Episode Summary
In this episode, the death of news anchor George Leung sets off a power struggle at SNK News. A new, ratings-obsessed director, Koo Chiu-wah, takes over. Former rivals Man Wai-sum, Cheung Ka-yin, and Hui Sze-ching find their paths crossing again. A mysterious message at George's memorial hints at a conspiracy. The episode ends with a building collapse, creating a major news event that pulls everyone back into the fray and leads to a disastrous power play by Sze-ching.
Spoiler Alert
A News Titan Falls
The season kicks off with some heavy news. Hong Kong is hit by a massive flood. George Leung is on the scene reporting. He dies trying to save someone. It's a heroic end for a news legend.
SNK News, his old stomping ground, starts planning a memorial service. They play a video of George winning a big award. In the clip, he gives a special thank you to Man Wai-sum. This does not sit well with the new guy in charge.
The New Boss in Town
Meet Koo Chiu-wah. He's the new director at SNK News. He is not happy about George thanking Man in the memorial video. He orders his team to re-edit it immediately. Koo sees this memorial as his own coming-out party. He wants to make a splash.
He demands his team deliver a story that no one else in Hong Kong has. His reporters are not impressed. They think he's a joke. But he's the boss, so they do what they're told.
Man Skips the Show
So where is Man Wai-sum during all this? She’s not at the memorial. She drives to the spot where George died. She quietly leaves a single paper crane. Her friend, Ivan Chan, thinks she should go to the service. Man refuses. She says it's just a publicity stunt for Koo's career. She's not interested.
As they're about to leave, a young reporter named Billy Poon runs up. He starts asking her some very pointed questions. Man knows instantly that Koo sent him. She shuts him down with a few sharp replies. Billy is left speechless. Ivan feels a little bad for the kid. He tells Billy to just film them driving away. At least he'll have something to show his new boss.
A Tense Memorial
Back at the service, Cheung Ka-yin is broadcasting live. She's the deputy director now. A citizen asks for a photo with her. But he calls her Man Wai-sum. Ka-yin is annoyed but keeps her cool.
George's parents are in the front row. They don't want to see Ka-yin. She was the reason George got divorced years ago. Ka-yin gets the message. She retreats to the control room.
Hui Sze-ching arrives with a government official. Another reporter, Lau Yim, corners her. Yim wants to know the real reason George died. Sze-ching gives a generic company line about an ongoing investigation. Then, a flower basket arrives. It's signed by an "Old Comrade." The card says George's death is suspicious. It demands the truth.
The Old Guard Gathers
Man is watching the live broadcast from Ivan's auto shop. She wonders who sent the flowers. Billy, the reporter she embarrassed earlier, shows up again. He's done for the day. He starts complaining about the new SNK. He says the entire management team is new. Koo knows nothing about news. He only cares about ratings and traffic. He also says Ka-yin is trying to win over the staff, but nobody is buying it.
Man asks him a simple question. Who was on duty the day George died? Billy gets nervous. Ivan steps in. He tells Man to stop digging for inside information.
Later that night, the memorial is empty. Ka-yin finally goes to George's portrait. She feels a mix of guilt and nostalgia for their old relationship. She breaks down and cries. Suddenly, she hears footsteps. It's Man.
Man scolds George's portrait for being careless. Then she spots Ka-yin's work ID left on the floor. She calls her out. The two former rivals face each other. The tension is still there. Just then, Sze-ching walks in. She has a bottle of red wine. She came back to pay her respects properly. She pours a glass for Man and Ka-yin.
A Reality Check for the Rookie
The reporter Lau Yim comes back, too. She's investigating the "Old Comrade" mystery. She sees the three women drinking wine together. She asks them who the "Old Comrade" is.
They all just look at her. Ka-yin tells her to think before she speaks. Yim is confused. She brings up an incident from six months ago. She saw all the female anchors share a bottle of water. She thought they had made peace. The three women shut that idea down fast. They tell her not to project her own naive ideas onto them.
A Crisis Creates an Opening
Life at SNK is boring. The reporters are unmotivated. Koo's focus on easy ratings means the quality is gone. Man watches the news from Ivan's shop every day. She sees nothing impressive. Ivan knows she misses the action. He tells her to just go back to SNK. Man says she plans to. She's just waiting for the right moment.
That moment arrives. An old building in Yuen Long collapses. You can see the fire light up in Man's eyes.
Chaos at the Scene
Ka-yin rushes to the disaster site. Koo gets back to the office and demands a live broadcast immediately. Someone points out the footage might be too bloody for censors. Koo doesn't care. He says a few fines are worth it. He even cancels scheduled ads. He wants to run more insurance commercials instead. For Koo, a crisis is a business opportunity.
Lau Yim gets to the scene but can't get close. She uses a helicopter drone to get aerial shots. Ka-yin has the same idea. Soon, the sky above the rescue is filled with news helicopters.
Sze-ching is there with her government boss. She decides the helicopters are interfering with the rescue. She gives an order to jam all their signals. The helicopters start dropping out of the sky. The reporters on the ground are furious. Sze-ching faces them for an interview. After she defends her decision, her boss pulls her aside. He tells her that jamming the signal was her call alone. He also criticizes her for bringing wine to George's memorial. He demands she write a formal self-criticism report. She's been thrown under the bus.
