Episode Summary
Suspicion falls on Luka Morelli after a tracker injures his ankle; if Luka's limping, he's the guy. James, now handling things himself, retrieves a suspicious microwave from the airport using a dead man's ID. Meanwhile, Yang Guang and Zhao Yaning grow closer. To confirm Luka's injury, Yang Guang and Li Jian set up a badminton game, during which Luka fakes another ankle injury after Xie Xiaoman reveals their plans to move to the US. The team bugs Luka's apartment and confirms he used painkillers. The retrieved microwave is found to contain a non-standard chip. As James receives a second package, Yang Guang prepares to infiltrate James's office during a signing ceremony he's attending with Zhao Yaning.
Spoiler Alert
Alright, so Li Jian strolls back into Section 3 and immediately tells Yang Guang about their mystery tail – the guy totally took a tumble and messed up his ankle. The big brain theory? If Luka Morelli is suddenly limping around like he’s auditioning for a pirate movie, then bingo, that’s their guy. Speaking of Luka, he’s currently chilling at home, probably icing that very ankle, and texts James to let him know he’s off duty for tailing Yang Guang. James, ever the understanding boss (not!), just tells him to patch himself up before taking on any new assignments.
With Luka benched, James decides it's time for a little DIY. He throws on a disguise and heads to an airport pickup point to grab a package. And what’s in this super-secret package? A microwave. Yep, you heard that right, a microwave. But James isn't quite as smooth as he thinks; his signature on the delivery form looks a bit off, and the airport staff are immediately suspicious. Uh oh.
Meanwhile, in a completely different corner of the plot, Zhao Yaning decides to ask Yang Guang out for dinner. They’re chatting about the good old days, dreaming about all the amazing things the future might hold, and basically having a rom-com moment, complete with a toast. You can practically see the little hearts floating around their heads as their connection deepens.
Back to the spy games: Section 3 has been keeping tabs on Luka Morelli for days but hasn't dug up anything juicy. To get some solid proof that the ankle-spraining shadow is indeed Luka, Yang Guang decides it's time to call in the tech guys and get up close and personal.
So, what's the plan? A friendly game of badminton, of course! Yang Guang and Li Jian cleverly arrange a match, making sure Xie Xiaoman brings Luka along. Luka’s a bit wary at first (maybe because, you know, sprained ankle), but after some serious begging from Xie Xiaoman, he caves. He even secretly uses some kind of pain-blocking drug to numb the throb. Desperate times, huh? The second Luka and Xie Xiaoman are out the door, the tech team sneaks into their place and plants bugs everywhere. Smooth.
At the badminton court, Yang Guang pairs up with Xie Xiaoman for a game, giving Li Jian the perfect chance to sidle up to Luka and strike up a conversation. Luka lets slip that his hometown is on the Kovi Islands – interesting little tidbit. Then, it’s Li Jian and Luka’s turn on the court. While they’re playing, Xie Xiaoman casually mentions to Yang Guang that she and Luka are planning to pack up and move to the US. This definitely sets off some alarm bells for Yang Guang. And just like clockwork, Luka suddenly twists his ankle again during the game. Xie Xiaoman immediately takes him home. Li Jian, however, isn't buying it. He whispers to Yang Guang that the fall looked totally fake, like Luka was trying way too hard to prove he couldn't be the guy with the initial injury.
Li Jian’s suspicion gets Yang Guang thinking. If Lide Company managed to recruit Luka after the whole Hermes organization went down, it would perfectly explain why he’s still kicking around Yanping. Just then, Zhang Baiqing calls Yang Guang and Li Jian in. He plays some surveillance footage from the airport pickup point and confirms that the pickup guy's passport and photo match up.
But hold on, the airport staff did a little more digging. Turns out, the passport was real, but the dude it belonged to had been dead for six months! After some serious analysis from body language and facial recognition experts, they’re pretty sure the guy who picked up the microwave was none other than James, the big boss at Lide Group. Yang Guang and Li Jian are floored. A microwave? What’s so special about a microwave? Zhang Baiqing suspects it’s not just any kitchen appliance and that there might be other mysterious items involved.
Thanks to those newly planted bugs, the team overhears Xie Xiaoman noticing needle marks on Luka’s ankle. Luka tries to play it cool, blaming his shoes, but nobody at Section 3 is falling for that. It’s pretty clear he shot himself up with a painkiller. As they listen in, Li Jian remarks that love can seriously drop your IQ. Tian Ziwei then teases Li Jian, saying that’s probably why he’s still single – afraid of getting dumber – and even offers to set him up on a blind date. Classic. Later, Xie Xiaoman makes Luka some pig's trotter soup (aww!), and Luka shares a story about growing up in an orphanage, but then quickly backtracks, saying his parents went abroad, so he was just temporarily fostered there. His story is shadier than a palm tree.
The experts finally get their hands on that microwave. On the outside, it looks totally normal. But inside? They find a chip that definitely does not belong in a microwave. Dun dun DUN! At the same time, the second package James was expecting arrives at Lide. Zhao Yaning signs for it, super curious about what’s inside. But James is being all secretive and quickly sends her away with a lame excuse.
Yang Guang is now more convinced than ever that James's office is hiding some major secrets. Zhang Baiqing gives him the perfect window of opportunity: James and Zhao Yaning are scheduled to attend a big signing ceremony between Huaze Group and Taiyu Group. With them out of the picture, it's the perfect time to strike. As soon as James and Zhao Yaning head out, Yang Guang, rocking a disguise, slips into the Lide company building.
