A timeline!
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history3_trapped[EDITED TO ADD: The timeline has now been posted to AO3!]
I re-watched yesterday and took notes. It's long, guys. Every episode takes place over several days.
A CAPITALISED DATE means the date is confirmed either by the script or by the VFX (love those timestamps!).
The timeline gets fuzzy after Tang Yi's birthday, and turns into confetti in episode 10. Also I have no idea if the police/gangsters work weekends, lol. When it comes to the Interpol briefing and Andy's visit to Tang Yi's office, I've guessed that they took Sunday off.
Feel free to throw in corrections and comments!
(N.B.: The timeline assumes that people's ages are their "real" age, not their traditional age, which would make everyone appear 1 year older and would mean that Tang Yi ran away in...2001? Idk, it hurts my head.)
TIMELINE
FEBRUARY 1990 - Chen Wen Hao goes to prison. According to the records Zhao Zi finds, Tang Guo Dong visits him almost every week during the first year, but then stops and cuts off communication.
THURSDAY 17 MAY 1990 - Li Li Zhen visits Chen Wan Hao in prison with Tang Guo Dong and tells him that she is pregnant (her words) and she has already had an abortion.
SUNDAY 21 OCTOBER 1990 - Li Zhen gives birth to Tang Yi and then gives him up for adoption to He Ruyu and Li Shou Xin. She visits him every year until he runs away aged 12.
c. 1990 - Meng Shao Fei and Zhao Zi are born [they are roughly the same age as Tang Yi]
c. 1993 - Zhu Hong Ye is born [total speculation]
MONDAY 21 OCTOBER 2002 - 12 year old Tang Yi runs away from home and he and Zuo Hong Ye are eventually picked up and adopted by Tang Guo Dong. He takes the Tang family name. Li Li Zhen takes 3 days off work to look for Tang Yi after he runs away from home
c. 2010 – Zhao Zi’s grandma dies (in Zhao Zi’s second year of college)
c. 2012 - Meng Shao Fei and Zhao Zi join the police (assuming 4 years at Central Police University)
2014 - Captain Shi's daughter Shi Ye needs a bone marrow transplant from overseas, he sells confiscated drugs to He Hang to pay for it
2014/2015 - Chen Wen Hao is let out of prison after 24 years and escapes to Southeast Asia [the script insists that he went to prison in 1990 AND that he was there for 24 years AND that he got out 4 years ago as of 2019]
2015 - Tang Guo Dong and Li Li Zhen are murdered by Zhou Guan Zhi, Chen Wen Hao shoots Tang Yi near his heart and he nearly dies from blood loss. He’s in intensive care for 2 weeks.
2015 - Meng Shao Fei starts investigating Tang Yi, and causes Tang Yi a lot of grief from 2015-2017 before Tang Yi figures out how to use him. Meng Shao Fei is sued multiple times for violating TY’s human rights between 2015 and 2019, and his investigation interferes with an Interpol investigation in Thailand.
c. 2015 - Aged around 22 (assuming 4 years of undergrad) Zhu Hong Ye starts working for the legitimate side of the business running a real estate development company called Shi Hai Corporation
2015-2019 - Tang Yi starts shutting down Cambodian drug channels to Taiwan
2018 - Jack joins the Hsin-Tien Group as Tang Yi's bodyguard/enforcer
In 2019 Tang Yi’s routine becomes predictable
Wednesdays, Tang Yi inspects his tailor shop
Thursdays, he will be at the Metro Business Hotel
Saturday nights, Asia Club
Sunday noon, Guandu Manor
EPISODE 1
Wednesday 11 September 2019 - Jack is arrested during a meeting between Tang Yi's syndicate (Hsin-Tien Group) and the Shih-Ho Clan, led by Wang Kunchen (largest Cambodian distributor in Taiwan). Jack is taken away from Unit 3 by Interpol. MSF tracks down Tang Yi and spends $60,000NTD on a suit which, impressively, is tailored for him the same day.
Wednesday - Zuo Hong Ye arrives in Taiwan from abroad.
Wednesday night - Zhao Zi eats dinner at Meng Shao Fei’s flat.
Wednesday night - Tang Yi asks Li Zhi De to get Jack out of prison to deal with Wang Kun Chen.
THURSDAY 12 SEPTEMBER 2019 – Meng Shao Fei confronts Tang Yi in the elevator of the Metro Business Hotel. Captain Shi condemns MSF to three days of desk work starting immediately. Jack is released from prison.
Thursday night - Tang Yi (with Li Zhi De) has another negotiation with former Hsin-Tien Group member Wang Kun Chen at a private club. Following the meeting, at around 9pm, Wang Kun Chen and his bodyguard are shot to death in his car (probably by Jack).
Friday 13 September 2019 – Meng Shao Fei gets into work and learns that Wang Kun Chen is dead. The police have already taken statements from Wang Kun Chen’s men by the time MSF arrives, and they know that the last person he saw was Tang Yi. Tang Yi’s cufflink is found at the scene (in Wang Kun Chen’s car?).
[Friday?] - Jack tells Tang Yi that Chen Wen Hao is returning from Cambodia.
[Monday 16 September 2019? (MSF and ZZ are wearing new clothes)] - Unit 3 attend an Interpol briefing about the Wang Kun Chen murder. Tang Yi has an alibi for the evening, and Unit 3 has (timestamped!!) footage of TY, Jack and Li Zhi De arriving at a party in a hotel on Thursday 12 September at 8.30pm and leaving at 1am. The cameras around the private club were damaged prior to the shooting. Interpol informs Unit 3 that Chen Wen Hao has returned to Taiwan. Unit 3 are assigned to locate Chen Wen Hao, with Interpol to do the capturing.
EPISODE 2
[Monday 16 September 2019?] – Unit 3 eat dinner together at a restaurant and commiserate about the Interpol briefing.
[Tuesday 17 September 2019? (MSF is wearing a new jacket)] – Tang Yi is at a teahouse watching Chen Wen Hao. Meng Shao Fei shows up and Tang Yi makes him pay for his tea.
WEDNESDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2019, 1.30pm - Unit 3 stake out a Japanese restaurant looking for Chen Wen Hao. Tang Yi also shows up. MSF tries to get Tang Yi to talk, Tang Yi and MSF are attacked by two men with a baton and knife, and kidnapped. It’s unclear to them whether it’s by Chen Wen Hao’s people, or Wang Kun Chen’s people. MSF’s right arm is sliced with a knife. They spend the afternoon handcuffed together and then on the run in the woods and spend the night hiding in an abandoned house. Unit 3 don’t know where MSF is, but suspect he has gone somewhere with Tang Yi.
Wednesday afternoon – Zhao Zi goes to Meng Shao Fei’s home to look for him and is kidnapped by Jack who wants MSF’s phone number. Jack shows Zhao Zi timestamped (yay!) surveillance footage of Meng Shao Fei leaving the restaurant with Tang Yi.
EPISODE 3
THURSDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2019, 9.30am – Li Zhi De is berating Tang Yi’s men for not finding Tang Yi as it's been nearly 20 hours since he was kidnapped. Jack mocks him.
Thursday - Tang Yi gets Meng Shao Fei to a hospital. Jack feeds and then releases Zhao Zi.
Thursday night – While Tang Yi cooks, Jack and Li Zhi De argue over who kidnapped him. Hong Ye argues with Tang Yi about him getting into danger. Jack overhears Li Zhi De making a suspicious phone call.
Friday 20 September 2019 – Meng Shao Fei, who has released himself from hospital, brings Tang Yi his lost lighter. MSF takes Tang Yi out for a meal and then goes to work. Captain Shi drags MSF to the Interpol office to apologise for disappearing on the stakeout of the restaurant.
Tuesday 24 September 2019 – Meng Shao Fei and Zhao Zi look for Chen Wen Hao at the same hotel that hosts the Japanese restaurant MSF was kidnapped at, and spot him leaving.
Wednesday 25 September 2019 – The day after Meng Shao Fei is at the hotel, Tang Yi and Jack check on the tailor shop. MSF is already there. He tells TY that he saw Chen Wen Hao at a meeting.
Wednesday – Captain Shi assigns a mission at an upcoming music festival to stake out a drug dealer called Big K at a pub. The mission is for the next evening. Zhao Zi is to play a heartbroken drunk. Jun Wei a bartender. Zhou Guan Zhi a cleaner. Meng Shao Fei and Huang Yi Qi are a couple.
THURSDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 2019 – The bar operation, dated by the timestamp (!!!) on Andy’s CCTV. Tang Yi is there with bar owner Andy. Tang Yi plays darts with Andy and asks him if he’s found out who kidnapped him. Andy says Tang Yi hasn’t been at the pub in a long time. Andy tells Tang Yi that Chen Wen Hao has met with a broker. TY already knows (via MSF).
EPISODE 4
THURSDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 2019 – The bar sting is over. Pink frog-wearing Meng Shao Fei goes to Tang Yi’s home, arriving at the gate before Tang Yi (who is being driven by Jack). MSF takes Tang Yi to a teashop.
Friday 27 September 2019 – Tang Yi goes running, MSF joins him. Somebody takes a shot at Tang Yi. Tang Yi gets a minor injury on the back of his shoulder. Outside the police station, Jack steals Zhao Zi from Jun Wei and Zhou Guan Zhi (who are complaining about interrogating the men arrested the previous night) to go and cook instant noodles at ZZ’s house.
Friday – Tang Yi is being treated at home by Doctor Jiang, and Meng Shao Fei is with him. Zuo Hong Ye argues with MSF. Gu Dao Yi takes ZHY out for ice cream. MSF asks Captain Shi if he can be assigned to protect Tang Yi.
[Saturday 28 September 2019? (everyone is wearing different clothes)] - MSF rolls up in Tang Yi’s house with several suitcases. Jack supports MSF moving in and asks for a favour in return. MSF calls Zhao Zi at work and asks him to come and review the security system at Tang Yi’s house.
That night [Saturday?] - Zuo Hong Ye and Meng Shao Fei have a big argument about Li Li Zhen and Tang Yi pushes MSF. Tang Yi rubs ointment into MSF’s back.
That night [Saturday?] - He Hang of the Hsin-Tien group meets Chen Wen Hao. Chen Wen Hao wants intel on Hsin-Tien and on Tang Yi’s parentage, and He Hang wants to keep the Cambodian pipeline open.
[Monday 30 September 2019?] – Meng Shao Fei joins Tang Yi and Li Zhi De on a work trip to Tang Yi’s office in Xingtian International Group building. Andy joins Tang Yi and tells him that the person selling drugs (to Big K?) was a member of Hsin-Tien. He’s also found out who attacked Tang Yi (the kidnapping, presumably, not the sniper). Tang Yi is not happy when he learns the name.
EPISODE 5
[Monday 30 September 2019?] Meng Shao Fei and Li Zhi De team up to see off Andy. MSF, Tang Yi and LZD go for lunch (LZD leaves early).
Same day - Zhao Zi checks out the Tang security system with a random muscley gang member and then Jack. Zuo Hong Ye makes a move on Gu Dao Yi. He turns her down. Tang Yi goes to the hosptal accompanied only by Meng Shao Fei to repay a debt to Doctor Jiang (who wants to practice massage techniques).
That night - Tang Yi invites Meng Shao Fei to touch him. Li Zhi De tries to warn Tang Yi about MSF’s intentions, and is rebuffed. Then LZD phones someone to set up a meeting.
New day [Tuesday 1 October 2019?] - Tang Yi, Zuo Hong Ye and Gu Dao Yi have a business meeting about the progress in legitimisation. ZHY borrows MSF for an afternoon shopping trip. They are shot at, MSF takes a bullet to the left lower abdomen. Tang Yi goes to the hospital, Doctor Jiang is there [Jiang Comprehensive Hospital].
Same day, after dark - Tang Yi returns home after dark to beat up the shooter who has been quickly captured. Li Zhi De meets Hong Ye somewhere in the house (she’s eating cheese) – he had made an agreement with her to find two men to take baseball bats to Meng Shao Fei on the shopping trip, but the shooter beat them to it. Tang Yi tells Jack the shooter came from Chen Wen Hao. Zuo Hong Ye and Gu Dao Yi have a heart to heart in the parking garage (of the house?).
