Recaps

Song Ning let Gangzi and Xiazai take her to a K organization hideout island, pretending to be a frightened local while tracking their route. After the two men left, she stayed locked in a room and heard someone trying to smash the lock.

• Xiazai and Gangzi rowed Song Ning away from the blockade, and she pretended to wake up confused and afraid.
• Song Ning claimed to be Huang Azhen from Xiaowan Village and correctly named its chief, Huang Ali, easing Gangzi's suspicion.
• Gangzi and Xiazai brought Song Ning to an island where their men lived, then locked her in a room while they left by boat.
• Song Ning realized the island was only an underlings' base and that Third Master lived elsewhere nearby.
• A man tried to coax Song Ning out, but another warned him not to anger Gangzi by breaking the lock.
• Song Ning searched the room for a way out, then heard someone striking the door's padlock with a tool.

Song Ning escaped the fisherman guarding the island and began searching for a way to reach the Third Master. She made three columns of smoke as a distress signal, trusting that Gu Zheng would recognize it.

• Song Ning tricked the fisherman into leading her to a hidden cave, then knocked him unconscious and tied him up.
• Song Ning marked the cave and searched the island, concluding that the Third Master was likely on one of two nearby islands and that orders had been delivered by boat.
• Song Ning gathered kerosene-soaked sheets and clothes and followed the coast until she spotted Ping Tan Island.
• Song Ning collected firewood and bird droppings and made three columns of smoke to signal Gu Zheng.

Song Ning signaled Gu Zheng from Little Islet and hid in a cave while Gu Zheng identified the signal and led a rescue force toward her. Gu Zheng planned to land on the island himself as patrol boats prepared to encircle the nearby islands.

• Song Ning lit three smoky fires on Little Islet, then returned to a concealed cave to wait for rescue.
• After the explosion, Gu Zheng's teams arrested organization members and identified the Third Master as the coastal leader plotting to seize or destroy Ping Tan Island's research base.
• Gu Zheng saw smoke rising from Little Islet and ordered nearby patrol boats to approach after confirming a third column of smoke as Song Ning's signal.
• Gu Zheng ordered the sentry posts to prepare for combat and planned to land on Little Islet with Han Xiao while Chen Liang organized an encirclement and assault.
• Song Ning found the cave had no way through, checked that the unconscious man was alive, and waited near the entrance for the Third Master's men and Gu Zheng.

Song Ning hid in a cave while Gu Zheng’s people attacked the island, but the Third Master discovered her and forced her into a concealed underground safe house. There, she recognized him as A Pu and confronted him over Lan Ying’s death.

• Song Ning knocked out Awake Boy, hid him deep in the cave, and concealed herself when two men arrived.
• The cloaked Third Master opened a hidden floor entrance and caught Song Ning hiding nearby.
• At gunpoint, the Third Master forced Song Ning down into the underground chamber and sealed the entrance behind them.
• The Third Master revealed himself as A Pu and greeted Song Ning as his sister.
• Song Ning accused A Pu of tricking Lan Ying into giving her life, and A Pu denied having deceived her.

Song Ning confronted A Pu over Lan Ying’s death, but he used explosives and a hidden passage to take her from the safe house by speedboat. She discovered that White Wolf was aboard too, leaving her escape dependent on whether Gu Zheng would see through A Pu’s diversion.

• Song Ning accused A Pu of exploiting Lan Ying and causing her to commit crimes and die, but he threatened to detonate explosives if she attacked him.
• A Pu told Song Ning he liked her and promised to let her leave after a planned explosion drew nearby boats away.
• Song Ning ate and drank while waiting, then followed A Pu through a hidden passage to a speedboat as an explosion sounded to the northeast.
• A Pu revealed that his subordinate had been sent to divert attention, and Song Ning boarded the speedboat despite suspecting he might have another plan.
• White Wolf emerged aboard the boat, and A Pu identified him as Black Bear’s older brother, leaving Song Ning fearing his revenge and A Pu’s carefully prepared escape.

A Pu and White Wolf forced their way through the naval cordon by threatening to detonate explosives while holding Song Ning hostage. Song Ning’s attempt to escape was foiled, and the storm worsened as Gu Zheng’s boat fell farther behind.

• White Wolf cuffed Song Ning aboard the speedboat, then steered east before patrol boats blocked their route.
• A Pu ordered White Wolf northeast and used Song Ning and the explosives strapped to his waist to make Gu Zheng’s pursuers and the patrol boats stand down.
• White Wolf drove between two patrol boats and broke through the cordon with Song Ning still held captive.
• Song Ning planned to jump into the sea so Gu Zheng could stop the speedboat, but A Pu anticipated her move and had White Wolf cuff her to the seat.
• Rain and rising waves reduced visibility as Gu Zheng’s boat dwindled behind them, leaving Song Ning anxious that A Pu and White Wolf would escape.

