Chapter Summaries

The Public Security Bureau interrogated Li Taibo and Xu Dabing over Wan Sichao’s death, and Xu Dabing admitted that he and Li Taibo had fabricated testimony in Wan Sichao’s cases. The investigation cleared Dong Xuebin, while officials and onlookers remained suspicious of how neatly the deaths and arrests connected to Qu Yunxuan’s case.

• Director Sun confronted Li Taibo with the physical evidence and witness testimony implicating him in Wan Sichao’s death, leaving Li unable to defend himself.
• Xu Dabing admitted that Li Taibo had told him to lie about seeing Dong Xuebin and that he and Li Taibo had also given false testimony in Qu Yunxuan’s case.
• Cao Hai ordered officials to continue interrogating the suspects and prepare the case-closing documents for a report to Secretary Wan.
• News of Li Taibo and Xu Dabing’s arrests spread through government offices, and officials reconsidered their suspicions that Dong Xuebin had killed Wan Sichao.
• Dong Xuebin left the Public Security Bureau, satisfied that the truth about Qu Yunxuan’s fall had been established and that he had avenged her.

Dong Xuebin visited Qu Yunxuan after her condition stabilized and learned that Wan Sichao’s family had come to apologize. He admitted to Yun Xuan and Xie Huilan that he had played a role in the case, then accepted that Wan Sichao’s allies might retaliate against him.

• Dong Xuebin found Qu Yunxuan in a regular ward and overheard Wan Sigou arguing with Mother Qu while delivering an apology and compensation on his family’s behalf.
• Dong Xuebin told Qu Yunxuan and her parents that Li Taibo and Xu Dabing had been arrested and would face prosecution, while hiding the full extent of his involvement.
• Qu Yunxuan confronted Dong Xuebin about the suspicious timing, and he admitted that he had helped deal with Wan Sichao’s case.
• Mother Qu praised Dong Xuebin and reminded him that Yun Xuan had borne his child and that he still had to honor their Five-Year Agreement.
• Xie Huilan guessed that Dong Xuebin was involved in Wan Sichao’s death and the arrests, then accepted his explanation that he could not wait while Yun Xuan was in danger.
• Dong Xuebin recognized that Wan Sichao’s family and associates might seek revenge, but resolved to face them.

Qu Yunxuan’s condition stabilized, and Luan Xiaoping stayed behind to care for her while Dong Xuebin took her parents to the station with baby Xiao Qianqian. Meanwhile, officials in Fenzhou City investigated Dong Xuebin’s past and began calling him the Plague God.

• A doctor confirmed that Qu Yunxuan was stable and could be transferred to another hospital the next day.
• Luan Xiaoping offered to stay and look after Qu Yunxuan, while Dong Xuebin agreed to take Father Qu and Mother Qu to the station and care for Xiao Qianqian.
• Dong Xuebin drove Qu Yunxuan’s parents to the station after leaving the hospital.
• Fenzhou City officials investigated Dong Xuebin’s history after the Wan Sichao incident and learned of the misfortunes that had befallen people who clashed with him.
• The officials heard Dong Xuebin’s old nickname, the Plague God, and decided it suited him.

Dong Xuebin struggled through a morning of caring for Xiao Qianqian and brought her with him to work. At the office, he thanked Luo Haiting for helping with the previous day's affair, and their breakfast together ended in an intimate moment when she tended to his cut finger.

• Dong Xuebin changed Xiao Qianqian's diaper, fed her cooled formula, and dressed her after Qu Yunxuan and Luan Xiaoping were unavailable to help.
• Unable to leave Xiao Qianqian alone or take her to the hospital, Dong Xuebin brought her to work with him.
• Dong Xuebin arrived at the Municipal Party Committee courtyard and let Xiao Qianqian play on his office sofa while Zhu Zhu admired her.
• Dong Xuebin shared breakfast with Luo Haiting and thanked her for helping him the day before; she avoided asking about the details.
• After Dong Xuebin pricked his finger on a splintered chopstick, Luo Haiting sucked and licked the wound, leaving the two in a suggestive silence.

Dong Xuebin learned that colleagues at the City Discipline Inspection Committee called him the Plague God, while his adorable goddaughter Qu Qian won over everyone who met her. After a lively day of visits and attention, he took the tired baby back to his office, joking that she had already become a star.

