Episode Summary
Zhang Lan discovers Chen Hansheng's unauthorized repair operation but ends up helping him. The Chief of Staff finds out and is furious, but Qiu Tian takes the blame, and no one is punished. Ling Zhengrong is given control over selecting competitors for a reconnaissance competition. He makes a deal with Qiu Tian; he will let Chen Hansheng compete if Chen can learn to swim in three days. We then learn Chen Hansheng's fear of water stems from a childhood incident where he nearly drowned on the same day his mother learned of his father's death.
Spoiler Alert
Caught in the Act
The episode kicks off right where we left off. Chen Hansheng and his crew are stripping a vehicle for parts. They think they're being clever. They are not. Zhang Lan walks in and catches them red-handed. She is, predictably, furious.
But then the story comes out. Zhang Lan learns Chen Hansheng wasn't scheming with Captain Wang on the phone. He was actually apologizing to his wife. It was all a big misunderstanding. After chewing them out, Zhang Lan does something I did not see coming. She looks at the half-dismantled vehicle, asks for a wrench, and starts helping them.
A Surprise Ally
With Zhang Lan's help, they actually manage to fix two vehicles. Captain Wang shows up and is thrilled. He's also a little embarrassed. He’s the one who complained about them in the first place. Now he has to thank them for getting the job done. Awkward.
The Chief of Staff Is Not Pleased
The parts shortage has gotten attention from the higher-ups. The Chief of Staff himself shows up at the Repair Squad. He even brings a guy from the manufacturer. The rep promises to get them a new shipment of parts quickly. The Chief suggests they need a better long-term plan than just emergency calls.
Just as the Chief is about to leave, he spots something covered by a tarp. Chen Hansheng and the guys try to block his path. They pretend to be busy working on another car. The Chief isn't an idiot. He orders them to move. He pulls back the tarp and sees the stripped-down vehicle. He is beyond angry. He just turns around and walks away without another word. That’s never a good sign. Qiu Tian is also mad. She had already reported the problem. They just couldn't wait for approval.
Taking the Fall
Qiu Tian steps up. She takes full responsibility for the mess. She writes a formal report and gives it to the Chief. It doesn't completely calm him down. But in the end, the Chief takes the primary blame for the situation. No one else gets punished.
He even admits that Chen Hansheng's stunt showed flexible thinking. He sees it as a sign of his generation's boldness. So, he got away with it. For now.
A Poolside Revelation
Later, Qiu Tian takes her unit to the pool for training. They run into a scheduling conflict. Ling Zhengrong and his Cheetah unit are also there. While they wait, Ling notices a couple of things. He sees that Chen Hansheng is terrified of the water. He also spots Qiu Tian's fear of heights. These are not small weaknesses for elite soldiers.
The High-Stakes Deal
Ling is planning a big counter-terrorism drill. He requests an 80,000-ton cruise ship for the exercise. For context, the Titanic was only 46,000 tons. The Chief tells him that's pretty much impossible. But he suggests VR technology could create the simulation. Qiu Tian is the person who can make that happen.
The Chief is impressed with Ling's recent work. He gives Ling the authority to pick the soldiers for the upcoming Armed Police Reconnaissance Competition. This gives Qiu Tian an idea. She agrees to design the VR cruise ship for Ling. She has one condition. Chen Hansheng must be allowed to compete. Zhang Lan also backs her up, pushing Ling to give the kid a chance.
Ling agrees, but he sets a tough challenge. If the aquaphobic Chen Hansheng can learn to swim in three days, he's in.
The Tragic Reason for Fear
Chen Hansheng's first attempt at learning is a disaster. He tries using a phone app. It does not work. Zhang Lan decides to get serious. He brings in Sergeant Wen Bin, the best swimmer in the Cheetah unit. Wen Bin has taught countless soldiers to swim. But he's never seen a case as bad as Chen Hansheng.
Chen Hansheng just can't do it. He finally breaks down and tells Zhang Lan why he's so afraid of water. When he was a little kid, he was learning to swim. His mom stepped away to answer a phone call. While she was gone, his leg cramped up and he almost drowned. His mom tried to help him get over the trauma. But she died from an illness before he could.
Then he delivers the final, heartbreaking detail. The phone call his mom had to take that day was the call informing her that his father had died.
