Go Go Squid! Episode 4 Recap
> Go Go Squid! Recap
Han Shangyan sat in a taxi, his mind drifting back ten years to a lively scene on a bus. He and his former teammates, Wang Hao, Appledog, Little Mi, and Ou Qiang, were drinking and cheering as they passed Tiananmen Square, full of dreams of winning a world championship. Now, he abruptly left a competition venue with his manager, Su Cheng, refusing a dinner invitation from Director Xiang.
The reason for his resolute refusal was Wang Hao's presence at the dinner. Times had changed; Han Shangyan could no longer share a meal with Wang Hao, who had abandoned their team. While Wang Hao's past actions were linked to Su Cheng, who is the mother of Wang Hao's daughter, Han Shangyan assured her that she wasn't to blame for his current resentment towards Wang Hao. Upon arriving at the hotel, Tong Nian found herself surrounded by K&K team members.
They greeted her as "Sister-in-Law," making her feel quite awkward. She asked one of the players, 97, to tell the others to stop, but he misinterpreted her embarrassment and instead told them she was just shy, which only seemed to solidify the nickname. Wu Bai, Han Shangyan's cousin and the team captain, also noticed her arrival, looking surprised.
The team members speculated about Han Shangyan finally having a girlfriend, joking about their "boss" being "drop-dead gorgeous" and much more manly than them. Manager Su Cheng then led Tong Nian to Han Shangyan's room, mentioning that Han Shangyan wanted to speak with her privately. Tong Nian observed the Manager's strong, sophisticated aura, feeling a significant difference between them. Inside Han Shangyan's room, Tong Nian was surprised to see Grunt, a member of the K&K team, lounging on the sofa.
Han Shangyan introduced Grunt, whose real name is Shen Zhe, clarifying that he already had a girlfriend. Both Han Shangyan and Grunt mistakenly believed that Tong Nian was there because she liked Grunt and wanted to be his girlfriend. Flustered, Tong Nian quickly explained that she didn't like Grunt. Realizing her constant gaze towards Han Shangyan, Grunt deduced that Tong Nian was there for Han Shangyan.
He playfully accused Han Shangyan of trying to blame him for a "love entanglement," then teased his boss, who was known for avoiding women, for charming a "cute girl." Han Shangyan dismissed Grunt from the room, leaving him alone with Tong Nian. He approached her, backing her against a wall, and directly questioned her motives for being there and what she liked about him.
Tong Nian, her heart pounding, nervously explained that she had seen him at the airport in uniform, which surprised her, and then learned about the competition in Guangzhou. She clarified that her earlier misunderstanding about Grunt was because she had thought he was Han Shangyan and was worried about his supposed gastric bleeding. She apologized for disturbing him. Tong Nian's phone then rang; it was an important call.
Han Shangyan, whose mind was a whirlwind, allowed her to take it in the bathroom. The call turned out to be a live radio interview with "Hai Lukong," a popular host, who was interviewing Tong Nian in her capacity as "You Xiaoyu," a famous online singer with hundreds of thousands of fans. During the interview, Tong Nian described her ideal boyfriend as someone handsome, cool when silent, but warm when he smiled, subtly describing Han Shangyan.
After the call, Han Shangyan, despite his earlier intent to send her away, asked if she was hungry. Although she initially said no, she eagerly agreed to eat with him. He asked her name, Tong Nian, and then imperiously told her to follow him. In the elevator, Han Shangyan offered Tong Nian a candy, but they were interrupted by Demo, another K&K team member.
Demo, a known "bigmouth" on the team, immediately noticed Han Shangyan eating candy, a sign that their boss was extremely impatient or troubled. Demo mistakenly assumed that Han Shangyan was agitated because he had been caught being intimate with "Sister-in-Law." Han Shangyan knew this misunderstanding would quickly spread among the team. At the hotel's self-service restaurant, Tong Nian was meticulously choosing her food, constantly worried about how she would appear to Han Shangyan while eating.
She finally sat opposite him with a small plate, but an awkward silence hung between them. Noticing Demo and other teammates whispering and glancing their way, Han Shangyan called Demo and One to join them, seemingly to diffuse the tension.
During the conversation, the teammates learned that Tong Nian, or "Tong Sister-in-Law" as they still called her, was not only a famous online singer known as "You Xiaoyu" on NetEase Music with over a million followers, but also a brilliant scholar. She had started university at fifteen in a "junior class" program, earning double bachelor's degrees in bioengineering and electrical engineering, and was now a graduate student. Demo was particularly impressed, calling her his idol.
The teammates also observed that Tong Nian's eyes never left Han Shangyan throughout the conversation, clearly indicating her deep affection for him, while Han Shangyan remained largely silent but observant. Eventually, Han Shangyan grew tired of the team's chatter. He sent Tong Nian downstairs and instructed the driver to take her back to the White Swan Hotel. As she left, Tong Nian teared up.
Her young heart was fragile; she was upset that Han Shangyan didn't even turn to look back at her, fearing this separation might be indefinite, and feeling rejected by his seemingly cold attitude. Back in the training room, the K&K team members were gossiping about "Boss" Han Shangyan and the "cute girl" Tong Nian.
They joked about Han Shangyan being the "Big Devil" who spent 25 hours a day at the club and wondered how he, who seemed to attract only "Voldemort," could manage to get such an adorable girl. Han Shangyan entered, immediately silencing them. His cousin, Wu Bai, then pulled him aside, reminding him to call their grandfather. Han Shangyan borrowed Wu Bai's phone, unwilling to let his grandfather know his domestic number.
Their grandfather answered, immediately scolding Han Shangyan for being over thirty, still playing computer games, and not yet married with children. He contrasted Han Shangyan with "Little Bai," whom he praised but then also blamed Han Shangyan for leading astray. Used to his grandfather's rants, Han Shangyan simply urged him to take care of his health. Unexpectedly, his grandfather announced his plan to return to China to arrange matchmaking for both brothers.
Meanwhile, at the White Swan Hotel, Tong Nian immersed herself in online research about Han Shangyan. She discovered his illustrious past as "Gun God," a co-founder and major player of the legendary Team Solo, a member of the CTF Hall of Fame, and a champion in over ten international competitions. She learned that he had "three light halos" on the world map, representing his "legendary moments" that brought honor to China.
Overjoyed by his achievements, she eagerly went to her best friend Lan Mei's place to share her excitement. Lan Mei's husband, a fervent admirer of "Gun God," was thrilled to elaborate on Han Shangyan's heroic career, showing Tong Nian videos of his incredible plays and explaining his impact on the CTF world. Tong Nian then cautiously asked about Han Shangyan's romantic history.
Lan Mei's husband recounted popular gossip surrounding Team Solo's sudden disbandment, including a theory that Han Shangyan was in love with Appledog, a fellow co-lead attacker on Team Solo, whose professional achievements were "goddess-level." He further speculated that Han Shangyan might have formed the K&K club to win Appledog back. Hearing this, Tong Nian felt a pang of despair, suddenly feeling inferior and worrying that her beloved idol might still harbor feelings for Appledog.
