Forward Forever Episode 24 Recap, Plot

> Forward Forever
> Forward Forever Recap

Chong Liming questioned Fang Er about how Xiao Ke became the hall owner of the Green Dragon Society and its connection to the Railway Rights Protection Association. Fang Er explained that after she and Xiao Ke fled to their hometown, Xiao Ke became involved with the Green Dragon Society. When the previous boss tried to make Fang Er his mistress, Xiao Ke killed him in her defense, eventually becoming the new leader.

Fang Er clarified that the Green Dragon Society was a local civilian organization, not related to the Green Gang, and many of its members, including herself and Xiao Ke, had invested heavily in the railway, losing everything when the British threatened to take it over. The local gentry formed the Rights Protection Association and based it at the Green Dragon Society for protection.

Chong Liming asked if Mary had attempted to bribe Liu Juren, but Fang Er stated that Xiao Ke would never accept, being fully committed to the struggle, even resorting to force. She confirmed Xiao Ke was responsible for attacking the railway company and burning its plaque, justifying it by calling the foreigners' actions robbery. Chong Liming warned that such actions would provoke the court to send troops, leaving no room for negotiation.

He urged Fang Er to tell Xiao Ke not to act rashly and promised he would do his utmost to recover their lost stock capital. Fang Er acknowledged his warning. Meanwhile, in an adjacent room, Xiao Ke had been closely monitoring Chong Liming. The Second Master seized the opportunity to speak ill of Chong Liming, blaming him for their failed operation in Beijing and warning that letting him go was akin to "letting a tiger return to the mountain."

Xiao Ke, however, lamented that his sister, Fang Er, protected Chong Liming, leaving him helpless. The Second Master then speculated that the Yan Shi Fan were in Sichuan to protect the British representative, implying they were not allies. He urged Xiao Ke to demand a share of this "free money" for the Green Dragon Society, as the foreigners were only trying to buy peace and had merely approached Liu Juren and Zhou Jue.

Convinced, Xiao Ke decided to meet Mary and ordered a carriage. Si San delivered a letter to Yu Chu, which she found slid under her door. After reading it, Yu Chu was visibly troubled and, despite Si San's offer to accompany her, left alone. The letter was from Yang Ming, inviting her to meet at a street-side sesame cake shop.

Upon meeting, Yang Ming, desperate for answers, immediately asked Yu Chu about his forgotten identity and why she harbored such hatred towards him. Yu Chu sternly refused to reveal anything, stating she wanted him to suffer for his past actions, which included deeply hurting a woman, ruining a life, and destroying a family.

When Yang Ming pressed for clarification, Yu Chu simply told him that some matters could never be fully explained and that he was unworthy of addressing her by name before walking away. That night, Xiao Ke, identifying himself as the hall owner of the Green Dragon Society, paid a late visit to Mary, bringing local Sichuan wine. Mary, keen to get to the point, inquired about his true intentions.

Xiao Ke, aware of her previous attempts to bribe Liu Juren and Zhou Jue, informed her that she had been approaching the wrong people, suggesting that despite their official positions, true power lay with him and his hundreds of hungry brothers. Mary directly asked what he sought. Xiao Ke declared that their peaceful conduct depended on her sincerity. Mary initially offered 100,000 taels of silver notes, which Xiao Ke deemed insufficient, demanding 1,000,000 taels instead.

He argued this was a small investment for her 5,000,000 tael railway venture, promising that his men would ensure peace in Nanan until the contract was signed. When Mary questioned what would happen after the signing, Xiao Ke cynically explained that once the contract was official, the court would suppress any further unrest, as they did not value the lives of common people. He then subtly insulted Mary for not realizing this sooner.

Annoyed by his audacity, Mary ordered Allen to forcefully escort Xiao Ke out, dismissing his ability to disrupt the signing. Fearing further delays, Mary acted decisively overnight, arranging for three newspapers to publish fabricated news that China and Britain would sign the railway construction contract in three days. The next morning, Qian Daren was enraged upon seeing the headlines, immediately deducing Mary's scheme to coerce him. He rushed to confront her, accusing her of fabricating news without his consent.

