Recaps

After nearly twenty days trapped beneath earthquake rubble, Dong Xuebin realized rescue workers were still digging and used REVERSE to break through the last stones. He escaped into the open air beneath a starry sky.

• Dong Xuebin heard a radio report that rescuers were still excavating his remains and realized faint rumbles came from their machinery.
• As the digging grew louder, Dong Xuebin waited for hours, fell asleep, and woke when moonlight and outside air reached his hiding place.
• Dong Xuebin heard the exhausted rescue workers leave for the night, but his shouts did not reach them.
• Dong Xuebin used REVERSE to preserve his strength and kicked away the stone blocking the opening.
• Dong Xuebin forced his way through the rubble and emerged beneath a sky full of stars.

After escaping the hospital ruins, Dong Xuebin returned to Guangming Street to reassure his family and colleagues, rescuing a trapped shopkeeper along the way. He arrived at the temporary shelter just as officials were mourning his supposed death, leaving them stunned by his sudden appearance.

• Dong Xuebin left the hospital ruins, changed into a cleaner suit, and learned that residents were living in temporary shelters while rescuers searched for his remains.
• Dong Xuebin rode toward the Guangming Street Office and heard television reports claiming the search for him was nearing its end.
• Dong Xuebin rescued a shopkeeper trapped beneath debris and accompanied her to the Guangming Park shelter.
• Geng Xinke and the other Guangming Street officials mourned Dong Xuebin and planned to visit the ruins the next day to see him off.
• Dong Xuebin arrived at the shelter with the rescued shopkeeper, and the officials stared in disbelief as he greeted them.

Dong Xuebin returned alive after being trapped beneath the rubble for more than ten days, then contacted his family and colleagues to reassure them. His return stunned the Street Office and quickly spread across the district and city.

• Dong Xuebin revealed himself to the Guangming Park residents and Street Office officials, who struggled to believe he had survived.
• Dong Xuebin called Luan Xiaoping and Yang Zhaojue, and they realized he was alive and broke down in relief.
• Dong Xuebin called Xie Huilan, who recognized his voice and said she was coming to see him.
• Dong Xuebin called Qu Yunxuan and learned that she and the child were safe, though she had been worried sick about him.
• Dong Xuebin called Geng Yuehua and explained how he had survived, while officials and residents reported his return and celebrated.

After Dong Xuebin’s survival was confirmed, the news spread across the city, and he reassured his family, friends, and colleagues by phone. The strain of his ordeal caught up with him, and officials rushed him to the Community Hospital.

• The city television station reported that Dong Xuebin had survived more than three hundred hours beneath the rubble.
• Dong Xuebin called Yu Meixia and reassured her and Yu Qianqian that he was safe.
• Dong Xuebin spoke with Xu Yan, Han Jing, Xie Hao, Lin Pingping, Luo Haiting, and others who called to check on him.
• After finishing the calls, Dong Xuebin became dizzy and struggled to stand.
• Zhou Yanru, Geng Xinke, and Peng Gang carried Dong Xuebin toward the Community Hospital.

After waking from a two-day sleep, Dong Xuebin learned that the earthquake rescue work was nearly complete and received a visit from Fenzhou City Party Secretary Wan Fanglei. Wan then handed him a personal call from the General Secretary, leaving his colleagues convinced his career would soon advance.

• Dong Xuebin woke in the hospital after sleeping for two days and two nights, and the doctor assured him he was fine.
• Geng Xinke, Zhou Yanru, and other officials briefed Dong Xuebin on the completed rescue work and preparations for reconstruction.
• Wan Fanglei visited Dong Xuebin, praised his earthquake rescue efforts, and urged him to recuperate.
• Dong Xuebin told a television reporter that saving people was a cadre's responsibility and that he could not abandon civilians in danger.
• Wan Fanglei returned with a phone and handed it to Dong Xuebin, who spoke with the General Secretary about his actions and recovery.

After waking from his injuries, Dong Xuebin spoke with Xie Huilan and Zhai Yunxuan, learned that his daughter was named Zan Qian, and decided to leave the hospital. He left to a massive public send-off, with tens of thousands of earthquake survivors thanking him for saving them and urging him to stay safe.

