Episode Summary
Episode 41 was packed with action: Huang Zhongxin confronted the gang about his father, leading to Cheng Nanping being critically stabbed while protecting Cheng Hui. Zheng Qiu raided the Shanhai Gang but found nothing, then arrested Cheng Hui at the hospital. During interrogation, Zheng Qiu shockingly admitted his role in A'Zhen's past death and his father's involvement. Meanwhile, Liu Zhendong survived an assassination attempt thanks to Hei Hu, with the assassin killing himself before he could be questioned.
Spoiler Alert
The episode kicks off with Cheng Hui, looking worse for wear, being helped into a seat in the courtyard. The (relative) peace is shattered when Huang Zhongxin bursts onto the scene, absolutely furious and demanding to know where the gang is holding his father, Huang Jinhu. When he’s met with a wall of silence, Huang Zhongxin loses it, accusing them of harming his father, who he claims barely survived one attempt on his life only to be targeted again. Zhao Tiehan tries to explain, but Huang Zhongxin, practically vibrating with grief and rage, cuts him off, completely convinced the gang is trying to permanently silence his dad.
Cheng Hui steps in, trying to smooth things over and insisting he meant no harm. Huang Zhongxin isn't having any of it, though. He scoffs, reminding Cheng Hui that they supposedly had an understanding and that he’d planned to take his father far away to start a new life. Clearly, he feels he was played. In a fit of uncontrolled anger, Huang Zhongxin pulls a knife and lunges straight for Cheng Hui. But in a truly shocking moment, Cheng Nanping throws himself in front of Cheng Hui, taking the blade right in the chest. A horrified Cheng Hui immediately orders everyone to get Cheng Nanping to a doctor, stat!
As if that wasn’t enough chaos, Zheng Qiu then leads a police raid on the Shanhai Gang's main hall. Zhao Tiehan quickly notices how swift and well-coordinated the raid is, suspecting it was a setup, and orders She Yan to block their entry. She Yan tries to use gang rules as a defense, but Zheng Qiu isn't playing; he whips out a search warrant and forces his way in. The search, however, turns up absolutely nothing. Zheng Qiu then tries to lean on Huang Zhongxin for information about Huang Jinhu’s whereabouts. Zhao Tiehan, cool as a cucumber, simply points to a memorial tablet in the ancestral hall, stating that Huang Jinhu died a hero for the gang twenty years ago. With nothing to go on, a frustrated Zheng Qiu has no choice but to retreat.
Over at the hospital, Cheng Nanping is still in surgery, with a deeply anxious Cheng Hui waiting for news. Zheng Qiu, ever the opportunist, uses this moment to arrest Cheng Hui. Cheng Hui goes quietly, his only concern being to declare that Hei Hu will take over as the gang leader. Later, during interrogation, Zheng Qiu relentlessly presses Cheng Hui about the location of a body (presumably Huang Jinhu's). Cheng Hui feeds him a line, claiming he disposed of the body in the deep sea. Then, Cheng Hui flips the script, confronting Zheng Qiu about the torture inflicted on Huang Zhongxin's father. Zheng Qiu just laughs it off, smugly saying luck was on his side.
But this interrogation takes an even more personal turn. Cheng Hui finally voices the suspicion that's been eating at him for years: was Zheng Qiu involved in A'Zhen's death? And boom – Zheng Qiu doesn't even try to deny it. He coldly states that A'Zhen was his woman and that if she hadn't stubbornly rushed off to deliver a message (which ultimately led to her death), she could have become his concubine. Zheng Qiu then tears into Cheng Hui, accusing him of betrayal for pushing an investigation that eventually revealed Zheng Qiu's own father as the mastermind behind it all. What a revelation!
Meanwhile, in a seemingly unrelated plotline, Liu Zhendong is treating some fellow police officers to a meal. On his way back, he’s ambushed by an assassin named Luo Bote. Just when it looks like Liu Zhendong is done for, Hei Hu appears out of nowhere and saves him. Luo Bote tries to flee, but Liu Zhendong manages to shoot him in the leg. Realizing he’s cornered and his mission has failed, Luo Bote dramatically takes his own life on the spot, ensuring Liu Zhendong couldn't force him to reveal who hired him.
