Tomb of the Sea Episode 1 Recap
> Tomb of the Sea Recap
Li Cu, his back covered in intricate markings, found himself stranded in the desert of GuTongJing, recording what he believed to be his final words. He stated his address in Shuangliu Alley, Shunjing, and revealed that he had been kidnapped, his captor now dead, and he was next. The person responsible for his abduction was Wu Xie.
Months earlier, Li Cu was a typical high school senior who had just failed his Gaokao, scoring a mere 150 out of a possible 750. His teacher, exasperated, suggested he repeat the grade and aim for a third-tier university, emphasizing that Li Cu wasn't stupid and shouldn't waste his potential. However, Li Cu vehemently refused to repeat the year.
At home, his father, prone to alcoholism and violence, often beat him and locked him in a dark room, a punishment that left Li Cu terrified of enclosed spaces and ultimately drove his mother away. Among the three students who failed the Gaokao, Li Cu's close friend Su Wan was one. Su Wan, smitten with Shen Qiong who lived nearby, often used a telescope from his rooftop to watch her.
He explained to Li Cu that he was "protecting" Shen Qiong, as he had noticed other strange individuals seemingly peeping at her house. Li Cu pointed out that these individuals – a man with an unwalked dog, another reading the same magazine in the dark, and a third in a parked car – seemed to be watching Shen Qiong's next-door neighbor, whose windows were ominously sealed with iron sheets.
Another of Li Cu's friends was Yang Hao, known as Brother Hao, a former troublemaker who had become a loyal companion. The three friends found themselves in trouble when Brother Hao scheduled a fight with a kid named Zheng Yi and insisted Li Cu and Su Wan come along. One night, Shen Qiong returned from a trip in a peculiar truck, accompanied by strange people who moved odd boxes, leaving behind white sand.
Her return coincided with the ongoing surveillance of her neighbor's house. To investigate, Su Wan flew his expensive drone, which accidentally crashed into the neighbor's yard. Li Cu, determined to retrieve the 30,000 yuan drone, attempted to break into the house. However, Shen Qiong suddenly appeared with the drone in hand, explaining it had merely fallen in the hallway.
She then gave Li Cu a mysterious box as a "souvenir" from her travels, urging him to open it later for a surprise. She also advised him to take care of himself and not worry others, referring to him as "the flunked one." The next day in class, Li Cu opened the box. It revealed a frightening human-like face, with eyes that functioned as a switch. Upon opening, a black mass burst out, striking Li Cu on the forehead.
The incident was noticed by his teacher, who, fed up with Li Cu's disinterest in studying and his "granite head" stubbornness, decided to contact Li Cu's father. Fearing his father's wrath, Li Cu tried to sneak away during class, narrowly escaping his father's pursuit. While fleeing, Li Cu encountered a disheveled man, later identified as Huang Yan, emerging from the very house next to Shen Qiong's. Huang Yan, frantically searching for the box, found it empty in Li Cu's possession.
In a sudden, violent act, he carved several deep wounds across Li Cu's back with a knife before committing self-mutilation and dying on the spot due to severe blood loss. Li Cu was rushed to the hospital, his back scarred and in immense pain. His primary doctor, Liang Wan, tried to ascertain what had happened, but Li Cu could only recall a struggle for 50 yuan and was shocked to learn of Huang Yan's death.
Liang Wan, overwhelmed by his questions, eventually told him to ask the police for details. Soon after, a man named Wang Meng appeared. He introduced himself, revealing that Huang Yan was his colleague. Wang Meng offered Li Cu 120,000 yuan from his boss as compensation, with the password to the card being the date Li Cu's back was scarred. Li Cu recognized Wang Meng as one of the suspicious individuals who had been watching Shen Qiong's neighbor.
Wang Meng demanded that Li Cu accompany him to meet his boss, who wanted to know every detail of the incident. Despite Li Cu's protestations, he and Liang Wan were forcibly taken from the hospital. They were brought to a mysterious location where they met Wang Meng's boss. The man casually offered Li Cu some Changsha stinky tofu, urging him to eat. He identified himself as Wu Xie and confirmed that Huang Yan was his subordinate.
Wu Xie then informed Li Cu that since he had accepted the compensation, he was now obliged to go to a certain place with him. Li Cu, bewildered, demanded to know Wu Xie's identity. Wu Xie simply stated, "My name is Wu Xie." Li Cu, a seemingly ordinary high school student, was now unknowingly entangled in a profound and dangerous mystery. Shen Qiong's strange behavior upon her return from her trip suggested she might be part of this enigmatic affair.
