Episode Summary
After Xun Ge’s car crash reveals Liao Zhibai’s survival, a flashback exposes his past as a police cadet clashing with future allies-turned-fugitives. In the present, Liao Zhibai reconnects with his brother Siyuan, confessing their family’s drug-trade tragedy and his vengeful crusade against those who destroyed them.
Spoiler Alert
After Xun Ge’s car is violently flipped in a collision, two men step out of the truck. A masked figure removes his face covering, and Xun Ge recognizes him as Liao Zhibai. The scene flashes back 14 years: Police academy students Su Taipu, A Gan, and A Tai stake out a jewelry store to catch a robber. When Liao Zhibai and Bai Han exit the store, Su Taipu mistakes them for criminals and impulsively orders an ambush. A fight erupts until Liao Zhibai spots their police academy uniforms and calls for a ceasefire.
Police instructor Lei Nuò reprimands the group for acting recklessly. Liao Zhibai later provides intel to help arrest the real jewelry thieves, but Lei Nuò forces both sides to sign legal settlement documents. He warns the students—all Buhe Police Academy recruits—not to let impulsivity ruin their futures. The five grudgingly shake hands, bonding over a meal where they share their reasons for becoming officers. Lang Sang joins the group as a fellow recruit. Fast-forward five years: Lang Sang’s dream restaurant has shuttered, while Liao Zhibai, Bai Han, and two others are now wanted criminals.
In the present, Bai Han visits Yun Granny at her nursing home and assures Liao Zhibai she’s safe. But when Yun Granny is abruptly kidnapped, surveillance footage implicates Liao Zhibai’s recent visit. Bai Han fears the Tiejin gang is luring Liao Zhibai into the open. Defiant, Liao Zhibai grabs a gun and heads out. Tracking the kidnappers to a coastal ambulance, he discovers the hostage is his estranged younger brother, Liao Siyuan. Overwhelmed, Siyuan demands answers about Liao Zhibai’s decade-long disappearance. The brothers share a tense meal by the sea, where Liao Zhibai finally reveals the truth:
A decade ago, their father, Liao Nianguo, ran a secret drug operation in their village. After discovering Liao Nianguo’s ledger, Liao Zhibai urged him to stop. Liao Nianguo planned to turn himself and his accomplices—Song En, A Tai, and Nu Na—in, but they betrayed him. Song En orchestrated a fire that destroyed the Liao family home, killing their parents. Liao Zhibai, who survived, blamed himself and vowed revenge. He explains to Siyuan that he stayed hidden to protect him, secretly watching over his brother’s life while partnering with Bai Han to dismantle the syndicate.
The emotional reunion sours when Siyuan accuses Liao Zhibai of murdering Laila. Liao Zhibai coldly defends his actions as necessary retribution. Siyuan pleads with him to abandon his vengeful path, but Liao Zhibai insists he’s “become a demon” to destroy those who wronged them. As they part, Liao Zhibai begs Siyuan to keep his survival a secret from Qi Xia—a request that hangs in the air like a lit fuse.
The brothers’ fragile truce teeters as Siyuan grapples with loyalty and justice, while Liao Zhibai’s war against Tiejin spirals toward a deadly reckoning.
