation is headed by Dai En, who serves as the Vice President of the European Promotion Association – a significant figure in both political and business spheres. The Chinese delegation is led by Xie Rujun, a former high-ranking official in the state security system who has since transitioned to the business world, now spearheading international energy cooperation. Although the Jiangcheng conference might not seem massive in scale, its focus on nuclear power technology cooperation makes it incredibly influential and, apparently, a key target for the Taiwanese spy organization.
Here’s the kicker: the conference is scheduled to open in less than ten hours. Director Zhang Baiqing doesn't hesitate, immediately ordering the formation of a special operations team. Yang Guang is appointed as the team leader, with Li Jian as his deputy. Ma Qingli from the network security monitoring section and others are tasked with providing full support. The team rushes to Jiangcheng overnight and meets up with the local Guoan Bureau chief, Liang Sihang. Liang Sihang has already ramped up security measures for the conference, deploying additional personnel. Considering that Yang Guang's team (the Third Division) has previous experience dealing with military intelligence, Liang Sihang assigns them to handle second-line security, with the aim of preventing any spies from getting close to the conference venue.
The next morning, the Jiangcheng Conference Center is under heavy security. Chinese and European delegates begin to arrive, and every corner of the venue is being monitored in real-time. The first half of the conference proceeds without a hitch, almost too calmly. Then, during a tea break, an important service staff member named Lao Jiang unexpectedly calls in sick. Wang Xiaoquan, who was on backup, steps in to manage the tea service.
Liang Sihang double-checks the service personnel list, and Wang Xiaoquan is on it – everything appears to be in order. Wang Xiaoquan himself seems perfectly calm and composed. He personally pours a Coke for Dai En and then a black tea for Xie Rujun. In a move that seems like a friendly gesture, Xie Rujun suddenly suggests that he and Dai En swap drinks, remarking with a smile, "Cultural exchange starts with food and drink". However, just moments after sipping the black tea (which was originally intended for Dai En), Xie Rujun abruptly clutches his chest, his face turns deathly pale, and he collapses to the ground.
Meanwhile, Yang Guang and Li Jian are stationed in the downstairs lobby. They once again notice Zhao Yaning, a person they had shared an elevator with earlier (file that detail away, it might become important!). Just then, Li Jian’s phone rings with the news: Xie Rujun has been poisoned. The two men sprint towards the elevator, only to see Xie Rujun already being carried out on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance. Wang Xiaoquan, the server, has vanished. Yang Guang, Li Jian, and Liang Sihang quickly search the preparation room, only to then spot Wang Xiaoquan frantically running upstairs.
The three officers split up to pursue him. During the chase, Wang Xiaoquan ambushes Liang Sihang, attacking him viciously and stabbing him multiple times in the abdomen. Liang Sihang collapses on the staircase, seriously wounded. Yang Guang and Li Jian hear the sounds of the struggle. Li Jian rushes to Liang Sihang's aid and calls for backup, while Yang Guang continues the chase, pursuing Wang Xiaoquan all the way to the building's rooftop. Cornered, and with Yang Guang watching, Wang Xiaoquan jumps from the roof to his death.
Later, the investigators find a video recording that Wang Xiaoquan made before his death. In the recording, he confesses to planning and executing an assassination attempt on a "foreign official" (which implies Dai En was the original target, though Xie Rujun was the one poisoned due to the drink swap). His stated motive? He claims he was dedicated to protecting the "green Earth" and was calling on people worldwide to unite and resist nuclear pollution.
So, episode one slams to a close with a dead attacker, a high-profile poisoning, a critically injured agent, and a supposed environmental extremist motive that feels… well, a little too neat, doesn't it? Was Wang Xiaoquan really a lone wolf driven by eco-terrorism, or is there much more to this "green Earth" angle? And what about that Taiwanese spy ring they were initially tracking? It seems like this conference was just the opening act. So many questions! I, for one, am totally hooked and can't wait to see where "The Secret Path" leads us next.
Okay, here's a short summary of "The Secret Path" Episode 1, followed by the requested list of names and terms.
