Broker Episode 41 Recap
> Broker Recap
As Qiu Jianing and Zhou Xiaoshan argued near the minefield, they inadvertently triggered an explosion. Zhou Xiaoshan instinctively embraced Qiu Jianing tightly, shielding her, and they narrowly escaped harm. He had previously confessed that he didn't care about anything else, only that she live, even if she didn't love him. He couldn't just stand by and watch her die. Qiu Jianing, however, had insisted that if he truly didn't want her to die, he had to protect Plan-O.
Ultimately, Zhou Xiaoshan agreed to protect Plan-O. As he carried Qiu Jianing on his back, she wished they could continue walking like that forever. Upon their return to the villa, Mo Li confronted Zhou Xiaoshan, lamenting how he had changed and that he would never have scolded or hit her before. She accused him of changing because of Qiu Jianing.
When Zhou Xiaoshan declared that anyone wanting to harm Qiu Jianing would have to kill him first, Mo Li, enraged, held a knife to her own throat, proclaiming she no longer wanted to be his sister. Zhou Xiaoshan disarmed her, telling her that while dying is easy, living on is difficult. He reminded her of his first lesson: never give up the will to survive and always have the courage to live.
He then told Mo Li that they could no longer face each other and she should leave. Zhou Xiaoshan confided in Qiu Jianing that he had never intended to hand over the formula. He had even asked Zha Zhicai to let her go. Qiu Jianing understood that she was the only one who could hold Zhou Xiaoshan in place, knowing that Zha Zhicai, who wouldn't even release his own daughter, would never let her go until he saw the formula.
She admitted to being afraid but was ready, believing that justice might arrive late but would never be absent. Zhou Xiaoshan reassured her, promising to always be there for her. Later, as Zhou Xiaoshan dried Qiu Jianing's hair, he asked about her favorite and most hated things. She listed several, including the fruit wine from Southern California, the sizzling sound of metal in strong acid solution, the noodles he made, and playfully said she hated him.
When she asked him in return, he responded, "You," before admitting he loved good weather and lying in his mother's arms while she cleaned his ears. He revealed that he had always wanted to grow up quickly to fight the bad guys who bullied his mother, never expecting to become a bad guy himself. Zha Zhicai summoned them.
On their way, Qiu Jianing grasped Zhou Xiaoshan's hand, stating she hadn't expected to return alive when she first arrived and had no regrets, having had everything she deserved in life. During the meeting, Zha Zhicai tried to persuade Qiu Jianing to hand over the formula, promising a dream life of wealth and freedom for her and Zhou Xiaoshan.
Qiu Jianing firmly refused, declaring she would never give him the formula, and revealed that she had, in fact, persuaded Zhou Xiaoshan to her side. Zha Zhicai then shared a story about the post-WWII division of German scientific assets, emphasizing that talent is more valuable than drawings or technology, and expressed his admiration for her and Zhou Xiaoshan as rare talents.
Qiu Jianing countered, criticizing his "love for talents" given his actions and stating that true talent has the right to choose its master. She reiterated that neither she nor Zhou Xiaoshan would ever give him the formula. Zhou Xiaoshan then pleaded with Zha Zhicai to release them. Zha Zhicai agreed to let them go, but only after Zhou Xiaoshan completed one last task, implying he needed to be left with "something."
Zhou Xiaoshan told Qiu Jianing he had to leave for a while to complete this final mission and pay off his last debt to Zha Zhicai, after which they would be free. Qiu Jianing desperately urged him not to believe Zha Zhicai, but Zhou Xiaoshan left, and she was once again confined to the villa.
Meanwhile, Wenzhao visited Xiang Lan, who seemed to recognize him but then tearfully mistook him for Zhou Xiaoshan, asking why he took so long to visit. Wenzhao tried to correct her, identifying himself as her husband, but she rejected him and became agitated, falling into another episode of distress and screaming that she would kill him. Zha Zhicai's task for Zhou Xiaoshan was to bring back Xiaohui, Xiang Lan's daughter.
