Never Say Goodbye Episode 17 Recap
> Never Say Goodbye Recap
Rong Yao received a call from Mu Qing, during which Rong Yao informed him that Group K's drug dealers, buyers, and transporters were all under police surveillance. Mu Qing then asked Rong Yao to monitor Tieguanyin, who managed drug factories and was preparing a large shipment for Mu Qing. Mu Qing suggested they first target Tieguanyin's cargo points to force her to restock quickly, which would then allow them to strike her factories. Rong Yao agreed to oversee this.
Before concluding their call, Rong Yao urged Mu Qing to be safe, to which Mu Qing responded with a similar warning and reiterated his true identity as Liu Yuanwen. Director Liu, present with Rong Yao, approved of their collaboration and directed Rong Yao back to his duties. The police subsequently launched "Operation Thunderbolt," successfully dismantling some of Tieguanyin's drug factories.
While his team celebrated and hoped for a few days off, Rong Yao, stern-faced, dismissed the idea of slackening off after a small success. Director Liu intervened, advising Rong Yao on the importance of balancing work with rest, emphasizing that haste would not achieve their goals. Rong Yao explained his unwavering commitment to the anti-drug effort, revealing that his father and sister, Rong Yu, had both died in the line of duty.
Having lost his own family, he didn't want anyone else in the city to suffer similarly, pledging to dedicate himself completely until all shadows were removed. Director Liu later met with Mu Qing, commending him for the successful operation and particularly for his innovative dark web system. He noted that while the system appeared to offer drug traffickers greater secrecy, it simultaneously placed them under constant police surveillance.
Mu Qing proposed using this dark web system as a long-term strategy to completely dismantle Group K. Mu Qing then shared that he had successfully made contact with Skylark. Director Liu was surprised to learn that the unruly Ou Kexin was indeed Skylark. He explained that Ou Kexin was Mr. Ou's goddaughter, not by blood. Her biological father had been killed by drug traffickers years ago while protecting Mr. Ou, leading Mr. Ou to adopt her.
Ou Kexin and her mother were then sent abroad for their safety when she was just a few months old. Director Liu clarified that the organization withheld her identity for two key reasons: she had a more confidential, high-level mission to complete, and keeping her identity secret was crucial for the safety of all undercover agents involved. Meanwhile, Ou Kexin called Mr. Ou, assertively telling him that she was grown and no longer needed his worries or concerns.
She requested that he respect her privacy and informed him that she had "taken care of those useless things," implying she had discovered and removed the listening devices he had planted. Separately, Rong Yao sent a text message to Li Yimeng, inviting her to dinner. Overjoyed, Li Yimeng eagerly accepted and dressed elegantly for the evening. However, upon arriving at the Yungang Restaurant's Hibiscus Room, she discovered that Rong Yao had invited the entire Task Force 84.
Her teammates, taken aback by her unusually glamorous attire, teased her, leaving Li Yimeng feeling a little disappointed. At her base, Tieguanyin was furious, interrogating the manager of a recently raided warehouse about the loss of millions worth of drugs. The manager, bewildered, claimed the police had appeared so suddenly that he couldn't even react. Soon after, Yan Jing arrived and informed Tieguanyin of Mr. Ou's demand for a 50% increase in drug production.
Tieguanyin expressed concerns about such a large output during chaotic times, but Yan Jing explained it was necessary for Mr. Ou to establish ties with "Spectre." Both Yan Jing and Tieguanyin were curious about Mu Qing's extraordinary ability to handle such a large volume of drugs. As Yan Jing was preoccupied with Ou Kexin, he asked Tieguanyin to investigate Mu Qing's methods, a request Tieguanyin readily accepted.
After Yan Jing departed, Tieguanyin instructed her subordinates to dispose of the manager, who had "accidentally" died, by encasing him in cement and dumping him into the sea. Yan Jing then returned, remarking on Tieguanyin's beauty and ruthless nature, noting their shared cruelty. Simultaneously, Director Wang, the Provincial Public Security Director, revealed a shocking secret to Director Liu and Rong Yao through a video call: the person currently known as Ou Kexin was not the real Ou Kexin.