EPISODE 6
Next day, approx 10.30am [Wednesday 2 October 2019?] - Zhao Zi brings toiletries to Meng Shao Fei’s hospital room, Tang Yi is already there. Tang Yi and Jack leave the hospital and Tang Yi is taken against his will to a meeting with Chen Wen Hao at a tea house (Jack is forced to stay behind). Chen Wen Hao confirms he was behind the shooting of Zuo Hong Ye and Meng Shao Fei (in retaliation for killing Wang Kun Chen). Jack shows up outside the tea house. Tang Yi and Chen Wen Hao agree that Chen Wen Hao’s group won’t sell drugs to anyone in Hsin-Tien, and in return Tang Yi will not interfere in Chen Wen Hao’s business.
That night – Zhao Zi sleeps beside Meng Shao Fei’s hospital bed. Tang Yi visits MSF.
Next day, 8.05am [Thursday 3 October 2019?] – Jack hides in Meng Shao Fei’s hospital bed. He’s brought Zhao Zi breakfast. Tang Yi and MSF take the air on the roof [it’s about 36 hours since MSF was shot]. MSF kisses Tang Yi.
Same day, 8.55am – Meng Shao Fei decides he’s going to check himself out of hospital. Zhao Zi threatens to call the captain, which stops him.
An unknown number of days later, possibly Sunday 20 October 2019, 10.15am – Meng Shao Fei checks out of hospital assisted by Zhao Zi and Huang Yi Qi. Tang Yi comes in and kisses MSF (returning his rooftop kiss). Meng Shao Fei and Huang Yi Qi have a conversation about her feelings.
Same day, possibly Sunday 20 October 2019 – Jack escorts Zhao Zi (and Meng Shao Fei’s laundry) home. Kisses him. Tang Yi escorts MSF home. They nearly have sex.
EPISODE 7
[Continues where episode 6 left off] possibly Sunday 20 October 2019 – Tang Yi cooks dinner for Meng Shao Fei and talks about Tang Guo Dong’s death.
Probably the next day, so possibly Monday 21 October 2019 – At work, Zhao Zi looks up what to do when a man confesses his feelings to another man.
MONDAY 21 OCTOBER 2019 (Tang Yi's 29th birthday) – Zuo Hong Ye, Gu Dao Yi and Tang Yi are in a business meeting about the D82 project. Tang Yi suggests using Pengcheng Construction because the CEO Zhao Ren Guang is a good match for Hong Ye. Gu Dao Yi tries to wave Tang Yi off, Tang Yi tries to persuade Dao Yi to pursue Hong Ye.
Monday evening – Meng Shao Fei comes to Tang Yi’s room with a birthday cake. Outside, Li Zhi De sees MSF and TY kiss.
The next day? (Tuesday 22 October 2019) – Zuo Hong Ye goes to a lunch meeting with Zhao Ren Guang and Gu Dao Yi.
Probably the same day – Li Zhi De drugs and sexually assaults Tang Yi in his car. At the same time, Meng Shao Fei defends himself against two attackers in a street market. Tang Yi stealthily calls Jack for help.
Same day – Li Zhi De is tied up in Tang Yi’s house. Tang Yi accuses him of selling drugs behind his back and colluding with those in Hsin-Tien who are against Tang Yi going legit. Li Zhi De denies sending people to kill MSF. Tang Yi says the attack in the parking lot (the kidnapping of Tang Yi and Meng Shao Fei?) and the person who sniped at him was He Hang and LZD gave him his schedule. LZD says he wanted to kill MSF, but would never try to kill TY.
Same evening? – Two unknown people exchange something using a public locker.
The next day (Wednesday 23 October 2019?) – At the Xingtian offices, Tang Yi asks Hong Ye to leave the country for her safety. [The tense used in the subtitles suggests Tang Yi hasn’t yet handed Li Zhi De to the police but is planning to, the conversation happens ~38m into episode 7]. Hong Ye agrees to go to Helsinki with Zhao Ren Guang, alone. In the parking garage Dao Yi begs to stay by her side, and then admits he’s always loved her.
Same day (or a couple of days later?) – Zhao Zi is looking at Chen Wen Hao’s prison records, and tells MSF that Tang Guo Dong and Li Li Zhen visited him.
EPISODE 8
Same day as the end of episode 7 (Wednesday 23 October 2019?) - Tang Yi is in another tea house meeting with Chen Wen Hao. Confusing the timeline, Chen Wen Hao is angry and says that despite their deal at the last meeting (at the beginning of October), just last month three of his boats were intercepted. He suspects Tang Yi is behind it.
Probably that night – Meng Shao Fei searches the records for more evidence about Li Li Zhen’s relationship with Tang Guo Dong. He discovers Tang Yi’s birth certificate hidden in Li Li Zhen’s puzzle box. That night he drives to visit Tang Yi’s original adoptive father.
Next day (Thursday 24 October 2019?) – Tang Yi visits the Criminal Investigation Division to see if Meng Shao Fei is at work.
Same day – Hong Ye tells Tang Yi she is ready to leave Taiwan in a few days.
Same day – Jack brings bento for Zhao Zi at work. He also wants information on where Meng Shao Fei is (Tang Yi didn’t ask him to ask). When he leaves Zhao Zi, Jack gets picked up by Chen Wen Hao’s men. CWH offers him Wang Kun Chen’s business in Taiwan in return for financial info on Hsin-Tien, Shi Hai Corporation and their business partners. CWH then ups the offer to bring Jack directly to Cambodia.
Same day, lunchtime – Zhao Zi is eating his bento, Jun Wei announces that Li Zhi De has been killed in the custody of the prosecutor’s office. Zhao Zi, and Zhou Guan Zhi have been questioning him since his arrest [for “these last few days” although the timeline suggests that Tang Yi handed him in the day before. Was there a time skip at the end of episode 7 before Zhao Zi looks at the prison records?]. The Captain confronts Ah-Zhi and correctly accuses him of killing Li Zhi De.
That night – Tang Yi asks Jack to handle Li Zhi De’s death within the gang. Meng Shao Fei comes home to Tang Yi’s house. [Gu Dao Yi?] phones Tang Yi: Hong Ye has been kidnapped by Chen Wen Hao and He Hang. Tang Yi and Meng Shao Fei walk right into it. Meng Shao Fei tells Chen Wen Hao and Tang Yi that he has discovered that Chen Wen Hao is Tang Yi’s father.
