Speed and Love Episode 5 Recap
> Speed and Love Recap
He Zhang arrived at the auto shop looking for Jin Chao, but Jin Chao was out. San Lai prevented Jiang Mu from leaving, explaining that Jin Chao had worked at Wan's Auto Shop for several years before starting his own business. Since then, people from Wan's had frequently harassed him. He Zhang had brought a large group of men, and San Lai was unable to hold them off alone.
San Lai confronted He Zhang's men, mentioning his father but asserting he was a good citizen. When one of He Zhang's men attempted to smash a car with a hammer, Jiang Mu intervened, quickly overpowering the man. Enraged, He Zhang pushed San Lai aside and advanced on Jiang Mu. When asked if the shop belonged to her family, Jiang Mu boldly confirmed it, then began livestreaming on her phone as a warning, but He Zhang ignored her.
Just then, Jin Chao returned, delivering a flying kick that sent He Zhang sprawling and protected Jiang Mu. He Zhang grabbed a car repair tool and aimed it at Jiang Mu, but Jin Chao bravely stepped in front, taking the blow. The two men fought, creating a chaotic mess in the garage. Concerned for Jin Chao, Jiang Mu announced she had called the police, which finally brought the skirmish to a halt.
After He Zhang and his crew left, Jiang Mu questioned San Lai about why they never called the police in such situations. San Lai explained it was an unspoken rule among them: as long as no lives were at stake, the police would only mediate. He recounted that in high school, when Jin Chao was known as Touqi, he could single-handedly take on ten people.
San Lai added that although Jin Chao could still handle ten men now if he chose to, he usually avoided physical confrontations with Wan's, often dealing with them verbally. Today’s fight was likely provoked by Jiang Mu's presence, as Wan's men typically only sought to disrupt business, not cause serious harm. Jiang Mu asked why Wan's Auto Shop kept bothering Jin Chao.
San Lai elaborated that Jin Chao, a skilled senior mechanic, had left Wan's due to some issues, and Iron Cock, another mechanic, left with him. Many other junior mechanics followed suit, and numerous long-standing clients also switched to Jin Chao’s new shop. This exodus had a significant negative impact on Wan's Auto Shop’s business, which had thrived when Jin Chao was there, leading to their persistent harassment.
Jiang Mu then probed further, asking if Jin Chao was involved in dangerous activities like underground fighting and racing with dangerous crowds. San Lai, looking increasingly uncomfortable, claimed she knew too much and fled, refusing to divulge any more details. Determined to find out more, Jiang Mu decided she would investigate Shakun High School and the nickname Touqi.
Later, while at the garage, Jin Chao had Jiang Mu help organize screws, and she felt underestimated, though San Lai assured her it was a difficult task, pointing out he couldn't do it without fingerprints. Meanwhile, Lin Sui, following a car-related clue, arrived at a pet shop, where San Lai was working. San Lai initially assumed Jin Chao was in trouble and tried to get rid of Lin Sui.
However, Lin Sui showed an interest in a modified pickup truck parked outside, noting its Wankel engine, 1,000 horsepower, and 2,000 torque, which made it faster than supercars on a track. San Lai explicitly claimed the truck belonged to him. Lin Sui then asked where San Lai was last Saturday night, mentioning surveillance footage of a black RX7 driving without headlights before a bend.
San Lai denied it was him and boasted of being the "Racing Legend of Chinatown," Lord Sanlai. Lin Sui continued to ask questions, prompting San Lai to introduce a "membership card" system: a gold card for one question and a platinum card for three. Lin Sui purchased a platinum card, but inadvertently wasted his questions on unrelated topics, such as asking when the pet birds would come down.
San Lai then offered a "Supreme VIP" card for a higher fee, promising unlimited questions. Upon taking Lin Sui's business card, San Lai recognized his name and then showed the card to Jin Chao. San Lai informed Jin Chao about Lin Sui's visit and the challenge for next Saturday. Lin Sui had told San Lai that Jin Chao would know the location, which Jin Chao confirmed was a mountain race at Doi Inthanon.