• Dong Xuebin called Xie Huilan, who told him she had visited the hospital several times and promised to see him again soon.
• Zhai Yunxuan told Dong Xuebin their daughter was named Zan Qian, and he listened to the sleeping baby breathe over the phone.
• Dong Xuebin insisted he was well enough to leave the hospital, and the doctor discharged him after another examination.
• Geng Xinke and other Street Office officials met Dong Xuebin and told him they had recovered his Cayenne and that the dormitory was usable.
• Dong Xuebin found more than ten thousand people gathered outside the hospital to thank him for warning them about the earthquake and rescuing them from the rubble.
• Dong Xuebin and the officials walked a kilometer to the Street Office Family Compound as the crowd followed, growing to tens of thousands before stopping outside the gate.

Dong Xuebin returned home after the earthquake and learned that Wang Anshi and Xue Qingrong had abandoned him during the hospital collapse. After footage exposed their actions, Yang Zhaode told him that both had been removed from their posts and Geng Yuehua would become Nanshan District party secretary.

• Dong Xuebin returned home, urged Geng Yuehua to let him help with reconstruction, and learned she wanted him to rest.
• Dong Xuebin watched news footage showing Wang Anshi and Xue Qingrong flee while he was injured beneath rubble, then rush into the collapsing hospital to rescue people.
• Dong Xuebin called Yang Zhaode, who said the municipal committee had removed Wang Anshi and Xue Qingrong from all their posts.
• Yang Zhaode told Dong Xuebin that Geng Yuehua would become Nanshan District party secretary the next day.

After returning to work following the earthquake, Dong Xuebin learned that his rescue and prevention efforts had earned him a place in a Central Party School advanced training program for department-level cadres. The exceptional assignment pointed toward his promotion to deputy department level, and he prepared to leave Guangming Street Office.

• Dong Xuebin returned to Guangming Subdistrict Office and assigned staff to continue post-disaster reconstruction work.
• Ma Li summoned Dong Xuebin to meet Geng Yuehua, who had become Nanshan District Committee Secretary.
• Geng Yuehua reprimanded Dong Xuebin for returning to work so soon, then told him that higher-ups had approved him for a department-level advanced training program at the Central Party School.
• Geng Yuehua gave Dong Xuebin a month off, put Geng Xinke in temporary charge of Guangming Street Office, and instructed Dong Xuebin to report to the Central Party School the following week.
• News of Dong Xuebin's training assignment spread through the district, where officials were astonished by his rapid rise at age twenty-five.

As Dong Xuebin prepared to attend the Central Party School before taking up a new post, he said farewell to colleagues and old connections in Nanshan District and Yantai County. He discovered that Geng Xinke might be the father of Lin Pingping’s son, then spent his final days settling affairs and seeing people off.

• Liu Dahai and Guangming Street Office colleagues congratulated Dong Xuebin and invited him to dinner, while Dong insisted he was only going to the Party School and praised Geng Xinke for overseeing the office.
• Lin Pingping invited Dong Xuebin to dinner with his former subordinates, and Dong asked Geng Xinke about their past relationship.
• Dong told Geng Xinke that Lin Pingping had a four- or five-year-old son, and Geng realized the child might be his because they had broken up around the time the boy was conceived.
• Geng Xinke hurried away to contact Lin Pingping, while Dong returned home and began packing for his departure.
• Dong spent two days attending farewell dinners and visiting his connections in Nanshan District and Yantai County before leaving for the Party School.

Dong Xuebin returned to Beijing and surprised Qu Yunxuan and her family after finishing his work in Nanshan District. He reunited with Qu Yunxuan and learned firsthand that she was nursing their daughter, Qian Qian.

• Dong Xuebin drove his damaged Cayenne from Nanshan District to Beijing and called Qu Yunxuan without telling her he was already nearby.
• Dong Xuebin bought supplies and surprised Mother Qu and Father Qu at their home, where they checked on him and discussed his rescue work.
• Qu Yunxuan came out of the bedroom, saw Dong Xuebin, and embraced him after making sure he was unharmed.
• Dong Xuebin told the family that he would attend cadre training at the Central Party School for over a month, and Mother Qu celebrated his likely promotion.
• After the older couple left them alone, Dong Xuebin kissed Qu Yunxuan and discovered milk on his hand when he touched her breast.

