Age of Legends Episode 20 Recap
> Age of Legends Recap
Liu Ziguang took out a recording doll from the kitchen, intending to present it to Hu Rong and seize the opportunity to confess his feelings. However, at the crucial moment, the doll remained silent, spoiling the romantic gesture. Hu Rong, puzzled, then received a phone call. She pressed Liu Ziguang on what the doll was meant to say, but seeing him flustered, she quickly departed.
His confession attempt thwarted, Liu Ziguang dejectedly threw the doll onto a table, only for it to suddenly play his message, leaving him in a state of amused frustration. Sometime after this incident, Liu Ziguang was involved in a car accident and fell into a coma. Zhuo Li, consumed by anger over Liu Ziguang's condition, declared his intention to kill Hou Sihai.
Bei Xiaoshuai tried to calm him, reminding him of Liu Ziguang's state, but Zhuo Li insisted he would die alongside Hou Sihai. Seeing Zhuo Li's resolve, Bei Xiaoshuai agreed to join him in the fight. Just as they were leaving, Li Jianguo intercepted them, urging them to prioritize Liu Ziguang's recovery. He questioned their reckless behavior, asking if they had "lost your brains" and if "the trouble you've created isn't big enough."
He emphasized that Liu Ziguang was in a coma, and if something happened to his brothers, he would be devastated. Though Zhuo Li confessed he couldn't "swallow this anger," Li Jianguo reasoned, "Yeah, who could? Just because of that, you are going to fight it out with him and die?" He implored them to wait for Liu Ziguang to recover, assuring them that "when he recovers, everything will be fine."
At the hospital, Hu Rong received a grim update from a doctor: Liu Ziguang’s condition was not optimistic, and he was likely in an "irreversible coma," meaning he could become a "human vegetable." Stunned, Hu Rong's mind was flooded with memories of their shared moments. Grandpa Guo often reminisced about Liu Ziguang's past kindness, how he consistently brought home his earnings, and their talks about Liu Ziguang's amnesia.
He remembered advising Liu Ziguang to "look forward and stop thinking about the past" and felt immense pride in his recent successes. Deeply saddened by Liu Ziguang's current state, Grandpa Guo prayed fervently for his awakening. The next day, Grandpa Guo sat by Liu Ziguang's bedside, determined to talk to him continuously, convinced he could "wake him up by talking and calling out to you."
He recalled their history and his hopes for Liu Ziguang's future, vowing to spend all his money, even "the money I kept for buying my coffin," to ensure his recovery. When Hu Rong arrived, Grandpa Guo gently advised her to visit less frequently. He explained he would care for Liu Ziguang and didn't want Liu Ziguang to "delay" her, suggesting she shouldn't sacrifice her own future for him.
Hu Rong, understanding his words, silently wept as she tenderly wiped Liu Ziguang's hand. Hou Sihai received news from a subordinate confirming Liu Ziguang had become a "human vegetable." Clearly pleased, he quickly dismissed his mistress and Sun Wei, who were kneeling before him, to celebrate the perceived end of his troubles. Meanwhile, at Liu Ziguang's bedside, Li Jianguo observed Liu Ziguang stirring and excitedly called his name.
Liu Ziguang suddenly opened his eyes, his mind filled with thoughts of Hu Rong. He then asked Li Jianguo where he was, and Li Jianguo informed him about the car accident. Liu Ziguang recalled the painful moments of his injury. When Li Jianguo went to call a doctor, Liu Ziguang pulled him back, deciding to feign a coma. A week later, with Li Jianguo's help, Liu Ziguang secretly left his hospital room, wearing a mask, to investigate Hou Sihai.
During his covert investigation, he discovered Sun Wei colluding with a chief contractor from Zhicheng Group. Upon his return to the hospital, Hu Rong saw him in the elevator, surprised he was awake. Later, to maintain the deception, Li Jianguo told the others that Liu Ziguang's condition was still "not too good," ensuring the ruse of his prolonged coma continued. Afterward, Liu Ziguang's friends learned of his awakening and were overjoyed.