Song Ning drove the speedboat into a Rogue Wave, gambling that the handcuffs would keep her aboard while it swept away A Pu and White Wolf. She survived the storm and was rescued by Gu Zheng, then fainted in his arms.

• Gu Zheng tracked Song Ning's speedboat while Han Xiao reported that an interception was on the way.
• White Wolf spotted a Rogue Wave and tried to steer the speedboat around it as A Pu clung to the railing.
• Song Ning kicked White Wolf away from the wheel, took control, and drove straight into the wave at full throttle.
• The Rogue Wave swept A Pu and White Wolf into the sea, while Song Ning stayed attached to the speedboat by her handcuffs and survived.
• Song Ning woke alone in the calm sea, realized she had won her gamble, and was rescued by Gu Zheng.
• Gu Zheng unlocked Song Ning's handcuff and carried her into his arms as she fainted.

Song Ning woke aboard a frigate after surviving the operation that led to the capture of A Pu and the K organization's Third Master. As Han Xiao explained the organization's origins and the investigation's progress, Song Ning learned that a wider cleanup remained ahead and found herself under the close protection of Han Xiao and Chen Liang.

• Song Ning woke in a ship's cabin with her wrist bandaged, and Chen Liang brought her food while Han Xiao checked on her.
• Han Xiao explained that Song Ning's actions had helped them capture A Pu and Qian Zelun, the K organization's Third Master and Second Master.
• Chen Liang revealed that the organization's original leader had been a foreign spy who killed himself, while his son A Pu and Qian Zelun later revived the group for revenge and profit.
• Han Xiao said seized documents exposed A Pu's background and mapped the organization's secret bases, leaving more arrests and cleanup work ahead.
• After eating, Song Ning went to the deck, where Han Xiao and Chen Liang told her the frigate was heading north and insisted on staying beside her for protection.

Song Ning reflected on Lan Ying’s death and explained why she had risked herself at sea, while Han Xiao and Chen Liang tried to reassure her. After recovering her luggage and reaching Shanghai City, she checked into the Jinjiang Hotel ahead of the Germany-bound purchasing delegation and was greeted by Director Sun; an unexpected visitor appeared at her door.

• Song Ning apologized for acting recklessly and admitted she felt anger, guilt, and regret over Lan Ying’s death, but said she would not regret trying to survive and catch the person responsible.
• Chen Liang told Song Ning she had been right to save Lan Ying and was not to blame for Lan Ying’s choices; the three watched the sea together until the ship’s doctor came to change Song Ning’s dressing.
• Song Ning asked Han Xiao and Chen Liang who had changed her clothes, and the two men fled without answering.
• Han Xiao brought Song Ning’s recovered backpack and luggage, explaining that Gu Zheng had arranged to retrieve them and replace her soaked cash.
• On August 27, Song Ning arrived in Shanghai City, checked into the Jinjiang Hotel, and met Director Sun, who welcomed her to the purchasing delegation bound for Germany.
• After Song Ning checked into her room, someone knocked; she opened the door to find an unexpected person standing outside.

Song Ning reunited with Zhou Yuanhang, who joined the delegation and repeatedly showed her kindness despite her efforts to keep their relationship at friendship. After she told him they should keep their distance, Gu Zheng appeared at her door on the eve of the delegation’s departure.

• Zhou Yuanhang told Song Ning he was part of the expanded visiting delegation, then took her, Han Xiao, and Chen Liang to dinner.
• Zhou Yuanhang insisted that he valued Song Ning as a friend, and the next morning he waited outside her room to invite her to breakfast.
• Lao Qi introduced Song Ning to the delegation, and Professor Qi led two days of technical discussions with her and the medical equipment team.
• Zhou Yuanhang ran errands for the team during their meetings, while Han Xiao worried that he was becoming Song Ning’s romantic rival.
• On the evening before the delegation’s flight, Song Ning told Zhou Yuanhang she wanted them to keep their distance, then opened her door again to find Gu Zheng outside.

Gu Zheng visited Song Ning before her business trip abroad, bringing money and advice while seeking reassurance about their relationship. Song Ning told him he was still her first choice as he prepared to leave.

