Debit Queen Episode 11 Recap
> Debit Queen Recap
One evening, as Ling Se was preparing to bathe, she saw a figure with disheveled hair and mistook them for Liu Yeniang. Approaching to pat their shoulder, she discovered it was Chef Hua, and furthermore, he possessed impressive martial arts skills. Ling Se returned to the mansion intending to pack and continue staying outside.
However, Xu Zilu stopped her, informing her that Governor Wang considered her continuous presence outside the government office over the past few days a serious obstruction of public service and that she would be arrested if she persisted. Ling Se, feeling indignant, retorted that it would be convenient as she could then keep Ping'er company. Xu Zilu urged her to stop causing trouble, assuring her he would help with Ping'er's situation.
Ling Se refused his offer, insisting she would rescue Ping'er herself. Xu Zilu then ordered the household servants to keep Ling Se confined to the mansion and prevent her from leaving. Xu Zilu planned to seek out Hong Eight Master for information regarding the fugitive. He instructed Fuding to return to the Xu Mansion to watch Ling Se.
Ling Se, having changed into a servant's clothing, attempted to sneak out by climbing a wall but was anticipated and caught by Fuding, who was waiting there. Unexpectedly, Liu Yeniang appeared and knocked Fuding unconscious from behind. Liu Yeniang explained that Ling Se had cleverly hidden a note within a bun delivered earlier, which she understood as a call for help. With Liu Yeniang's assistance, Ling Se successfully escaped.
Ling Se then headed to the location where Hong Eight Master was said to be. Xu Zilu also arrived there, having likewise sought out Hong Eight Master. Both were surprised to discover that the legendary Hong Eight Master was actually Ling Se herself. Ling Se explained that the "Hong Men" was merely a name for a group of beggars and orphans she had gathered and protected after seeing them abused on the streets.
She founded the group to care for them and help fight off actual bullies. Ling Se realized that Xu Zilu had genuinely intended to help her all along and had been previously misunderstood. She apologized to Xu Zilu, who also acknowledged that his communication had been unclear, leading to her misunderstanding. Having resolved their differences, Ling Se admitted that even she, as Hong Eight Master, currently had no leads on the true culprit.
Xu Zilu suggested they return to the mansion to formulate a new plan together. Following Ping'er's implication in the case, the Xu family's business suffered significantly, while Mr. Tao's business boomed. Ling Se's father decided to shift his allegiance. He approached Mr. Tao, expressing that he found their business philosophies more aligned and wished to collaborate with Mr. Tao on his sachet business, ending his previous arrangement with the Xu family.
He initially proposed a 50/50 profit split, but Mr. Tao demanded a 70/30 split in his favor. Ling's father reluctantly agreed to the unfavorable terms. He then sent a formal agreement of rescission to the Xu family, holding them entirely responsible for the contract termination and demanding compensation.
Xu Zilu instructed his staff to pay the compensation as requested, despite its unreasonableness, stating clearly that this was the only time and there would be no possibility of future cooperation between the Xu family and Ling's father. While Ling Se was with some Hong Men members, she was informed that a conflict had broken out between members of the Hong Men and Mr. Tao's staff.
The incident occurred when Mr. Tao's employees harassed and overturned the stall of an elderly vendor who was set up near their premises, demanding compensation. Seeing the injustice, some Hong Men members intervened, leading to a fight. Ling Se quickly gathered her group and went to the scene, confronting Mr. Tao's staff for bullying the elderly man. A skirmish ensued, and the Hong Men members managed to drive off Mr. Tao's staff.
Mr. Tao, arriving shortly after to find his employees beaten, became furious. He declared he would report the Hong Men to Governor Wang and seek to have them eradicated. Upon hearing of Mr. Tao's plan to enlist the Governor, Ling Se devised a counter-strategy rather than fleeing. She proposed luring Mr. Tao and the Governor's forces into a trap.
Ling Se sent a challenge letter to Mr. Tao, daring him to meet her at a specific location and time for a confrontation, pointedly calling him names if he failed to appear. Enraged by the letter, Mr. Tao took it directly to Governor Wang, asking him to bring his men to apprehend the Hong Men at the designated meeting spot. Mr. Tao and a contingent of the Governor's men arrived at the agreed-upon location.
Mr. Tao loudly called out for Hong Eight Master, but the Hong Men members were initially out of sight. When they did appear, they did not engage in a direct fight but instead used guerilla tactics and minor tricks to harass and confuse Mr. Tao and the guards before disappearing again, leaving Mr. Tao frustrated.
While Mr. Tao and Governor Wang's men were preoccupied with the skirmish involving the Hong Men, Xu Zilu and Ling Se were enacting their own plan to catch the true fugitive. Knowing that Governor Wang had ordered the city gates sealed and was strictly scrutinizing outsiders, they reasoned that the killer must still be within Linchun City and would likely attempt to secure a way to leave.
They anticipated that the commotion caused by Mr. Tao and the Hong Men would draw guards away from the government office, creating a moment of reduced security—the perfect opportunity for the fugitive to act. Xu Zilu strategically left a specific section of the mansion wall near the Archival Repository unguarded as a deliberate lure. After a period of waiting, a masked individual finally appeared. Xu Zilu and Ling Se confronted the person.
However, the masked individual displayed superior fighting skills, managing to knock down Xu Zilu and then escape despite Ling Se's attempts to stop them. Guards arrived shortly after the masked person had fled, confirming that something had been stolen from the Archival Repository, although they were not yet certain what it was. Xu Zilu, with the help of Young Master Wang (the Governor's son), began investigating what the masked person had stolen.
Young Master Wang, under the guise of bringing refreshments to his father's Counselor, subtly inquired about the stolen archive file. He learned that the missing item was the personnel record from Wanhua House. The Counselor mentioned that while there had been no records of foreign women arriving during the relevant time frame (July/August), there was a male cook from Furong City. Young Master Wang relayed this information to Xu Zilu.
Discussing this new detail, Xu Zilu and Ling Se considered a new possibility: that the killer might be a man disguised as a woman. This idea brought Ling Se's earlier encounter with Chef Hua into sharp focus. She recalled his figure being surprisingly narrow and the distinct, heavy scent of rouge on him – a type of fragrance exclusively supplied by the Xu family to Wanhua House.
Ling Se realized her initial mistake in identifying him in the dark at the inn was likely due to his disguise. She remembered how he had grasped her throat firmly, confirming his unexpected strength and martial skill for a cook, further fueling their suspicion that he was the fugitive who stole the roster after feeling exposed. Liu Yeniang then added that she had recently seen Chef Hua at Liangyuan Pier.
Realizing that a cargo ship was likely departing from the pier that very night, they quickly rushed there to intercept him. As they were waiting at the pier, Young Master Wang arrived and, shouting out "Hua Ruluan!" , inadvertently alerted the suspect, confirming his identity as the male cook. Hua Ruluan attempted to flee, displaying remarkable lightness skills. Xu Zilu, Ling Se, and the others immediately pursued him. In a desperate move, Young Master Wang grabbed a slingshot from a nearby child, attempting to stop Hua Ruluan's escape.
