Guardian Episode 16 Recap
> Guardian Recap
A nervous Guo Changcheng, wearing a mask, sat at Zhao Yunlan’s desk, feigning work in a "laboratory" filled with supposed trophies and inventions. A sharply dressed man entered, demanding to see Director Zhao. Guo attempted to deflect by claiming to have a contagious cold, but the man was unfazed, calmly revealing he knew all of Guo's personal details, from his birth date to his family connections. Startled, Guo removed his mask and asked for the man's identity.
The man introduced himself as Zhao Xinci, Director General of the Star Supervisory Bureau, former Director of the Special Investigation Unit, and Zhao Yunlan's father. Zhao Xinci then pressed the team on Zhao Yunlan's whereabouts and also inquired about the new consultant, Shen Wei, noting he had checked Shen's schedule and knew he was free, implying he was well aware of his son's flippant nature. Da Qing explained that Zhao Yunlan was in the Subterranean realm with the Black-Robed Envoy.
There, the Regent informed Shen Wei that he and Lord Earth were waiting for his report. The Regent asked Shen Wei to dismiss Zhao Yunlan, referring to him as a mere "attendant," but Zhao Yunlan firmly corrected him, stating he was a friend. Though the Black-Robed Envoy insisted that no outsiders were allowed, Zhao Yunlan placated him, stating that he knew the Envoy was a man of principle.
With the Envoy appeased, Zhao Yunlan suggested that he and the Regent search for the missing item while Shen Wei attended to his official duties, reassuring a cautious Shen Wei that he would be careful. Back at the SIU, after hearing the explanation, Zhao Xinci criticized Zhao Yunlan for deserting his post, stating that a leader's most serious dereliction of duty is abandoning his team. Just then, an urgent call came in about an incident at Dragon Park.
Upon arrival, Zhao Xinci took charge, reminding everyone that as the acting Director, he expected obedience and efficiency. The key witness, a stammering security guard named Bao Laosan, could only describe waking up to the horrific scene of fractured ground. Zhao Xinci assigned tasks: Guo Changcheng and Chu Shuzhi were to investigate the guard's family, Zhu Hong was to get security footage, and Lin Jing was to analyze the soil structure.
To Da Qing's shock, Zhao Xinci instructed him to question the neighborhood's stray cats for clues, claiming Da Qing had once been a meritorious "cat whisperer." Da Qing protested that he had no such ability and couldn't recall it, but Zhao Xinci insisted, criticizing Zhao Yunlan’s methods as being driven by a desire for quick success rather than solid evidence.
Wandering the Subterranean realm with the Regent, Zhao Yunlan soon stumbled upon a scuffle where an old man, Wu, was being bullied. Zhao Yunlan intervened, using a quick ruse about a contagious disease to scare off the attackers. Later, while alone, Zhao Yunlan encountered a glowing stone that spoke to him, voicing his deep-seated insecurities and cynicism. Before he could process the experience, the same youths who had bullied Wu surrounded him, questioning his identity.
They turned hostile when he mentioned the Black-Robed Envoy, calling him a traitor. Just as they were about to attack, the Black-Robed Envoy appeared, causing the youths to flee. Meanwhile, the Black-Robed Envoy went to the Palace of Lord Earth to consult Ding Dun's personal files. He was informed by an attendant that the files had been destroyed half a month prior by order of Lord Earth, with the attendant asserting Lord Earth's supreme authority.
The attendant then noted the Envoy's mask, remarking on the coincidence of someone else wearing a similar one and jesting about a masked ball. Later, Zhao Yunlan ran into Old Wu again, who warned him that the Regent was a duplicitous man with an ill repute, known for having malice behind his smile. Just then, the Regent arrived, feigning concern and claiming to have searched everywhere for Zhao Yunlan.
He then dramatically complained of feeling unwell and, instead of producing the Book of Lord Earth, vaguely described it as being made of black sheepskin and asked Zhao Yunlan to find it himself before promptly excusing himself to rest. At the SIU, Da Qing reported to Zhao Xinci that their investigations had yielded nothing. Unsurprised, Zhao Xinci called it the "calm before the storm."
He harshly criticized the team's working style as "sloppy and undisciplined" and, citing information from a reliable source, proposed Zhao Yunlan's removal as Director. He announced he would speak to each member privately to gain support. Soon after, another incident of fractured ground was reported. While investigating the new scene, Zhu Hong received a call that the security guard, Bao Laosan, had gone missing.
Lin Jing then had a breakthrough, realizing Zhao Xinci’s request for a soil report meant he had already deduced the culprit had the psychic power to alter soil structures. Understanding the gravity of the situation, the team rushed back to the SIU. Meanwhile, Zhu Jiu was with Bao Laosan, revealing his new plan to destroy the SIU building. Having failed to damage it from within, he now intended to use an external force—Bao Laosan's earth-moving psychic power—to crush it entirely. When Bao asked if this would allow Subterraneans to live on the surface, Zhu Jiu assured him that it would.
