Episode Summary
Sander and Duke continue their covert operations, meeting with Luka after leaving Lianhai. Meanwhile, Yang Guang recovers from a concussion and fracture, an injury that occurred while trying to stop Sander's men; thankfully, the documents Sander's team acquired were decoys. After a failed tech demonstration, She Shiyuan, who had been in contact with Huaze Group, is found dead after falling from Jianyu Mountain during a hike with Zhao Yazhu, who was trying to persuade him to cooperate with Mo Si Trading. Guoan investigates, and Yang Guang is given 24 hours to solve the case due to international pressure. A new representative for Shoucheng Power, Zhang Daren, emerges and suspends negotiations, suspecting Chinese involvement in She Shiyuan's death. Evidence suggests Luka was involved in She Shiyuan's demise. Zhao Yazhu secretly provides clues to Yang Guang about Zhang Daren's suspicious ease in restarting cooperation with Mo Si Trading, facilitated by Sander. Investigations reveal Zhang Daren's corrupt past and prior knowledge of She Shiyuan's impending death. The episode ends with Huaze Group proposing a public technology competition with Mo Si Trading, forcing Sander to urgently seek Sun Yaokuan's computer data, again planning to use Luka.
Spoiler Alert
We kick things off with Sander and Duke, fresh from their escapades in Lianhai, already swapping out their car's license plate – smooth. Their next appointment? A meeting with the ever-elusive Luka. You just know that spells trouble brewing.
Meanwhile, our guy Li Jian is at the hospital checking in on Yang Guang. And let's just say he's not thrilled about Yang Guang's rather impulsive actions. If that car had swerved just a little differently, Yang Guang would have been a goner! As it stands, he's nursing a concussion and a bone fracture. So now both our lead investigators are laid up – talk about a tough break. But hey, there's a sliver of good news: those manuscripts Sander's crew managed to get their hands on? Totally useless decoys! The real, valuable documents are safe and sound at the research institute. That's a huge relief! Yang Guang, ever the dedicated agent, is already pushing himself hard in physical therapy to get back on his feet. Li Jian, ever the cautious friend, keeps reminding him that recovery takes time and rushing it won't help. Unfortunately, with Li Jian spending so much time looking after Yang Guang, he hasn't had a chance to make headway on finding the suspect who rammed Yang Guang's car.
Now, things take a decidedly darker turn. Remember She Shiyuan? Ever since that tech demonstration didn't go as planned, he's been in frequent contact with the Huaze Group. Sander, always the puppet master, tasks Zhao Yazhu with some serious PR work to persuade She Shiyuan. She even goes as far as accompanying him on a night hike up Jianyu Mountain to make her case. Big mistake. Sander gets wind of this little mountain rendezvous and immediately sends a directive to Luka, who, surprise, surprise, is already conveniently hidden somewhere on Jianyu Mountain.
The next thing we hear, Guoan (that's National Security, for those keeping track) receives a grim notification: She Shiyuan has fallen from a cliff to his death. The case is handed over to the third division, and Yang Guang, concussion and all, insists on going to the scene with Li Jian. When they arrive at Jianyu Mountain, they meet Zhao Yazhu, who was the one to report the incident. Yang Guang formally introduces himself, explaining that due to protocol, he had to conceal his identity earlier and hopes she understands.
According to Zhao Yazhu's account, she was there on behalf of Mo Si Trading, trying to convince She Shiyuan to restart their cooperation. She Shiyuan, however, was adamant that it wasn't going to happen. Zhao Yazhu, wearing high heels, found her ankles were hurting from the climb, so She Shiyuan supposedly told her to wait on the mountainside while he went to the summit alone. After about ten minutes, when he hadn't returned, Zhao Yazhu and others went up to look for him, only to discover his body at the foot of the cliff.
Back at the scene, the Guoan team meticulously searches the area but finds no trace of anyone else having been there. Then, Zhang Baiqing calls Yang Guang with some unsettling news: Shoucheng Power has appointed a new representative, a man named Zhang Daren. This Zhang Daren has already informed Huaze Group that he's suspending the nuclear power negotiations, citing suspicions that the Chinese side might be involved in She Shiyuan's fatal fall. Considering the massive implications, Zhang Baiqing gives Yang Guang a tight 24-hour deadline to provide a clear explanation.
Yang Guang immediately organizes his team for a thorough, grid-style search of the area and questions Zhao Yazhu about this Zhang Daren. Meanwhile, Li Jian and his team discover traces of motorcycle gasoline in the nearby undergrowth – a potential lead! They decide to pull all relevant surveillance footage immediately. Later, Zhao Yazhu returns home and calls Sander directly, asking him if She Shiyuan's death had anything to do with him. Sander flatly denies any involvement and informs her that negotiations with Shoucheng Power will resume the very next morning. At the same time, Luka is shown in a deserted factory, burning a motorcycle. By the next morning, when the police are alerted and investigate, the gasoline traces found at the burn site perfectly match those discovered near the cliff.
Just as Sander orchestrated, Zhao Yazhu meets with Zhang Daren to discuss their collaboration. Sander even promises to prepare a sample of their high-temperature gas-cooled reactor nuclear technology, along with a detailed technical introduction. With these assurances, Zhang Daren agrees to formally cooperate with Mo Si Trading. Yang Guang and Li Jian are nearby, covertly observing and photographing the meeting. Then, in an unexpected twist, Zhao Yazhu sends a message to Yang Guang, asking to meet him privately.
When they meet, Zhao Yazhu tells Yang Guang that the meeting with Zhang Daren felt strangely, almost too smooth. She mentions that certain crucial details of the cooperation that she was concerned about seemed to be of no issue whatsoever to Zhang Daren and his team. Zhao Yazhu believes these irregularities are significant clues for Yang Guang's investigation. Simultaneously, Li Jian gets in touch with Li Minhao, who reveals that Zhang Daren has a history of involvement in "black gold" operations (think illicit financial dealings or corruption) and that Sander had previously helped him escape trouble.
But wait, there's more! Tian Ziwei also makes a breakthrough. Based on intelligence from Li Minhao, she uncovers a private email address. The contents reveal that Zhang Daren was already preparing to restart cooperation before She Shiyuan's death, strongly suggesting he had prior knowledge that She Shiyuan was about to be taken out of the picture. Suddenly, Zhang Daren calls Sander, telling him there's been a change of plans. The Huaze Group has bypassed him and directly contacted the chairman of the power company. They are now proposing a public technology competition and demonstration between themselves and Mo Si Trading. If the Chinese side (Huaze Group) loses this contest, they will willingly withdraw from the project.
Zhang Daren warns Mo Si Trading that they need to have their technical data and a working prototype ready by May 31st. Word is that Huaze Group intends to use Sun Yaokuan's original computer data for this tech face-off. After hanging up, Sander decides he needs to act fast. His new objective: use Luka to get his hands on whatever is stored on Sun Yaokuan's computer.
So, She Shiyuan is gone, the very shady Zhang Daren is now a key player, Zhao Yazhu seems to be walking a dangerous line, and Sander is ready to escalate things to secure critical technology. With a high-stakes tech competition on the horizon and everyone's secrets threatening to unravel, Episode 7 leaves us on the edge of our seats! What will Luka find? And can Yang Guang and Li Jian expose the conspiracy before it's too late? We'll have to tune in to find out!
