Lao Chu and Xiao Guo are escorting the young men outside Dragon City per the Chief's orders when their van suddenly turns itself off. The culprit makes himself known without hesitation as Zhu Jiu attacks first Lao Chu (temporarily paralyzing him) and then the others for good measure. Once he has subdued them, he starts taunting Jie's brother and reveals that Jie did not commit suicide; Zhu Jiu killed him. Just as Purple Wig is about to kill Jie's brother, Yehuo (aka Fire) reappears and tries to fight him off. With a little help from Lao Chu, they almost manage to take Zhu Jiu down, but the coward uses an explosive to knock all of them out.
Zhao Yunlan is back at the SID lab trying to (scare the crap out of Shen Wei, apparently) make up his mind whether to use the Hallows to locate Zhu Jiu. He's reminded of Shen Wei's warning that too much exposure to their dark energy could corrode his body, but he does it anyway. *Sigh* If Shen Wei wraps this man in bubble wrap and ties him to a chair for his own safety, I would not blame him. The Chief is overcome by the Hallow's power and collapses.
Clearly having a dream or a vision, Yunlan finds himself in a freezing cold room where Xiao Guo, Lao Chu, and Yehuo are laid out on examination tables. He tries to rouse first Xiao Guo and then Lao Chu, who tries to strangle Yunlan before laughing in his face like a madman.
When the Chief comes to, he finds himself face to face with a VERY irate Shen Wei. He tries to laugh off the incident, but Shen Wei remains stone faced until Yunlan suddenly gets a nose bleed. Shen Wei snatches Yunlan by the lapels, shaking him a little as he jerks him closer. After a moment of studying the Chief's face as he sheepishly wipes his nose, Shen Wei shoves him away and turns around, pounding a metal ladder in frustration. Ahem...is it just me or is there some underlying sexual tension in this scene?
Clearly still pissed, Shen Wei takes a handkerchief (‘cause of course he carries one) and roughly wipes the blood off Yunlan’s face. The Chief cleans himself up as he tells Shen Wei about his dream, but something doesn't sit well with the Professor. He explains that the Dixing records mention that an ordinary human who was once infected with dark energy suffered from temporal dysfunction, meaning he would see and hear events outside the Timeline. So Yunlan's dream might actually be a premonition.
The SID crew are lounging around discussing the holiday season when the Chief walks in demanding to know how long Lao Chu has been gone. Wang Zheng alerts everyone to an email message they just received that turns out to be an overly dramatic video from Zhu Jiu threatening to kill Lao Chu, Xiao Guo, and Yehuo unless he gets the two Hallows in exchange.
In Purple Wig's super secret badguy lab, the hostages are all tied up, but Yehuo is in particularly bad shape with a horrifying burn injury from the explosion. For about one quintillionth of a second, it looks like Xiao Guo might have a way of signaling help. But, of course, he bungles it and Zhu Jiu destroys whatever it was. If you made a drinking game of how many times Xiao Guo messes things up in this drama, you'd likely be too drunk to remember the ending.
Zhu Jiu tries to taunt Fire about his injury, but Xiao Guo stands up for him and asks to be allowed to treat his burns. Zhu Jiu agrees, on the condition that Xiao Guo dies in exchange, obviously expecting the boy to recant. When he instead agrees to Purple Wig's terms, the Dixing man starts to choke him. Lao Chu just barely manages to talk him out of it, and Zhu Jiu unties Xiao Guo so that he can treat Yehuo.
Shen Wei and Zhu Hong are alone on their first mission together when she takes the opportunity to ask him about what Zhao Yunlan might be thinking acting like he doesn't know how she feels about him. The Professor gives her an answer in biological terms saying her feelings will likely fade in about three years, but she wonders if any affection can last forever. Even the friendship between Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan. Hello, Foreshadowing. You are not welcome here.
Back at the secret lab, Zhu Jiu tries to persuade Lao Chu to join the fight against the Haixing people but fails miserably. When he leaves to meet the Chief, he informs the hostages that the lab is set to reach absolute zero (-459.67°F).
Shen Wei and Zhu Hong at last reach the Snake Tribe to speak with Fourth Uncle. Shen Wei requests the Snake Tribe's help to detain Ya Qiang only for a couple of hours while they deal with Zhu Jiu. At first, he resists as it is their policy to remain neutral in all conflicts, but the Flower Tribe leader appears and convinces the old man to help her try to bring Ya Qiang back to the right path.
Meanwhile, Lin Jing meets Cong Bo at his apartment to inform him he's been recruited for an important mission. Worried about whether they have clearance for such a mission, Cong Bo peppers him with questions that he mostly avoids answering.
Things in the lab grow dire as the temperature dips below -10°. Again, it looks like Xiao Guo might save them all when he finds the safety stop button. But, of course, he screws up and somehow manages to lock a panel in place covering it. Lao Chu must have the patience of a saint to deal with this kid on a daily basis.
The plan to capture Zhu Jiu is on as Shen Wei, Zhao Yunlan, and Zhu Hong gather on a rooftop in the city with the Hallows in hand. It's anybody's guess why there's a comfy armchair and table up there for Zhao Yunlan to sit in, but hey, who am I to judge? Shen Wei (hilariously) activates the Hallows (like a Bat signal) and Purple Wig is only too happy to come running.
Unfortunately, the hostages appear to be on the verge of death as Xiao Guo starts to lose consciousness and starts telling Lao Chu what sounds like a goodbye message. In desperation, Chu removes his own coat and wraps it around the boy, holding him tightly for warmth.
Back on the rooftop, Zhu Jiu willingly walks right into Yunlan's trap, cleay overconfident in his teleportation technique. He finally gets suspicious when the Chief doesn't immediately hand over the Hallows and tries to flee, but it's already too late. Cong Bo has hacked the power grid and shuts off all the power to the city, leaving him no source of light to move through.
Shen Wei uses his abilities to track Zhu Jiu through the darkness and, with no regard for keeping his secret from Zhu Hong who is still standing there, summons his Gonggong blade. He attacks Zhu Jiu with a serious laceration across his chest. Zhao Yunlan places the dark energy dampening cuffs on Zhu Jiu as he sneers at Shen Wei about how his only regret is not killing him. Shen Wei asks why Zhu Jiu has so much hatred for him, and Purple Wig pulls his hair aside to reveal his full face. “Do you remember me?”
Memorable Quotes
“You have never learned to fight above board, have you?” Lao Chu to Zhu Jiu
“I really want to know, is there is any affection in the world that lasts forever? Friendship. Like you and Zhao Yunlan, going through so much together.” Zhu Hong to Shen Wei
“Chu Ge, I was so glad to work for SID, and I am so happy to know you. Thank you for regarding me as your little brother. Taking care of me, protecting me. Thank you.” Xiao Guo
