Chapter Summaries

Dong Xuebin tried to win Geng Yuehua's support for earthquake prevention by seducing her, but his efforts failed to sway her. Exhausted and humiliated, he used reverse to restore his strength and prepared to continue.

• Dong Xuebin worried Geng Yuehua's family might find him in her bedroom, then helped her take medicine for her cough.
• Dong Xuebin undressed Geng Yuehua and tried to persuade her to support earthquake-prevention work through intimacy.
• After two rounds, Dong Xuebin asked Geng Yuehua about the proposal, but she questioned why he was bringing it up and gave him no answer.
• Dong Xuebin grew frustrated by his exhaustion and Geng Yuehua's endurance, while she eventually told him she was tired and wanted to sleep.
• Dong Xuebin remembered his reverse ability, used one second of reverse, and restored his body to its condition from the previous day.

After Dong Xuebin’s proposal redirected the county’s 30 million yuan in central funding from township roads to renovating dangerous agency dormitories, Jiang Fangfang put him in charge of the project. He promised to find another way to fund the roads, and Jiang agreed they would work on it together.

• Jian Xiangrong congratulated Dong Xuebin with a thumbs-up after the Standing Committee meeting, while Jiang Fangfang invited him to her office.
• Meng Rui and his aides discussed their faction’s defeat and struggled to identify anyone responsible for the dormitory collapse.
• Dong Xuebin apologized to Jiang Fangfang for changing her plan and claimed a friend’s warning about dangerous buildings had inspired his proposal.
• Jiang Fangfang said she was not angry, praised Dong’s handling of the meeting, and made him the actual person in charge of the dormitory renovation.
• After Jiang Fangfang received a call about her promise to repair township roads, Dong assured her he would find funding, and she said they would work on it together.

Dong Xuebin invited Luo Haiting to stay the night and made advances after she lingered in his bedroom. Luo Haiting showered and shared his bed, and the two had sex before the chapter ended.

• Dong Xuebin made tea for Luo Haiting and learned she was free the next day, while her husband called to check on her.
• As Luo Haiting prepared to leave, Dong Xuebin put an arm around her and kissed and touched her, then asked her to stay the night.
• Luo Haiting said she would shower, and Dong Xuebin waited for her in bed.
• After showering, Luo Haiting entered Dong Xuebin's bedroom in a bath towel and got into bed beside him.
• Dong Xuebin pulled Luo Haiting close, and they had sex in the dark.

At a swimming pool, Korean visitor Li Xiaoan photographed swimmers without permission and assaulted a man who confronted him, while Wang Bo and the county officials tried to get the visitors to leave. Dong Xuebin became furious as the injured man’s family and other swimmers demanded action, and he prepared to intervene.

• Xu Yan swam in the cold-water lane while Dong Xuebin stayed in the warm-water area and watched the Korean visitors inspect the pool.
• Li Xiaoan photographed swimmers despite their objections, including a woman whose swimsuit had slipped, and Xu Yan’s picture was also taken.
• Wang Bo and the Investment Bureau staff defended the visitors and proposed leaving, prompting swimmers to protest and demand that Li Xiaoan delete the photos.
• After swimmers mentioned the humiliation of Seoul Martial Hall, Li Xiaoan struck the quiet man and kicked him down when he reached for the camera.
• The quiet man’s wife and daughter rushed to him as the crowd condemned Li Xiaoan, but Wang Bo still tried to take the Koreans away, angering Dong Xuebin.

Dong Xuebin woke in Xu Yan’s bed after accidentally groping her through the night, but she reassured him and treated the incident lightly. They talked about her choice to remain unmarried and his marriage to Hui Lan, and the chapter ended with Xu Yan noticing his lingering arousal as they got up.

• Xu Yan spoke while Dong Xuebin was touching her, but he stayed still, and they both eventually fell asleep.
• Dong Xuebin woke with his hand still inside Xu Yan’s pajamas and struggled to free it before she fully awoke.
• Xu Yan teased Dong Xuebin about groping her all night, accepted his apology, and let him remain beside her.
• Xu Yan and Dong Xuebin discussed her lack of plans to remarry and how he could better understand and care for Hui Lan.
• When Xu Yan patted Dong Xuebin’s leg as they prepared to get up, she noticed his arousal and teased him about it.

After the banquet, Dong Xuebin learned that the investigation against him had been canceled. Xiong Liping explained Dong Xuebin and Xie Huilan’s influence to his children, leaving them stunned by Dong Xuebin’s military record.

