Episode Summary
The team is divided over trusting Tian Xiaogui, but they include him in a plan to capture Xiao Tielin, who they believe has a valuable military map. Xiao Tielin attempts to extort gold from his associates to fund his escape to Japan. The initial plan to abduct Xiao fails, forcing Tang Deyuan to devise a new strategy using fake gold as bait. The episode ends on a cliffhanger as Tian Xiaogui, suffering from intense drug withdrawal, stabs himself to avoid being discovered by his comrades.
Spoiler Alert
The Walls Are Closing In
This episode felt like a pressure cooker. Everyone is running their own con, and it's only a matter of time before they all blow up. The team is fractured, Xiao Tielin is getting desperate, and Tang Deyuan is trying to hold it all together with a plan that feels like a house of cards.
A Team Divided
Right off the bat, you can feel the tension. Gao Yunhu and Fuqing are side-eying Tian Xiaogui. They think he's suspicious. But they can't act on it. Their fallen leader, Lu Changshan, wanted Tian back on the team with his dying breath. So, their hands are tied.
Tang Deyuan shows up and they immediately unload their doubts. Tang's focus is elsewhere, though. He needs to get his hands on Xiao Tielin before the guy bolts to Japan. Tang suspects Xiao is holding a "lifesaving charm." He's betting it's the Japanese military map for Datuziling. The problem is, they don't have enough people for a snatch-and-grab. Tang makes a call. They need to bring Tian Xiaogui into the operation.
Meanwhile, Tian is a wreck. He blames himself for Lu Changshan's death and is having a crisis of conscience. He smashes the medicine the doctor gave him, clearly fighting his addiction. Fuqing finds him passed out and carries him to their secret base.
Xiao Tielin's Golden Parachute
Xiao Tielin is trying to fund his escape plan. He calls a meeting with Guo Jinshan, Boss Shao, and Tang Deyuan. He spins a story about needing 2,000 gold taels for a fighter jet for Kawano. He says he'll put up 1,100 himself. He just needs the other three to chip in 300 each.
It's a transparent shakedown. Guo Jinshan immediately bails. He claims he's a soldier and can't just run off to Japan. Tang Deyuan lets him go. Boss Shao tries to leave too, but Xiao and Tang corner him. They threaten him over his son, who is in Japan. But the threat is empty. Shao reveals his son is already back home. He refuses to pay and storms out.
Later, Tang asks Xiao about that "lifesaving charm." Xiao just taps his head. He claims it's all stored in his memory. You buy that? I don't.
The Trap Is Set
Tian Xiaogui wakes up at the base. They give him a gun, and for a moment, he looks genuinely happy to be part of the team again.
Tang Deyuan lays out his plan. It’s intricate. Gao Yunhu and Li Zhenghao will stake out the police station. Tang will lure Xiao Tielin out. Tian Xiaogui and Fuqing will wait at the military supply depot. Once Xiao is captured, they'll burn the depot to create a diversion for the others to escape. Everyone is to pull out at 2 AM, no matter what.
Before setting out, Xiao Tielin does some scheming of his own. He tells his subordinate, Zhao Qingtian, that he's leaving. He hands over the account books and tells Zhao to get ready to take over as bureau chief. Zhao is, of course, thrilled.
The Plan Falls Apart
Things go wrong almost immediately. Kawano gets impatient. He sends a message to Xiao Tielin, lowering the price to 800 gold taels. He lies and says he'll get Xiao to Japan in three days. Kawano just wants the gold. He couldn't care less if Xiao lives or dies.
Xiao gets the message while playing mahjong with Tang, Guo, and Boss Shao. He doesn't flinch. Instead, he pulls out a new threat for Boss Shao. It's an IOU from his son's gambling debts. This time, Shao caves. He agrees to bring the gold. Xiao then tells Tang to gather the rest of the money. He says they'll leave for Japan the day after tomorrow.
The signal for the ambush never comes. Tang's plan to lure Xiao out fails completely. After the 2 AM deadline passes, Fuqing and Tian leave their post at the depot.
Tang realizes what's really happening. Kawano isn't helping Xiao escape; he's just shaking him down for cash. Tang pivots to a new plan. He tells Li Zhenghao to get 300 taels of fake gold from their organization. They'll use it to bait Xiao and grab him.
Back at the base, Tang explains the new mission. As he talks, Tian Xiaogui's drug addiction hits him hard. He starts shaking and sweating, trying to hide it. He excuses himself to the "toilet." The withdrawal is agonizing. When Fuqing calls for him from outside, Tian panics. He knows he's about to be discovered. In a moment of pure desperation, he stabs himself in the thigh.