EPISODE 9
Same night (Thursday 24 October 2019?) – Meng Shao Fei reveals that Chen Wen Hao is Tang Yi’s father and Li Li Zhen his mother. Tang Yi accuses Chen Wen Hao of killing Tang Guo Dong, which CWH denies. Tang Yi doesn’t want to believe the denial. Chen Wen Hao releases Tang Yi, Zuo Hong Ye and Meng Shao Fei [presumably Hong Ye and Gu Dao Yi leave the country that night]. Tang Yi drives away, leaving Meng Shao Fei behind, MSF reaches Tang Yi’s house himself and they have another confrontation and Tang Yi breaks down.
Same night - Jack meets the Interpol Commander by the waterside and hands over Hsin-Tien information and Chen Wen Hao’s entire Taiwan business including names and distributors. Jack offers to infiltrate the Cambodian side of CWH’s business. Interpol guy agrees to take care of getting Jack out of the Hsin-Tien Group.
Same night – Zhao Zi heads home to find Jack waiting for him. Jack tells him he’s leaving town and cooks again.
Next morning (Friday 25 October?) – Captain Shi shops for wedding dresses with his daughter and then gives himself up to the Inspector’s Office.
Same morning – Jun Wei tells Unit 3 the Captain has given himself up, Ah-Zhi does a runner.
Same morning – Tang Yi is surprisingly chipper as he makes breakfast following the previous night’s break down, Meng Shao Fei is not convinced. Jack interrupts and announces he’s caught He Hang [quick work!]. MSF goes to work, notices that Zhou Guan Zhi (Ah-Zhi) has gone, and he and Zhao Zi leave to visit Ah-Zhi’s home.
Same day – Unit 3 look for Ah-Zhi. Ah-Zhi is in a karaoke club trying to arrange an escape from Taiwan with mobster Ko-san. Chen Wen Hao is singing depressed karaoke with his government procurement buddy Wang, recognises Ah-Zhi as the man who shot Tang Guo Dong and Li Li Zhen, and captures him [we don’t see him hand Ah-Zhi to Tang Yi].
Same day – Investigators are already poring over Ah-Zhi’s home. He’s being investigated for a 2015 murder case. Meng Shao Fei figures out that means the deaths of Tang Guo Dong and Li Li Zhen, and also, somehow, that Tang Yi might have figured it out too.
Same day – Meng Shao Fei runs into Tang Yi’s house to find him beating Ah-Zhi. Ah-Zhi admits they took confiscated drugs and sold them to He Hang. When Tang Guo DOng started to legitimise he looked into Hsin-Tien’s supply channels, found the police supply chain and went to see Li Li Zhen. Tang Yi wants to kill Ah-Zhi, MSF wants to arrest him, Tang Yi shoots at Ah-Zhi and MSF gets in the way and is shot in the right shoulder.
EPISODE 10
Same day? (Friday 25 October?) – Tang Yi sits in handcuffs outside Meng Shao Fei’s hospital room, very loosely supervised by Zhao Zi. Meng Shao Fei is extremely perky for a man who just got shot. Tang Yi promises to hand He Hang and Ah-Zhi to the police.
That night – The remnants of Unit 3 get drunk and morose. Zhao Zi walks slowly home. Jack follows him and catches up in a park. Zhao Zi breaks down, Jack tells him he’s leaving, Zhao Zi asks him not to, they kiss.
Unknown number of days later – A healthy Meng Shao Fei visits the Captain in his safehouse and shows him photos of his daughter’s wedding to Yucheng (given away by his son, called Jukuan in the English subtitles).
New day – Unit 3 pack up Ah-Zhi and the captain’s things. Tang Yi is under house arrest. Zhao Zi announces that their new team members have been confirmed. Meng Shao Fei gets a call and goes for coffee with Chen Wen Hao and gives him Li Li Zhen’s note from her puzzle box.
That night – Meng Shao Fei and Tang Yi cook together and talk about Chen Wen Hao and Li Li Zhen.
Same night? – Jack moves in with Zhao Zi.
Next day? – Tang Yi visits Li Li Zhen’s grave. Joined by Chen Wen Hao. Chen Wen Hao gives up his thumb drive of info on Hsin-Tien that he was going to use to get revenge on Tang Guo Dong and recruit Jack. Chen Wen Hao commits suicide.
Unknown time later – Zuo Hong Ye and Gu Dao Yi arrive back at Tang Yi and Meng Shao Fei’s house. ZHY calls MSF sister in law. He accepts it. Tang Yi is having tea upstairs with Dr. Jiang.
Unknown time later – Tang Yi picks Meng Shao Fei up after work, Jack arrives on his bike to pick Zhao Zi up. Tang Yi confronts Jack about defecting to Chen Wen Hao. Jack waves it off. Zhao Zi freaks out when he hears Jack say relationships are about using each other. Jack hauls him away on his bike. This is when MSF learns Zhao Zi and Jack are together. Jack promises Zhao Zi that he might have lied occasionally but he’s never used him.
That night – First time Zhao Zi and Jack have sex.
Same night – Tang Yi and Meng Shao Fei have a conversation about love.
Next day – Tang Yi reports to prison.
I re-watched yesterday and took notes. It's long, guys. Every episode takes place over several days.
A CAPITALISED DATE means the date is confirmed either by the script or by the VFX (love those timestamps!).
The timeline gets fuzzy after Tang Yi's birthday, and turns into confetti in episode 10. Also I have no idea if the police/gangsters work weekends, lol. When it comes to the Interpol briefing and Andy's visit to Tang Yi's office, I've guessed that they took Sunday off.
Feel free to throw in corrections and comments!
(N.B.: The timeline assumes that people's ages are their "real" age, not their traditional age, which would make everyone appear 1 year older and would mean that Tang Yi ran away in...2001? Idk, it hurts my head.)
TIMELINE
FEBRUARY 1990 - Chen Wen Hao goes to prison. According to the records Zhao Zi finds, Tang Guo Dong visits him almost every week during the first year, but then stops and cuts off communication.
THURSDAY 17 MAY 1990 - Li Li Zhen visits Chen Wan Hao in prison with Tang Guo Dong and tells him that she is pregnant (her words) and she has already had an abortion.
