Episode Summary
Xu Jingzhi saves Zhuang Mingcheng from a sinking car, but their relationship remains fractured by past trauma. He Ya raids a conference but misses the main suspects, uncovering a basement of captive girls instead. Zhuang takes revenge on Hou Liangyuan, stabbing him and leaving him for dead, though Hou survives. Zhao Xin hands the USB drive to Boss Gao. He Ya is ambushed and kidnapped, forcing an injured Xu Jingzhi to go meet Zhuang alone.
Spoiler Alert
Sinking Feelings
The episode opens with a nightmare scenario. Xu Jingzhi and Zhuang Mingcheng are trapped in a car. The car is underwater. Holes in the frame let the water rush in fast. It rises to their necks in seconds.
They don't panic immediately. Instead, they talk. Zhuang Mingcheng asks if Xu knows who he really is. Xu dodges the question. He tells Zhuang to move forward. He wants Zhuang to restart his life. He refuses to be the reason Zhuang looks back at the past.
Zhuang calls him a hypocrite. He says Xu hasn't changed since they were kids. Xu defends himself. He calls it self-preservation. He says forgetting their parents means there is no way back.
Zhuang pushes harder. He asks if Xu is scared of him. He thinks his face reminds Xu of the kidnapping. Xu gets honest. He admits the pain is still there. He feels helpless about the past. Then Zhuang passes out. Xu fights the water. He drags Zhuang toward the surface.
The Raid Goes Bust
He Ya has a plan. She surrounds Mai Boyuan’s conference with police. She waits for the meeting to end. She wants to catch everyone at once.
Mai Boyuan knows he is in danger. He stays anyway. He wants to save his stock prices. But the plan falls apart. He Ya raids the place. The main targets, including Hou Liangyuan, are gone. They fled early.
They left a girl behind. This girl becomes the key. She leads He Ya to a basement. It is full of imprisoned girls. The police rescue them. It is a grim discovery.
Brotherly Betrayal
We get some context on the brothers' relationship. Zhuang Mingcheng remembers a conversation. Xu Jingzhi offered him a reduced sentence in exchange for the USB drive. Zhuang hated that. He feels Xu never gave him a real chance. He feels abandoned.
Xu tells him to be rational. Zhuang ignores it. He collapses in despair after Xu leaves. He also laughs about a money swap. He tricked someone regarding three million versus thirty million. He wishes he could see Hou Liangyuan’s face when he finds out.
Blood on the Streets
Guo Zhixin locks Hou Liangyuan in a room. Hou realizes too late that he is trapped. Zhuang Mingcheng walks in. He holds a knife. Hou begs for his life.
Zhuang doesn't care. He blames Hou for everything he suffered as a child. He stabs Hou twice. It is brutal. He leaves Hou bleeding.
Xu Jingzhi investigates the scene later. He tries to reconstruct the crime. He realizes Hou was just a pawn in a larger game.
Hou Liangyuan survives the initial attack. He crawls through a secret tunnel. He drags himself onto the street. He is covered in blood. Passersby help him. An ambulance takes him away. Zhuang watches from a distance. He looks satisfied.
Changing Hands
Zhuang Mingcheng has the USB drive. He drives away from the chaos. Xu Jingzhi realizes the police are at the wrong spot. He rushes to the next location.
The USB drive is moving around. Zhao Xin hands a drive to Boss Gao. He wants a cut of the profits. Boss Gao tries to leverage him. Zhao Xin shuts it down. He says he is a loner. He has nothing to lose.
Into the Night
Things get worse for the police. He Ya is on the street. A biker attacks her. She is a good fighter. She fends him off. But she forgets to watch her back. Another attacker hits her from behind. She gets knocked out.
Chief Feng panics. He sends every available officer to find her. She is officially missing.
Zhuang Mingcheng makes a call. He calls Xu Jingzhi. He demands Xu come alone. Xu loses it. He cries in frustration. But he has no choice. He drags his injured leg out the door. He walks alone into the dark night.