Bei Xiaoshuai questioned why he hadn't informed them earlier, causing unnecessary worry. Liu Ziguang explained his deception was to mislead Hou Sihai, allowing him to investigate covertly. He revealed he had discovered Sun Wei secretly embezzling money from Hou Sihai, and his plan was to use this to cause internal strife within Hou Sihai's organization.
Li Jianguo expressed concerns for Liu Ziguang's safety, but Liu Ziguang reassured him that Hou Sihai, believing him incapacitated, had lowered his guard, creating the ideal opportunity. Hu Rong warned him to stay in the hospital and leave the rest to the police. Li Jianguo secretly obtained a subordinate's phone, retrieved evidence of monthly ¥100,000 transfers to Sun Wei's account, and sent it to Hou Sihai. Hou Sihai then had Sun Wei's subordinate apprehended and interrogated him.
Under duress, the subordinate revealed that the account belonged to Sun Wei, who had been illicitly depositing ¥100,000 into it each month from company funds. Hou Sihai's face darkened upon hearing this. He then outwardly downplayed the incident, telling the subordinate to leave it and sending him off for a good meal, but his underlying intention to deal with Sun Wei was evident.
Hu Rong returned home and prepared a large meal, hoping her father, Hu Yuejin, would intercede with Deputy Director Song on her behalf. Hu Yuejin, however, saw through her ploy, noting that the food was takeout and refusing to make the call. He then inquired if she had been spending all her time at the hospital with Liu Ziguang.
Deputy Director Song and Han Jin discussed the recent calm in drug trafficking along the coastline and transport routes, noting the absence of "Angel drug" and soft drug transactions, suggesting the dealers had "gone secretly underground." They stressed the importance of maintaining high vigilance to ensure there were "no blind spots in our surveillance." Concurrently, Nie Wanfeng, preparing for a trip to M Country, instructed his subordinate to closely monitor both Hou Sihai and Liu Ziguang.
He hinted that Liu Ziguang's coma might be a deception, quoting "The Art of War" by stating "there can never be too much deception in war." In Deputy Director Song's office, Hu Rong proposed using Sun Wei to dismantle Hou Sihai's criminal organization, stating that Sun Wei, a longtime follower, must possess extensive evidence. Han Jin strongly concurred, predicting that Hou Sihai’s reaction to Sun Wei's betrayal would cause their ranks to fall into disarray.
Deputy Director Song approved this strategy, ordering a comprehensive surveillance of Hou Sihai’s group, with Han Jin leading the operation. When Hu Rong inquired about her role, Deputy Director Song then allowed her to return to duty, noting that the police now had a clear understanding of Hou Sihai’s criminal network and that it was the "best time to bring in our nets."
He then relayed Deputy Mayor Hu's instructions to "crush every criminal perpetrator individually" and "take down Hou Sihai and his organization in one fell swoop." At Hou Sihai's residence, his mistress and Sun Wei were forced to kneel before him. Hou Sihai, having uncovered their affair, produced incriminating photographs. Sun Wei desperately tried to deny the allegations, claiming the pictures were doctored, but Hou Sihai, with cold indifference, tossed a knife at him, instructing him to resolve the matter himself.
While staking out Hou Sihai's house from their car, Han Jin and Hu Rong spotted Sun Wei rushing out in a panic, clutching his injured hand, seemingly headed for the hospital. They inferred that Hou Sihai had acted against him. Han Jin commented that this alone wasn't enough, suggesting they needed to intensify the pressure. Hu Rong then had an idea, mentioning Meng Zhiqiu, believing he might possess crucial insider information.
They subsequently questioned Meng Zhiqiu, who indeed provided vital leads regarding the Nie Chengcheng kidnapping case. Sun Wei was then brought before Hou Sihai, kneeling and profusely apologizing. He admitted to taking the money, explaining it was due to his mother's illness, and begged for forgiveness, citing his years of loyal service. Hou Sihai feigned generosity, remarking that filial piety was commendable and that he was not "unfair or unreasonable" over a "small sum of money."
