Episode Summary

A’Lan’s traumatic 1994 college romance triggers her vengeful crime spree, while in 2004, Fo Ye murders her over gang disputes. Police hit dead ends investigating her death, as petty thieves and a pyramid scheme subplot unfold.

Spoiler Alert

Let’s time-travel to 1994 first, y’all. College student A’Lan (our tragic heroine) falls hard for a campus golden boy who’s basically the human version of a golden retriever puppy. He woos her with "study dates" (wink) and invites her to a movie night. A’Lan shows up in her prized white lace dress, ready for romance… but dude’s more interested in making out than watching the screen. When she hesitates, he calls her "too conservative." Girl snaps, grabs his face, and plants a kiss so aggressive it could’ve won an Olympic medal. You go, queen!

But karma’s a brat. Back at the dorm, A’Lan finds her bed trashed by a jealous roommate who’s also into Golden Retriever Guy. Cue a Girls Gone Wild (College Dorm Edition) beatdown. The unhinged roommate goes full Carrie on A’Lan’s dress with scissors, slices her thigh, and—wait for it—USES A STAPLER TO SEAL THE WOUND. Yep, this show’s not messing around. A’Lan’s trauma turns her into a man-hating grifter by 1995, luring dudes with flirtation before robbing them blind. Revenge arc activated.

Flash to 2004: Crime buddies Cai Shen and A’Lan side-eye their boss Fo Ye (local mob kingpin) for favoring Li Xiaolian in the cash-split department. They plot to ditch his crew, but Fo Ye’s no fool. He "celebrates" A’Lan’s birthday with flowers… and rigs her water heater to electrocute her mid-shower. Subtle. When Li Xiaolian hears the news, she’s sweating bullets—Fo Ye’s clearly pruning his team Game of Thrones-style.

Meanwhile, cop duo Guo Pengfei and Li Tang investigate A’Lan’s death but hit a dead end when her body’s mysteriously cremated. Over at the train station, a chaotic crew of pickpockets (including a "fortune teller" couple and a rookie thief) pull cons so sloppy, even Ocean’s Eleven would cringe.

Side Plot Shenanigans:

  • Mute thief Siyan loses a finger to gang enforcer Que Zai, prompting his buddy Dachun to rage-quit revenge plans.
  • Ma Mingzhu (aka Pyramid Scheme Queen) tries recruiting Siyan and Dachun into her sketchy makeup MLM. Dachun’s like, "Hard pass," but Siyan’s already hypnotized by her emoji-filled PowerPoint.

Final Twist: A petty thief tries selling a stolen watch to Fo Ye, who lowballs him from 5,000 yuan to 500. Kid takes the deal, proving even criminals need to work on their negotiation skills.

Next episode teaser: Will Li Xiaolian become Fo Ye’s next target? Can A’Lan’s ghost haunt that cursed water heater? And why is this MLM plot weirder than the actual crimes? Stay tuned!

Spoiler Snacks:

  • Fo Ye’s "gifts" are literal death traps. Pro tip: Decline his birthday invites.
  • That stapler scene? You’ll never look at office supplies the same way again.
  • The train station thieves need a masterclass from Money Heist. Stat.