• Gu Zheng arrived at Song Ning's room after two sleepless days, and Han Xiao and Chen Liang discussed his chances with her.
• Gu Zheng told Song Ning that the operation was going smoothly, explained the status of Hu Yuankai's transferred money, and gave her German marks for her trip.
• Gu Zheng warned Song Ning to stay safe abroad and pretended to fall asleep on her sofa before asking whether he was still her first choice.
• Gu Zheng admitted that he was jealous of Zhou Yuanhang accompanying Song Ning, and Song Ning scolded him for insulting Zhou.
• As Gu Zheng left, Song Ning told him that he was her first choice.

Song Ning left for Germany with the reporting delegation, while Gu Zheng waited for her return and she considered having a serious talk with him afterward. After arriving in Munich, she settled in with her roommate Cheng Hui, who became interested in Zhou Yuanhang.

• Song Ning reassured Gu Zheng before leaving, and he hugged her and said he would wait for her return.
• Song Ning joined the delegation's send-off and rode to the airport, where Yang Ye rearranged the seats and took the place beside her instead of Zhou Yuanhang.
• Song Ning flew through Frankfurt to Munich, with Yang Ye sitting beside her and Zhou Yuanhang unable to chat with her comfortably.
• The delegation arrived in Munich late on September 1 and learned that their formal welcome and ten-day program would begin on September 3.
• Song Ning shared a hotel room with Cheng Hui, who asked about Zhou Yuanhang and revealed her interest in him.

Song Ning spent time with Yang Ye before the delegation’s official visit to Germany began. After the welcome banquet, the delegation started its Siemens tour, with procurement inspections and CT equipment cooperation discussions still ahead.

• Song Ning met Yang Ye in the hotel lobby, where he complained that Gu Zheng was his biggest threat and number one enemy despite their supposed good terms.
• Yang Ye intercepted Mike’s attempted hug, and Mike invited Song Ning to dinner, but Professor Qi explained that the delegation had a group dinner and meeting planned.
• The delegation attended the official welcome banquet at noon on September 3, where representatives from Hua Country and Germany held cordial exchanges.
• On September 4, the delegation began its visits at Siemens, where it would spend three days touring and learning about the company.
• After the Siemens visit, Director Sun and Professor Qi planned to lead procurement members in inspecting and testing CT equipment before technical cooperation discussions began.

Song Ning negotiated a broad cooperation agreement between Hua Country and Germany, linking Chinese technical support for fourth-generation CT to concrete benefits for Chinese universities and manufacturers. When the German side resisted finalizing partner lists, she threatened to delay setting a deadline for solving the technical challenges, then confirmed she was confident she could solve them.

• Song Ning offered Hua Country’s support in solving fourth-generation CT detector-motion and motion-artifact problems in exchange for Germany’s equipment manufacturing and technical expertise, winning the German team’s unanimous approval in principle.
• Song Ning proposed German-funded laboratories, university exchanges, manufacturer training, and low-cost equipment imports, and presented specific lists of Chinese universities, manufacturers, and potential projects.
• German representatives resisted confirming specific partners, while Director Sun and Professor Qi urged Song Ning to accept verbal policy commitments and finalize the lists later.
• On September 10, Song Ning said Hua Country would provide no definite deadline for solving the technical challenges unless Germany finalized the partner lists.
• The German representatives asked whether Song Ning was confident she could solve the problems within a set time, and she nodded.

Song Ning negotiated Siemens’s cooperation with Hua Country, trading broader university and factory exchanges for a shorter timeline to develop Fourth-Generation IC Equipment. When Siemens’s technical director pressed her to shorten it further, she argued for deeper, open-ended cooperation and urged the delegation to consider Hua Country’s future potential.

• Song Ning told the German delegation that the timeline depended on their sincerity, prompting them to offer exchange programs with Qingbei University and a factory in Capital City.
• After Siemens asked for a shorter timeline, the delegation added partner universities and factories, and Song Ning reduced the promised timeline from one year to nine months and then six months.
• The delegations reached a consensus, but Siemens’s technical director arrived and asked whether deeper cooperation could shorten the timeline further.
• Song Ning proposed broad cooperation with Hua Country’s key universities and outstanding enterprises, arguing that lasting partnerships should consider the future as well as present capabilities.

Song Ning secured De Country’s agreement to grant Hua Country broad educational and industrial benefits and signed a technical cooperation agreement after promising to solve the Fourth-Generation CI’s technical obstacles within three months. As the delegation’s mission wrapped up, Song Ning and Professor Qi prepared for a laboratory discussion, while Zhou Yuanhang and Cheng Hui stayed behind at the hotel entrance after he spilled a drink on her shoe.