However, he sternly reminded Sun Wei of "laws and rules" and reassigned him solely to managing the pier and goods, where "the big money is," effectively stripping him of other responsibilities. Sun Wei, relieved, hastily departed. Shortly after, Hou Sihai's associate confirmed that Sun Wei had embezzled at least ¥5,000,000 over the past years. Liu Ziguang and his friends visited Wen Xian, who was preparing for surgery.
Noticing Li Jianguo's conflicted demeanor, Liu Ziguang encouraged him, suggesting that if he and Wen Xian truly loved each other, despite her being his comrade's widow, they should be together. Li Jianguo then entered Wen Xian's hospital room, while the others considerately stepped aside. After a moment of profound hesitation, Li Jianguo presented a ring and proposed marriage to Wen Xian. Overcome with joy, she accepted, and they decided to travel for their wedding after her successful surgery.
Hou Sihai was taken aback by an unexpected visit from his former lover, Sister Na. He scowled, threatening her life, but Sister Na defiantly retaliated, threatening to expose numerous secrets she knew about him, which instantly darkened Hou Sihai's expression. Feeling increasingly agitated, Hou Sihai immediately sought out Sun Wei, demanding to know if Hu Rong had contacted him.
Despite Sun Wei's bewildered appearance, Hou Sihai remained suspicious and warned him that they were inextricably linked, and if one of them were exposed, both would suffer. After Hou Sihai departed, his subordinate Monkey casually remarked on the day's commotion, noting that Hu Rong had left just before Hou Sihai's arrival. Sun Wei was aghast, realizing he had fallen victim to Hu Rong's counter-intelligence ploy.
Concurrently, Tiger reported to Nie Wanfeng, expressing apprehension that if Hou Sihai were captured, the investigation might lead back to Nie Wanfeng. Observing the rapidly escalating situation, Nie Wanfeng couldn't help but comment on Liu Ziguang's ruthlessness. Upon returning home, Hou Sihai was immediately confronted by Hu Rong and a team of police officers. He was arrested on suspicion of orchestrating the kidnapping of Nie Chengcheng.
During the interrogation, Hou Sihai vehemently denied any involvement, adopting an arrogant stance and demanding that his lawyer speak with Hu Rong. At that moment, Han Jin received instructions from Deputy Director Song, indicating that further investigation into the core secrets of Hou Sihai's criminal organization was necessary, and the legal time limit for his current detention had expired. Consequently, the police were compelled to temporarily release Hou Sihai.
Leaving the police station, Hou Sihai, sitting in his car, pondered the events and concluded with certainty that Sun Wei was the one who had betrayed him, fueling his intense resentment. Sun Wei called, attempting to clarify the misunderstanding, but Hou Sihai, already convinced, abruptly cut him off, ordering a meeting at the pier that very night. He then made a chilling call to two known thugs, brutally commanding them to eliminate Sun Wei.
Waiting at a warehouse, Sun Wei eagerly approached Hou Sihai's arriving SUV, only to be met by the dark muzzles of guns. The two thugs opened fire, killing Sun Wei, then sped away. Hu Rong and Han Jin immediately gave chase. Cornered and with no escape, the fleeing thugs burst into a used car dealership, seizing hostages and initiating a standoff with the police. With a large number of hostages involved, the police hesitated to launch an immediate assault.
Han Jin proposed negotiations. One of the injured thugs aggressively demanded a medical professional to treat his wound and the withdrawal of all police snipers. Hu Rong volunteered to go in, disguised as a medic, to engage with the thugs. Given the critical time constraints, Director Hu and Deputy Director Song reluctantly gave their approval. Disguised as a nurse, Hu Rong entered the room and prepared to bandage the injured thug's wound.
However, the other thug grew suspicious and demanded she remove her mask. Hu Rong had no choice but to comply. The thug instantly recognized her as the police officer who had been pursuing them earlier, and his face contorted in a menacing glare as he pointed his gun at her, threatening to kill her.