Dong Xuebin finally met his newborn daughter, Qian Qian, and was overwhelmed with joy as he held and cared for her. The chapter ended with him carrying her around instead of going to dinner.

• Dong Xuebin teased Qu Yunxuan and complained that she cared more about Qian Qian than him.
• Dong Xuebin realized he had not yet seen his daughter and hurried to the bedroom despite Qu Yunxuan’s warning not to wake her.
• Dong Xuebin saw Qian Qian awake in her crib, then carefully lifted her and held her for the first time.
• Qu Yunxuan showed Dong Xuebin how to support Qian Qian, and he changed her diaper after she began crying.
• Dong Xuebin carried Qian Qian around the room and into the living room, remaining too absorbed in her to wash his hands for dinner.

Dong Xuebin reunited with Qu Yunxuan and their baby over dinner at the Qu Family home, but an aftershock led the family to decide that Qu Yunxuan and the child would leave for the Southern Region. The family planned to depart the day after tomorrow, leaving Dong Xuebin to cherish their remaining time together before his upcoming studies.

• Mother Qu prepared a celebratory meal, and Dong Xuebin toasted Father Qu, Mother Qu, and Qu Yunxuan while doting on Xiao Qianqian.
• An aftershock shook the house, prompting Mother Qu and Father Qu to suggest taking Qu Yunxuan and Xiao Qianqian to the Southern Region for safety.
• Dong Xuebin agreed to the trip, and Mother Qu said the family would leave the day after tomorrow.
• Mother Qu privately warned Dong Xuebin not to have sex with Qu Yunxuan during her recovery from her Caesarean Section, and he hurried away embarrassed.

Dong Xuebin and Qu Yunxuan cared for their lively newborn daughter, Xiao Qu Qian, through the night. After the baby fell asleep in her crib, Dong Xuebin persuaded Qu Yunxuan to pleasure him and secretly got to drink her breast milk, leaving her furious as he savored it.

• Dong Xuebin and Qu Yunxuan cuddled and soothed Xiao Qu Qian, then Qu Yunxuan fed her when she began crying.
• Dong Xuebin reluctantly put the sleeping baby in a nearby crib and coaxed Qu Yunxuan into pleasuring him because they could not have sex while she recovered.
• Qu Yunxuan finished and returned to bed, where Dong Xuebin offered to massage her sore neck and body.
• Dong Xuebin suddenly suckled Qu Yunxuan and drank her milk; Qu Yunxuan pinched and scolded him while he grinned with satisfaction.

Dong Xuebin registered at the Central Party School, attended the opening ceremony, and met his roommate, Han Xinghua. After Han invited him to lunch with several former colleagues, Dong joined the group, whose members reacted coolly when they learned his position was only Zhengke Level.

• Dong Xuebin entered the Central Party School, registered, and received his student ID and dormitory key.
• At the opening ceremony, a vice president explained the required “three transitions,” and Dong was assigned to Class Three for department-level cadres.
• Dong met his roommate, Han Xinghua of the Central Propaganda Department, and called his family and Xie Huilan from the dormitory.
• Xie Huilan teased Dong about a surprise before ending their call, leaving him curious about what she had planned.
• Han invited Dong to lunch with several friends and former colleagues, and Dong accepted to meet people at the school.
• Han introduced Dong as a young Street Office Director, and the group grew indifferent after learning he was a Zhengke-level cadre from a prefecture-level city.

Dong Xuebin learned that the advanced studies class’s young Class One Monitor was Xie Huilan, his longtime acquaintance. Xie Huilan introduced Dong Xuebin as her fiancé, leaving the surrounding cadres stunned.

• At lunch, Dong Xuebin’s colleagues discussed the young woman elected Class One Monitor and her likely promotion to Yu Ting Level.
• Dong Xuebin recognized that the Monitor’s résumé sounded familiar as she entered the cafeteria with the other Class One students.
• Han Xinghua greeted the Monitor and began introducing her to Director Zhang, Secretary Chen, and Dong Xuebin.
• Xie Huilan recognized Dong Xuebin and said they already knew each other, while Dong Xuebin asked why she had come to the Party School.
• Xie Huilan hooked her arm around Dong Xuebin’s and announced to the gathered cadres that he was her fiancé.