The actual Ou Kexin had died three years earlier in France, the victim of an engineered accident orchestrated by Mr. Ou's enemies. The woman impersonating her was, in fact, Rong Yao's sister, Rong Yu. Rong Yao was stunned, tears streaming down his face as he grappled with the news that his sister was alive. Director Wang clarified that three years prior, the organization identified the real Ou Kexin as a breakthrough for gathering evidence on Mr. Ou.
When the real Ou Kexin unexpectedly died, Rong Yu, who bore a strong resemblance to her in physique, appearance, and temperament, was deemed the most suitable person to impersonate her. Rong Yu had already volunteered for a three-year training program for this mission before she was involved in an accident during a previous operation, which was then used to fabricate the illusion of her "death" to facilitate her new undercover role.
She further requested to go to France to meticulously learn and imitate everything about the real Ou Kexin. Rong Yu’s only condition was that her mission be kept secret from her family, including Rong Yao and Liu Yuanwen, to prevent any emotional distraction. Director Wang apologized for the lengthy deception. Overwhelmed, Rong Yao wanted to confront his sister, but Director Liu urged him to trust the organization and Rong Yu's resolve.
Director Liu expressed deep concern that if Mu Qing (Liu Yuanwen) were to discover Ou Kexin's true identity, he might lose emotional control, and therefore, instructed Rong Yao to keep this information from him for the time being. Later, while purchasing water and bread, Mu Qing realized he was being followed. He discreetly called Ou Kexin, subtly asking if she was also experiencing unwanted "attention." Ou Kexin immediately understood that she too was under surveillance.
They agreed to reschedule their date for another time and location. Upon returning to his base, Mu Qing found Tieguanyin waiting. She directly asked him to reveal his methods for quickly distributing large quantities of drugs. Mu Qing refused, calling it a trade secret, and mockingly suggested she would have to pay for such knowledge.
Tieguanyin, implying that Mu Qing was becoming overconfident with Mr. Ou's support, warned him with the proverb, "The tallest tree catches the most wind," suggesting his prominence would attract enemies. Mu Qing sarcastically asked if she intended to be "the wind." After Tieguanyin left, Mu Qing explained to Li Ruosheng that Tieguanyin's calm demeanor was deceptive. He revealed that Dakun had consistently given Tieguanyin a substantial 20% commission on his drug sales, making her the "biggest parasite" within the organization.
With Dakun's demise and her profits diminished, Tieguanyin was now desperate. Li Ruosheng considered informing Mr. Ou, but Mu Qing argued that even if Mr. Ou knew, he would not act against Tieguanyin due to her value to the organization. To ensure stability, Mu Qing proposed giving Tieguanyin a 10% share of their future drug sales, calling it "buying peace of mind." Li Ruosheng reluctantly agreed. Unbeknownst to them, Tieguanyin had already sent her subordinates to investigate Mu Qing's operations.
They successfully located his online distribution hub, leading Tieguanyin to believe Mu Qing had walked directly into her trap. Driven by the revelation, Rong Yao secretly visited Ou Kexin's shop. He watched her from a distance as she cleaned the glass door before quietly departing. Later, Ou Kexin, carefully dressed, met Mu Qing for their rescheduled date. As they spent time together, Ou Kexin's mannerisms and appearance vividly reminded Mu Qing of Rong Yu.
Overcome by a wave of bittersweet memories of his lost love, Mu Qing involuntarily began to cry. Noticing his distress, Ou Kexin playfully tried to lift his spirits by suggesting they play a claw machine game. She challenged him to a competition, proposing that whoever managed to grab the most dolls with the same amount of tokens would be the winner, and the loser would face a punishment. Mu Qing, collecting himself, accepted the challenge, and their game began.