• Dong Xuebin left the banquet after reassuring Li Feng that he was sober, and Li Feng ordered Dafeng County officials to prepare for the Inspection Team.
• Xiong Liping told Xiong Fei and the young woman that Xie Huilan was the Xie Family’s eldest granddaughter and warned them not to offend Dong Xuebin.
• Xiong Liping revealed that the Central Military Commission had a file on Dong Xuebin, prompting Xiong Fei to connect him to the African Waters incident.
• Zhan Guiping told Dong Xuebin that Commander Liu’s proposed investigation had been canceled and that no disciplinary action would follow.
• Dong Xuebin realized Liu Guowei had withdrawn the investigation after seeing Xiong Liping’s attitude toward him, then relaxed as he drove.

Dong Xuebin was struck by Little Hu’s truck and appeared dead, leaving Zhang Longjuan and the Shen sisters to face the armed gang alone. After the sisters were overwhelmed, Dong Xuebin rose from the pool of blood and confronted the men.

• Little Hu drove the truck into Dong Xuebin, who was sent flying and lay motionless in a pool of blood.
• The leader called Sixth Master, who ordered his men to restrain Zhang Longjuan and the Shen sisters and disregard Dong Xuebin’s body.
• Shen Xiaoyan and Shen Xiaomei fought off several attackers but were overwhelmed by the gang’s numbers and weapons.
• The gang subdued the injured Shen sisters and prepared to take Zhang Longjuan, while the sisters could no longer escape.
• Dong Xuebin got to his feet, reset his dislocated arm, and challenged the gang for trying to tie everyone up.

Dong Xuebin and Zhou Ynru saw how Xue Gui’s illegal buildings had blocked Willow Lane and angered its residents. When the Street Office tried to serve demolition notices, Xue Gui and his supporters resisted and tore them up, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

• Dong Xuebin questioned elderly residents and learned that Xue Gui had built illegal shops, occupied neighbors’ walls, and used thugs to assault people who objected.
• Zhou Ynru explained that Top of South Alley had drawn many complaints and that Xue Gui had helped disrupt an earlier forced demolition.
• Yu Rongfeng, Guo Mingfeng, Peng Gang, and other officials entered the alley to issue demolition notices for sixteen illegal structures.
• Merchants protested the notices, and Xue Gui emerged with several young thugs to challenge the Street Office officials.
• Xue Gui tore up a demolition notice, and other merchants followed suit as Dong Xuebin watched with a cold expression.

At the Geng family home, Geng Yuehua revealed that Dong Xuebin had secretly protected Geng Xinke and resolved the fallout from the recording and their fight. Her family learned why she had supported Dong Xuebin’s earthquake drill, and Geng Xinke realized how badly he had misunderstood him.

• Geng Xinke told his parents that the recording had not spread and that he had escaped punishment, while crediting Geng Yuehua with handling the matter.
• Geng Xinke complained that Geng Yuehua had supported Dong Xuebin’s earthquake drill, and his parents questioned her decision.
• Geng Yuehua refused to discuss the matter until her family confronted her about helping Dong Xuebin.
• Geng Yuehua explained that Dong Xuebin had ordered the Street Office Discipline Inspection Commission to keep the recording matter quiet and had personally recovered the materials and videotape.
• Geng Yuehua told Geng Xinke that Dong Xuebin had persuaded Wu Liang not to punish him for their fight, leaving Geng Xinke stunned by the help he had received.

Dong Xuebin pushed Jiaolin County to protect the Bronze Mirror’s discovery site on Qingluan Mountain, convinced the genuine Han Dynasty relic confirmed the ancient tomb he had learned about from the Future Newspaper. The chapter ended with him confident that securing the tomb would guarantee his promotion to deputy department-level rank.

• Dong Xuebin rejected Zhang Dongfang’s slower proposal and ordered an immediate Cultural Relics Protection Team to seal off the relevant area of Qingluan Mountain, with himself in charge.
• Dong Xuebin warned county officials that they would be held accountable for any failures to protect the cultural relics.
• Dean Liu brought out the Bronze Mirror, and Dong Xuebin inspected it closely and confirmed it was genuine and extremely old.
• Dong Xuebin ordered the Bureau of Culture, County Cultural Center, and Public Security Bureau to send personnel to Qingluan Mountain that day.
• Dong Xuebin smiled, certain that the Bronze Mirror confirmed the Han Dynasty Ancient Tomb and that his deputy department-level promotion was assured.

