Spoiler Alert
"Playing Go" Episode 4: Crooked Games & Fishy Business
Cui Ye’s got his hands on Wang Hongyu’s very suspicious financial records, and the numbers scream "sketchy offshore deals." While tracking down a lead on smuggled phones, he discovers the shady mobile shop owner isn’t just selling knockoffs—he’s orchestrating a literal underground operation. Hundreds of mystery boxes slip through the docks under cover of night. Meanwhile, over in the "good cop" corner…
Cui Wei (yes, they’re both named Cui—blame the writers) leans on his ex-con informant A-Kuan for dirt on missing person Qin Xiaoming. But there’s a catch: A-Kuan makes Cui Wei impersonate him to fool his dementia-riddled mom, who keeps mistaking her son for a cop. (Awkward? Absolutely. Effective? Shockingly, yes.) The payoff? Qin Xiaoming’s last call was to Wang Hongyu’s driver, Kuang Zhiguo—who’s conveniently vanished. Cui Wei’s boss shuts him down hard, warning that Hongyu’s conglomerate is untouchable. "They’re the city’s golden goose!" he barks. Cui Wei? Unconvinced.
At home, his wife Qiu Jiawen drops a suburban mom bomb: Their daughter needs to get into a fancy school, and her old flame Cao Youbin (a sleazy social climber with a pearl necklace to gift) could pull strings. Cui Wei’s having none of it, even if it means marital frostiness. Later, while fishing with his father-in-law (who speaks entirely in metaphors), the old man warns: "Wang Hongyu’s got friends in high places. You’re fishing in a pond full of sharks." Cue the perfectly timed fish escape.
The Cui brothers aren’t backing down. While Cui Ye stakes out the smuggler’s warehouse (with rookie cop Jin Xiasheng reluctantly in tow), Cui Wei infiltrates Wang Hongyu’s inner circle via… golf. Their passive-aggressive match is all fake laughs and veiled threats. But back at the docks, Cui Ye’s solo mission goes sideways. After snapping damning photos of the contraband phones, he’s ambushed, tied to a cinder block, and dumped into the ocean. (Dramatic? Yes. On-brand for this show? Also yes.)
Just as he’s flashing back to his life’s regrets, Jin Xiasheng dives in like an action hero to save him. "You’re insane for going alone!" Jin scolds. Cui Ye’s reply? A grim smile: "Now I’m certain Wang Hongyu’s dirty. Let’s take him down."
Spoiler Snacks:
- That pearl necklace? It’s definitely coming back to haunt the marriage.
- Wang Hongyu’s smug golf face won’t last—Cui Wei’s onto his mob ties.
- Next episode: Expect warehouse raids, bureaucratic backstabbing, and way more near-drownings.