Dong Xuebin’s classmates discovered that he was both Xie Huilan’s fiancé and the earthquake relief hero, while Xie told him she might be promoted to deputy department level after her training. The chapter left them planning to meet privately that night as they discussed her likely move to the city government.

• After Xie Huilan left the cafeteria, Party School attendees discussed Dong Xuebin as her fiancé and stared at him.
• Han Xinghua asked Dong how he had met Xie Huilan, and Dong explained that he worked at the Guangming Street Office in Nanshan District.
• Director Mei, Director Zhang, and Han recognized Dong as the earthquake relief hero and toasted him for his rescue efforts.
• Xie met Dong on a tree-lined path and told him her successful evacuation work in Yantai County could lead to a deputy department-level promotion.
• Xie said she would likely join the city government to work on post-disaster reconstruction, and she teased Dong about waiting until that night for a kiss.

Dong Xuebin visited the Xie family with Xie Huilan, where they discussed his heroism during the earthquake and their upcoming wedding. Xie Huilan revealed that she wanted to marry this month but had been waiting for Dong Xuebin to propose.

• Xie Huilan and Dong Xuebin encountered Wei Nan on the way to the Xie villa, and Dong Xuebin complained that Wei Nan still seemed interested in her.
• Xie Huilan and Dong Xuebin joined Old Master Xie, Han Jing, and the younger Xie family members for dinner, where Old Master Xie praised Dong Xuebin for risking his life during the earthquake.
• Han Jing and the younger family members discussed Xie Huilan and Dong Xuebin's wedding and suggested they could marry sooner than planned.
• Xie Huilan said she had been considering getting married that month but was waiting for Dong Xuebin to propose.

Dong Xuebin realized Xie Huilan expected him to propose, but his attempt was stopped because he had no ring. After a TV report revealed a pair of pink diamond rings valued at 200 million yuan, Xie Huilan joked that he should buy them, leaving Dong Xuebin calculating that he could not afford them.

• Xie Huilan indirectly reproached Dong Xuebin for not proposing, and he rose to kneel and ask her to marry him.
• Xie Huilan stopped Dong Xuebin and explained that proposing without a ring would lack sincerity, while Xie Hao and Xie Jing urged him to get one.
• A television report described two enormous pink diamond rings entering Jiade's autumn auction with an estimated combined value of 200 million yuan.
• Xie Huilan admired the rings, then joked that Dong Xuebin should buy them to propose to her.
• Xie Huilan reassured Dong Xuebin that she had no requirements for a ring, but he calculated that even selling his house would not let him afford the pair.

Dong Xuebin decided to buy the Pink Diamonds to propose to Xie Huilan, but realized he was short of money. After hearing about a valuable painting destroyed in Wei Nan’s villa fire, he rushed off, hoping its ashes could help him raise the money.

• Dong Xuebin asked Xie Hao for proposal advice and resolved to buy the Pink Diamonds for Xie Huilan.
• Dong Xuebin learned from Qu Yunxuan that she had deposited 190 million yuan from the company sale onto a bank card for him.
• Dong Xuebin realized the money he had was not enough to buy the rings and wondered how to obtain another 100 million yuan.
• Xie Huilan and the others discussed Xu Yang’s painting Triumphant Return of the Western Territory, which had burned in Wei Nan’s villa fire.
• Dong Xuebin learned the painting’s ashes might still be at the villa and hurried off, believing he had found a way to buy the rings.

Dong Xuebin entered Wei Nan’s burned villa and used his ability to restore Xu Yang’s painting from its ashes. He had the painting authenticated and entrusted it to Yun De Auction Company for sale, where experts estimated it could fetch 80 to 100 million.

• Dong Xuebin slipped into No. 11 Compound and searched Wei Nan’s burned villa for the painting.
• Dong Xuebin used BACK to restore Xu Yang’s Triumphant Return of the Western Territory from the ashes in a safe, then left the compound unnoticed.
• Wei Nan encountered Dong Xuebin outside the compound, and they argued about Xie Huilan and Fei Yunxuan before parting ways.
• Dong Xuebin took the restored painting to Yun De Auction Company and asked the female Boss to appraise and auction it.
• Three experts confirmed the painting was authentic, and one estimated its value at 80 to 100 million; Dong Xuebin entrusted it to the company for auction.

