Episode Summary
Erbing is coerced into planting a listening device. Huo Min discovers Erbing inquiring about his mother's address and warns him. Lin Yasheng's public image suffers, leading to a setup at a hotel. Lige plans to expose Shoulon Group's secrets, while Huo Min aids Luo Shanshan during surveillance. Shoulon Group prepares for a second negotiation with Shapang.
Spoiler Alert
"Secret Files of XSA" Episode 6 Recap & Spoilers: Things are Heating Up!
Episode 6 of "Secret Files of XSA" throws us right into the thick of things. It kicks off with Erbing getting strong-armed by a guy called "Hu Ge" into taking a listening device. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Huo Min spots Erbing asking around about an address – turns out it's the same one his mom used to send him beef. Being the good guy, Huo Min brings Erbing to his family's beef noodle shop, feeds him a bowl, and tells him he's welcome anytime, but to keep it on the DL. Little does Huo Min know, Lige is watching their every move.
We also get a glimpse of Huo Min's brother, Huo Jun, who's in a wheelchair with a visible wound on his trachea. Huo Min is bummed about his exams and how it's affecting Meng Li. The brothers clearly have a strong bond, but the mood shifts when Erbing shows up – Huo Min isn't exactly thrilled.
Elsewhere, the New River Philanthropic Society is putting the heat on Shoulon Group, and the public is buzzing. Lin Yasheng, catching flak from his dad, Lin Shoulong, seeks solace in a nightclub. But his bad day gets worse when he sees everyone watching a video of Han Yao roasting him over disaster relief supplies. He loses it, starts causing trouble, and that's when Zheng Qi shows up. Lin Yasheng wants to sue Han Yao, but Zheng Qi urges him to chill and promises a PR team will handle it. Of course, Lin Yasheng is beyond reason and just wants Han Yao gone.
Later, a very drunk Lin Yasheng stumbles into a hotel room, where Bai Keqing, a high-powered PR strategist, emerges from the bathroom. They're both confused about who the other is until a group of women barge in, looking for their boyfriend. Bai Keqing manages to hide Lin Yasheng in the bathtub just in time. After they leave, she tells him he's being set up.
While tracking Huo Min, Luo Shanshan notices he's been searching for her watch – the one that broke when she caught a thief. She's touched that he remembered. The success of the resettlement site is boosting the Philanthropic Society's followers, but Lige isn't handing out any praise to Han Yao. Instead, she wants Huo Min to sue Shoulon at their upcoming press conference. Huo Min suggests that a lawsuit is slow and that they should focus on public opinion. He proposes that Han Yao create even more news. Even though Blue No. 1 is gone, Shoulon Group's core tech remains, and Lige decides to leak all the data they've gathered on Shoulon over the years.
At the Shoulon Group press conference, Lin Shoulong, Jin Chuan, and Gao Jianguo are present. Huo Min crashes the party with an invitation from Lige. He grabs the mic and starts grilling Lin Shoulong about the company's projects, waving around the Philanthropic Society's report, claiming safety hazards and pollution. He distributes the report to the reporters, and chaos erupts. Lin Shoulong insists they're developing a clean energy source and that Blue No. 1 is still intact.
Lige gets the news and contacts Matt, who confirms that Blue No. 1 is indeed still around. Matt believes Shoulon Group will soon hold a second negotiation with Shapang, and suggests he and Lige work together directly to avoid any more surprises. They don't trust each other, but their goals align. Lin Yasheng, meanwhile, approaches Bai Keqing, asking her to handle the company's PR. She proposes interviewing all the key figures in the new energy projects to verify their claims. If they can stand up to her scrutiny, she's confident she can turn Shoulon Group's image around.
Zhao Jizheng meets Lin Shoulong at a skewer restaurant, and Lin Shoulong expresses his gratitude for Zhao's help in moving Blue No. 1. Luo Shanshan and her team begin full-scale surveillance of Shoulon Group's executives and Lige. Huo Min is also tailing Lige. Yu Nanping, Shoulon Group's board secretary, meets Lige at a subway station, revealing the time and location of the second negotiation between Shoulon and Shapang. Lu Chen and Luo Shanshan split up to follow Yu Nanping and Lige. Lige is super cautious, and when Luo Shanshan is about to get busted, Huo Min steps in to help her out.
Looks like alliances are shifting, secrets are getting closer to the surface, and the game is definitely afoot!