SUNDAY 21 OCTOBER 1990 - Li Zhen gives birth to Tang Yi and then gives him up for adoption to He Ruyu and Li Shou Xin. She visits him every year until he runs away aged 12.
c. 1990 - Meng Shao Fei and Zhao Zi are born [they are roughly the same age as Tang Yi]
c. 1993 - Zhu Hong Ye is born [total speculation]
MONDAY 21 OCTOBER 2002 - 12 year old Tang Yi runs away from home and he and Zuo Hong Ye are eventually picked up and adopted by Tang Guo Dong. He takes the Tang family name. Li Li Zhen takes 3 days off work to look for Tang Yi after he runs away from home
c. 2010 – Zhao Zi’s grandma dies (in Zhao Zi’s second year of college)
c. 2012 - Meng Shao Fei and Zhao Zi join the police (assuming 4 years at Central Police University)
2014 - Captain Shi's daughter Shi Ye needs a bone marrow transplant from overseas, he sells confiscated drugs to He Hang to pay for it
2014/2015 - Chen Wen Hao is let out of prison after 24 years and escapes to Southeast Asia [the script insists that he went to prison in 1990 AND that he was there for 24 years AND that he got out 4 years ago as of 2019]
2015 - Tang Guo Dong and Li Li Zhen are murdered by Zhou Guan Zhi, Chen Wen Hao shoots Tang Yi near his heart and he nearly dies from blood loss. He’s in intensive care for 2 weeks.
2015 - Meng Shao Fei starts investigating Tang Yi, and causes Tang Yi a lot of grief from 2015-2017 before Tang Yi figures out how to use him. Meng Shao Fei is sued multiple times for violating TY’s human rights between 2015 and 2019, and his investigation interferes with an Interpol investigation in Thailand.
c. 2015 - Aged around 22 (assuming 4 years of undergrad) Zhu Hong Ye starts working for the legitimate side of the business running a real estate development company called Shi Hai Corporation
2015-2019 - Tang Yi starts shutting down Cambodian drug channels to Taiwan
2018 - Jack joins the Hsin-Tien Group as Tang Yi's bodyguard/enforcer
In 2019 Tang Yi’s routine becomes predictable
Wednesdays, Tang Yi inspects his tailor shop
Thursdays, he will be at the Metro Business Hotel
Saturday nights, Asia Club
Sunday noon, Guandu Manor
EPISODE 1
Wednesday 11 September 2019 - Jack is arrested during a meeting between Tang Yi's syndicate (Hsin-Tien Group) and the Shih-Ho Clan, led by Wang Kunchen (largest Cambodian distributor in Taiwan). Jack is taken away from Unit 3 by Interpol. MSF tracks down Tang Yi and spends $60,000NTD on a suit which, impressively, is tailored for him the same day.
Wednesday - Zuo Hong Ye arrives in Taiwan from abroad.
Wednesday night - Zhao Zi eats dinner at Meng Shao Fei’s flat.
Wednesday night - Tang Yi asks Li Zhi De to get Jack out of prison to deal with Wang Kun Chen.
THURSDAY 12 SEPTEMBER 2019 – Meng Shao Fei confronts Tang Yi in the elevator of the Metro Business Hotel. Captain Shi condemns MSF to three days of desk work starting immediately. Jack is released from prison.
Thursday night - Tang Yi (with Li Zhi De) has another negotiation with former Hsin-Tien Group member Wang Kun Chen at a private club. Following the meeting, at around 9pm, Wang Kun Chen and his bodyguard are shot to death in his car (probably by Jack).
Friday 13 September 2019 – Meng Shao Fei gets into work and learns that Wang Kun Chen is dead. The police have already taken statements from Wang Kun Chen’s men by the time MSF arrives, and they know that the last person he saw was Tang Yi. Tang Yi’s cufflink is found at the scene (in Wang Kun Chen’s car?).
[Friday?] - Jack tells Tang Yi that Chen Wen Hao is returning from Cambodia.
[Monday 16 September 2019? (MSF and ZZ are wearing new clothes)] - Unit 3 attend an Interpol briefing about the Wang Kun Chen murder. Tang Yi has an alibi for the evening, and Unit 3 has (timestamped!!) footage of TY, Jack and Li Zhi De arriving at a party in a hotel on Thursday 12 September at 8.30pm and leaving at 1am. The cameras around the private club were damaged prior to the shooting. Interpol informs Unit 3 that Chen Wen Hao has returned to Taiwan. Unit 3 are assigned to locate Chen Wen Hao, with Interpol to do the capturing.
EPISODE 2
[Monday 16 September 2019?] – Unit 3 eat dinner together at a restaurant and commiserate about the Interpol briefing.
[Tuesday 17 September 2019? (MSF is wearing a new jacket)] – Tang Yi is at a teahouse watching Chen Wen Hao. Meng Shao Fei shows up and Tang Yi makes him pay for his tea.
WEDNESDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2019, 1.30pm - Unit 3 stake out a Japanese restaurant looking for Chen Wen Hao. Tang Yi also shows up. MSF tries to get Tang Yi to talk, Tang Yi and MSF are attacked by two men with a baton and knife, and kidnapped. It’s unclear to them whether it’s by Chen Wen Hao’s people, or Wang Kun Chen’s people. MSF’s right arm is sliced with a knife. They spend the afternoon handcuffed together and then on the run in the woods and spend the night hiding in an abandoned house. Unit 3 don’t know where MSF is, but suspect he has gone somewhere with Tang Yi.
Wednesday afternoon – Zhao Zi goes to Meng Shao Fei’s home to look for him and is kidnapped by Jack who wants MSF’s phone number. Jack shows Zhao Zi timestamped (yay!) surveillance footage of Meng Shao Fei leaving the restaurant with Tang Yi.
EPISODE 3
THURSDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2019, 9.30am – Li Zhi De is berating Tang Yi’s men for not finding Tang Yi as it's been nearly 20 hours since he was kidnapped. Jack mocks him.
Thursday - Tang Yi gets Meng Shao Fei to a hospital. Jack feeds and then releases Zhao Zi.
Thursday night – While Tang Yi cooks, Jack and Li Zhi De argue over who kidnapped him. Hong Ye argues with Tang Yi about him getting into danger. Jack overhears Li Zhi De making a suspicious phone call.