• Song Ning proposed equal cooperation and broad policies for Hua Country, then promised to overcome the Fourth-Generation CI’s technical obstacles and improve its performance within three months.
• The De Side agreed to report Song Ning’s proposal to its superiors, and Professor Qi predicted that they would accept rather than risk losing Hua Country as a partner.
• The next day, the De Side presented official documents offering fair benefits to Hua Country’s universities and factories, and Song Ning signed the technical cooperation agreement.
• The delegation completed its mission after the purchased third-generation CT equipment passed inspection and calibration, while Song Ning arranged to meet Mike’s technical team and Professor Qi about establishing a laboratory.
• Song Ning declined Zhou Yuanhang’s invitation to the Eisen-De Museum, then saw him and Cheng Hui at the hotel entrance, where he had tried to wipe a drink stain from her shoe.

Song Ning attended a Siemens dinner at Mike’s home and met his father, Kurt, a top-ranked Hoz Society researcher who supported cooperation with Hua Country. Kurt’s expertise in materials made Song Ning suspect that the suspicious car accident might have targeted him rather than Mike.

• Song Ning impressed Siemens’ technical staff with her knowledge, and they grew more confident that Hua Country could solve the technical challenges within three months.
• Mike invited Song Ning, Professor Qi, Yang Ye, Zhou Yuanhang, and Cheng Hui to a dinner at his home, where he revealed that his father was a U3-level Hoz Society researcher.
• At the party, Mike brought Song Ning upstairs to meet Kurt, who thanked her for saving Mike and spoke warmly about Hua Country.
• Kurt discussed science and cooperation with Song Ning and offered her books from his collection, many of which concerned materials.
• Song Ning wondered whether the car accident in Shanghai City had actually been aimed at Mike’s father.

Song Ning saved Kurt from a shot fired through his study window, but the incident ended with Cheng Hui dead in the garden. The evidence indicated that Cheng Hui had fired at Kurt before being killed by a shot to the back of her head.

• Song Ning sensed danger and shoved Kurt down as a bullet shattered the study window.
• Yang Ye rushed in, warned everyone away from the window, and went downstairs after a second shot; Kurt was unharmed and taken to safety.
• Professor Qi told Song Ning that Cheng Hui might be dead, and she saw Cheng Hui's body in the garden as police arrived.
• Yang Ye asked Song Ning to interpret for the officers, and she saw that Cheng Hui had been shot in the back of the head while still holding a gun.
• Song Ning realized that the bullet aimed at Kurt had apparently come from Cheng Hui's gun.

After Cheng Hui was shot dead while apparently trying to kill German researcher Kurt, Song Ning and Yang Ye waited at the police station as the investigation began. Song Ning reasoned that Cheng Hui could not have carried the Walther Super pistol herself, leaving the question of who supplied it unresolved.

• Yang Ye and Song Ning accompanied Cheng Hui's body to the police station while the rest of the Chinese delegation waited to give statements.
• Yang Ye explained that a German security guard had shot Cheng Hui after finding her aiming at Kurt's second-floor study, and that he was among the first to reach her body.
• Song Ning questioned how Cheng Hui obtained the gun and concluded that she must have had an accomplice among the banquet guests.
• Song Ning ruled out the Chinese delegation members and security personnel, leaving a foreign national as the likely supplier, though she doubted Cheng Hui could have had such an accomplice.
• Yang Ye was impressed by Song Ning's composure, observation, reasoning, and trust in Hua Country's soldiers, and thought of Gu Zheng's admiration for her.

Song Ning and Yang Ye reviewed evidence that appeared to implicate Cheng Hui in the attack on Kurt, while requesting further investigation into the gun and banquet guests. On the way back to the hotel, Song Ning connected the attack to an earlier incident involving Mike and the K organization, and Yang Ye asked whether she already had a suspect in mind.

• Song Ning and Yang Ye reasoned that Cheng Hui may have had an accomplice among the banquet guests, and the Police Station gave them her autopsy, scene, and ballistics reports.
• Yang Ye requested the gun's origin and statements from banquet attendees, while Song Ning asked for the handgun to be checked for fingerprints; the Police Station agreed.
• Mike arrived on Kurt's behalf, asked the Police Station to assist Song Ning and Yang Ye, and later drove them back to the hotel.
• Mike told Song Ning that Kurt had faced many threats but had never before been attacked at home, and he assured her that he and Kurt trusted her.
• Song Ning told Yang Ye that she had pushed Kurt aside because she suspected the earlier attack on Mike might have been aimed at Kurt and connected to the K organization.
• Yang Ye asked Song Ning whether she already had a suspect in mind.

