City of Streamer Episode 39 Recap
> City of Streamer Recap
Upon learning of Feng Shixun’s arrest, Rong Jiashang immediately called Chief Liu of the police department for information. Chief Liu advised him not to interfere, explaining that the arrests made the previous night were unusual and those detained, identified as revolutionaries and famous cadres, were unlikely to be released. Rong Jiashang pressed him to at least reveal Feng Shixun’s location—Tilanqiao Prison—so that they could arrange for his well-being.
Chief Liu, acknowledging his limited influence in that facility, promised to see what he could do to help find contacts. Concubine Sun overheard Rong Jiashang’s phone call and realized Dr. Feng had been arrested as a revolutionary, which seemed to be a grave matter. When Mrs. Rong’s maid called her to serve Rong Dingkun breakfast, Concubine Sun was distracted and worried. Noticing her long face, Rong Dingkun chided her, but she used the opportunity to mention Feng Shixun’s arrest.
She explained her concern by reminding Rong Dingkun that Feng Shixun had saved her and her late son Jiakang’s lives, and she felt a debt of gratitude. Rong Dingkun, seeing a chance for manipulation, hinted that he could intervene if Feng Shizhen herself were to humble herself and beg him for help. However, he emphasized that he would not act unless Feng Shizhen personally sought his assistance. Later, Feng Shizhen went to Tilanqiao Prison to visit her brother.
Unbeknownst to her, Rong Jiashang had arranged this visit but kept it a secret to avoid burdening her, believing it was something his family owed her. Meanwhile, Rong Jiashang and Wu Yunchi were also outside the prison. Wu Yunchi suggested that Rong Jiashang seek help from his father, Rong Dingkun, as the new director of the Shanghai Police Headquarters, Li Dezheng, was an old acquaintance of Rong Dingkun.
Rong Jiashang quickly dismissed the idea, stating that his father despised Feng Shizhen's family and would never offer assistance. Instead, he proposed finding a way to appeal to Director Li directly, believing everyone has a weakness. Inside the prison, Feng Shizhen found Feng Shixun with a bruised and battered face. He downplayed his injuries, saying that if he wasn't beaten, he couldn't prove he had been to prison. He was grateful she managed to visit and bring him clothes.
Feng Shizhen reported that the outside world was in chaos, with insurgents being hunted across the city. She assured him their parents were unaware of the true extent of his predicament, believing he was only under investigation. She apologized, feeling responsible for his situation, but Feng Shixun consoled her, telling her not to blame herself and affirming that his political ideals were not wrong.
He confided that some comrades had been secretly executed the previous day and he feared for his own life. He asked Feng Shizhen to tell their parents not to worry if he didn't make it out. Feng Shizhen, however, insisted that he was the family's pillar and promised to exhaust all efforts to save him, urging him to protect himself. He, in turn, asked her to care for their parents, saying no one else in their family should get hurt.
Outside, Meng Xu'an was waiting for Feng Shizhen. He chided her for not seeking his help and revealed he had anticipated trouble, though he believed Feng Shixun was not their primary target (Zhang Guoquan), ensuring his life was not in immediate danger. He suggested that additional bribes would spare Feng Shixun further suffering during interrogation. Feng Shizhen asked to borrow money from Meng Xu'an, promising to repay it with interest.
Meng Xu'an then disclosed that Rong Jiashang was the one who had pulled strings for her prison visit. Feng Shizhen maintained that Rong Jiashang’s assistance did not diminish her deep-seated vendetta against Rong Dingkun, whom she knew as Qin Shuigen. Meng Xu'an agreed to lend her the money. Concurrently, Concubine Sun, seeing a newspaper article listing Feng Shixun among those to be executed at noon, became terrified.
She rushed to Rong Dingkun’s room, only to see Rong Jiashang taking gold bars and cash from his father’s safe. Rong Dingkun furiously berated Rong Jiashang for using Rong family assets to save "that sinister woman's brother," boasting that Director Li would not help him and telling him to inform Feng Shizhen to prepare for her brother's funeral. After Rong Jiashang departed with the money, Concubine Sun knelt before Rong Dingkun, pleading with him to save Feng Shixun.
She reminded him of Feng Shixun's past kindness to her and Jiakang, arguing that saving him would be a blessing for her deceased son. She further tried to persuade Rong Dingkun by suggesting that if he helped, Rong Jiashang would be remorseful and return control of the family business to him. She even offered to "deal with Feng Shizhen" to prevent her marriage to Rong Jiashang, confidently stating that women were adept at handling other women.