Friday 20 September 2019 – Meng Shao Fei, who has released himself from hospital, brings Tang Yi his lost lighter. MSF takes Tang Yi out for a meal and then goes to work. Captain Shi drags MSF to the Interpol office to apologise for disappearing on the stakeout of the restaurant.
Tuesday 24 September 2019 – Meng Shao Fei and Zhao Zi look for Chen Wen Hao at the same hotel that hosts the Japanese restaurant MSF was kidnapped at, and spot him leaving.
Wednesday 25 September 2019 – The day after Meng Shao Fei is at the hotel, Tang Yi and Jack check on the tailor shop. MSF is already there. He tells TY that he saw Chen Wen Hao at a meeting.
Wednesday – Captain Shi assigns a mission at an upcoming music festival to stake out a drug dealer called Big K at a pub. The mission is for the next evening. Zhao Zi is to play a heartbroken drunk. Jun Wei a bartender. Zhou Guan Zhi a cleaner. Meng Shao Fei and Huang Yi Qi are a couple.
THURSDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 2019 – The bar operation, dated by the timestamp (!!!) on Andy’s CCTV. Tang Yi is there with bar owner Andy. Tang Yi plays darts with Andy and asks him if he’s found out who kidnapped him. Andy says Tang Yi hasn’t been at the pub in a long time. Andy tells Tang Yi that Chen Wen Hao has met with a broker. TY already knows (via MSF).
EPISODE 4
THURSDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 2019 – The bar sting is over. Pink frog-wearing Meng Shao Fei goes to Tang Yi’s home, arriving at the gate before Tang Yi (who is being driven by Jack). MSF takes Tang Yi to a teashop.
Friday 27 September 2019 – Tang Yi goes running, MSF joins him. Somebody takes a shot at Tang Yi. Tang Yi gets a minor injury on the back of his shoulder. Outside the police station, Jack steals Zhao Zi from Jun Wei and Zhou Guan Zhi (who are complaining about interrogating the men arrested the previous night) to go and cook instant noodles at ZZ’s house.
Friday – Tang Yi is being treated at home by Doctor Jiang, and Meng Shao Fei is with him. Zuo Hong Ye argues with MSF. Gu Dao Yi takes ZHY out for ice cream. MSF asks Captain Shi if he can be assigned to protect Tang Yi.
[Saturday 28 September 2019? (everyone is wearing different clothes)] - MSF rolls up in Tang Yi’s house with several suitcases. Jack supports MSF moving in and asks for a favour in return. MSF calls Zhao Zi at work and asks him to come and review the security system at Tang Yi’s house.
That night [Saturday?] - Zuo Hong Ye and Meng Shao Fei have a big argument about Li Li Zhen and Tang Yi pushes MSF. Tang Yi rubs ointment into MSF’s back.
That night [Saturday?] - He Hang of the Hsin-Tien group meets Chen Wen Hao. Chen Wen Hao wants intel on Hsin-Tien and on Tang Yi’s parentage, and He Hang wants to keep the Cambodian pipeline open.
[Monday 30 September 2019?] – Meng Shao Fei joins Tang Yi and Li Zhi De on a work trip to Tang Yi’s office in Xingtian International Group building. Andy joins Tang Yi and tells him that the person selling drugs (to Big K?) was a member of Hsin-Tien. He’s also found out who attacked Tang Yi (the kidnapping, presumably, not the sniper). Tang Yi is not happy when he learns the name.
EPISODE 5
[Monday 30 September 2019?] Meng Shao Fei and Li Zhi De team up to see off Andy. MSF, Tang Yi and LZD go for lunch (LZD leaves early).
Same day - Zhao Zi checks out the Tang security system with a random muscley gang member and then Jack. Zuo Hong Ye makes a move on Gu Dao Yi. He turns her down. Tang Yi goes to the hosptal accompanied only by Meng Shao Fei to repay a debt to Doctor Jiang (who wants to practice massage techniques).
That night - Tang Yi invites Meng Shao Fei to touch him. Li Zhi De tries to warn Tang Yi about MSF’s intentions, and is rebuffed. Then LZD phones someone to set up a meeting.
New day [Tuesday 1 October 2019?] - Tang Yi, Zuo Hong Ye and Gu Dao Yi have a business meeting about the progress in legitimisation. ZHY borrows MSF for an afternoon shopping trip. They are shot at, MSF takes a bullet to the left lower abdomen. Tang Yi goes to the hospital, Doctor Jiang is there [Jiang Comprehensive Hospital].
Same day, after dark - Tang Yi returns home after dark to beat up the shooter who has been quickly captured. Li Zhi De meets Hong Ye somewhere in the house (she’s eating cheese) – he had made an agreement with her to find two men to take baseball bats to Meng Shao Fei on the shopping trip, but the shooter beat them to it. Tang Yi tells Jack the shooter came from Chen Wen Hao. Zuo Hong Ye and Gu Dao Yi have a heart to heart in the parking garage (of the house?).
EPISODE 6
Next day, approx 10.30am [Wednesday 2 October 2019?] - Zhao Zi brings toiletries to Meng Shao Fei’s hospital room, Tang Yi is already there. Tang Yi and Jack leave the hospital and Tang Yi is taken against his will to a meeting with Chen Wen Hao at a tea house (Jack is forced to stay behind). Chen Wen Hao confirms he was behind the shooting of Zuo Hong Ye and Meng Shao Fei (in retaliation for killing Wang Kun Chen). Jack shows up outside the tea house. Tang Yi and Chen Wen Hao agree that Chen Wen Hao’s group won’t sell drugs to anyone in Hsin-Tien, and in return Tang Yi will not interfere in Chen Wen Hao’s business.
That night – Zhao Zi sleeps beside Meng Shao Fei’s hospital bed. Tang Yi visits MSF.
Next day, 8.05am [Thursday 3 October 2019?] – Jack hides in Meng Shao Fei’s hospital bed. He’s brought Zhao Zi breakfast. Tang Yi and MSF take the air on the roof [it’s about 36 hours since MSF was shot]. MSF kisses Tang Yi.
Same day, 8.55am – Meng Shao Fei decides he’s going to check himself out of hospital. Zhao Zi threatens to call the captain, which stops him.
