The Flaming Heart Episode 21 Recap
> The Flaming Heart Recap
Luo Jie and Huo Yan shared drinks, resolving their past conflicts. Luo Jie admitted he owed Yan Lan an explanation, and Huo Yan countered that Luo Jie also owed him one. They both agreed that their most pressing concern was to protect Yan Lan, vowing to keep no more secrets from each other. Feigning discord with Huo Yan, Luo Jie met with Han Pei to discuss potential cooperation.
Han Pei was eager to finalize a deal quickly, but Luo Jie, strategically flattering Han Pei and asserting his understanding of the pharmaceutical market, insisted on mutual inspections to ensure transparency. He first invited Han Pei to visit Luo's Pharmaceuticals that afternoon. Meanwhile, Yan Lan moved back to her own home from Bai Xiaolin's. While helping her unpack, Bai Xiaolin noticed that "the little thief" who had broken in previously had dismantled all of Yan Lan's pens.
Yan Lan realized the intruder was specifically targeting a pen, not just ordinary items. During their visit to Luo's Pharmaceuticals, Han Pei questioned Luo Jie's choice to partner with a smaller company like Han's. Luo Jie explained the significant 90% gross profit margin of PD1 Monoclonal Antibodies and highlighted Han's need for Luo's production and sales capabilities despite his R&D investment. Impressed, Han Pei agreed to Luo Jie's request to visit Han's production facility.
At Han's, Han Pei showcased an exhibition of his "grand blueprint" and products, but deflected Luo Jie's attempts to see the actual workshop. While Han Pei's secretary closely monitored him, Luo Jie excused himself to the restroom, where he managed to send a text message. Yan Lan then confronted Huo Yan at the fire station for standing her up.
She demanded the return of a specific pen she'd left in his car, confirming her suspicion that it was the target of the recent theft at her home. Citing their past breakup caused by Huo Yan's secret-keeping, she asserted her right to know the truth. Huo Yan, already investigating with Luo Jie, agreed to disclose everything if she promised to be "informed but not involved," a condition Yan Lan accepted.
Luo Jie, via phone to Huo Yan, expressed his suspicions about Han Pei's new drug research. Yan Lan, taking charge, reviewed the clinical trial report from the USB drive. She immediately connected it to a recent increase in superficial angioma patients at her hospital, all of whom had taken a PD1 Monoclonal Antibody drug currently in clinical trials. She recounted how Director Li at the drug testing center had refused her access to relevant information.
Enraged that a medicine could be corrupted for profit, Yan Lan vowed to bring justice and tasked Huo Yan with obtaining drug samples for her to conduct experiments. Huo Yan visited Han's Pharmaceuticals, where he learned from a cleaner that the factory was illegally discharging sewage into the river. He collected a water sample as evidence. On his way back, he encountered Zhong Yi, a former classmate of both Huo Yan and Han Pei, contemplating jumping into the river.
Zhong Yi recognized Huo Yan and revealed that Han Pei was coercing employees to falsify experimental data. Although fearful due to past bullying by Han Pei, Zhong Yi, wanting to be brave, gave Huo Yan his work permit and uniform to access the laboratory, warning him about the strict security. Using Zhong Yi's credentials and disguise, Huo Yan entered the lab but accidentally triggered an alarm.
He narrowly escaped from the security personnel but was unable to obtain any drug samples. During this time, Wang Dayin was caught by Jiang Tong playing games instead of studying. She playfully "punished" him for repeatedly confusing the Gregorian calendar date of the October Revolution with its Russian calendar name, urging him to focus on his studies. Upon hearing of Huo Yan and Luo Jie's failure to retrieve samples, Yan Lan was furious at their inefficiency.
She then directed them to obtain the samples from the drug testing center. Huo Yan and Luo Jie, recognizing her decisive insight, readily agreed. Han Pei discovered Zhong Yi's missing work permit and had him severely beaten, demanding to know who he had shared it with. Despite the assault, Zhong Yi defiantly claimed he acted alone, recalling Han Pei's abusive past and stating that his subordinates feared, rather than respected, him.
Han Pei, enraged by Zhong Yi's words, continued the beating before leaving. Following Yan Lan's suggestion, Huo Yan and Luo Jie successfully acquired drug samples from both the experimental center and the sample room at the drug testing facility. While Yan Lan began experiments with the samples on mice, Luo Jie agreed to continue his facade with Han Pei to buy time for the analysis.
Huo Yan confirmed that his prior infiltration had not raised suspicions directly on him, as Zhong Yi reported the alarm was dismissed as a false alarm. As Yan Lan's experiments progressed and Wang Dayin continued to struggle with his studies, Han Pei grew furious at his subordinates for repeatedly failing to retrieve the USB drive from Yan Lan, dismissing their explanations about her home surveillance. Shortly after, Han Pei met with Luo Jie, eager to push forward their cooperation. However, Luo Jie subtly stalled by inquiring about Han Pei's Certificate of Good Manufacturing Practice, indicating this regulatory requirement as a hurdle for their partnership.
