Blood Free is one of those K-dramas that you can’t really label a particular genre. It’s got quite a confusing premise and occasionally gets borderline boring because of how convoluted it is. However, I’m hoping that, like the first two episodes, they give us quite a clear picture of what’s going on, and as we progress in the show, we’ll get more straightforward answers as well. Boasting the finest cast in Dramaworld, the show has quite an original storyline as well, especially for an original screenplay that is not based on a webtoon, which is the most common thing to do right now. Episodes 1 and 2 demonstrate the political situation in the show and why Yun Ja-Yu is the talk of the town. In a world of meat-eaters desperate for a fix, she’s the CEO of the company that dominates the cultured meat market. Of course, there are bound to be problems, especially when she basically owns a part of the future. So, let’s quickly get into episodes 3 and 4 of the show and everything that goes down after the ransomware incident.
Spoiler Alert
Who was the informant at BF?
On one of those sci-fi holographic computers, Ja-Yu, Chae-Woon, and Seo Hui try to figure out if any BF employees have been dealing in Bitcoin. Chae-Woon and Ja-Yu have discovered that whoever installed the ransomware was from within the company; however, they’re now trying to figure out which of the six closely tied members to Ja-Yu are the ones involved. They even illegally track the company members through their AI system, “Youngshil.” Seo Hui seems to be innocent, as Chae-Woon follows him to his home. There’s no foul play involved there. However, Ja-Yu suddenly realizes that all her problems began after Chae-Woon joined her company. She still doesn’t trust him. So, when she learns that he was with her at AZORAN, where the president got bombed, this means she knows that he might still be associating with said president, i.e., a threat to her. For the most part, these two episodes see Chae-Woon and Ja-Yu playing mind games, trying to gain each other’s trust while simultaneously not trusting each other. It’s quite the paradox, if you ask me, but there’s also an odd kind of chemistry between the two of them.
At the same time, Chae-Woon is also looking to meet Kir, the terrorist responsible for the incident at AZORAN, and asks the president to help him get visitation because the guy is refusing to meet him. It’s revealed that Hong’s car (the woman who met with an accident right when the ransomware incident occurred) was found with the dashcam removed, clearly indicating some sort of foul play. Additionally, On San also gets a call from the police, inquiring if anyone in the company resents Hong. Finally, On San, Chae-Woon, and Ja-Yu figure out together that the whole thing was planned by the scientist Kim Sin-Gu.
In a flashback to a day ago, a little before Hong’s accident, Hong visits Sin-Gu at his home and hears a loud sound from inside, which shocks her and makes her drop some items that she’s brought for him. Sin-Gu is also startled by the sound of the crashing items and checks to see who’s at the door. Hong tells him that she came to drop by some items and also gives him a retirement gift before turning to leave. Just before she goes, she reads the BF group chat, which reads that Ms. Yun has paid off CitizenX. She becomes suspicious of Sin-Gu then, realizing that he might’ve cheered a few seconds ago because he planned the whole thing. Just when she’s trying to speak to someone at work regarding the same, Sin-Gu finds her in the car, and then she ends up in the hospital.
It’s already quite late to catch hold of Sin-Gu, who has left the country, and Chae-Woon decides to go the underground way to find the guy. He meets with the brokers who help illegal immigrants because, apparently, they all have a connection with each other. The scene plays out like your typical action thriller, and finally, they agree to find the guy for Chae-Woon for 30 million won. Chae-Woon’s wish is granted, and he gets to meet Kir. Chae-Woon wants to know how Kir knew that the president was arriving that day when the president himself decided half an hour before to visit. Kir was obviously set up, but Chae-Woon wasn’t going to get his answers so easily.
What Happens to Professor Sin-Gu?
At an event with the prime minister and other important people, Ja-Yu notices all the people that Chae-Woon was connected with. Her suspicions seem to be getting deeper. The current prime minister is the grandson of the ex-president, something Ja-Yu doesn’t appreciate because the president was an obstacle for her company at the time. This is also why he suspects that the bombing was her doing and has planted Chae-Woon in her company to figure things out. The prime minister’s parents are divorced, so his father thinks that using him to get Chae-Woon into BF was a bit disrespectful of his ex-father-in-law, too. However, he’s keen on learning more about Ja-Yu’s intentions or BF’s workings. It turns out he wants to pay her 30 trillion won to buy her company. She wonders why he’s in a rush specifically at this time, though the offer is somewhat tempting to her specifically because she wouldn’t be under the eye of public scrutiny anymore.
Chae-Woon leaves the event unbeknownst to Ja-Yu, only telling her assistant and his fellow bodyguard. When he returns, he will have all the information regarding Sin-Gu’s whereabouts. Additionally, the prime minister knows what’s happened as well, and he’s also tracking Sin-Gu for Ja-Yu. Ja-Yu is confused as to how Chae-Woon is so quick to find the information, and he claims it was sheer luck. This makes her frustrated with him, and then he reveals that he spent $30 million won of his own money to get the information because asking her for money would’ve looked uncool. Somehow, in the middle of all the scary stuff, these two have the time to flirt in their own weird way. Ja-Yu gives him the “Youngshil” watch, which will basically give him all-access to BF. At the same time, the PM also finds out that Sin-Gu, who has acquired a Thai passport from Cambodia, is now flying off to Paris. However, what’s shocking is that he ends up dead on the flight there.
How does Chae-Woon get hurt?
This sparks huge protests against Ja-Yu because the media suggests that she may have possibly killed Sin-Gu after he stole money from her. Culture fluid controversy forgotten. Because nowhere near the company or her headquarters is safe and it’s New Year’s time, Chae-Woon takes Ja-Yu to his own house for the time being. What he doesn’t know is that somebody’s already been there to check on him. This man is the same guy who was around during the traffic accident involving Ja-Yu. Basically, he’s the prime minister’s guy. At this time, the two of them finally seem to ease up and gain a little bit of each other’s trust because their lives depend on each other and all that, you know?
While on a work drive with Seo, I suppose because nowhere in the office is safe, Ja-Yu gets a call from the prime minister to meet urgently. She obliges, but when they make it there, the PM has to leave because there’s been a raid on a police station’s armory, and a lot of ammunition has been stolen. What nobody realizes is that it’s been stolen to hurt Ja-Yu.
At the end of Blood Free episode 4, Ja-Yu is attacked with her two bodyguards and Seo in the car. Chae-Woon is quick to get to work and gets them away from danger. He even promises to protect Ja-Yu when he sees how shaken she is by the situation. However, when he finds a grenade thrown at them, he exposes himself to the gunfire and gets shot twice. Of course, Ja-Yu is a target for many, but do we think this was the prime minister’s father’s doing? After all, he wants to buy her company. We’ll find out in the next episode of Blood Free.