On a rainy night at a cramped inn, Dong Xuebin and Jiang Min shared a late snack and discussed her family before settling down to sleep. With no dry space on the floor and only a narrow single bed, they squeezed into it, leaving Dong Xuebin awake and uneasy as they tried to get comfortable.

• Dong Xuebin and Jiang Min ate a late-night snack and talked about her daughter, husband, and eyesight.
• Jiang Min told her husband by phone that she was safe and traveling with a former student who was driving and looking after her.
• Dong Xuebin offered to sleep on the floor, but Jiang Min insisted that the wet, cramped room made it unsafe and told him to share the bed.
• Dong Xuebin and Jiang Min squeezed onto the single bed under separate blankets, with Jiang Min turning onto her side to avoid falling off.
• When Jiang Min's body pressed against his leg, Dong Xuebin became flustered and tried to calm himself so he would not disturb her.

Dong Xuebin struggled under pressure from both district factions and realized he needed a major political achievement to escape his deadlock. He began considering how to use FORWARD to find an opportunity, then remembered Guangming Street Office had its own internal electronic newspaper.

• Dong Xuebin arrived late at a district greening-work meeting and ignored Geng Yuehua’s speech while studying her appearance.
• Geng Yuehua called on Dong Xuebin to repeat her remarks, and when he could not, she reprimanded him in front of the officials.
• Dong Xuebin reflected on how both district factions were obstructing Guangming Street Office and feared Wang Anshi’s return would worsen his position.
• Dong Xuebin decided that a major political achievement was his best path out of the deadlock and considered using FORWARD to look ahead for an opportunity.
• Dong Xuebin rejected using citywide newspapers because they might not cover his Street Office, then remembered its internal electronic newspaper.

Dong Xuebin finished rescuing everyone in a massive accident, then beat the unrepentant truck driver who caused it. The traffic police realized he was the notorious Director Dong, just as Mayor Xie stood behind them.

• Wan Fanglei and Zhong Zhengwei learned that Dong Xuebin had saved everyone in the accident, while bystanders and reporters praised him.
• The injured passengers' families thanked Dong Xuebin, who then asked where the truck driver was.
• The truck driver denied responsibility and provoked the crowd, forcing traffic police to intervene and separate everyone.
• Dong Xuebin attacked the truck driver and brushed aside officers who tried to stop him, saying he was punishing the man for the people he had hurt.
• An older traffic police officer recognized Dong Xuebin as Director Dong, and the younger officers realized Mayor Xie was standing nearby.

Dong Xuebin helped Luan Xiaoping settle into the school dormitory, then intervened when a strong-armed driver tried to take Yu Meixia and Yu Qianqian away. The fight revealed that he could use Back in fractions of a minute, leaving him hopeful that he could divide his daily time reversal into many uses.

• Dong Xuebin drove Luan Xiaoping to County No. 1 Middle School, where the principal gave her a faculty dormitory room.
• Dong Xuebin took Luan Xiaoping to her new room, then spotted Yu Meixia and Yu Qianqian begging on South Road Small Commodity Street and gave them all the money in his wallet.
• A driver from a wealthy boss tried to force Yu Meixia and Yu Qianqian into his car, so Dong Xuebin stepped in and was struck by the driver.
• Dong Xuebin discovered that he could use Back for forty seconds and then for shorter intervals, allowing him to anticipate and defeat the driver.
• Dong Xuebin urged Yu Meixia and Yu Qianqian to go home and realized that his daily minute of Back might be divided into as many as sixty one-second uses.

Luo Haiting came to Beijing to stop a petition against the Fenzhou City Discipline Inspection Committee from being submitted, and asked Dong Xuebin for help. Dong accompanied her to the Letters and Visits Office, where Director Sun ordered the petition withdrawn after recognizing Dong.

• Luo Haiting told Dong Xuebin that petitioners had exposed a confidential investigation, allowing the investigated cadre to flee, and were now accusing the City Discipline Inspection Committee of protecting him.
• Dong Xuebin agreed to help Luo Haiting locate the petition and took her to the Letters and Visits Office.
• Dong introduced Luo to Lan Xuewen, who explained that the petition had been forwarded and was due to be submitted soon.
• Director Sun heard Luo's explanation, then ordered Lan Xuewen to withdraw the petition and not submit it.
• Lan Xuewen told Luo that Director Sun had granted the request to give Dong Xuebin face.

