Are You Safe Episode 23 Recap
> Are You Safe Recap
Qin Huai treated his team, including Zhou You, Tang Lin, and Auntie Ding, to a lavish hotpot dinner. Zhou You was surprised by Qin Huai's generosity, remarking that he had "ordered meat only, not a leaf in sight" and questioning if the "miser had changed his ways." Qin Huai, amused, asked if he had mistreated them before, to which Zhou You recalled Qin Huai's stingy habits, like bringing outside food to hotpot restaurants and limiting meat orders.
Qin Huai apologized for past mistreatment, though he insisted that fighting for meat added to the atmosphere. Despite the feast, Tang Lin and Auntie Ding looked dejected. Qin Huai raised a toast, expressing deep gratitude for everyone's trust over the years and wishing them a wonderful future. Zhou You proposed another toast, vowing to prove wrong those who kicked them when they were down once Kai Gua Le turned things around.
Qin Huai then spoke to Auntie Ding about her son returning from overseas in two years, assuring her they were family and would help if she needed anything. He then turned to Tang Lin, playfully scolding her for watching dramas during work hours and reminding her that "big companies are totally different from small companies like ours," hinting at her need to adapt to a new environment.
Tang Lin, understanding Qin Huai's underlying message that he wanted her to leave, became emotional and abruptly left. Auntie Ding, seeing her distress, quickly followed. Qin Huai stopped Zhou You from chasing after them, inviting him to share a drink instead. Qin Huai praised Zhou You's talent and admitted many companies were trying to poach him. He revealed that he had found Zhou You a suitable company run by a reliable, righteous, and generous former college classmate.
Zhou You's smile froze as he realized this was a farewell dinner, and he confronted Qin Huai, noting that Tang Lin and Auntie Ding had known all along. Zhou You stubbornly declared he would not go anywhere and would stay with Kai Gua Le, but Qin Huai urged him to grow up and consider his future, warning him not to behave like a child at a new company.
Zhou You grew angry, asserting that Qin Huai had no right to assume Kai Gua Le wouldn't survive this hurdle. He declared his intention to "hack Hupo now" and "turn their system upside down" to find the mastermind behind their troubles. Qin Huai restrained him, reminding him of past recklessness. Zhou You insisted he was responsible for the mole and needed to catch him.
Qin Huai continued to push Zhou You to leave for his own future, but Zhou You, frustrated, questioned why Qin Huai was giving up. Qin Huai denied giving up, stating this was a battle between him and the black market, and it had nothing to do with any of them. He referenced Chen Mo's past decision to go overseas alone to avoid implicating others. Zhou You firmly responded, "You're not Chen Mo.
I won't become the second Qin Huai," adding, "Kai Gua Le Cybersecurity Company will survive the hurdle." Seeing Zhou You's unwavering resolve, Qin Huai finally smiled and simply told him to eat. Meanwhile, Mu Tong learned of Qin Huai's difficulties. She asked Chen Mo to help Qin Huai as much as he could, and then handed him a significant amount of her savings, keeping only a small portion for her mother's living expenses.
She even offered to mortgage Momo Housekeeping if it wasn't enough. Deeply moved, Chen Mo hugged Mu Tong, declaring that "Kai Gua Le Cybersecurity Company will never collapse." Later, Qin Huai walked through the empty Kai Gua Le office, reflecting on the past vibrant days with Zhou You, Tang Lin, and the others. He carefully took down a cherished appreciation banner from the wall, his eyes welling up with tears.
He noticed several bank cards and heartfelt notes left on his desk. Auntie Ding had contributed her savings, originally set aside for her son's tuition. Zhou You had sold his skateboards, and Tang Lin had sold all her game accounts and equipment. Chen Mo left a bank card with a note, its password being his mother's birthdate. Alongside these, messages like "Boss, we are here with you" and "Xiao Huai Huai, fighting!" filled the notes.
Unable to hold back, Qin Huai broke down in tears. Suddenly, Chen Mo, Zhou You, Tang Lin, and Auntie Ding appeared behind him. Though their contributions were their entire savings, and not much individually, they pooled them together, believing "Kai Gua Le Cybersecurity Company is our home." Qin Huai, wiping his tears, tried to return the money, but Tang Lin insisted they face the difficulties together.
Chen Mo formally applied to join Kai Gua Le Cybersecurity Company, and the five of them stood united, hands clasped together, encouraging each other, "Don't give up. We can do this. Kai Gua Le Cybersecurity Company will never collapse. We can do it!" Soon after, Qin Huai received a call from his Senior Sister Pu, who informed him of a new lead. He quickly gathered Chen Mo and Zhou You to meet her.
On the way, Qin Huai explained that Senior Sister Pu and her husband, Lie Bing, ran a successful data distribution company overseas called "The Eleventh Power." He mentioned they had offered to help after hearing about his troubles. Zhou You was initially suspicious, questioning their motives and reliability, but Qin Huai assured him. Upon meeting, Senior Sister Pu stated that she and Lie Bing trusted Qin Huai's character and knew he wouldn't attack the system.
Qin Huai acknowledged the risks of challenging Hupo, the industry's largest internet giant, but Senior Brother Lie Bing insisted on helping, reminding Qin Huai that he wouldn't have graduated on time without Qin Huai's help. Lie Bing and Senior Sister Pu offered financial aid, legal team support, and expressed interest in a future collaboration with Kai Gua Le. Qin Huai was honored and agreed to a partnership once the lawsuit was resolved.
Zhou You, still curious about the depth of their loyalty, learned that Qin Huai, while in Professor Cui's research group, had helped accelerate Lie Bing's graduation project. Professor Cui had surprisingly named Qin Huai as the first author on the project's publication due to his key innovative idea, which, while beneficial to the research group, had prevented Lie Bing from being offered a place at MIT at the time.
Qin Huai explained he had apologized to Lie Bing for the unforeseen outcome, and his senior had been understanding. With renewed hope, the team began their investigation. Qin Huai assigned tasks, instructing Zhou You and Chen Mo to analyze the attack code and its running process. Zhou You confidently volunteered to handle the complex task of checking how the code read data from files, a decision Qin Huai allowed, noting Zhou You was "just like the old me. . .
he only learns and grows from harsh lessons." However, Zhou You soon found himself unable to parse the code, fearing Qin Huai's disapproval. He pretended everything was fine when Qin Huai checked on him. Later, he awoke from a nightmare where his teammates called him a "lousy teammate" for holding them back and causing past mistakes, including mistakenly deleting Arsenal's documents and indirectly leading to Qin Huai being framed by Hupo.
Desperate, he messaged Grey Heron for help with parsing the complex code, but Grey Heron was also unable to assist. Dejected, Zhou You slumped on the sofa. While Qin Huai was in the office eating instant noodles, Chen Mo arrived with a soothing porridge made by his mother, expressing concern for Qin Huai's health. Qin Huai eagerly devoured it.
Still struggling with the investigation, Zhou You decided to take matters into his own hands and attempted to sneak into Hupo to gather evidence, but he was quickly intercepted by security guards and escorted out.