• Luo Haiting told Dong Xuebin that colleagues called him the Plague God, and he realized his past reputation had followed him to the City Discipline Inspection Committee.
• Luo Haiting changed Qu Qian's diaper, played with her, and offered to help care for her if Dong Xuebin needed it.
• Liang Xuan visited at lunchtime to meet Qu Qian, held her, and showed Dong Xuebin how to check the temperature of her formula.
• Dong Xuebin took Qu Qian outside in the afternoon, where officials and staff gathered around to play with her.
• Dong Xuebin brought the tired Qu Qian back to his office and called her a big star.

Dong Xuebin cared for Xiao Qianqian at home while learning that Li Taibo had escaped custody. When Dong returned from checking on the search, he found his lock forced and Xiao Qianqian missing.

• Dong Xuebin spent the evening feeding and playing with Xiao Qianqian, growing reluctant to let anyone else care for her.
• Luo Haiting told Dong Xuebin that Li Taibo had escaped after injuring officers, and Dong worried that he might threaten his family.
• Dong Xuebin soothed Xiao Qianqian when she began crying and went to sleep after she settled down.
• Dong Xuebin visited the Public Security Bureau at dawn and learned that the search had failed to find Li Taibo.
• Dong Xuebin returned home, found his door forced open, and discovered that Xiao Qianqian was gone.

Dong Xuebin discovered that his goddaughter Xiao Qianqian had been kidnapped and led the authorities to suspect escaped criminal investigator Li Taibo. Li Taibo confirmed the abduction and demanded one hundred million in exchange for returning the baby, leaving Dong Xuebin facing a ransom crisis.

• Dong Xuebin found Xiao Qianqian missing from her baby carriage and suspected Li Taibo had taken her for revenge.
• The Public Security Bureau searched Dong Xuebin's home, while city leaders ordered an urgent hunt and demanded that the baby's safety be protected.
• Investigators found Li Taibo's fingerprints on the forced lock and baby carriage, confirming he had taken Xiao Qianqian.
• Li Taibo called Dong Xuebin from an unfamiliar number, claimed he had left Fenzhou City, and said Xiao Qianqian was alive.
• Li Taibo demanded one hundred million and promised to contact Dong Xuebin later with instructions for the exchange.

After Li Taibo kidnapped three-month-old Qian Qian, Dong Xuebin blamed himself as his family condemned him and Qu Yunxuan collapsed from shock. He withdrew from work and isolated himself, but three days passed without a ransom call or any sign of Li Taibo or Qian Qian.

• Dong Xuebin gathered about a hundred million yuan for the ransom while police traced Li Taibo’s public phone to a neighboring county and began searching there.
• Dong Xuebin visited Qu Yunxuan in the hospital, where her parents and Luan Xiaoping blamed him for leaving Qian Qian alone.
• Xie Huilan returned, promised to help pay the ransom, and criticized Dong Xuebin for being overconfident; Qu Yunxuan woke and asked whether Qian Qian had been found.
• Dong Xuebin left the hospital, took leave from work, and moved into a hotel, vowing to save his daughter at any cost.
• Three days passed without Li Taibo contacting the family or police finding a lead, and the family grew increasingly anxious about Qian Qian’s safety.

Dong Xuebin learned that Li Taibo had called and heard him threaten to throw baby Qian Qian into the sea. As Li Taibo continued to torment the family over the phone, Dong Xuebin suddenly thought of a way he might stop him from far away.

• Dong Xuebin read Li Taibo's detailed State Security file but found no useful clues about his whereabouts.
• Xie Huilan summoned Dong Xuebin to the family compound after Li Taibo called and demanded that Dong be present for his next call.
• Li Taibo called again, and Dong Xuebin and the family heard Qian Qian crying in Li Taibo's arms.
• Li Taibo rejected the ransom and said he planned to throw Qian Qian into the ocean to take revenge on Dong Xuebin.
• Dong Xuebin realized he might be able to kill someone from a thousand miles away and formed a bold plan.

Li Taibo threatened to kill baby Qian Qian and confessed to past crimes, while Dong Xuebin secretly tried to save her by using REVERSE on Li Taibo from a distance. The chapter ended as Dong Xuebin began the attempt, with Qian Qian's fate still uncertain.

