Broker Episode 40 Recap
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On his way to the airport, Zhou Xiaoshan spoke to Mo Li, stating that no one could escape the final judgment. After Qiu Jianing landed, Zhou Xiaoshan met her, pulling her into an embrace and telling her she shouldn't have come. Qiu Jianing, however, was consumed by a single question: who exactly was he, and had he truly approached her with an ulterior motive?
Zhou Xiaoshan promised to give her a full answer to her questions and urged her to get into the car. Inside the car, Qiu Jianing pressed Zhou Xiaoshan for the truth, directly asking if his approach was because of Plan-O. He admitted it was and confirmed that his 'Brother' had instructed him, an organization Qiu Jianing identified as TKS.
When she questioned if their relationship was also part of his mission, Zhou Xiaoshan confessed it was initially, but before he could elaborate further, Qiu Jianing declared she didn't need to hear any more. She pulled out a knife and held it to his throat. Mo Li, in the back seat, immediately drew her gun and yelled for Qiu Jianing to release him.
Zhou Xiaoshan calmly stated that cutting an artery would kill him instantly and that she could make her move whenever she decided. Overwhelmed by emotion, believing him to be a liar, Qiu Jianing cried out "Liar!" She then violently grabbed the steering wheel, screaming for him to stop the car, causing the vehicle to plummet over a cliff despite desperate pleas from both Zhou Xiaoshan and Mo Li. After the horrific crash, Qiu Jianing was injured.
Zhou Xiaoshan quickly helped her out of the wreckage and urgently ordered Mo Li to call an ambulance, emphasizing that if anything happened to Qiu Jianing, Zha Zhicai would never acquire the formula. Despite her pain, Qiu Jianing weakly warned Zhou Xiaoshan that if he handed over the formula, she would haunt him as a ghost, explaining that it was Professor Wang's life's work and the hope of everyone in the lab.
Zhou Xiaoshan countered that she needed to survive to exact revenge and threatened to immediately hand over the formula if she died. Qiu Jianing confessed her hatred for him, but Zhou Xiaoshan declared his profound love for her, assuring her he had never lied about that. He continued to beg her to hold on and stay alive. Later, as Qiu Jianing lay pale in her hospital bed, Zha Zhicai arrived.
He questioned Mo Li about the car accident, suggesting Zhou Xiaoshan had accidentally hurt Qiu Jianing after she discovered his true identity. Zhou Xiaoshan pleaded with Zha Zhicai to leave Qiu Jianing alone, but Zha Zhicai asserted that her fate rested on Zhou Xiaoshan's actions. Zha Zhicai then proposed a negotiation, but Zhou Xiaoshan reiterated his refusal to hand over the formula.
Zha Zhicai threatened to kill Qiu Jianing, but Zhou Xiaoshan confidently stated that he wouldn't dare, explaining that as a Chinese scientist, her death would cause an international incident, inevitably exposing TKS's illicit activities. Zhou Xiaoshan offered to return to Zha Zhicai's service if Qiu Jianing was released once she recovered. Zha Zhicai, still intent on obtaining the formula, tried to sway Zhou Xiaoshan by promising them a carefree life together, free from interference.
Zhou Xiaoshan rejected the offer, stating that for Qiu Jianing, Plan-O was more important than her own life, and to hand over the formula would be to personally end her. Zha Zhicai ominously warned that Professor Qiu would not be leaving Europe if Zhou Xiaoshan remained uncooperative. Qiu Jianing was discharged from the hospital, her condition stable.
Zhou Xiaoshan returned the knife she had used to her, remarking that, by the rules of the jungle, her own knife should be sharpened with her own blood. Qiu Jianing acknowledged her house arrest, deeming it unlawful. Under Zha Zhicai's confinement, Zhou Xiaoshan instructed Qiu Jianing to obey him and not act rashly, as she had no other choice.
Despite her lack of trust, he assured her he would never betray Plan-O and would do everything in his power to ensure her safe return to China. Zhou Xiaoshan cooked a meal and asked Qiu Jianing to help slice the beef. Enduring the pain of her wound, she precisely sliced the meat, a departure from her previous tendency to cut it into cubes, a change noted by a composed Mo Li.
Qiu Jianing quickly finished eating, her aloofness unsettling Zhou Xiaoshan. Later, when he tried to change her wound dressing, a struggle ensued, and he accidentally aggravated her injury, causing it to bleed again. Zhou Xiaoshan apologized, applying a special ointment to prevent scarring. Qiu Jianing then stoically told him to convey to Zha Zhicai that she possessed nothing but her life, and he could take it if he wished.
