Episode Summary
Plans to use Li Heng as a scapegoat cause Lu Kaide to collapse from a heart attack. At the hospital, Lu Kaide forces Li Heng to agree to marry his daughter to secure the society's future. Seeing an opportunity, Wang Xiaofei conspires with Shen Yihe, who gives him poison. Wang Xiaofei murders Lu Kaide by injecting the poison into his IV, just moments after Lu Kaide entrusts the society to him.
Spoiler Alert
A Scapegoat and a Collapse
The Plan
The episode kicks off with Shen Yihe giving Lu Kaide some friendly advice. He suggests the Deqing Society just needs a scapegoat to make this whole mess go away. He doesn't name names, but the implication is pretty clear.
Later, Lu Kaide gets home, and Wang Xiaofei proposes the exact same solution. He points out that only two people have enough status to be a believable fall guy. It's either him or Li Heng.
Lu Kaide's Reaction
Lu Kaide absolutely loses it. He screams at Wang Xiaofei for being a traitor. He can't believe he would suggest throwing Li Heng under the bus. Wang Xiaofei immediately drops to his knees. He swears he would never do that. He brings up how Li Heng's father saved the Deqing Society years ago. But the damage is done. The stress is too much for Lu Kaide. He suddenly collapses and gets rushed to the hospital.
Hospital Drama
A Marriage Pact
Over at the hospital, Qingtian is recovering in his own room. He hears the commotion and steps out to see what’s happening. Li Heng arrives at the exact same moment.
Lu Kaide eventually wakes up. He sends everyone out so he can talk to Li Heng alone. He knows the Deqing Society is on the brink of collapse. He tells Li Heng he must marry his daughter, Lu Shufen. He believes this is the only way to hold the organization together. Li Heng is quiet for a moment. Then, swallowing his own pain, he agrees.
Tense Conversations
Li Heng leaves the room and sits on a bench, completely wrecked. Jia Yunying finds him there. She makes a sarcastic comment but you can tell she's actually concerned.
Lu Shufen is furious with Li Heng. She found out he knew about the Deqing Society's drug trafficking and said nothing. She wants to go confront Wang Xiaofei immediately. Li Heng stops her. He warns her that going in without proof is a bad idea. Wang Xiaofei could easily turn it around and frame them. He tells her to lay low for now. He also reminds her that her own father wasn't completely in the dark about the opium trade. Lu Kaide let it happen. Li Heng promises he will figure out a way to fix the crisis.
A Plot to Kill
The Meeting
That night, Wang Xiaofei secretly meets with Shen Yihe. Wang Xiaofei says this is the perfect time to make a move. Lu Kaide is sick, and the society is in chaos. His plan is to get Lu Kaide arrested for smuggling opium. Then, he can team up with a few old-timers to kick Lu Kaide out for good.
Shen Yihe has a simpler, more direct solution. He hands Wang Xiaofei a small bottle of poison. He explains that a tiny amount in Lu Kaide's IV drip will cause a fatal heart attack. While this is happening, Tang Meng is trying to spy on them. Unfortunately, his listening device is too far away. He can't hear what they're planning.
The Final Moments
Lu Shufen makes some pork rib soup for her father. She's not a great cook, but Lu Kaide is touched by the gesture. He asks Qingtian to stay and keep him company. He talks about how much he worries about his daughter's future.
Meanwhile, Li Heng has his own secret meeting with Yu Tong. He reports that the opium investigation is causing trouble everywhere. He thinks Lu Wenlu leaked the story to the papers, but he never expected the Deqing Society to get caught in the middle. Yu Tong gives him a serious warning. He says Shen Yihe is not a man who gives up easily. He also tells Li Heng to be extremely careful around Lu Wenlu. The man is ruthless and has eyes and ears everywhere.
A Leader Falls
The Betrayal
Late at night, Qingtian sees that Lu Kaide is asleep and heads back to his own room. This is the moment Wang Xiaofei has been waiting for. He climbs through the window and injects the poison into the IV line.
Lu Kaide wakes up for a second. He has no idea what just happened. He looks at Wang Xiaofei and tells him he's entrusting the Deqing Society to him. He begs him to get out of the opium business. Wang Xiaofei feels a flicker of something, but there's no regret. He just thinks Lu Kaide's ideas are old and out of touch.
The Aftermath
Wang Xiaofei waits until he's sure Lu Kaide is dead. He climbs back out the window to escape. He lands badly and twists his ankle. The sound gets the attention of Jia Yunying, who is on duty. A nurse doing her rounds finds Lu Kaide's body. She calls for help, and Jia Yunying rushes in. She tries everything to save him, but it's too late. Lu Kaide is gone.