Mary remained unfazed, asserting that his mission in Nanan was to sign the contract, and her company could not afford delays, thus setting a three-day deadline. Qian Daren argued that the situation in Nanan was far more complicated, but Mary countered by listing the protests, insults, and destruction she had witnessed, implicitly accusing him of fostering the unrest.

He insisted that the situation wouldn't escalate if they recovered the people's stock capital, but Mary firmly stated she was merely there to sign, unwilling to pay additional funds, and disclaimed responsibility for the common people's financial ruin. To further pressure him, Mary revealed she had also arranged for newspapers in Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou to publish the same news, leaving Qian Daren utterly powerless in the face of widespread public attention.

Zhou Jue and A Yi also saw the newspaper and suspected Mary's manipulation. A Yi believed Qian Daren would not sign, but Zhou Jue explained that Mary’s move had put Qian Daren in a difficult position, emphasizing the power of public opinion to turn rumors into reality. Zhou Jue proposed a plan requiring A Yi’s assistance: he would personally go to the county magistrate to persuade Qian Daren, and they agreed to meet there at 8 PM.

Yang Ming tried to dissuade Zhou Jue, citing the danger, but Zhou Jue insisted, not for the self-serving members of the Rights Protection Association, but for the hungry common people, whose long efforts would otherwise be wasted. Yang Ming, expressing deep concern for Zhou Jue, suggested they first visit the Rights Protection Association. There, they found Xiao Ke passionately rallying the crowd, accusing both the court and foreigners of deception.

Xiao Ke declared that Qian Daren had set a signing date in three days, which would result in the loss of all the people's stock capital. He vehemently urged them not to "wait to die obediently" and to "fight for stock capital, break the contract!" The crowd echoed his sentiments.

Zhou Jue rushed in, appealing for calm and cautioning that any attempt to disrupt the signing on the appointed day would be met with heavy court troops, leading to unnecessary casualties. Xiao Ke angrily rejected his advice, challenging Zhou Jue's claims and stating that they could not afford to wait.

Zhou Jue maintained that rights could be secured without bloodshed and that revolution did not necessitate violence, but Xiao Ke, dismissing him as an "Alliance" member, forcibly expelled him, telling the crowd to disregard his "nonsense." Leaving the Rights Protection Association through a back exit with Yubing's help, Zhou Jue headed to Qian Daren's residence, asking Yubing to inform Yang Ming he would return later. A Yi had already arrived and knocked Qian Daren unconscious.

Zhou Jue entered as Qian Daren was regaining consciousness. Qian Daren, recognizing Zhou Jue, admitted he had been trapped by Mary's fabricated news and felt his credibility was shattered. Zhou Jue introduced himself as a representative of the Alliance, sent to guide the Rights Protection Association, not as an assassin, and presented the newspaper, offering a solution to restore public trust. He encouraged Qian Daren to refuse to sign the contract in three days, which would naturally discredit the rumors.

When Qian Daren expressed concern about potential riots before the signing, Zhou Jue promised to work with him. Zhou Jue analyzed Mary's desperate tactics, such as bribing Liu Juren and Magistrate Cao and fabricating news, as signs of her company's impatience. He advised continued delay, believing that the British, valuing the immense profits from the railway above the 5 million taels of stock capital, would eventually be forced to return the full amount.

To seal their alliance, Zhou Jue wrote a blood oath, pledging his utmost to prevent the Sino-British signing if Qian Daren refused. Moved by Zhou Jue's sincerity and appeal to national heroism, Qian Daren agreed to his plan. Yu Chu, seeing A Yi outside Qian Daren's room, questioned him intensely about his presence. A Yi’s attempts at evasion were quickly seen through by Yu Chu. Just then, Qian Daren emerged from the room with Zhou Jue.