Late that night, Zhou Xiaoshan stood outside Qiu Jianing's door, offering to tell her a story, which she initially dismissed. He began narrating the tale of a boy from a tea-growing village whose father died when he was six. The boy and his mother faced constant bullying, and in his desperation to protect her, he learned to fight and use a gun at a young age, though his strength was insufficient.
His fate changed when he saved an influential figure who became his adoptive father. This man recognized the boy's talent and took him to Europe, providing him with the best education. The boy's mother was initially grateful, but eventually realized her son was being used for illicit missions. She pleaded with the adoptive father to stop, but he cruelly murdered her, a truth hidden from the boy.
Unaware, the boy continued to complete illegal missions, wishing only to repay his adoptive father and return to his mother for a peaceful life. Zhou Xiaoshan concluded that the boy was wrong from the beginning, realizing that once one steps into darkness, the only true path is to find a way out.
He then addressed Qiu Jianing, reflecting that he once believed not everyone had a choice, but now understood that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, could choose good and light. He vowed never to allow his beloved woman to be swallowed by darkness again, echoing her earlier sentiment of not repeating past mistakes. Upon waking, Qiu Jianing found Mo Li angrily tearing up her magazine in the living room.
Qiu Jianing mocked Mo Li's inability to conceal her emotions, questioning her suitability for their profession. Mo Li retorted with a threat, then attempted to prove her love for Zhou Xiaoshan was superior, claiming she would sacrifice her life for him, unlike Qiu Jianing, who wouldn't even sell the project (Plan-O) for him. Qiu Jianing countered that Zhou Xiaoshan loved her, not Mo Li, revealing he had saved her life.
Qiu Jianing then further provoked Mo Li by stating that if she compromised Plan-O, Zha Zhicai would release her and Zhou Xiaoshan to live anonymously. Mo Li refused to fall into the trap. Meanwhile, Zhou Xiaoshan met with Zha Zhicai, offering Plan-O's formula in exchange for Qiu Jianing's freedom. He explained that a relationship between them was impossible now, and her feelings on the matter were irrelevant.
Zha Zhicai questioned if he truly wasn't afraid of Qiu Jianing's hatred, to which Zhou Xiaoshan replied it no longer mattered; he only wished for her to survive. Later, as Qiu Jianing prepared to shower, Mo Li insisted on supervising. Qiu Jianing again provoked Mo Li, describing a future where she and Zhou Xiaoshan would disappear, living a life Mo Li could never have. Enraged, Mo Li finally snapped and forcibly held Qiu Jianing's head underwater.
Qiu Jianing, however, remained defiant, asserting that Mo Li wouldn't dare kill her, as Zhou Xiaoshan would surely avenge her, and a relationship between Mo Li and Zhou Xiaoshan was impossible regardless of Qiu Jianing's fate. Mo Li abruptly grabbed Qiu Jianing's arm, stating she would offer her a way out and revealing that her belongings were already packed, indicating her prior preparations.
When Qiu Jianing asked why she was being released, Mo Li clarified it wasn't out of kindness, but because she believed Zhou Xiaoshan would be less burdened without Qiu Jianing. She warned Qiu Jianing never to return. Mo Li then led Qiu Jianing down a small path, claiming it led to the highway where she could easily find a ride to the airport.
In reality, the path was a minefield, a labyrinth of traps laid by Zhou Xiaoshan, and Qiu Jianing's survival was left entirely to chance. When Zhou Xiaoshan returned, he found Mo Li feigning unconsciousness. He saw through her deception, knowing Qiu Jianing, lacking training, couldn't have knocked her out. He furiously confronted Mo Li, choking her and demanding to know Qiu Jianing's whereabouts.
Mo Li defiantly claimed she had killed Qiu Jianing and hidden her body, daring him to kill her in turn. She accused him of lying to himself and doing the wrong thing by refusing to disclose the formula without Qiu Jianing's consent, which she claimed forced her to act. As Zhou Xiaoshan grew more agitated, Mo Li finally revealed that Qiu Jianing was in the forest behind the house, which was a minefield, implying she was already dead and dismembered.
Ignoring Mo Li's attempts to obstruct him and her taunts about his inability to shoot her, Zhou Xiaoshan frantically rushed into the forest to search for Qiu Jianing. Qiu Jianing discovered a warning sign marking a minefield and stood paralyzed with fear when Zhou Xiaoshan appeared. She declared she wasn't afraid of dying, but Zhou Xiaoshan confessed he was terrified of her dying.
Qiu Jianing then confronted him, asking if he had made a deal with Zha Zhicai, emphasizing that her life was more important than Plan-O. Zhou Xiaoshan tried to lead her to safety, but Qiu Jianing adamantly refused, declaring she couldn't betray herself or her country. She questioned if she would still be the woman he loved if she selfishly chose to live by betraying Plan-O.
