Episode Summary
Mai Boyuan is extorted for 30 million by his associates during a tense dinner. The police investigate the history of three childhood friends linked to the case, while Xu Jingzhi suspects blackmail photos are the motive for the recent murders. Xu Jingzhi saves Zhuang Mingcheng from a paint attack and hides him in his apartment, narrowly avoiding detection by He Ya.
Spoiler Alert
A Dinner You Want to Miss
We open with a very sketchy dining situation. Hou Ge is hosting a hotpot dinner. The venue is an unfinished building. It sets a grim tone immediately. Mai Boyuan jokes that this feels like a trap. He isn't wrong to be nervous. The group starts pressing him. They imply he shouldn't forget his "brothers" now that he is rich.
Mai Boyuan gets defensive. He swears he had nothing to do with Zhao Xueli's death. He claims he actually lost money because of it. The group doesn't buy the sob story. They know he hasn't moved the cash to the company yet. They demand he cough up 30 million. Mai agrees instantly. That was too easy. They also mention "Old Gao" is dangerous and has a bad history with girls.
The Web of Lies
Xu Yi's wife is at the police station. She identifies her husband's body. She seems more worried about how this affects her than sad about his death. The police are digging into a trio of friends: Han Kuo, Shi Zelin, and Zhang Chao. They grew up together.
We get some backstory here. Zhang Chao got Shi Zelin hooked on drugs. Shi went to rehab. Zhang opened a car wash with Han as a partner. It is a messy history. Liu Ming suspects Zhang set Shi up. He thinks it was revenge. He just has no proof yet.
He Ya thinks the key to this whole mess is the relationship between Ge Feifei and Shi Zelin. Meanwhile, the villains are scrambling. Hou Liangyuan knows Xu Yi is dead. Mai tells him to grab Xu Yi's money and a USB drive. Hou is greedy. He tries to access a computer, but it is encrypted.
Small Town Secrets
He Ya visits Xu Yi's parents. It is a depressing scene. The old couple just blames each other. The village chief steps in. He defends the crooks. He claims Hou Liangyuan and Mai Boyuan helped the village economy. Money talks in this town.
Xu Jingzhi is back at the station. He has a theory. He thinks Zheng Xintao died because of blackmail material. Specifically, photos of illegal fundraising and sexual bribery. The team discusses sending Xu Jingzhi undercover. It sounds like a suicide mission.
Unlikely Roommates
Hou Liangyuan gets hauled in for questioning. He plays it cool. He admits nothing. He even claims he doesn't talk to Mai anymore. The police try to bluff him with news of Xu Yi's death. He doesn't flinch. Later, he throws a tantrum because his plans are falling apart.
Zhuang Mingcheng is causing trouble again. He eats dinner with Xu Jingzhi and eavesdrops on police business. Right after they eat, someone throws a bucket of red paint on Zhuang. It is a warning. Zhuang tries to fight the guy. Xu Jingzhi stops him.
The episode ends with a tense domestic scene. He Ya comes home to grab clothes. Xu Jingzhi panics. He is hiding Zhuang in the apartment. He acts weirdly happy to distract her. She leaves without finding Zhuang. Zhuang comes out and mocks him. He says He Ya only came back to spy on Xu. Xu Jingzhi looks defeated.
