Episode Summary
During a naval exercise, special operations captain Wu Si leads a successful mission despite a subordinate's error. He is then diverted to a real-life emergency where he heroically rescues a reporter, Tang Xin, from a burning fishing boat. The date is foiled when Tang Xin intentionally avoids the meeting.
Spoiler Alert
Episode 1 Spoilers: A Trial by Fire and an Unwanted Blind Date
The episode kicks off with high-stakes action during a joint naval exercise. An elite special operations team is tasked with clearing an island for the main force. During the covert operation, a premature gunshot exposes their position. The team leader, Wu Si, thinks fast, altering their plan on the fly. His quick decision pays off as they successfully provide coordinates for a missile strike that obliterates the enemy's defenses, allowing the main forces to land.
Just as the exercise heats up, a real-world emergency unfolds. A distress signal from a fishing boat in flames diverts Wu Si's team for a rescue mission. With people trapped by the fire and others in the water, the situation is dire. Wu Si doesn't hesitate, diving into the sea to save a woman who is struggling underwater. He gives her his own oxygen supply, and upon surfacing, uses a signal flare to alert the rescue helicopter.
The rescue is a success, but the aftermath is complicated. At the debriefing, Wu Si takes full responsibility for the earlier mistake during the exercise, even though it was his subordinate, Yi Nanwang, who fired the shot. The Brigade Commander is now forced to reconsider if Yi Nanwang, who is shaken by his error, has what it takes to be in a special operations unit where a single mistake can be fatal.
The woman Wu Si rescued, Tang Xin, wakes up injured in a hospital.
Meanwhile, the Brigade Commander visits the hospital and, in a twist of fate, runs into his old captain. It turns out the reporter he's looking for is none other than the old captain's daughter, Tang Xin. The old captain immediately asks the Brigade Commander to play matchmaker for his daughter, and the commander has the perfect candidate in mind: Wu Si.
Unaware of the scheme, Wu Si is told he's going on a "mission," while Tang Xin's parents pressure her into a blind date she wants no part of. Before the two can meet, Tang Xin tries to convince her editor to kill the rescue story, arguing she wasn't a hero but actually put herself in more danger. The editor refuses, seeing the potential for a sensational headline.
The blind date is a bust. Wu Si arrives, nervous upon realizing the true nature of his "mission." Just then, the Brigade Commander is called away on urgent business, leaving him alone. However, Tang Xin deliberately sits at the wrong table, successfully avoiding the setup and never meeting her rescuer.
