Episode 5 recap: # Blood Red
In Episode 5, You Deng explains to Dan Tuo what happened the day Mao Ba died, mentioning that Ang Tun lied, claiming the goods were faulty and that he needed to retrieve them. Dan Tuo insists that Mao Ba’s situation is in the past and that he no longer cares. You Deng then brings up Shen Xing, recalling that Mao Ba also used to work in the grinding mines. While it seems coincidental, Dan Tuo argues that Shen Xing’s experience in the mines is entirely different from Mao Ba’s.
Gan Ting hands over the Blood Red gemstone to Wu Hai Shan, accusing Duan Lao Si of planning to kill Long Zai to keep the gemstone for himself. Gan Ting also claims that the key to the office was given to him by Duan Lao Si. Wu Hai Shan doesn’t respond but publicly appoints Gan Ting as the supervisor. Later, Wu Hai Shan brings Ban Shifu along, expressing concern and insisting that Ban Shifu personally inspect the puppets.
Wu Hai Shan makes a pointed remark to Shen Xing, suggesting that if something isn’t yours, you can’t take it away. Neither Duan Lao Si nor Gan Ting understands the implication. After two days, Shen Xing drives Ban Shifu and Xiao Shifu back as planned, but the fuel light unexpectedly turns red.
Shen Xing takes a fuel can to a nearby gas station and contacts Dan Tuo. He recalls that the tank was full last night, meaning someone must have siphoned off the gas. Connecting this to what he overheard the night before, Shen Xing realizes someone is likely planning an ambush on the road. Since he can’t make it to the checkpoint, he asks Dan Tuo to pick him up at the mine.
Before Shen Xing can finish speaking, two masked individuals on motorcycles suddenly appear, ripping off his clothes and searching him, but they find nothing. If it weren’t for the presence of soldiers at the gas station and tourists filming, Shen Xing’s life could have been in serious danger.
When Shen Xing returns to the truck, he is horrified to find it ransacked, with both Ban Shifu and Xiao Shifu already killed. Initially thinking that the Blood Red might be hidden within the puppets, he quickly realizes that isn’t the case. Remembering Wu Hai Shan’s earlier words, he focuses on the book Wu Hai Shan had given him.
Sure enough, he discovers a gap in the spine of the book. Upon tearing it open, he finds the so-called Blood Red gemstone. Shen Xing then gets in touch with a contact to inquire about the selling price of the gemstone.
When Tiao Gou heard that Shen Xing had a Blood Red gemstone the size of a thumb, he was shocked, his eyes wide. Lao Sun requested to accompany him to the mine but ended up getting played by Tiao Gou.
Cai Shu contacted Wu Hai Shan, who immediately sent people to investigate, only to find out that the book had been torn apart and contained nothing. The two performers had been killed, and Shen Xing's whereabouts were unknown. At this point, Shen Xing arrived at the checkpoint, where the security was tight, making it impossible for him to leave, let alone with the Blood Red.
Tiao Gou then rode a motorcycle to the checkpoint and, after some negotiation, agreed to split the profits with Shen Xing 60-40. He took Shen Xing through a back road to escape the checkpoint, but unexpectedly, soldiers were checking that route as well. Unbeknownst to Tiao Gou, Lao Sun had already revealed the Blood Red situation after being beaten by Jin Gang Ge.
Tiao Gou disguised Shen Xing as a monk, as locals respected monks and they could use this identity to pass through the checkpoint. Tiao Gou learned that Shen Xing had hidden the Blood Red under a sign. While Shen Xing went to buy food, Tiao Gou attempted to drive off with the Blood Red for himself but was caught by Jin Gang Ge, and Shen Xing had lied—there was no Blood Red there.
Shen Xing bought food for a pair of poor siblings, which caught the attention of the monk host, who admired his compassion. The monk later helped Shen Xing with the soldiers at the checkpoint, closing the loop. Jin Gang Ge chased after Shen Xing, beating him and demanding to know the whereabouts of the Blood Red, but to no avail. In fact, he ended up getting captured by the soldiers due to his reckless behavior.
Just when Cai Shu thought Shen Xing had kept the Blood Red for himself, Shen Xing returned with the gemstone. Cai Shu calculated that this venture had cost him a hundred times over and even gave Shen Xing a phone. The siblings discovered a pea-sized Blood Red in their food, likely placed there by Shen Xing.
After all he had been through, Shen Xing picked up the phone again and contacted his uncle’s friend, who said there was news about Shen Jian Dong.
Comments(Episode 5)