Dong Xuebin celebrated his new deputy bureau chief position with his family, and Za Xiaoping experienced a sudden rise in standing among her relatives. After giving Tang Jin a large gift and agreeing to appease his other relatives, he revealed his savings and antique-business earnings to his mother, leaving her overwhelmed with happiness.

• Dong Xuebin reassured Second Aunt that he remembered her past help, while relatives changed their behavior toward Za Xiaoping after learning about his promotion.
• Aunt, Eldest Aunt, and Grandma insisted that Za Xiaoping rest and offered her clothes instead of letting her do housework.
• Dong Xuebin gave Tang Jin a red envelope containing ten thousand yuan and promised to help her in the future.
• Za Xiaoping urged Dong Xuebin to give Grandma and his uncles gifts, and he bought cigarettes and handed his mother another thousand yuan for them.
• Dong Xuebin told Za Xiaoping that he had earned about five million yuan through antiques and gave her access to a bank card with nearly three hundred thousand yuan on it.

Dong Xuebin treated Yu Meixia, Yu Qianqian, Liu Fang, and Chen Yanyan to a meal at Wangfu Restaurant, where Chen Family's Sixth Child came to make peace over an earlier clash. They parted on friendly terms and agreed to meet again at the engagement celebration the next day.

• The group marveled at the oversized private room, and the lobby manager waived its minimum spending charge for Dong Xuebin.
• Dong Xuebin ordered an expensive meal and learned that Chen Family's Sixth Child was dining nearby, but said he did not know him.
• Chen Yanyan and Liu Fang questioned Yu Qianqian's claim that people everywhere feared and respected Dong Xuebin.
• Chen Family's Sixth Child visited Dong Xuebin's room, apologized for his earlier clash with Dong's colleagues, and accepted Dong's apology in return.
• Dong Xuebin offered to pay for Chen Family's Sixth Child's meal, and they toasted together before agreeing that the group would attend the engagement celebration the next day.

Dong Xuebin learned that the Criminal Investigation Brigade had used fabricated evidence to clear Wan Sichao, who then visited Qu Yunxuan's hospital room to taunt her family. Dong Xuebin promised to find another way to bring Wan Sichao and everyone protecting him to account.

• Dong Xuebin told Qu Yunxuan's parents that officials had arranged false testimony and evidence to blame her for her fall and likely close the case.
• Wan Sichao entered the hospital room with flowers, claimed Qu Yunxuan had fallen while drunk, and said he had paid her medical bills.
• After Wan Sichao left, Qu Yunxuan revealed she had heard the exchange, and Mother Qu demanded that Dong Xuebin punish him.
• Dong Xuebin vowed to handle the case himself and make the people protecting Wan Sichao answer for what they had done.

Dong Xuebin found a photograph of Xu Yan in her thirties and learned how much her appearance had changed after a difficult decade. Xu Yan’s remarks about aging gave Dong Xuebin an idea: he wondered whether his Reverse ability could turn back time for a living person.

• Dong Xuebin wandered into Xu Yan’s bedroom and found a photograph of a striking woman with a young boy.
• Xu Yan told Dong Xuebin that the woman in the photograph was herself and the boy was her son.
• Xu Yan explained that divorce, family troubles, and work difficulties had marked her thirties and caused her to age quickly.
• Xu Yan pointed out her wrinkles and growing freckle, saying that time could not be changed.
• Dong Xuebin realized that he might be able to use Reverse on a living person and wondered whether he could turn back Xu Yan’s time.

Dong Xuebin hit a 777 jackpot with one chip, bringing his winnings to more than $219 million and leaving the casino unable to explain how he had won. He and Zhang Longjuan collected the money in cash and left with seven or eight huge cases.

• Dong Xuebin won $100 million in chips from the slot machine with a single chip, and Shen Xiaoyan and Shen Xiaomei gathered the payout.
• Dong Xuebin asked the casino to refill the machine so he could play again, prompting Song Yuhu to shut down every slot machine.
• Casino staff dismantled and inspected the machine but found no problem, and Old Zhou eventually ordered the guards to let Dong Xuebin's group leave.
• Dong Xuebin, Zhang Longjuan, Shen Xiaoyan, and Shen Xiaomei took their chips to the counter, where staff counted $219,820,000 in winnings.
• Zhang Longjuan chose cash instead of a transfer, and the casino packed the money into seven or eight huge cases.