Rong Dingkun, seeing her desperation, offered a dark proposition: he would save Feng Shixun if she killed Feng Shizhen. He instructed her to retrieve a gun from his study and warned her to act quickly, as Feng Shixun was scheduled for execution at noon, leaving her with less than two hours.
When she hesitated, claiming she had never even killed a fish, Rong Dingkun offered an additional incentive: he would grant her a divorce, knowing she wished to leave the Rong family and be with Feng Shixun. He promised that after killing Feng Shizhen, she could take her private savings and go to Feng Shixun, spend her life comforting him, and seek his forgiveness and atonement. Believing him, Concubine Sun, in despair, went to retrieve the gun.
Meanwhile, Rong Jiashang arrived at the police headquarters with a large box of valuables. Secretary Zhang initially informed him that Director Li was busy and unavailable. Rong Jiashang insisted on waiting, invoking his father's name. After a short wait, Meng Xu'an emerged from Director Li's office. Meng Xu'an had already spoken with Director Li, whom he affectionately called "Uncle Li," reminding him of their fathers' close relationship.
Meng Xu'an explained that Feng Shixun was merely caught in the crossfire, and Director Li had already signed an amnesty order for Feng Shixun's release. Rong Jiashang thanked Director Li for his help. Back at Feng Shizhen’s residence, Concubine Sun suddenly appeared and announced that Feng Shixun would be executed that very noon. Feng Shizhen and her mother were shocked. Concubine Sun claimed to have overheard Rong Jiashang and Rong Dingkun discussing it.
When Feng Shizhen started to leave to verify the information, Concubine Sun pulled out a gun and pointed it at her. She explained, with a distraught expression, that Rong Dingkun had promised to save Feng Shixun only if she killed Feng Shizhen. Feng Shizhen's mother cried out in alarm. Feng Shizhen calmly tried to reason with Concubine Sun, warning her not to trust Rong Dingkun, who was a deceitful man, and suggesting his promise might be a lie.
She offered to take Concubine Sun to see Feng Shixun immediately. However, Concubine Sun was frantic, convinced there was no time left and Feng Shixun would be executed in less than an hour. She desperately believed that killing Feng Shizhen was the only way to save Feng Shixun and fired a shot into the air to emphasize her resolve. At that moment, Meng Xu'an burst in and shot Concubine Sun. Rong Jiashang and Feng Shixun arrived just as she fell.
Feng Shixun cradled the dying Concubine Sun. Rong Jiashang quickly checked her gun and found it was unloaded, revealing she had never intended to kill Feng Shizhen but merely to scare her into pleading with Rong Dingkun. Concubine Sun, in her final moments, confessed this to Feng Shixun and tearfully revealed her full name, Sun Shaolan, asking him to remember her.
Feng Shixun then pulled a letter from her pocket, written by her sister Shaoqing, but she passed away in his arms before he could read it to her. Rong Jiashang was appalled by his father Rong Dingkun’s ruthless plot to eliminate both Feng Shizhen and Feng Shixun using Concubine Sun. Meng Xu'an apologized for shooting and killing Concubine Sun, explaining he acted to protect Feng Shizhen. Feng Shizhen reassured him that he was only trying to save her.
She reflected on Rong Dingkun’s persistent attempts to kill her, including the previous kidnapping attempt with Hashimoto Shiori, and realized that their conflict would inevitably escalate to a life-or-death struggle. Rong Jiashang returned home and confronted Rong Dingkun, condemning his father for exploiting Concubine Sun. When Rong Dingkun learned of her death, he showed no remorse, instead deriding her as "useless" and an "ungrateful woman," similar to Rong Jiashang himself, for their respective affections towards the Feng family members.
Rong Dingkun mocked their sentimental attachments, calling them "funny." Rong Jiashang left, utterly disillusioned with his father's cruelty. Rong Jiashang went to the company and instructed his secretary to transfer all of the Rong family's company shares and real estate assets to Feng Shizhen, stating that they rightfully belonged to her. He asked the secretary to deliver the documents to Feng Shizhen after Fanghua’s wedding and advised him to prioritize his child's health.
Rong Jiashang then confronted Rong Dingkun again, asserting that he had given his father too many chances and could no longer tolerate his actions. He declared that after everything was over, he would atone for his father’s sins alongside him, signaling his intent to expose Rong Dingkun’s crimes.
