Episode Summary
The police discover Mao Zi's burned body and car, but find no solid leads. Tu Hongjiang pressures the informant Glasses, who reveals a connection to an outside territory called Guanwai. Tu tracks down an old enemy of San Ma Hu, Xu Laizi, who identifies the Guanwai leader as Qi Lianshan—a ruthless drug lord who is already in town. Meanwhile, Hua Long, seeking revenge for Mao Zi, sets a trap for San Ma Hu by arranging a fake meeting.
Spoiler Alert
The Body in the Burned-Out Car
So, Hua Long did what he was told. He took Mao Zi's body and the car out to the suburbs. Then he torched the whole thing. This seems to have satisfied Sun Ge for now. Sun Ge even made a quiet phone call to someone, reporting that he has Hua Long completely under his thumb.
Of course, a burning car gets noticed. Zhan Peng gets the call and immediately guesses the body is Mao Zi. His team rushes to the scene, but it's a dead end. The fire destroyed any real evidence. They find two witnesses, but they didn't see anything useful. Zhan Peng does notice some tattoos on their necks that look familiar, though.
The Cops Make Their Move
Tu Hongjiang decides it's time to turn up the heat. He goes to see Glasses in custody. He "accidentally" lets it slip that San Ma Hu killed Mao Zi and burned the body. This sends Glasses into a total panic. He was hoping San Ma Hu would get him out. Now he's terrified he's next on the hit list.
Tu offers to release him the next day. That's all it takes. To save his own skin, Glasses starts talking. He says Mao Zi had a run-in with some people from "Guanwai," which is basically the region outside their territory. He also overheard them talking about some kind of plan.
This confirms Tu Hongjiang's theory. San Ma Hu wants the drug supply and he wants to take over the Xiatong market. Killing Mao Zi was a clear warning shot to Hua Long. Tu comes up with a strategy. He'll have Zhan Peng focus on taking down San Ma Hu locally. Tu himself will handle the new threat from Guanwai. They plan to cut off both of San Ma Hu's arms at once.
A New Player Enters the Game
While the local cops are busy, Tu Hongjiang goes out of town to follow the Guanwai lead. He finds a man named Xu Laizi. Tu gets straight to the point. He tells Xu that the man who cut off his fingers is now a big shot in Xiatong. He also says this man, San Ma Hu, is about to expand his business into Guanwai territory.
Tu lays it on thick. He reminds Xu that he and San Ma Hu have bad blood. He also mentions that Bing A Dou is involved. If Xu doesn't do something, his life is probably in danger. After thinking it over, Xu Laizi gives up a name. The big boss in Guanwai is a man named Qi Lianshan.
And here's the kicker. Qi Lianshan is already in Xiatong meeting with San Ma Hu.
Xu Laizi explains that Qi Lianshan is a seriously bad dude who deals only in drugs. He has connections, power, and a supply of weapons. We also learn a little backstory. San Ma Hu apparently never touched drugs until a woman named Bai Tao Hua led him down that path.
The Double-Cross Is On
Things are spiraling fast. Hua Long is now taking care of Mao Zi's mother, who is also his godmother. He moves her to a new house and lies, saying Mao Zi is away on a business trip.
Then he gets a call from Sun Ge. Sun Ge tells him to set up a meeting with San Ma Hu. Hua Long sees his chance. He agrees, but he's planning a setup. He tells Sun Ge the wrong time and place for the meeting. His goal is simple. He wants to get San Ma Hu killed.
Meanwhile, San Ma Hu decides he will go meet Sun Ge himself. Qi Lianshan tells the old Chinese doctor from the beginning of the episode to be the one to host the meeting.
