Archives: The Nanyang Mystery Episode 7 Recap
> Archives: The Nanyang Mystery Recaps
Zhang Haixia was not trapped in a fantasy. He knew he had been poisoned because he smelled the distinct stench of cured meat when he first met Chen Xifeng—a foul odor that went entirely unnoticed by the others on the ship. Realizing his perception was altered, he knew his mind was playing tricks on him. Despite his paralyzed legs, his intellect remained fully functional, allowing him to set a series of traps in his room to capture his assailant.
The killer was no match for Zhang Haixia’s preparations and was quickly subdued. Zhang Haixia explained that he had survived the Twilight Grass Poison because he was exposed to it three years prior during the assassination of Zhang Ruipu, allowing his body to build a natural immunity. Though the poison did not kill him, it had triggered severe hallucinations, including a vision of Zhang Hailou begging for death to avoid being a burden.
Watching the room's patrol light flash every thirteen seconds, Zhang Haixia managed to ground himself in reality and realize that Zhang Hailou was never actually in the room with him. With the killer pinned down, Zhang Haixia demanded to know why they were targeting members of the Archives on the Nan'an. Searching the assassin, he discovered a letter detailing the "pitcher plant plan"—a twenty-year conspiracy to wipe out the Archives before moving to the next phase.
Before Zhang Haixia could extract more information, the killer snatched the letter back and swallowed it. The assassin mocked him, stating they were all merely pawns and that the Nan'an was a giant pitcher plant from which the Archives flies could never escape. Realizing the gravity of the threat, Zhang Haixia knew he had to locate Zhang Hailou immediately. Meanwhile, on the Nan'an, Zhang Hailou was still working with Steven, desperately trying to expose the culprit before his deadline expired.
He devised a plan to draw the enemy out by sneaking around at night and painting fake red rashes on sleeping passengers using a special herb mixture. The pigment was designed to mimic toxic weed poisoning and could only be removed with a custom alcohol reagent. Steven reluctantly played along, posing as a holy medium who could "cure" the affliction.
Zhang Hailou reasoned that anyone who did not show up to seek a cure despite having the painted rash would be highly suspicious, specifically excluding adult Chinese males from his prank since they matched the profile of the warlord soldiers from the Panhua Reef Case. Despite a crowd of panicked passengers seeking treatment, no suspicious individuals took the bait. Zhang Hailou compared his failed attempt to throwing a bomb into a cesspool only to find no maggots crawling out.
With the Nan'an preparing to depart and the deadline practically upon them, Zhang Hailou had a sudden realization. There were doctors stationed on the vessel, yet they had shown no reaction to a supposed toxic weed outbreak. A real ship doctor would have locked down the ship to prevent the spread, but this one did nothing, marking them as the true culprit. Before Zhang Hailou could act on this breakthrough, Steven declared that their deal was over.
Unwilling to listen to any more theories, Steven and his armed men opened fire on Zhang Hailou. Dodging the bullets, Zhang Hailou made a desperate leap off the ship and plunged into the sea. After swimming for a long time, Zhang Hailou managed to climb aboard the Bowne through a public latrine. There he encountered He Jianxi, an accountant who initially mistook him for a stowaway.
Their squabble was cut short when they were seized by the ship's tyrant, Brother Long, who promptly confiscated He Jianxi's hard-earned money. Not wanting to cause a scene while injured, Zhang Hailou quickly knelt and begged for mercy. He spun a sob story, claiming they were cousins and the last surviving members of their family, and handed over the rest of their funds as a respectful tribute.
Pleased by the gesture, Brother Long took the money, promised to protect them, and ordered a private room for them, telling them to purchase a ticket under the alias Zhang Haiyan. He Jianxi was furious with Zhang Hailou for submitting to the thugs, but Zhang Hailou argued that staying alive was more important than pride. As they rested, He Jianxi explained that he was traveling to Jinfan to find his brother.
He spoke with immense admiration of the legendary Sea Plague, a masked hero rumored to protect Chinese passengers by slicing the mouths of evil sailors with a blade hidden in his mouth. Zhang Hailou was highly amused and quietly flattered by the accountant's glowing praise of his alter ego. When He Jianxi noticed Zhang Hailou's bleeding wound, Zhang Hailou quickly fabricated another lie to explain his fear of being caught.
He claimed his parents were dead and his eight-year-old sister was being held by powerful enemies who had hired the police to hunt him down. Deeply moved by the tragic tale, the soft-hearted accountant handed over bandages and a bottle of painkillers to help him. Analyzing the Bowne’s navigation charts, Zhang Hailou realized that the Bowne and the Nan'an would share an overlapping route at the junction of the inland and open seas.
Knowing the Bowne would reach the junction at 4:28 PM and the Nan'an would pass at 6:36 PM, he planned to swim across to save his sister. Desperate for gambling funds to secure resources, he asked He Jianxi for a loan. When the accountant refused, Zhang Hailou knocked him unconscious and stole the money anyway. Zhang Hailou joined a mahjong game on deck, where three local scammers were using turmeric to mark the tiles.
Using his sharp senses, Zhang Hailou easily saw through the trick, winning round after round and sharing his profits with Brother Long to keep the tyrant on his side. He Jianxi eventually woke up and rushed to the table, loudly accusing Zhang Hailou of cheating and warning that the Sea Plague would punish him. However, Zhang Hailou countered by exposing that the other three players were the actual scammers. A fight broke out, and Zhang Hailou effortlessly subdued the scammers.
The crowd began cheering for the Sea Plague to appear and punish the thieves. Striking a dramatic pose, Zhang Hailou donned his mask and declared his true identity as the Sea Plague. The passengers fell to their knees in gratitude, while a bewildered He Jianxi fainted from the shock of realizing his legendary idol was the eccentric "cousin" who had just robbed him.