An unknown number of days later, possibly Sunday 20 October 2019, 10.15am – Meng Shao Fei checks out of hospital assisted by Zhao Zi and Huang Yi Qi. Tang Yi comes in and kisses MSF (returning his rooftop kiss). Meng Shao Fei and Huang Yi Qi have a conversation about her feelings.
Same day, possibly Sunday 20 October 2019 – Jack escorts Zhao Zi (and Meng Shao Fei’s laundry) home. Kisses him. Tang Yi escorts MSF home. They nearly have sex.
EPISODE 7
[Continues where episode 6 left off] possibly Sunday 20 October 2019 – Tang Yi cooks dinner for Meng Shao Fei and talks about Tang Guo Dong’s death.
Probably the next day, so possibly Monday 21 October 2019 – At work, Zhao Zi looks up what to do when a man confesses his feelings to another man.
MONDAY 21 OCTOBER 2019 (Tang Yi's 29th birthday) – Zuo Hong Ye, Gu Dao Yi and Tang Yi are in a business meeting about the D82 project. Tang Yi suggests using Pengcheng Construction because the CEO Zhao Ren Guang is a good match for Hong Ye. Gu Dao Yi tries to wave Tang Yi off, Tang Yi tries to persuade Dao Yi to pursue Hong Ye.
Monday evening – Meng Shao Fei comes to Tang Yi’s room with a birthday cake. Outside, Li Zhi De sees MSF and TY kiss.
The next day? (Tuesday 22 October 2019) – Zuo Hong Ye goes to a lunch meeting with Zhao Ren Guang and Gu Dao Yi.
Probably the same day – Li Zhi De drugs and sexually assaults Tang Yi in his car. At the same time, Meng Shao Fei defends himself against two attackers in a street market. Tang Yi stealthily calls Jack for help.
Same day – Li Zhi De is tied up in Tang Yi’s house. Tang Yi accuses him of selling drugs behind his back and colluding with those in Hsin-Tien who are against Tang Yi going legit. Li Zhi De denies sending people to kill MSF. Tang Yi says the attack in the parking lot (the kidnapping of Tang Yi and Meng Shao Fei?) and the person who sniped at him was He Hang and LZD gave him his schedule. LZD says he wanted to kill MSF, but would never try to kill TY.
Same evening? – Two unknown people exchange something using a public locker.
The next day (Wednesday 23 October 2019?) – At the Xingtian offices, Tang Yi asks Hong Ye to leave the country for her safety. [The tense used in the subtitles suggests Tang Yi hasn’t yet handed Li Zhi De to the police but is planning to, the conversation happens ~38m into episode 7]. Hong Ye agrees to go to Helsinki with Zhao Ren Guang, alone. In the parking garage Dao Yi begs to stay by her side, and then admits he’s always loved her.
Same day (or a couple of days later?) – Zhao Zi is looking at Chen Wen Hao’s prison records, and tells MSF that Tang Guo Dong and Li Li Zhen visited him.
EPISODE 8
Same day as the end of episode 7 (Wednesday 23 October 2019?) - Tang Yi is in another tea house meeting with Chen Wen Hao. Confusing the timeline, Chen Wen Hao is angry and says that despite their deal at the last meeting (at the beginning of October), just last month three of his boats were intercepted. He suspects Tang Yi is behind it.
Probably that night – Meng Shao Fei searches the records for more evidence about Li Li Zhen’s relationship with Tang Guo Dong. He discovers Tang Yi’s birth certificate hidden in Li Li Zhen’s puzzle box. That night he drives to visit Tang Yi’s original adoptive father.
Next day (Thursday 24 October 2019?) – Tang Yi visits the Criminal Investigation Division to see if Meng Shao Fei is at work.
Same day – Hong Ye tells Tang Yi she is ready to leave Taiwan in a few days.
Same day – Jack brings bento for Zhao Zi at work. He also wants information on where Meng Shao Fei is (Tang Yi didn’t ask him to ask). When he leaves Zhao Zi, Jack gets picked up by Chen Wen Hao’s men. CWH offers him Wang Kun Chen’s business in Taiwan in return for financial info on Hsin-Tien, Shi Hai Corporation and their business partners. CWH then ups the offer to bring Jack directly to Cambodia.
Same day, lunchtime – Zhao Zi is eating his bento, Jun Wei announces that Li Zhi De has been killed in the custody of the prosecutor’s office. Zhao Zi, and Zhou Guan Zhi have been questioning him since his arrest [for “these last few days” although the timeline suggests that Tang Yi handed him in the day before. Was there a time skip at the end of episode 7 before Zhao Zi looks at the prison records?]. The Captain confronts Ah-Zhi and correctly accuses him of killing Li Zhi De.
That night – Tang Yi asks Jack to handle Li Zhi De’s death within the gang. Meng Shao Fei comes home to Tang Yi’s house. [Gu Dao Yi?] phones Tang Yi: Hong Ye has been kidnapped by Chen Wen Hao and He Hang. Tang Yi and Meng Shao Fei walk right into it. Meng Shao Fei tells Chen Wen Hao and Tang Yi that he has discovered that Chen Wen Hao is Tang Yi’s father.
EPISODE 9
Same night (Thursday 24 October 2019?) – Meng Shao Fei reveals that Chen Wen Hao is Tang Yi’s father and Li Li Zhen his mother. Tang Yi accuses Chen Wen Hao of killing Tang Guo Dong, which CWH denies. Tang Yi doesn’t want to believe the denial. Chen Wen Hao releases Tang Yi, Zuo Hong Ye and Meng Shao Fei [presumably Hong Ye and Gu Dao Yi leave the country that night]. Tang Yi drives away, leaving Meng Shao Fei behind, MSF reaches Tang Yi’s house himself and they have another confrontation and Tang Yi breaks down.
Same night - Jack meets the Interpol Commander by the waterside and hands over Hsin-Tien information and Chen Wen Hao’s entire Taiwan business including names and distributors. Jack offers to infiltrate the Cambodian side of CWH’s business. Interpol guy agrees to take care of getting Jack out of the Hsin-Tien Group.
Same night – Zhao Zi heads home to find Jack waiting for him. Jack tells him he’s leaving town and cooks again.
Next morning (Friday 25 October?) – Captain Shi shops for wedding dresses with his daughter and then gives himself up to the Inspector’s Office.