It was Xiaohui's birthday, and a party was underway, but she was hiding in her room, waiting for her mother. Zhou Xiaoshan entered her room wearing a mask, introducing himself as "Black Shadow" from a comic book. Xiaohui expressed a desire to be a witch, and Zhou Xiaoshan suggested they attend the party together to await her mother, hinting at a magician who could help her become a witch. Xiaohui agreed to join him.
As Zhou Xiaoshan led Xiaohui into the party, Wenzhao spotted them and, appearing tense, called Xiaohui to his side. Just as Wenzhao was about to remove Zhou Xiaoshan's mask, the lights suddenly went out. In the ensuing chaos, Zhou Xiaoshan swiftly took Xiaohui and left. In the car, Xiaohui seemed unfazed, believing Zhou Xiaoshan was taking her on a trip.
She innocently wondered if her mother was also on a long trip, which was why she hadn't returned in five years, since Xiaohui was two. Zhou Xiaoshan affirmed that her mother must have planned a very long trip. Qiu Jianing awoke the next morning with no news of Zhou Xiaoshan. A subordinate of Zha Zhicai told her that no news was the best news. At Aoyoung Hospital, Qiu Jiaxin, tired of resting, went to Qin Bin's office.
She found him with Jiang Ruoxi and teasingly asked if they would marry, while Qin Bin tried to get her to return to her room. Just then, Qin Bin received a timed email from Qiu Jianing. In the email, written on a flight to City A, Qiu Jianing expressed her suspicion that Zhou Xiaoshan was a corporate spy intending to steal the Plan-O formula, believing everything might be a trap.
She stated she was going to investigate thoroughly to ensure Plan-O wasn't stolen. She instructed Qin Bin that if she didn't return within ten days, it would mean her conjectures were correct, and he should release the email to the public to expose the wrongdoers and ensure they received their deserved punishment. After gently coaxing Qiu Jiaxin back to rest, Qin Bin immediately went to Professor Sun Lei.
Sun Lei was alarmed by the email, confirming that only he and Qiu Jianing knew the exact formula, but Zhou Xiaoshan, having worked on core experiments, could easily deduce it. Qin Bin, however, expressed his trust in both Qiu Jianing and Zhou Xiaoshan, believing Zhou Xiaoshan's feelings for Qiu Jianing were genuine. He recalled Zhou Xiaoshan making special arrangements to see him alone before leaving, asking him to take good care of Qiu Jianing.
They decided to report the situation to the police. Three days later, still worried about Zhou Xiaoshan, Qiu Jianing went to see Zha Zhicai. She questioned his motives, reminding him that humans are not weapons and have feelings, and that Zhou Xiaoshan had awakened and would not follow his old ways.
Zha Zhicai conceded he had made a mistake by restraining Zhou Xiaoshan's nature, but wondered if by accommodating it, Zhou Xiaoshan would return to his control, especially if there was still someone in the world he cared about. At that moment, Zhou Xiaoshan returned with Xiaohui. Zha Zhicai then revealed to Zhou Xiaoshan that he was Xiaohui's father, pointing out their strikingly similar eyes.
Zhou Xiaoshan struggled to believe it, but Zha Zhicai confirmed that Xiaohui was the daughter of Zhou Xiaoshan and Xiang Lan. Xiaohui, curious, looked at the room behind Qiu Jianing, which was Xiang Lan's room. She mentioned that she didn't look like her mother, but others said she looked like her father. Zhou Xiaoshan suddenly burst into the room and pulled Qiu Jianing out, frightening Xiaohui who began to cry.
Zhou Xiaoshan refused to accept that Xiaohui was his child, repeatedly telling himself it had nothing to do with him. However, Qiu Jianing could clearly see the strong resemblance between them. Overwhelmed by the truth, Zhou Xiaoshan questioned what he should do, distraught that for five years he had been unaware of having a daughter with Xiang Lan. He seemed to become numb, recalling the night with Xiang Lan in the bathroom before her marriage to Wenzhao. Qiu Jianing was startled to find Zhou Xiaoshan showering fully clothed in the bathroom and gently helped him back to his room.