• Li Taibo refused the Qu family's offers of money, threatened Qian Qian, and admitted to helping Wan Sichao cover up rapes and silence a victim.
• Dong Xuebin told Xie Huilan to stall Li Taibo, then went into a bedroom with Li Taibo's records.
• Dong Xuebin found the record of Li Taibo's near-fatal chest injury during an earthquake four months earlier and decided to use REVERSE to return his body to that condition.
• Dong Xuebin calculated the time reversal, focused on Li Taibo's photograph, and issued the REVERSE command.

Dong Xuebin used REVERSE to fatally injure Li Taibo just as he was about to throw Xiao Qianqian into the sea. The police confirmed Li Taibo’s death and began searching for the ship, while Xiao Qianqian remained in danger.

• Xie Huilan tried to persuade Li Taibo to release Xiao Qianqian as he began counting down to throw her overboard.
• Dong Xuebin kept using REVERSE, and Li Taibo suddenly suffered severe internal injuries before he could finish the countdown.
• Xiao Qianqian rolled free and continued crying as Li Taibo called for help and gradually fell silent.
• The police made a preliminary determination that Li Taibo had died, and Luan Xiaoping and Qu Yunxuan wept with relief that Xiao Qianqian was alive.
• Xie Huilan ordered the officers to locate the ship and send a rescue team to find Xiao Qianqian.

Dong Xuebin and his family learned that his infant daughter Qian Qian had been taken from a Republic smuggling ship hijacked by Somali pirates in African waters. After seeing photographs confirming she was among the hostages, the family feared she would not survive the long wait for a ransom deal.

• Dong Xuebin returned home and worried that no one knew where Qian Qian was or whether she was safe.
• Xie Huilan told the family that police had traced Li Taibo’s phone signal to waters near Africa, possibly from a smuggling ship.
• Xu Yan told Dong Xuebin that Somali pirates had hijacked a Republic smuggling ship, killed several crew members, and taken hostages.
• A news report confirmed the hijacking, and Xie Huilan obtained photographs showing Qian Qian among the hostages.
• Xie Huilan said she was contacting her father and other officials, but warned that a previous ransom deal had taken a year to secure the hostages’ release.
• Dong Xuebin and his family feared Qian Qian could not survive the pirates’ conditions for that long.

After Xie Huilan returned from the Capital City with news that a warship would bring the ransom, Dong Xuebin decided to rescue his kidnapped daughter himself. He disappeared before his family could stop him, leaving them afraid he had gone to pirate territory.

• Xie Huilan told the family that her father had negotiated for a warship to deliver the ransom the next day, though the pirates had only agreed to release the hostages as soon as possible.
• Dong Xuebin blamed himself for Qian Qian's kidnapping and grew furious as his family worried about her safety.
• After his mother and Mother Qu scolded him, Dong Xuebin declared he would bring Qian Qian home and left without telling anyone where he was going.
• Qu Yunxuan feared Dong Xuebin had headed for the African Waters, and Xie Huilan and Father Qu searched for him but could not find him.

Dong Xuebin arranged passage on a cargo ship bound for Africa as he searched for a way to rescue his missing daughter, Qu Qian. As the ship set sail, he learned that pirates had repeatedly targeted Republic vessels, and he headed toward the dangerous waters with a cold resolve to confront them.

• Dong Xuebin ignored messages from Qu Yunxuan, Xie Huilan, and Luan Xiaoping, then called his contacts to find a ship bound for Africa.
• Liu Dahai connected Dong Xuebin with Captain Niu Dazhao, and Dong used Stop to slip past the port security checkpoints.
• Dong Xuebin boarded Niu Dazhao’s cargo ship despite the lack of documents and warnings that pirates might attack its route.
• After the ship set sail, Dong Xuebin heard the crew discuss pirate attacks on Republic ships and grew determined to face the pirates.

Dong Xuebin’s cargo ship entered pirate waters and was intercepted by a pirate ship and its speedboats. As the crew panicked, he suspected the pirates were the group holding Qian Qian and prepared to confront them.