Song Ning and Yang Ye revisited Mike’s villa and compared their accounts with Wei Ping’s to reconstruct the moments before Cheng Hui shot Kurt. Their timeline narrowed the Chinese delegation members who might have seen Cheng Hui leave the living room to Xiao Pan and Zhou Yuanhang.

• Song Ning searched Cheng Hui’s luggage again but found no clues, then joined Yang Ye and Wei Ping the next morning to return to Mike’s villa.
• Yang Ye recounted how he heard the shots, found Song Ning and Kurt in the study, and saw Cheng Hui on the lawn with a gun.
• Wei Ping described staying near Professor Qi, who had gone to the storage room with Helai and Lisa when the first shot sounded.
• Song Ning concluded that only Xiao Pan and Zhou Yuanhang had remained in the living room and might know when Cheng Hui left.

Yang Ye, Wei Ping, and Song Ning tested whether someone else could have fired from the lawn and returned unnoticed, but their reenactment suggested Cheng Hui had been alone when the shot was fired. At the Police Station, they began reviewing witness statements for clues to Cheng Hui’s motive and weapon, and Yang Ye noticed something as Song Ning finished reading the first accounts.

• Yang Ye and Wei Ping measured the lawn and considered whether another person could have fired the first shot before framing Cheng Hui.
• Yang Ye and Wei Ping reenacted the possible routes back to the living room, and each attempt showed that the yard-gate guard would have seen the other person.
• The group concluded that Cheng Hui had been alone on the lawn when she fired and went to the Police Station to search for her motive and the weapon’s source.
• Song Ning reviewed Professor Qi, Xiao Pan, and Zhou Yuanhang’s statements, which placed them in the living room or storeroom around the time of the gunshot.
• Yang Ye looked up at Song Ning, who asked whether he had found a problem.

Song Ning and Yang Ye reviewed statements about the shooting at Mike’s party while the police questioned them. Mike’s account revealed that Cheng Hui had shown interest in attending the party and persuaded Zhou Yuanhang to come, leaving Song Ning to continue investigating her role.

• Song Ning gave the police a vague explanation for saving Kurt, then disarmed Carl during questioning and said her quick reflexes came from lessons learned from her soldier grandfather.
• Song Ning and Yang Ye joined the team in reviewing thirty-two statements, which offered some corroboration of Xiao Pan’s account but little new evidence about the shooting.
• Song Ning compared Anna’s and Peter’s statements and noted that Anna had named Zhou Yuanhang as a witness, suggesting they had been near each other.
• Mike told Song Ning that Kurt’s tests showed no physical harm and explained that Cheng Hui had asked about parties before he invited her and Zhou Yuanhang to the gathering.
• Mike said Cheng Hui had persuaded Zhou Yuanhang to attend, confirming that she had taken the initiative to come to the party.

Song Ning and Yang Ye suspected Zhou Yuanhang may have helped Cheng Hui get into Mike's villa and kill Kurt, but they agreed not to accuse anyone without evidence. At the hotel, Zhou Yuanhang confessed that Cheng Hui's death had a lot to do with him.

• Song Ning explained why she suspected Zhou Yuanhang, Cheng Hui, or both of them had planned the attack on Kurt.
• Yang Ye added that Zhou Yuanhang's research field overlapped with Kurt's and agreed the two may have committed the crime together.
• Yang Ye warned Song Ning to keep their suspicions private until they had solid evidence.
• Song Ning and Yang Ye found Zhou Yuanhang waiting in the hotel lobby, exhausted after a sleepless night.
• Zhou Yuanhang told Yang Ye he had hidden the truth in his statement and that Cheng Hui's death had a lot to do with him.

Zhou Yuanhang recounted rejecting Cheng Hui shortly before her death and insisted she had been framed, while investigators continued questioning the delegation. After Song Ning completed her interview, she told Yang Ye she wanted to meet Anna, the other witness who had seen Cheng Hui before the gunshot.

• Zhou Yuanhang told Yang Ye and Song Ning that Cheng Hui confessed her feelings at the banquet, and he rejected her before she ran into the garden.
• Zhou Yuanhang insisted Cheng Hui could not have been the killer and said he had watched her leave the living room shortly before the gunshot.
• Director Sun took Yang Ye and Song Ning to meet the delegation, where Professor Qi and Director Sun discussed Cheng Hui's background and her family's efforts to come to De Country.
• A security team member summoned Song Ning for a formal interview about her movements and interactions with Cheng Hui.
• After her interview, Song Ning told Yang Ye that she wanted to meet Anna, who had also seen Cheng Hui before the gunshot.