Forward Forever Episode 39 Recap
> Forward Forever Recap
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Yu Chu hurried Chong Liming to the lottery ceremony, reminding him that the organizers wouldn't wait. Chong Liming calmly reassured her that everything would be fine. The lottery ceremony began with Mary introducing the seven contestants, emphasizing the modern world's shift towards rules, cooperation, and efficiency, and implicitly criticizing those who fail to adapt. She introduced the "fighters" who defend collective interests.
A Yi, noticing Chong Liming's absence, protested that there should be eight contestants and that the ceremony couldn't start without him, a sentiment echoed by many Chinese guests. A Yi asked Mr. Su, representing the Southern Government, to intervene. Mr. Su acknowledged that intervening for a Qing official might be controversial, despite their shared nationality. Mary then publicly questioned Chong Liming's qualification for the "strongest Battle of Kings" due to his tardiness.
Mr. Su countered that punctuality doesn't directly reflect a fighter's skill and reminded her that Chong Liming had fairly earned his spot. He offered to draw for Chong Liming, and numerous Chinese spectators volunteered to do the same. Mary initially refused, citing unfairness to other contestants, but Mr. Su persuasively argued that eliminating a fighter without a match would diminish the champion's prestige and disrespect all competitors.
Conceding, Mary agreed to wait an additional ten minutes, calling it the "limit of patience," and Mr. Su thanked her. Can Yan Xin muttered to De Qi that the Southern Government's intervention made the Qing court lose face, prompting De Qi to scold him. Chong Liming, after settling Hua Jiuqing, struggled to descend the stairs, his back wound bleeding.
Wagner quickly re-bandaged the "skin injury," noting its depth and immediate need for suturing, but Chong Liming insisted they had no time and needed to go. He asked Si San to check on Hua Jiuqing and bandage her hand, urging him to ensure she didn't harm herself. Chong Liming told Yu Chu not to worry about him.
Finally, Chong Liming, Yu Chu, and Si San made a confident entrance, causing A Yi, Can Yan Xin, and Wen Gou to sigh in relief and Mr. Su to rise excitedly. Mary remarked on Chong Liming being "trouble," to which he replied, "I am trouble." The competition quickly got underway. Da Qiao decisively won his first match with a single punch against Rudolf Lehman, the "Storm."
Mary, surprised by Da Qiao's swift victory, instructed Leon not to mention it to the Austro-Hungarian envoy. Later, Ivan Derekin, "Big White Bear," narrowly defeated Thomas Muller, "Meat Grinder," in a judge's decision, 117 to 115. Mr. Su had felt Muller had a slight advantage. Mary reflected that while contestants fight on stage, their fate is often decided by "onlookers in the audience," implicitly using the competition's dynamics and the audience's covert dealings to threaten Mr. Su.
She then left, expressing her hope to discuss matters with Mr. Su soon. Can Yan Xin and Wen Gou discussed the bets, with Wen Gou noting that the bookies always profit regardless of the outcome. Chong Liming prepared for his own match against Pinoa, "Prince," a highly-rated French contestant. Pinoa confidently declared he would teach Chong Liming "real fighting skill" and send him to join his "Italian buddy" (whom Chong Liming had previously defeated).
Wagner worried about Chong Liming's deep wound, which he warned would reopen with strenuous activity, advising a quick victory. Chong Liming stated that painkillers made the wound numb for five to ten minutes, enough time for him to win swiftly. During practice with Wen Gou, his wound indeed reopened and bled, deeply distressing Yu Chu, who sent Wen Gou to get Wagner for immediate re-bandaging. Chong Liming dismissed the bleeding, claiming he couldn't feel it, but Yu Chu was adamant.
Meanwhile, Mary attempted to negotiate with Mr. Su, emphasizing that foreign powers sought "corresponding returns" for their efforts to ensure China's peace. She revealed that De Qi had promised further trade agreements to secure more foreign interests. Mr. Su agreed that trade was beneficial if conditions were genuinely equal but expressed skepticism, calling "equal conditions" an empty promise. He stressed that a "republic of the state is the general trend," and a new China demanded new terms.
Seeing no immediate progress, Mary suggested they return to watching the match. Peter Hong, on behalf of Mr. Jin, visited Chong Liming, presenting a Dragon Flag and wishing him success. He subtly inquired about Hua Jiuqing's whereabouts, but Chong Liming gave a dismissive response. Peter Hong immediately informed William about Chong Liming's injury, both delighted at the prospect of profiting from the betting.
Later, Peter Hong noticed Chong Liming was not wearing Mr. Jin's Dragon Flag and revealed to Big Cat the news of Chong Liming's waist injury, anticipating significant losses for his backers, while Big Cat worried for those who had wagered on him. Yu Chu expressed her concern to Chong Liming, urging him not to lose and to win at all costs. She personally draped his battle robe. Pinoa, "the cold-faced Knight," made his entrance.
Peter Hong commented on Pinoa's gentle appearance contradicting his many championships. Chong Liming then made his own grand entrance, met with enthusiastic cheers from Wen Gou and the crowd. Peter Hong, however, noticed Chong Liming was not wearing Mr. Jin's Dragon Flag and, to Big Cat, openly revealed Chong Liming's waist injury, anticipating significant losses for his backers. A Yi, brimming with confidence, vouched for Chong Liming to Mr. Su.
He explained how Chong Liming, whom he called his brother, had taken him in during his destitute days in Beijing. A Yi recounted Chong Liming's past as a noble Beyler and commander who was later stripped of his titles for protecting Sichuan citizens' railway stock capital rights, even engaging in armed conflict with the Hubei New Army to save civilian representatives, including A Yi and Zhou Jue. Mr. Su was clearly impressed.
The match began with Chong Liming and Pinoa engaging in a fierce sword fight, neither gaining an advantage. During a brief interlude, Wagner advised Chong Liming to end the fight quickly, warning that delaying would worsen his wound. Yu Chu, visibly anxious, pleaded with him to stop fighting, emphasizing that it was "just a competition." Chong Liming, however, reassured her, declaring he was fine and determined to win quickly to prove De Qi wrong.
As the fight transitioned to hand-to-hand combat, Pinoa deliberately targeted Chong Liming's injured waist with kicks. Chong Liming endured the excruciating pain, fiercely fighting back. Yu Chu was distraught, but Chong Liming comforted her, telling her not to cry. Wagner reiterated that re-suturing the wound was the only solution, to which Chong Liming dismissively remarked on Wagner's ineffectiveness. Chong Liming then adamantly declared that he had "never bowed down or surrendered" in his life and that Pinoa would have to kill him to win.