• Dong Xuebin learned from a crewman that the ship had entered the Pirate Activity Area and that pirates had recently hijacked another vessel.
• Dong Xuebin considered how to reach Qian Qian, who was still in pirate hands, and formed a plan to find the pirates after reaching the Mainland.
• The crew spotted a ship ahead, and Niu Dazhao recognized it as a pirate ship and ordered the cargo vessel to change course.
• The pirates launched several speedboats and pursued the cargo ship, leaving the crew unable to escape.
• Dong Xuebin suspected the pirates were holding Qian Qian and thought they might be waiting for the Republic’s warships.

Dong Xuebin and the crew faced a pirate attack while he tried to determine whether Qian Qian was aboard the pirate mothership. A Republic warship arrived, but the pirates were already about to board their ship.

• Niu Dazhao and the crew tried to flee the pirate speedboats, while Dong Xuebin prepared folding knives and watched the pursuit.
• The pirates ignored a more valuable H Country cargo ship and continued targeting the Republic vessel, leading Dong Xuebin to suspect they wanted hostages.
• Dong Xuebin studied the pirate mothership and its bearded leader but could not confirm whether Qian Qian was aboard.
• Dong Xuebin spotted a Republic warship approaching, and Niu Dazhao and the crew realized help had arrived.
• The pirate speedboats closed to within a dozen meters, and Dong Xuebin knew the pirates were about to board.

Dong Xuebin and the cargo ship’s crew were captured by pirates while a Republic warship confronted them. Dong Xuebin finally saw his kidnapped daughter, Qian Qian, and prepared to fight back.

• The pirates boarded the cargo ship despite the Republic warship’s warning shots and tied up Dong Xuebin, Captain Niu Dazhao, and the crew.
• The Republic warship arrived and aimed its guns at the pirates, who used the hostages as shields.
• The Pirate Leader brought three battered hostages onto the Pirate Ship as the two sides faced off.
• Dong Xuebin spotted Qian Qian among the hostages and resolved to stop the pirates from leaving alive.

The Republic paid the pirates’ ransom, but the Pirate Leader refused to release the hostages and demanded ten times more. The warship aimed its guns at the pirates while they threatened the hostages, leaving the standoff unresolved.

• The pirates negotiated with the Republic warship and demanded ransom, while Dong Xuebin watched the Pirate Ship approach his cargo ship.
• The colonel ordered the ransom delivered because the hostages included a dangerously weak baby, and the pirates accepted the gold.
• The Pirate Leader refused to release anyone and started to leave with the cargo ship, which the pirates had seized.
• The pirates demanded ten times the ransom to release all the hostages and warned the warship to stay back or they would kill them.
• The colonel ordered the warship to pursue and aim its guns at the pirates, who pointed their weapons at the hostages.

Dong Xuebin broke free of his bonds and crossed onto the Pirate Ship to rescue his daughter, Xiao Qianqian. With the pirates surrounding him and the Republic warship unable to fire, he held his weak daughter and prepared to fight.

• The Pirate Leader ordered his men to ignore the Republic warship and take the hostages away despite the ransom deal.
• Dong Xuebin vowed to kill all twenty-one pirates after they betrayed the Republic and endangered his daughter.
• As the ships drew alongside each other near the Mainland, Dong Xuebin snapped his rope restraints and gathered the boarding hook and rope.
• Dong Xuebin dodged a pirate's gunshot, swung onto the Pirate Ship, and carried Xiao Qianqian into his arms.
• Dong Xuebin apologized to Xiao Qianqian and declared that he was taking her to kill the pirates.

Dong Xuebin healed Xiao Qianqian’s fever and confronted the pirates while holding her. After dodging gunfire and killing two pirates, he faced the nineteen who remained.

• Dong Xuebin used Reverse to cure Xiao Qianqian’s fever, then comforted and kissed her despite the guns aimed at them.
• The Pirate Leader ordered a skinny pirate to shoot Dong Xuebin, while the warship and Niu Dazhao’s crew watched helplessly.
• Dong Xuebin dodged the point-blank shot and killed the skinny pirate with a knife without turning around.
• The pirates fired at Dong Xuebin, who used Stop to evade their bullets before charging into their ranks.
• Dong Xuebin knocked aside one pirate’s AK47 and cut another pirate’s throat, leaving nineteen pirates alive.