A tender notice is issued for a billion-yuan medical equipment procurement project at City No. 1 Hospital, and a covert battle over interests and rules quietly begins.
Supplier Shen Yan keenly spots clauses in the bidding specifications that appear designed to favor a particular bidder. He tries to challenge them through proper channels, only to be drawn into an even deeper quagmire. Su Wan of the procurement agency walks a fine line between suppliers and the purchaser, maintaining the appearance of a fair process while building a bridge for illicit transfers of benefits. The purchaser, Lu Mingyu, urgently needs money for his seriously ill daughter’s surgery. Under the pressure of his family’s circumstances and supplier Gu Feng’s temptation, his moral defenses gradually crumble, and the fuse of a corrupt exchange of money and power is quietly lit.
Feelings rekindled by the reunion of former lovers, cracks in a bid-rigging alliance, flaws in forged documents, and the secrets of double-entry account books all intertwine in the struggle. Shen Yan is torn between exposing the corruption and honoring his old feelings. Su Wan seeks to protect herself while caught in the grip of power. Gu Feng’s bid-rigging scheme seems flawless, yet disputes over how to split the proceeds and the leaking of evidence make every step perilous.
When the regulators bring down the sword of investigation, evidence of collusion, bribery records, and illicit exchanges of sex for power are exposed one by one. None of those involved can escape judgment. Lu Mingyu and Gu Feng are sent to prison, Su Wan seeks redemption by confessing, and though Shen Yan pays a price for falsifying documents, he helps reform the procurement system. At last, new rules take hold in the light of day, and the dawn of fair competition finally illuminates the gray areas of medical procurement.
