Episode Summary
In "Created in China" Episode 5, Liu Jun successfully passes a critical test for his new material at Municipal No. 1 Machine Works, skillfully thwarting an industrial espionage attempt by Lin Yue's subordinate, Yu Shanshan. However, this technical victory is overshadowed by a severe financial crisis, as mounting R&D costs force his father, Liu Shitang, to consider mortgaging their family home. A tense moment with a lost data notebook proves to be a false alarm, while Liu Jun's relationship with Lin Chuan deteriorates. With a key technical correction from the experienced Master Huang, Liu Jun's sample is approved, but the family's financial ruin remains an imminent threat.
Spoiler Alert
Created in China Episode 5 Recap & Spoilers: A Technical Victory on the Brink of Financial Ruin
Full Recap & Spoilers
Corporate Sabotage Hits a Wall
The episode kicks off with Liu Jun taking his new material sample to the Municipal No. 1 Machine Works for a crucial test. He's not just battling physics; he's navigating corporate espionage. Lin Yue has assigned technician Yu Shanshan to "assist" him, with the real goal of stealing his core parameters. Chief Engineer Wang, who oversees the test, gives Liu Jun a subtle warning to be careful.
During the experiment, Yu Shanshan pretends to flip through a book while her eyes are glued to the control panel. Liu Jun, however, makes no effort to hide his work. He knows his secret isn't in a single formula but in the process itself—the heat treatment requires a dynamic temperature curve that must be constantly adjusted. Scattered data points are worthless without understanding the methodology.
In a show of confidence, Liu Jun hands a copy of his experimental records to Yu Shanshan. Faced with pages of dense, complex temperature corrections, she realizes the technical barrier is far higher than she or Lin Yue anticipated. The situation is complicated further when Lin Chuan makes a surprise visit, claiming to be "concerned about the R&D," but Liu Jun coolly shuts down her attempt to get involved.
Financial Crisis and a Test of Trust
While Liu Jun fights his battles in the lab, his father, Liu Shitang, is fighting to keep the family business afloat. The relentless R&D spending has pushed their factory to the brink. An agent, Qian Hongying, suggests mortgaging the family home to ease the cash flow crisis. It's a desperate measure, but it offers a sliver of relief. Still, the factory's furnace, burning day and night, is a constant reminder of the financial black hole they're sinking into.
Back at the lab, Aunt Fu, an old friend of Liu Jun's late mother, offers to help with general tasks. Trusting her completely, Liu Jun gives her the safe's combination and full access to the lab. This trust is tested when Qian Hongming warns Liu Jun that Lin Yue is now investigating his suppliers, attempting to replicate his entire production chain. The news leaves Liu Jun furious and bewildered—why is a major state-owned enterprise so fixated on imitation instead of innovation?
The tension is briefly punctuated by a moment of panic when Aunt Fu accidentally leaves with the notebook containing all of Liu Jun's critical data. A frantic search ensues before the notebook is safely returned, leaving father and son shaken but relieved.
A Relationship on the Rocks
The atmosphere in the lab grows oppressive under Yu Shanshan's constant surveillance. The tension boils over when Lin Chuan returns, this time with a peace offering of a Western-style meal. Liu Jun, however, remains cold and distant, pointedly offering the food to Yu Shanshan instead. Humiliated and furious, Lin Chuan throws the food down and storms out.
In the days that follow, Liu Jun actively avoids her, even ducking out of an elevator to prevent an encounter. Desperate for answers, Lin Chuan asks Chief Engineer Wang about Liu Jun's schedule and learns he is due for another test in the CNC workshop the next day.
Old School Meets New Tech
Seeking to perfect his process, Liu Jun takes his revised blueprints to Master Huang, a veteran machinist in the workshop. With a single glance, Master Huang's decades of experience allow him to spot a critical flaw in the data that Liu Jun had missed. Grateful, Liu Jun makes tea for the master and observes him work. He notices that Master Huang, with the casual habit of an old-school craftsman, tosses finished parts into a bin. When Liu Jun instinctively lunges to catch a delicate component, Master Huang takes the silent lesson to heart and begins placing the parts down gently.
Later, at the Municipal No. 1 Machine Works testing site, Chief Engineer Wang privately confides in Liu Jun that he had personally refused a directive from Lin Yue to replicate his technology. The conversation reinforces Liu Jun's frustration with the prevailing mindset in the domestic industry.
A Glimmer of Hope in Desperate Times
The stakes couldn't be higher. Liu Shitang's trip to Shanghai to secure investment hinges on one condition from a Mr. Liu: the sample must pass inspection.
In the CNC workshop, Chief Engineer Wang is thoroughly impressed, praising Liu Jun's welding technique as "nearly seamless." As he begins to ask for technical details, the ever-vigilant Master Huang cuts him off, protecting Liu Jun's proprietary methods. Witnessing the advanced equipment and the young, skilled team at the facility, Master Huang has an epiphany about the new era of industry. He sheds his old-school reservations and throws his full support behind Liu Jun's innovative approach.
Against all odds, the improved sample passes the rigorous tests. But this hard-won technical victory is immediately overshadowed by a grim reality: the agreement to mortgage the Liu family home is already on the table, waiting to be signed. Their technological breakthrough has not yet saved them from financial ruin.
