Go Go Squid 2 Dt.Appledog's Time Episode 1 Recap
> Go Go Squid 2 Dt.Appledog's Time Recap
The 2017 China Robot Combat Tournament final began, with staff adjusting the robots and commentators introducing the contestants. First to appear was Tornado, operated by Ai Qing, renowned as China's first female operator. Seven years prior, as a member of Team Solo, she had already won a national championship and was determined to claim this year's trophy. Tornado’s opponent, Nobody, operated by Team DT’s captain, Wu Bai, made a surprising entrance from behind.
Wu Bai, a notable dark horse, had reached the national final in his first league appearance. Just as the match was about to start, Tornado’s remote control malfunctioned. Ai Qing's teammate called her, as she was on her way with a spare. Caught in a heavy rainstorm and severe traffic in the Yan’an road tunnel, she exited her taxi and sprinted towards the arena.
On the way, she was bumped, causing her case to open and a small container to fall into a sewer. As she knelt to retrieve it, the container drifted away in the water. Just then, Wu Bai, having learned of her predicament, arrived to help, and they ran to the arena together. Upon arrival, Ai Qing thanked Wu Bai and introduced herself. Wu Bai gently shook her hand and reciprocated. The two then faced each other in the arena.
Ai Qing initially dominated, thrilling the audience who chanted her name. However, Wu Bai was intimately familiar with Ai Qing's strategy; her remote control settings had remained unchanged for seven years, allowing him to visualize every move. He had waited seven years for this moment, finally standing before her as a competitor, not just a spectator. Seeing Nobody taking constant hits, Wu Bai’s teammate, 97, urged him to retaliate.
Wu Bai finally launched a counterattack, and Nobody executed a spectacular maneuver, flipping the defending champion. Ai Qing was surprised but refused to yield, pushing the match into a heated phase. Ultimately, Nobody prevailed, securing the championship. Ai Qing felt embarrassed losing to a newcomer.
Her friend, Slide, the leader of the Chinese delegation for the upcoming Asian Robot Combat Tournament (ARCT), informed her that Wu Bai was a student at a world-renowned university's mechanical engineering department, home for the summer, and had only temporarily formed a team. Not winning the championship meant Ai Qing couldn't directly qualify for the ARCT in Singapore. However, Slide pointed out another path: becoming the champion of the single-player Racing event would also grant her entry.
As Ai Qing left, Wu Bai started to follow but stopped, remembering his brother’s words that Ai Qing was Wang Hao's girlfriend, which left him disappointed. Two months later, Ai Qing arrived at the ARCT contestants’ village in Singapore. After dropping her luggage in her room, she went to Room 206 to find Slide. To her surprise, Wu Bai, freshly showered and wrapped in a towel, opened the door.
The sight sparked a memory for Wu Bai from the tournament day when he had found Ai Qing in the rain. Soaked, he had asked a teammate for a towel, but it was given to the equally drenched Ai Qing instead. When Wu Bai bent down to pick a piece of tape from his shoe, Ai Qing, misunderstanding, began to dry his hair with the towel.
Wu Bai was momentarily stunned before straightening up and showing her the tape, making Ai Qing realize her mistake. Back in the present, Ai Qing expressed her surprise at their quick reunion. Wu Bai assumed she was there to watch, but she clarified she was competing in Racing. As he invited her in, 97, wanting to help his captain with his "dream girl," mischievously pulled down Wu Bai's towel.
Ai Qing was shocked, but Wu Bai was fortunately wearing shorts underneath. After 97 awkwardly re-wrapped the towel, Wu Bai put on a T-shirt and confessed to Ai Qing that he had entered the industry because of her. Ai Qing’s qualification through the Racing event stirred online debate, with some calling it opportunistic and claiming her skills had declined. Feeling disheartened, she wondered if she should retire. While walking by the sea, she was drawn to a pair of cats.
Wu Bai, also there, showed his knowledge of felines by gently picking one up for her to pet. As he was about to let her hold it, the cat darted away, causing them both to tumble onto the sand. Wu Bai stood to help Ai Qing up but was suddenly struck by blurred vision and collapsed. He quickly recovered, brushing off Ai Qing’s concern by attributing it to pre-game nerves.
Wu Bai suggested they visit a shooting range the next day to relax, and Ai Qing agreed. At the range, Wu Bai experienced another dizzy spell and lost to Ai Qing by a narrow two rings. Impressed by his focus and composure, Ai Qing asked him to consider joining her team. When Wu Bai asked why Team Solo had suddenly disbanded years ago, Ai Qing evaded the question, teasingly asking if his idol was Wang Hao, Han Shangyan, or herself.
She then told him to look up online gossip for his answer. Afterward, he led her to a windy spot and playfully blew bubbles, making her smile. After the competition draw, Ai Qing suspected foul play, as she was assigned particularly strong opponents. Despite the unfairness, she relied on her skill to win the Racing championship for China.
Meanwhile, Wu Bai dominated his robot combat group matches, winning all three and securing his place to contend for the ARCT team championship. However, his eye condition, Orbital Varix, was worsening, causing intermittent vision loss. His brother called, urging him to return for immediate treatment. Wu Bai refused, confessing that winning the world championship was Ai Qing's dream, and he wanted to achieve it for her. His brother insisted that while there would be other competitions, his eyes couldn't wait.
Wu Bai promised to return after the tournament and asked his brother to keep his condition a secret from their grandfather. Wu Bai reflected that light, the simple principle that allowed him to see, had now become his greatest obstacle, and all he truly wanted was to be able to simply see the person he liked.
