Go Go Squid! Episode 2 Recap
> Go Go Squid! Recap
Han Shangyan was preparing to have dinner with his old friends Mi Shaofei and Ou Qiang, but when SP Team's Ou Qiang brought along their captain, Wang Hao, Han Shangyan immediately lost his appetite and left the gathering. Unbeknownst to him, both Wang Hao and Han Shangyan had the same goal: to recruit Mi Shaofei for their respective teams. After Han Shangyan's departure, Wang Hao informed Mi Shaofei that Appledog had signed with SP Team six months prior.
He urged Mi Shaofei to join them, emphasizing that this might be his last chance to make a comeback, as he was no longer young. Mi Shaofei eventually agreed, stating that Wang Hao was his first captain and he hoped he would be his last. He expressed his admiration for Wang Hao's dedication to the CTF industry, through its highs and lows, and they toasted to their future success.
Later that night, Wang Hao visited Han Shangyan at his hotel, revealing that Mi Shaofei had agreed to join SP Team. Han Shangyan reacted coldly, suggesting Wang Hao was there to boast, but Wang Hao insisted he simply believed SP was the best choice for Mi Shaofei. He promised to provide Mi Shaofei with the best resources to get him back into competitive shape.
Han Shangyan respected Mi Shaofei's decision, clarifying that it was Mi Shaofei who had given up on him, not the other way around. He sternly warned Wang Hao to keep his promise to take good care of Mi Shaofei, or he would settle both past and present grievances.
Wang Hao attempted to discuss personal matters, mentioning that Appledog was happy to have seen Han Shangyan recently, but Han Shangyan remained aloof, stating they had no private matters and should only meet in competitions. As Wang Hao left, he suggested that if Han Shangyan had been in his position ten years ago, he might have made the same choices. After Wang Hao left, Han Shangyan was consumed by memories of a decade ago.
He recalled Team Solo, comprised of himself, Wang Hao, Mi Shaofei, Appledog, and Ou Qiang, celebrating their national championship victory. As the team's MVP, Gun God, Han Shangyan was called upon to speak. He reflected on the two years and three months of wins, losses, laughter, and tears, asserting that they never needed to explain themselves despite facing criticism and gossip. He then shockingly announced his immediate withdrawal from Team Solo and his formal retirement.
His teammates were stunned, but Han Shangyan walked away. When Appledog and Mi Shaofei pursued him, Han Shangyan furiously declared that if the team was losing a member, particularly Wang Hao who had once painted such a hopeful picture of their future, then there was no point in continuing. That evening, at the celebratory feast, Mi Shaofei also decided to retire, feeling the team was meaningless without its full roster, and planned to help his mother run her convenience store.
Han Shangyan later confronted Wang Hao, physically attacking him and accusing him of not being worthy of discussing dreams. The next morning, Wang Hao brought Han Shangyan his passport and prize money, and Han Shangyan, still seething, forbade Wang Hao from ever being a captain again, stating he could only compete as an individual. Wang Hao promised he would never be a captain in his lifetime, and Han Shangyan took his passport and left.
Despite the passage of time, Han Shangyan still found it difficult to forgive Wang Hao. The following day, Mi Shaofei and Ou Qiang reminisced about their championship days with Han Shangyan. Mi Shaofei affectionately called Han Shangyan his lifelong brother and offered his help should Han Shangyan ever need it in Shanghai. After bidding his friends farewell, Han Shangyan prepared to fly back to Shanghai.
Mi Shaofei's grandmother, recognizing Han Shangyan as "Little Han," encouraged Mi Shaofei to be more responsible, to which Mi Shaofei promised to win a championship. Meanwhile in Shanghai, Tong Nian was constantly at the internet cafe, hoping to see Han Shangyan again. Her younger cousin, Hu Dounan, noticed her preoccupation and, using his smarts, identified the game Han Shangyan played, "Chamber Storm," and his game ID, "grunt," from the internet cafe's surveillance.
He also acquired a pro-level account called "1 Dash of Handsome" for Tong Nian to use. Tong Nian was thrilled, initially mistaking the player name on the account, "Shen Zhe," as Han Shangyan's real name. Hu Dounan quickly taught her the basic controls, but her first attempt at playing, where she invited "grunt" and he ended up on the opposing team, was disastrous.
She and Hu Dounan died quickly, much to the annoyance of Shen Zhe, who was actually playing on the "grunt" account. Shen Zhe, irritated by the "noobs," later passed the game to his teammate Demo while he left to get his passport. Back at K&K's base, Han Shangyan's teammates discussed his recent unusual actions, speculating about a potential romantic interest.
Shen Zhe also warned them not to add "1 Dash of Handsome" as a friend because the player was "too much of a noob." Disheartened by her poor performance and "grunt" going offline, Tong Nian dedicated herself to practicing, hoping to become skilled enough to protect Han Shangyan. That night, Tong Nian logged back into the game and saw "grunt" was online. She invited him to play, and this time, they were on the same team.
Excited, Tong Nian attempted to chat with him, asking if they could avoid being opponents. Han Shangyan, who was using Shen Zhe's account, agreed. He observed her clumsy gameplay and, noting her inexperience, assumed she was a child secretly using a family member's account. When her teammates expressed concern about her performance, Han Shangyan instructed Tong Nian to simply hide by the door until the game ended.
When his cousin Wu Bai returned and saw Han Shangyan playing on Shen Zhe's account, he questioned why he didn't just register his own. Han Shangyan cryptically replied that if he did, there would be nothing left for them. Before going to shower, he instructed Wu Bai to add "1 Dash of Handsome" to his friends list.
