Cambrian Period Episode 24 (Ending) Recap
> Cambrian Period Recap
Jian Zi, determined to protect Qiu Men, intended to shoulder all the blame himself, but Li Yongji declared he would never let Qiu Men off the hook. After Jian Zi was taken into police custody, prominent figures from across South Island, both allies and enemies of Qiu Men, appeared. Li Yongji offered to arrange Jian Zi's deportation if he would document all of Qiu Men's crimes.
However, Jian Zi adamantly stated that while Qiu Men members might contend and fight, none would betray the organization at such a crucial moment. He informed his loyalists not to attempt to rescue him, explaining that if he could bear all the charges, no other brothers would need to suffer. He urged them to disband and start new lives.
Some members protested, reminding him that Qiu Men was the old chairman's legacy and that each person should be responsible for their own actions. Jian Zi, however, insisted they follow his command, warning that any disobedience would be considered abandoning Qiu Men. Meanwhile, Qiu Men's associates desperately sought help, but with the organization in decline and the old chairman deceased, no one was willing to assist them.
One of Jian Zi's men tried to secure support by presenting a powerful senator with an encrypted file containing compromising information on high-ranking officials. The old chairman intended this list as political capital for the senator, ensuring Qiu Men's survival. The senator, after verifying the information, agreed to protect Qiu Men's foundation and inquired about Jian Zi's plan.
Jian Zi knew that Li Yongji's position as director had been revoked, with only a few hours remaining until the new director took office, so he deliberately stalled the interrogation. Li Yongji, aware of Jian Zi's tactic, confirmed that his dismissal documents had been issued, but he still held full legal authority until the official transfer of power. He added that other captured Qiu Men members had already confessed.
Jian Zi retorted that he had instructed his men not to resist arrest, believing they deserved legal punishment for Qiu Men's future, and that his act of taking all the blame would cleanse Qiu Men's "black record." He then provocatively asked about the new director's arrival, to which Li Yongji hinted darkly that the new director "might not make it, as there are too many accidents in this world."
Li Yongji then pointed out that Jian Zi's confession did not include Shen Keke's case. Jian Zi refused to admit to it, asserting that the incident had nothing to do with him or Qiu Men, and accused Li Yongji of causing Shen Keke's death while drunk driving. Li Yongji denied the accusation and showed Jian Zi a video of Tang Yin, bound and held captive, which left Jian Zi stunned as he had believed her dead.
It was revealed that the old chairman had never intended to kill Tang Yin and Mai Quancheng. After throwing them into the sea, he had them rescued and held captive. Tang Yin understood that his intention was simply to make Jian Zi wholeheartedly commit to serving Qiu Men. One day, Tang Yin and Mai Quancheng attempted to escape but were quickly recaptured by Qiu Men's men.
Tang Yin learned from her captors that Jian Zi, in an effort to save Qiu Men, had sent emails under the "facial makeup" alias to all implicated officials, urging them to protect Qiu Men by abandoning him. Calling him foolish, she sought a way to rescue him. Tang Yin then called Li Yongji, requesting a meeting with Jian Zi, suggesting she might persuade him.
Li Yongji agreed and sent men to pick her up, but in reality, he had her and Mai Quancheng brought to his own house and held them captive there. Watching the video of Tang Yin, Jian Zi, now knowing she was alive, offered to kill the newly appointed director for Li Yongji, declaring that he would "re-don the facial makeup, and kill if necessary" to eliminate any threats to Tang Yin's safety, even if she hated or left him.
Tang Yin discovered she was being held at Li Yongji's home. She realized he intended to use her to coerce Jian Zi into confessing all of Qiu Men's criminal activities. Li Yongji guaranteed that after the plan succeeded, Jian Zi would be deported, allowing them to go wherever they wished. However, Tang Yin declared that she no longer trusted him.
She accused him of repeatedly using her despite his claims of acting for her own good, and asserted that his sense of justice had become twisted and corrupted. She implored him to release them before her despair for him became absolute. Li Yongji responded by saying that Jian Zi was equally important to her as she was to him. Jian Zi countered Li Yongji, stating that his actions would inevitably be discovered and he would face punishment.
Li Yongji then used Tang Yin's safety as leverage, threatening her life if Jian Zi did not write out Qiu Men's crimes. Unbeknownst to Li Yongji, Cai Jiayi had inadvertently uncovered surveillance footage from the night Shen Keke died, revealing Li Yongji's direct involvement. She was devastated, unable to believe that her mentor, who always championed justice, was a murderer. She rushed to Li Yongji's house and found Tang Yin and Mai Quancheng held captive.
Working with Mai Quancheng, she subdued the guards, and the long-separated lovers shared a heartfelt embrace. Upon learning of Tang Yin's rescue, Li Yongji immediately ordered a lockdown of the police station, prohibiting anyone from entering. He then began to physically assault Jian Zi, demanding he complete the confession. At that moment, Cai Jiayi and Tang Yin burst into the interrogation room. Cai Jiayi pointed a gun at Li Yongji, ordering him to surrender.
She revealed that everyone was now aware of his involvement with Hanqing and presented the video evidence of him running over Shen Keke. In a desperate attempt to escape, Li Yongji tried to flee. Cai Jiayi fired, the bullet grazing his arm.
He declared that he had never been clearer, stating that to conquer darkness, one must become even darker, for only then would dawn arrive sooner, much like the Cambrian explosion ten thousand years ago, bringing forth an eruption of life and hope. It was later revealed that Mingzhu had contacted the head of the supreme inspection team, which allowed Cai Jiayi and Tang Yin to gain access to the interrogation room.
Mingzhu expressed that their happiness was the greatest thanks she could receive. Li Yongji was apprehended, acknowledging that every mistake leads to punishment. He and Jian Zi were then separately taken away, each for their respective crimes. As Jian Zi was escorted away, Tang Yin, Mai Quancheng, and the remaining Qiu Men brothers followed the police vehicle. Jian Zi requested a moment to bid farewell to Tang Yin.
Tang Yin assured him that she would wait for him, no matter how long it took. Jian Zi kissed her forehead. Tang Yin, disregarding social norms, initiated a deep kiss, then turned and walked away in tears. Their farewell felt like an eternal moment. As the police siren faded, signaling Jian Zi's departure, the police car suddenly lost control on a bridge, crashing through the barrier and plunging into the sea.
Tang Yin cried out Jian Zi's name by the bridge, but there was no response. Their separation in life had tragically become a final parting in death. In prison, Li Yongji still clung to his belief that his actions were justified. He told himself that sometimes, to eradicate darkness, justice itself must embody darkness.
Under the night sky, the facial makeup figure gazed at the bustling city lights, as this intertwined tale of love and hatred within the underworld drew to a close, perhaps marking the beginning of another story.