Same morning – Jun Wei tells Unit 3 the Captain has given himself up, Ah-Zhi does a runner.
Same morning – Tang Yi is surprisingly chipper as he makes breakfast following the previous night’s break down, Meng Shao Fei is not convinced. Jack interrupts and announces he’s caught He Hang [quick work!]. MSF goes to work, notices that Zhou Guan Zhi (Ah-Zhi) has gone, and he and Zhao Zi leave to visit Ah-Zhi’s home.
Same day – Unit 3 look for Ah-Zhi. Ah-Zhi is in a karaoke club trying to arrange an escape from Taiwan with mobster Ko-san. Chen Wen Hao is singing depressed karaoke with his government procurement buddy Wang, recognises Ah-Zhi as the man who shot Tang Guo Dong and Li Li Zhen, and captures him [we don’t see him hand Ah-Zhi to Tang Yi].
Same day – Investigators are already poring over Ah-Zhi’s home. He’s being investigated for a 2015 murder case. Meng Shao Fei figures out that means the deaths of Tang Guo Dong and Li Li Zhen, and also, somehow, that Tang Yi might have figured it out too.
Same day – Meng Shao Fei runs into Tang Yi’s house to find him beating Ah-Zhi. Ah-Zhi admits they took confiscated drugs and sold them to He Hang. When Tang Guo DOng started to legitimise he looked into Hsin-Tien’s supply channels, found the police supply chain and went to see Li Li Zhen. Tang Yi wants to kill Ah-Zhi, MSF wants to arrest him, Tang Yi shoots at Ah-Zhi and MSF gets in the way and is shot in the right shoulder.
EPISODE 10
Same day? (Friday 25 October?) – Tang Yi sits in handcuffs outside Meng Shao Fei’s hospital room, very loosely supervised by Zhao Zi. Meng Shao Fei is extremely perky for a man who just got shot. Tang Yi promises to hand He Hang and Ah-Zhi to the police.
That night – The remnants of Unit 3 get drunk and morose. Zhao Zi walks slowly home. Jack follows him and catches up in a park. Zhao Zi breaks down, Jack tells him he’s leaving, Zhao Zi asks him not to, they kiss.
Unknown number of days later – A healthy Meng Shao Fei visits the Captain in his safehouse and shows him photos of his daughter’s wedding to Yucheng (given away by his son, called Jukuan in the English subtitles).
New day – Unit 3 pack up Ah-Zhi and the captain’s things. Tang Yi is under house arrest. Zhao Zi announces that their new team members have been confirmed. Meng Shao Fei gets a call and goes for coffee with Chen Wen Hao and gives him Li Li Zhen’s note from her puzzle box.
That night – Meng Shao Fei and Tang Yi cook together and talk about Chen Wen Hao and Li Li Zhen.
Same night? – Jack moves in with Zhao Zi.
Next day? – Tang Yi visits Li Li Zhen’s grave. Joined by Chen Wen Hao. Chen Wen Hao gives up his thumb drive of info on Hsin-Tien that he was going to use to get revenge on Tang Guo Dong and recruit Jack. Chen Wen Hao commits suicide.
Unknown time later – Zuo Hong Ye and Gu Dao Yi arrive back at Tang Yi and Meng Shao Fei’s house. ZHY calls MSF sister in law. He accepts it. Tang Yi is having tea upstairs with Dr. Jiang.
Unknown time later – Tang Yi picks Meng Shao Fei up after work, Jack arrives on his bike to pick Zhao Zi up. Tang Yi confronts Jack about defecting to Chen Wen Hao. Jack waves it off. Zhao Zi freaks out when he hears Jack say relationships are about using each other. Jack hauls him away on his bike. This is when MSF learns Zhao Zi and Jack are together. Jack promises Zhao Zi that he might have lied occasionally but he’s never used him.
That night – First time Zhao Zi and Jack have sex.
Same night – Tang Yi and Meng Shao Fei have a conversation about love.
Next day – Tang Yi reports to prison.
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Date: 13 Mar 2020 19:10 (UTC)no subject
Date: 14 Mar 2020 00:31 (UTC)no subject
Date: 14 Mar 2020 03:19 (UTC)no subject
Date: 14 Mar 2020 15:34 (UTC)no subject
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Date: 14 Mar 2020 07:56 (UTC)no subject
Date: 14 Mar 2020 15:36 (UTC)no subject
Date: 14 Mar 2020 14:39 (UTC)Can I ask how you derived the first date from the episode, is that working backward from Tang Yi's birthday, or are there other anchor points?
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Date: 14 Mar 2020 15:33 (UTC)no subject
Date: 14 Mar 2020 16:02 (UTC)There's a timestamp for September 12th in episode 1 (footage of Tang Yi entering and exiting the building during his suspected involvement in Wang Kun Chen's death), so I think you can capitalize that one too. THAT WAS SPOT ON, by the way.
I went back to see if we can derive more anchor dates from cell phone lock screens, but alas, no. All I spotted was a continuity error when Zhao Zi and Jack exchange LINE contact info, and in one shot ZZ has 86% battery, and then a couple of cuts later, 3 mins have passed and he has 90% battery. 😣
Anyways, THIS IS AN AMAZING TIMELINE
no subject
Date: 14 Mar 2020 16:09 (UTC)no subject
Date: 15 Mar 2020 20:40 (UTC)And I'm surprised by how more than two weeks before Tang Yi comes back and gives Shao Fei his answering kiss! I thought it was a day or two, but you're right..that was like...LITERAL WEEKS! 😱
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Date: 15 Mar 2020 21:40 (UTC)Of course - it could have taken him 2 weeks to respond, which is two lovely weeks of angst for fic writers :D
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Date: 18 Mar 2020 21:15 (UTC)Maybe there's a bit of a break earlier in the timeline, like when the shopping incident happens?
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Date: 19 Mar 2020 19:06 (UTC)Incidentally, do we ever find out what's going on in episode 7 when:
Same evening? – Two unknown people exchange something using a public locker.??
I couldn't figure out who those people were or why that scene was sprinkled in, seemingly at random.
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Date: 19 Mar 2020 22:25 (UTC)no subject
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Date: 15 Jan 2021 04:07 (UTC)Thanks again :)