Episode Summary
In summary, the celebratory mood following the contract with Bochi Motors is shattered when Bochi betrays Lin Zhihua's team, using a predatory contract to seize their C1 project technology. While Gu Xuejiao prepares for a legal battle, Lin Zhihua secretly initiates a much larger plan, uniting with past victims to expose Bochi's fraudulent practices and drive them out of the market, all while maintaining the facade of a defeated man.
Spoiler Alert
The episode kicks off with Zheng Qin pressuring Lin Zhihua and Gao Rui into a round of drinks they can't refuse. Just in the nick of time, Gu Xuejiao bursts in, introducing herself as Lin Zhihua's assistant. After taking sobriety medicine in advance, she masterfully handles the situation, drinking round after round until Zheng Qin is the one who can't stand straight. As they leave, Lin Zhihua recalls how she couldn't handle her liquor at a previous party, but Gu Xuejiao cleverly explains it away, narrowly avoiding a slip-up about her past life.
With the contract successfully signed with Bochi Motors, Gu Xuejiao arranges a celebration with a custom cake. However, Lin Zhihua remains on edge, feeling it's too early to relax. As he and Gu Xuejiao are about to share a kiss, they are awkwardly interrupted by Gao Rui and Lin Zhiyue, who barge in with celebratory confetti.
Later, Lin Zhiyue tries to arrange for Lin Zhihua to drive Gu Xuejiao home, but a clueless Gao Rui asks to tag along with him. Exasperated, Lin Zhiyue pulls Gao Rui into her own car, leaving the couple to their secretive romance, which she finds both frustrating and endearing. The secrecy continues as Lin Zhihua drops Gu Xuejiao off; she has to dive into the bushes to hide from her mother, Li Sitong, who comes out to take out the trash. On his way back, Lin Zhihua coincidentally gets a ride from Gu Xuejiao's father, Old Gu, who is unaware of their relationship and even politely invites him over to their house sometime.
The celebration is cut short when devastating news arrives: the C1 project has failed Bochi Motors' technical inspection. Lin Zhihua is certain there's no error from their lab. Zheng Qin offers no real help, and they soon learn the harsh truth of their contract. Bochi Motors intends to seize all of their lab's technology and patents to continue the project in-house, leaving them with a choice: accept it or face massive breach of contract fees. Realizing they've been scammed, Lin Zhihua and Gao Rui walk out.
While everyone panics, Lin Zhihua disappears. Gu Xuejiao correctly guesses he's at the Summit Cafe and finds him there. To fight back, she decides to liquidate her creative shareholder stocks to fund a lawsuit against Bochi. A lawyer, Mr. Zhang, confirms they have a strong case due to unfair clauses in the contract, but warns that fighting Bochi's legal team will be costly.
Meanwhile, Lin Zhihua isn't idle. He tracks down Mr. Zhao of Junlian, a fellow Jingda University alumnus who was the first entrepreneur to have his patent stolen by Bochi. Lin Zhihua reveals his true, ambitious goal: to not just win a lawsuit, but to drive Bochi Motors out of the country entirely. He begins gathering evidence and contacting other teams that Bochi has wronged. To avoid tipping off Bochi, who is monitoring him, he pretends to be defeated and directionless.
This act fools everyone, including Gu Xuejiao. When he shows up late to a meeting with her and the lawyer, she is furious. It's only then that he quietly explains his master plan. Understanding the need for secrecy, she plays along, pretending to chew him out in front of the lawyer to maintain his cover.
In a side plot, Gao Rui takes Lin Zhiyue out for dinner to ask her to become an investor. After drinking heavily, he wakes up the next morning in a hotel room and finds one of her earrings, leading him to believe they must have slept together.
