Episode 21 recap: Chen Ke Hai strategically tests Luo Bing's attitude.
Qiao San Min demands that within three days, Chen Ke Hai must confirm the news of Fang Li's death. If Chen Ke Hai does so, Qiao San Min will hand over the medicine with both hands. Chen Ke Hai hopes to change the conditions. Fang Li informs Chen Ke Hai that he has become the head of Section 2 as of today.
Chen Ke Hai receives a bottle of highly toxic poison, which can instantly take a person's life and provide him with some assistance. Chen Ke Hai sprinkles the poison in the chicken soup, which is discovered by Luo Bing. Afterwards, Fang Li drinks the chicken soup. Chen Ke Hai goes to a warehouse but unexpectedly finds Qiao San Min waiting for him there. Zhang Laoban has already been tied up by Qiao San Min because he obtained Western medicine from Qiao San Min and then sold it to Chen Ke Hai at a higher price. Zhang Laoban pleads with Qiao San Min for mercy, but he is misguided and only thinks that Chen Ke Hai, as a member of 76, has money, so he raised the price threefold.
Qiao San Min warns him that Chen Ke Hai is not delivering medicine to 76 but to the Communists. He then looks at Chen Ke Hai provocatively, but Chen Ke Hai remains calm. Zhang Laoban doesn't want to disturb their reunion and tries to leave but is directly killed by Qiao San Min.
Chen Ke Hai asks if Qiao San Min has been through a lot of hardships recently, and Qiao San Min knows that during this time, Chen Ke Hai privately protected his wife and child, so he sincerely expresses his gratitude. Chen Ke Hai tries to exonerate Fang Li, but Qiao San Min doesn't believe him. He forgives Chen Ke Hai, but he cannot forgive Fang Li, both for the betrayal on Xiafei Road and for later binding his wife.
Qiao San Min states that as long as Luo Bing kills Fang Li, he will hand over the medicine. Chen Ke Hai doesn't want them to turn against each other and suggests changing the conditions, but Qiao San Min only gives him three days. Qiao San Min Biao Ge asks if Qiao San Min is still doing business, and he is slapped and insulted by Qiao San Min. Chen Ke Hai realizes that he is being accused indirectly, but Qiao San Min says he misunderstood.
Worriedly, Chen Ke Hai returns to 76. At this time, Fang Li is tidying up his office and informs Chen Ke Hai that he has been promoted to department head. However, Chen Ke Hai is not happy about it. Fang Li is very happy today because Chen Ke Hai has joined the Military Statistics Bureau.
Qiao San Min secretly visits his wife and child, stating that after completing the final task, he will leave. Someone arrives, and Qiao San Min Biao Ge notifies Sanmin to leave. Due to the loud noise, the baby is frightened and starts crying, leading to Qiao San Min slapping Sanmin again, causing his nose to bleed. In his heart, Sanmin immediately develops a sense of hatred and leaves a message on the wall with his nosebleed.
Tian Liu takes the initiative to invite Luo Bing for coffee.
Chen Ke Hai went to Xiao Qi's place and found that she wasn't there, but her belongings were. He thought Qiao San Min had taken her away, which put his mind at ease. By chance, he noticed a drawing of a dog bone on the wall behind the thermos. Tian Liu voluntarily gave Luo Bing some money and asked her to immediately move out of Chen Ke Hai's house. Luo Bing thought Tian Liu was very generous and that the money was enough to rent a good apartment, but she disagreed with moving out. This frustrated Tian Liu, and he was determined to win back Chen Ke Hai.
When Luo Bing returned home, she unexpectedly found Chen Ke Hai had come back early. She openly admitted that Tian Liu had approached her but Chen Ke Hai wasn't interested. Someone knocked on the door, and Chen Ke Hai opened it to find a box containing a bottle of poison with a note indicating it could assist him. Chen Ke Hai noticed Luo Bing's curiosity about the medicine but couldn't reveal his true identity by investigating it. He used the excuse of being busy with work to ask Luo Bing to visit Chen Shu's grave on his behalf. Due to the long journey, he asked her to return home the next day. He also invited Fang Li for dinner that evening and asked Luo Bing to go to a restaurant and order a pot of chicken soup.
Chen Ke Hai went to invite Fang Li for a home-cooked meal at Apartment 76, and Lao Jin found it suspicious. Luo Bing witnessed Chen Ke Hai sprinkling the powder into the chicken soup, but she didn't follow his instructions and returned home after visiting the grave. This time, Fang Li brought Lao Jin along. Fang Li joked that he also liked Shen Qiu Ping back then but didn't confess because of Chen Ke Hai. Lao Jin leisurely whittled a wooden stick at the table. Luo Bing brought the chicken soup from the kitchen, and Chen Ke Hai volunteered to serve Fang Li. Just as Fang Li was about to drink it, Chen Ke Hai stopped him, saying it was too hot and should cool down first. However, Fang Li drank it directly, causing Chen Ke Hai to nervously watch him. Luo Bing had prepared two chickens in advance, so when the soup was served, she switched the bowl with the one Chen Ke Hai had tampered with. Fang Li wanted to add salt to the soup, but Luo Bing used various excuses to prevent him because she saw Chen Ke Hai also pouring powder into the salt shaker. Fang Li added salt to Chen Ke Hai's bowl, and Luo Bing once again stopped him. Suspicious of her, Fang Li insisted that Luo Bing drink it. When Luo Bing hesitated, Chen Ke Hai took a gulp and questioned when she would stop causing trouble, explaining that he had no relationship with Tian Liu. Fang Li said it was Chen Ke Hai's fault and that girls needed to be appeased. After returning home, Fang Li carefully thought about the events of the evening and felt that something was wrong between the two of them. He believed Luo Bing dared to act up with Chen Ke Hai because she saw herself as his lover. Luo Bing knew she had been exposed because of the chicken soup and asked Chen Ke Hai when he discovered it. He said he saw her brooch at the party where Yuan Tian Zhen Ming was assassinated, and he investigated when her uncle and aunt were arrested but found no record of their names. When he asked Li Tang to investigate, he was told they had been executed. Chen Ke Hai had been grateful for her not exposing him for such a long time and appreciated her saving him that day. He believed her actions tonight also showed that she didn't want him to get into trouble.
In fact, when Luo Bing was looking for the brown bottle that evening, Chen Ke Hai saw her. The powder he had was not poison but salt. He had already disposed of the real poison. This setup was to test her sincerity and also to seek her help.
Comments(Episode 21)