Episode 20 recap: # Dan Tuo
In this episode, Su Su confides in Shen Xing that Zhao Zi Ying is actually her half-sister from the same mother but a different father. The backstory reveals that Su Su had a boyfriend who became addicted to drugs, causing chaos in her home. To escape that life, Su Su decided to leave, and Zhao Zi Ying chose to follow her.
The two girls sneak away to a place called Sanbianpo. When Shen Xing asks Su Su if she regrets coming here, she feels a mix of emotions and remains silent.
Meanwhile, Dan Tuo is preparing to leave for an errand. The oil lamp reminds him repeatedly to be cautious on the mountain roads. Dan Tuo, being straightforward, cuts off the lamp’s rambling. His friend, Xi Gou, complains nearby, and Dan Tuo recalls how Xi Gou’s sister, Cai Shu’s wife, suffered terribly at the hands of nine men. Dan Tuo notes that Cai Shu is someone with foresight; in Sanbianpo, no one can truly overpower him.
The next day, while Dan Tuo is driving to pick up a shipment, he passes by Shen Xing. They share a brief glance, but Dan Tuo doesn’t stop, and Shen Xing watches him leave. Later, Su Su asks Shen Xing for help, revealing that Zhao Zi Ying ran away after a fight and secretly bought drugs, ending up in a dangerous place.
Without hesitation, Shen Xing drives Su Su to find her sister. Shen Xing has connections, knowing Sheriff Ai Suo and even talking to drug dealers. Su Su is willing to pay a large sum to rescue her sister, but the dealer warns that Zhao Zi Ying might not want to leave.
When they arrive, Su Su sees Zhao Zi Ying naked and smiling at her, realizing that her sister harbors resentment. Shen Xing asks Su Su what their next step is, and she insists on taking Zhao Zi Ying back home to help her recover from addiction.
Meanwhile, Dan Tuo collects his shipment and drives through the drug-infested mountain roads, surrounded by poppy flowers that fill him with dread. He recalls the oil lamp’s warning and avoids looking at the drug dealers. However, he accidentally sees a severed head of a man named Suo Wen discarded in a garbage pile, a gruesome sight that he struggles to process.
Dan Tuo finishes his business and discovers that the dealers are stuffing drugs into his vehicle. He realizes that Cai Shu is involved with the drug trade, and he must deliver the shipments on time.
After gathering enough money, Su Su and Shen Xing return to the drug den, only to find that they must come back later. Shen Xing quickly pulls Su Su away, but at that moment, Dan Tuo arrives. Shen Xing immediately understands that Dan Tuo is there to deliver drugs, and the product is tainted.
When Shen Xing examines the shipment, he finds it full of white powder, which chills him to the bone. Desperate to see her sister, Su Su insists on going inside, but Zhao Zi Ying tragically falls from the upper floor, covered in blood. Despite Shen Xing’s quick action to get her to the hospital, it’s too late.
In Sanbianpo, drug dealers grow increasingly brazen, even using slaughterhouses as packaging sites and forcing female workers to hide drugs in meat. Upon returning to the village, Dan Tuo confronts Cai Shu, but before Cai Shu can respond, Ai Suo is killed by the dealers. Cai Shu has been coerced into the drug trade, and both Suo Wen’s and Ai Suo’s deaths serve as warnings from the dealers. With Zhao Zi Ying gone, the town of Maniu and the orphan team are also affected by the drugs, and Lan Bo has fallen victim as well, covered in needle marks.
Shen Xing witnesses all this and feels overwhelming fear. Dan Tuo wants to help Shen Xing leave this dangerous place, giving him his necklace and revealing where Cai Shu has hidden his identification. Shen Xing understands he must leave; he can no longer stay in this perilous environment.
Comments(Episode 20)