Enraged that A Yi had brought Zhou Jue to the county magistrate’s office, Yu Chu confronted them, accusing A Yi of being reckless and declaring Zhou Jue a revolutionary threat. She warned that anyone who spoke on his behalf would be charged with colluding with rebels. Chong Liming arrived, and Qian Daren confirmed that Zhou Jue had indeed been there to discuss the signing. Chong Liming then pulled Qian Daren aside.

Yu Chu, despite A Yi's desperate pleas that Zhou Jue had no ill intentions and that they shared common hopes for the nation, had Zhou Jue imprisoned in the county jail. She coldly dismissed A Yi, reminding him of her earlier warning not to associate with Zhou Jue and threatening to disown him if he continued to do so. A Yi apologized for his actions but still begged for Zhou Jue's release.

Zhou Jue, however, interjected that he would bear the consequences of his own actions, to which Yu Chu replied that his imprisonment was precisely that consequence. Chong Liming questioned Qian Daren, who confirmed his agreement with Zhou Jue's plan. Chong Liming then pressed him on the severe repercussions of refusing to sign the treaty. Qian Daren admitted he was well aware that defying the imperial order could cost him his position and even his life.

He confessed his fear since first receiving the signing task, feeling torn between betraying the court or the people. He ultimately decided that signing would force the people of Nanan into rebellion, leading to widespread bloodshed, and declared he would rather betray the court than his own people. Although aware that the Yan Shi Fan were there to ensure he signed, when Chong Liming asked if he had truly thought it through, Qian Daren affirmed his decision.

Chong Liming then unequivocally stated that Qian Daren need not worry about the Yan Shi Fan, as he, Chong Liming, would always stand with the common people. Yang Ming grew increasingly anxious as Zhou Jue had not returned late into the night, but Fang Er had no information either.

That night, Chong Liming went to the jail to release Zhou Jue, explaining that he was giving him a chance to prove himself by taking leadership of the Rights Protection Association and appeasing the public. Chong Liming revealed his condition for help: A Yi must accompany Zhou Jue. Yu Chu, overhearing this, strongly objected.

Chong Liming instructed A Yi to conceal his Yan Shi Fan identity and return with Zhou Jue to the Railway Rights Protection Association to assist and protect him. A Yi questioned if he was being asked to monitor Zhou Jue, but Chong Liming affirmed it was a sign of trust, confident that A Yi would never betray him. He sent A Yi off, telling him to maintain contact.

Yu Chu confronted Chong Liming in a fit of rage, accusing him of disregarding her feelings by letting A Yi be near Yang Ming. Chong Liming countered that he also considered A Yi's right to know his biological father, regardless of Yang Ming's past wrongs towards Yu Chu and her mother. He argued that to A Yi, Yang Ming was merely an unknown father, and A Yi had the right to discover his true identity.

Yu Chu vehemently declared Yang Ming unworthy of fatherhood and challenged Chong Liming's loyalty as a Yan Shi Fan, questioning his decision to release a wanted criminal like Zhou Jue and accusing them both of being "crazy." Chong Liming tried to explain that Zhou Jue's current role in calming public anger was crucial, especially if Qian Daren refused to sign, and that arresting him was not an option.

Yu Chu dismissed their strategy as a temporary fix, arguing that the court would simply send another official, and told him to "think about it." A Yi accompanied Zhou Jue back to the inn, where Zhou Jue dressed A Yi in a student uniform, remarking on how well it suited him and made him appear like a university student.

Zhou Jue then established A Yi's new identity: "Yi Xintian," a freshman at Sichuan Tongsheng University who had joined the Alliance six months prior. Following this, Zhou Jue took A Yi to the Green Dragon Society headquarters, intending for them to remain there until the day of the signing.

Upon their arrival, Fang Er, who had prepared a room for them, was told by Zhou Jue that he came because he could not remain inactive given the severe rights protection situation, and felt more secure at their Rights Protection Association.

Episode 23 Recap

Episode 25 Recap