Episode Summary
The teams prepare for a major competition, but Chen Hansheng gets caught spying on another team's base before it even starts. Ling Zhengrong reveals he sent Chen Hansheng because he was expendable. Once the competition begins, Chen Hansheng uses an unorthodox strategy of making alliances with other teams to survive. He even manages to steal a weapon from the "hunter" force, angering the Chief of Staff. By the end, only Chen Hansheng's small rookie squad remains, and they decide to attempt an even greater challenge.
Spoiler Alert
The Pre-Game Shenanigans
Qiu Tian Lays Down the Law
The episode starts with a few team captains looking embarrassed. They go to Qiu Tian to apologize for the whole illegal drone situation. She tells them the competition hasn't officially started yet. This means the incident won't count against their final scores. She is, however, keeping all their confiscated gear until the games are over. Nobody argues with her.
Ling Zhengrong gets his hands on the Tiger Assault Team's drone. He also learns that Qiu Tian is the one running network security. He takes the drone straight to her, pretending he's just trying to be helpful. His little act gets interrupted. Another unauthorized device pops up on Qiu Tian's screen. It belongs to Chen Hansheng.
Qiu Tian knows everyone is watching her. She has to be impartial. She puts Chen Hansheng's camera feed on the big screen for everyone to see. The Tiger team leader immediately recognizes his own base's canteen. Ling Zhengrong tries to cover for him. He claims a new recruit just got lost. Qiu Tian doesn't buy it for a second. She plays no favorites and sends a program that exposes Chen Hansheng's exact location.
Chen Hansheng's Snack Break
Later, Qiu Tian and Ling Zhengrong head to the Tiger camp to get their guy. They find Chen Hansheng just chilling and eating snacks. He says he isn't leaving until he finishes his food. He doesn't want to waste it. Qiu Tian seems a little shocked that Ling Zhengrong would use a recruit this way.
On the walk back to their own camp, Chen Hansheng asks a tough question. He wants to know why Ling Zhengrong chose him for that risky mission. Ling Zhengrong gives him a brutally honest answer. He explains that if the soldier on that mission got caught, they would be detained. He wanted to protect his core Cheetah members from that risk. So, he sent the new guy he considered expendable. That's a hard truth to hear. Chen Hansheng is obviously hurt by it. But it doesn't crush his motivation. He's still determined to prove himself and make the team.
The Competition Kicks Off
Chen Hansheng's Unorthodox Strategy
The competition finally begins. It's a point-based system, and the winner is the team with the most points. The first event is a hunt. Ling Zhengrong decides to send a team of mostly rookies. He picks Chen Hansheng, Lei Peng, Yan Su, and Zheng Yunxiao. They are led by a single veteran, Da Tong. Everyone else thinks this is a terrible idea.
Ling Zhengrong says they need to embrace new blood. He thinks it might produce a completely different result. He's not wrong. Chen Hansheng immediately has an idea. He suggests the team should split up and run. Da Tong thinks the plan is foolish. He says he tried that last year and got ambushed and tied up in a tree.
But Chen Hansheng has a different objective. He isn't trying to fight the other assault teams. He wants to make allies. He points out that their true "enemy" is the Mobile Detachment that's hunting all of them. His strategy is to convince the other teams to work together. They should all focus on reaching the destination, not on fighting each other.
Making Friends and Stealing Guns
Chen Hansheng's wild plan actually works. The Cheetah members split up. They each get "captured" by different assault teams. But Chen Hansheng's persuasive argument convinces them to cooperate. He even takes armbands from the other teams. He promises that if his group makes it to the end, those teams will get a share of the credit.
This guy really doesn't follow the playbook. He sets up an ambush near a Mobile Detachment vehicle. He waits patiently until only one soldier remains. Then he attacks from behind and steals the soldier's rifle. The Chief of Staff is absolutely furious when he finds out. No one in the history of the competition has ever dared to do that. The Tiger team leader, however, finds it amusing. He says it's normal for soldiers to capture enemy weapons on the battlefield. This comment makes the Chief of Staff even angrier. He can't believe he's being treated like the actual enemy.
Down to the Wire
After a whole night of combat, only the four-man Cheetah team is left. Da Tong, the veteran leader, sacrifices himself to save the others. He acts as a decoy and gets "captured." This leaves Chen Hansheng and his two rookie brothers as the last ones standing. Technically, they've already won. The winner is just the last one to be eliminated.
They have survived until there is only one hour left in the competition. This has never happened before. But they aren't satisfied with just winning. They want to push for a bigger victory. Their new goal is to actually make it to the final destination point. At this stage, it's every man for himself.