Dong Xuebin auctioned Xu Yang's painting, Triumphant Return of the Western Territory, to raise money for the Pink Diamonds. It sold for 100 million RMB, leaving him with about 280 million in total funds as he prepared to bid on the diamonds the next evening.

• Dong Xuebin checked the details of Xu Yang's painting and waited anxiously for its auction, knowing the proceeds would determine whether he could afford the Pink Diamonds.
• Wei Nan told a friend that Triumphant Return of the Western Territory had burned in his family's villa and that any version on the market must be a forgery.
• Bidders drove the painting's price up during the auction, and bidder No. 6 won it for 100 million RMB.
• Dong Xuebin learned that, after taxes and commissions, he would receive a little over 80 million RMB, bringing his total funds to about 280 million.
• Dong Xuebin checked the auction schedule and prepared to bid for the Pink Diamonds the following evening.

Dong Xuebin sneaked out of the Central Party School to bid on a pair of rare pink diamond rings for Xie Huilan. He outbid the other buyers at 237 million yuan and won the auction.

• Dong Xuebin used Stop to leave the Central Party School grounds without being seen and took a taxi to Jiade Auction House.
• Dong Xuebin inspected the pink diamond rings and decided to buy them for Xie Huilan.
• Dong Xuebin joined the bidding as the price climbed past 200 million yuan.
• Dong Xuebin kept bidding against the middle-aged woman and raised the price to 237 million yuan.
• The middle-aged woman stopped bidding, and the auctioneer declared Dong Xuebin the winner.

Dong Xuebin scrambled to raise the money needed to pay for the pink diamond rings he had won at auction. After collecting the rings, he arranged to meet Xie Huilan that evening, preparing to propose to her.

• Dong Xuebin asked Luan Xiaoping to lend him two million yuan toward the auction payment.
• Dong Xuebin borrowed five hundred thousand yuan from Xu Yan after explaining that he was short on funds.
• Dong Xuebin pooled his savings and borrowed money, then paid the auction balance and collected the rings.
• Dong Xuebin had the ring sizes adjusted so Xie Huilan would receive the larger diamond.
• Dong Xuebin told Xie Huilan to wait for him at her parents' home that evening, intending to propose.

Dong Xuebin spent nearly all his money on roses and traveled to the Xie family home, where Xie Huilan teased him about not proposing sincerely enough. After the family discussed the record-breaking Pink Diamonds, Dong Xuebin stood before Xie Huilan and began to speak, leaving everyone expecting a proposal.

• Dong Xuebin bought 999 red roses and spent almost all his remaining cash getting to Xie Huilan's home.
• Dong Xuebin arrived at the Xie family villa, where Han Jing welcomed him and the family joked together.
• Xie Guobang said Old Master Xie wanted Xie Huilan's wedding held that month, but Xie Huilan said Dong Xuebin still had to show sincerity in his proposal.
• The family watched a report announcing that the Pink Diamonds Dong Xuebin had bought sold for nearly 300 million yuan, without realizing he was their buyer.
• Dong Xuebin stood before Xie Huilan and said he had something to tell her, as the family watched for his proposal.

Dong Xuebin proposed to Xie Huilan at the Xie family villa, using his time-stopping ability to produce roses and a ring box. The proposal ended with him revealing matching Pink Diamond rings that he had bought for 300 million after hearing Xie Huilan admired them.

• Dong Xuebin told Xie Huilan he loved her and wanted to marry her.
• After Xie Hao demanded roses, Dong Xuebin produced a basket of 999 roses and gave them to Xie Huilan.
• Dong Xuebin conjured a small ring box, which Xie Huilan opened to find empty.
• Xie Ran noticed a Pink Diamond ring on Xie Huilan's finger, while Dong Xuebin wore its matching ring.
• Dong Xuebin revealed that he had bought the Pink Diamonds for 300 million after Xie Huilan admired them on television.