San Lai, worried about his racing skills, fretted that he would disgrace his title. Seeing San Lai’s concern, Jin Chao offered to take him somewhere to teach him some tricks. In a garage, San Lai recognized a car from Lin Sui’s photo—Fujiwara Takumi's AE86. Jin Chao gave San Lai a basic lesson on modified cars, differentiating between the lightweight, extreme-performance Japanese style and the heavier, rigid, comfortable German style.
Jin Chao explained his own racing style evolution, from a "rule-following straight-A student" (German style) to a "madman with no limits" (Japanese style). San Lai, not understanding much, was excited about the AE86. Jin Chao handed San Lai a cap with a moon symbol, and when San Lai asked its meaning, Jin Chao playfully responded, "In the name of the moon, I'll punish you." They then drove to a closed road for practice.
Jin Chao demonstrated "full-throttle shifting" for faster acceleration, emphasizing flooring the gas and quick gear and clutch changes. When San Lai tried, he struggled, so Jin Chao helped him shift gears while San Lai managed the clutch, instructing him to "launch." Frustrated, San Lai then asked to learn the "fastest, coolest, most awesome drift technique," which Jin Chao demonstrated, thrilling San Lai.
Meanwhile, Wan Qing consulted Nana, a fortune teller known as Little Fortune Teller, to inquire about her romantic fate with Jin Chao, specifically wanting to know if she was his true love and not just another one of his "other women." Nana's reading indicated a moon symbol. Wan Qing misinterpreted this, believing that sleeping with Jin Chao on a full moon would ensure they stayed together forever.
Nana called her a "seductress," which angered Wan Qing, who then referenced Jin Yong's "The Deer and the Cauldron." Nana then elaborated on Wei Xiaobao's seven wives, further infuriating Wan Qing, who hit Nana until she quickly ran away. Later, Nana took Jiang Mu to Shakun High School, where Jin Chao had studied. As they toured the school, Nana showed her the playground, classrooms, dormitories, and cafeteria.
At the honor board, Jiang Mu found a photo of Jin Chao on the sports field. She mused that this image matched her idea of him and wondered what could have led him to abandon his studies. Nana pointed out the unique connection between Jin Chao's name and Jiang Mu's, noting that "Jin Chao" (morning) and "Jiang Mu" (night) together sounded like "morning and night," symbolizing a union like the sun and moon.
Jiang Mu confirmed her desire to study in Manshi with Nana. Jiang Mu decided to stop calling Jin Chao "brother" and would simply use his name. She also candidly admitted she had learned Taekwondo and was a second-degree black belt, though Jin Chao playfully dismissed her moves as "fancy."
After Jiang Mu discovered a box of condoms in her bag (which had been accidentally placed there by the shopkeeper when Jin Chao bought sanitary pads for her), she started avoiding Jin Chao, which confused him. Jin Chao then told San Lai he was going out to meet someone and asked San Lai to drop Jiang Mu off at Jin Qiang's place.
While San Lai drove Jiang Mu, she was preoccupied, pondering the condoms and wondering if Jin Chao had a girlfriend. San Lai, trying to cheer her up, reminisced about their high school days, proudly claiming he was a "campus heartthrob" in Manshi. He recalled how Jin Chao, despite being younger, was exceptionally tall and became the school's star, especially when wiping windows, as girls would eagerly watch his uniform ride up to reveal his waist.
Jiang Mu found this particular anecdote odd. Jiang Mu then directly asked San Lai if Jin Chao had a girlfriend. San Lai hinted that the answer lay in a specific key charm Jin Chao had bought years ago at a night market. Later, Jin Chao met someone at a bar to discuss his racing progress. He was informed that the alliance's points were accumulated based on historical race performance, making it incredibly difficult for outsiders to break into the rankings.
The person reminded him that M-night was already awash with top racers, and achieving a top ten position within six months was nearly impossible, but only the top few racers would truly get noticed. Jin Chao responded that he had done his best, but his car wasn't sufficient and required major modifications, for which he lacked time. When asked if he was giving up, Jin Chao stated that he still had two months and intended to try again. Jin Chao then asked when his acquaintance and his people would return to China, and the acquaintance confirmed they would remain there and await his good news.
