Episode Summary
Chen Pengqian realizes his boss is sabotaging the environment to force a construction project. At a crucial city meeting, Chen defies his boss and sides with Deputy Director Wang, successfully convincing the city to build new housing for the villagers while preserving the ancient mangrove forest.
Spoiler Alert
The Environmental Pitch
Chen Pengqian heads back to the Environmental Protection Bureau. He tries to talk business with Deputy Director Wang. Wang isn't interested in a sales pitch. He makes Chen look at the hard data instead. Mangroves in Shenzhen are disappearing. The numbers drop ten to fifteen percent every year. Dasha Village has lost half its forest already.
Chen offers a blunt solution. He suggests cutting the rest down. He argues that filling the sea for land reclamation will actually improve the local environment. Wang has heard enough. He kicks Chen out of the office.
Chen tries a different angle outside. He brings up a gift prepared by Manager Jia. Wang plays along. He tells Chen to send it to his home address. Chen hands the address to Jia later. She takes one look and freezes. It’s the address for the City Discipline Inspection Commission. That isn't a house. It’s a fast track to a corruption investigation. Jia realizes Wang is untouchable. She drops the bribery angle immediately. She tells Chen to focus on the four villagers who haven't signed contracts yet.
Garbage in the Water
A-Tao’s cousin is the toughest holdout in the village. Chen drags A-Tao along to work on him. They walk past the mangroves on the way. They try to find sea frogs. They find absolutely nothing.
Wang shows up at the site moments later. He finds the forest full of construction waste. He loses his temper. He screams at Chen. He explains that sea frogs used to cover this place. Now the ecosystem is dead. He knows Chen’s company is responsible. He vows to hold the leadership accountable.
Chen goes back to Jia. He asks about the dirt. She doesn't deny it. She ordered her people to dump the slag there. Her plan is simple. If she destroys the mangroves, the government has to let them reclaim the land. She even set aside money to pay the fines. She pushes Chen to get the final signatures.
The Turning Point
A-Tao finally breaks through to his cousin. The cousin signs the paper. Chen reports the good news. Jia is thrilled. She invites Chen to a major city coordination meeting. She wants him to give a touching speech to sell the project.
Chen goes home but can't sleep. He keeps thinking about Wang’s anger. He wants the villagers to have a better life. But destroying the mangroves feels wrong.
The next morning, Chen rides with Jia to the meeting. They spot Wang on the side of the road. Angry villagers have him surrounded. Chen grabs the door handle to help. Jia stops him. She wants Wang to learn a lesson. She forces the driver to keep moving.
Speaking Up
The meeting begins. Jia gives a slick presentation. She talks up the benefits of the landfill project. She hands the microphone to Chen.
Wang bursts into the room late. He interrupts the proceedings. He refuses to let them cut the trees. He presents evidence of the damage caused by land reclamation. He challenges Chen to speak about the real state of the forest.
City leader Zhao Wenyuan asks Chen to speak his mind. Chen hesitates. He thinks about his daughter, Linlin. She dreams of a forest full of sea frogs. Chen stands up. He talks about the history of the village. The mangroves protected them for hundreds of years.
He makes his final stand. He tells the leaders he supports the land reclamation. He supports the villagers getting new homes. But he refuses to agree to cutting down the mangroves. The villagers in the room erupt in applause. The plan shifts. The mangroves stay standing. The villagers get to move into their new tower blocks.
