ESCAPE FROM THE TRIANGULAR SLOPES companion piece

Chinese title :  边水往事

•  Biān shuǐ wǎngshì    [*]
• English title : Escape from the Triangular Slopes  
• 2024 web TV series - 21 episodes, 60 minutes each

Crew and author:            

Lao Suan filming Reset Directed by : Lǎo Suàn 老算   aka Passsee Mu born Móu Xīncén 牟芯岑 on July 9, 1989 in Dujiangyan, Chengdu, Sichuan Province.  He directed 5 dramas and a movie since 2016: Straw Dog 刍狗  (2016, movie, released 2022) Mad House 疯人院 (2018, sci-fi suspense web drama) Cloud Prison (2020, short drama in 2 parts) Reset (2022, time-loop web drama) Escape from the Trilateral Slopes (2024, thriller adventures web drama) Unsettled Case (破悬案 TBA) He is a  graduate from the Animation School of Beijing Film Academy.  Also did screenwriting for several of the above dramas.  Screenwriters : Cuī Xiǎoxuě  崔小雪 (photo from press conference in Beijing ) and Lǎo Suàn Cuī Xiǎoxuě is a young screenwriter and author who won a prize at the  9th "Young Screenwriter Support Program", awarded on November 15, 2018, at the Literature Department of Beijing Film Academy, for 《因为是她所以没关系吗》(Doesn't it matter because it's her?).  There is not much more info about him.

"Escape from the Trilateral Slopes" was produced by Alibaba (Beijing) Software Services Co., Ltd., Chengdu Xuanying Alchemy Film Co., Ltd., Beijing Standard Image Culture Communication Co., Ltd., Beijing Standard Image Culture Communication Co., Ltd  Author : 沈星星 Shěn Xīngxīng Cover of the book In March 2009, Shen Xingxing who was only 17 years old at the time, landed in Phnom Penh and became a truck driver delivering fake goods to drug dealers in Myanmar. This job is called "bianshui" locally. For 397 days, he lived with drug dealers, gamblers, and gangsters. Before this, he had never thought that the real world was so bad. After witnessing his friend being shot [...], Shen Xingxing decided to flee back to China overnight and surrender, and assisted the police in cracking down on drug trafficking that had been entrenched in the mountains for many years. chain. He recorded the people and things he experienced in his book. - On publication, the novelized account achieved enough success to be mentioned in a 2020 article ; it is now rated 7.6 on Douban.   Probably for obvious reasons, and like other writers who wrote accounts about their undercover work in ganglands, there are no pictures of the author.

Other crew members (source: Chinese Wikipedia drama page) :

[*] The title's alternate translation in some articles about the drama is "Once Upon a Time on the Edge of Water", or for short "Bianshui Past".     边水 is left as "Bianshui" by Google translate, because it is not synonymous with 水边 (shuǐ biān) or 水浒 (shuǐ hǔ) which mean edge of water or water margin, river bank.  As such, 边, the side, also evokes a border, and the water, associated with the "past events" (往事 wǎngshì), evoke matters and associated incidents that flow away with the water current.  Thus, another possibility for a translation of the title could have been "Border River" or "Border River swept away incidents" since the region is intersected by the great Mekong river, and shared by three states with a border that seems sometime to fluctuate like water... But in a more pedestrian fashion,  边水  biānshuǐ  is simply Golden Triangle slang for "supplying water" an euphemism for transporting alcohol and other fake or smuggled  items to the gangs.

To me, the story also could, remotely, resonate with the great Chinese classic novel "Outlaws of the Marsh" also known as "The Water Margin" (水滸傳 Shuǐhǔ zhuàn), with a sprawling cast of 108 historical heroes opposing a corrupt government in the Northern Song dynasty (around 1120). But the Chinese classic novel is about a peasant revolt ; not like the drama here, which is based on the real life account of an author who, in 2009, traveled the gangs infested region at the corner of the three states just across the border of China :  Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand.

The drama has a Baidu web encyclopedia page, a Chinese Wikipedia page, a drama Weibo page, and a Douban rating page. The  Youku Weibo page  also had many posts with pictures and short clips.

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The BTS clips on YouTube unfortunately don't come with English or other subtitles but here are a few worth skimming through, showing cast exchanging opinions, and some spectacular explosion scenes... (click on the GIF excerpts from two BTS video,  below, to view in full - BTS are 5 to 8 mins long)

 Interview August 2024

As special poster was made to commemorate the "ordinary road" speech audience of Guo  Qilin (the text of which was recorded in Chinese on a series of 18 Weibo posts)

On September 5, a Livestream (no English subtitles) featured a 1h13 group interview of the main actors, with Guo Qilin in remote taking part from 45:37:

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Screenshots from Escape From The Triangular Slopes : Shen Xing and Dan Tuo overlooking the "Kingdom of Laza" 

Aerial view from a drone on the Mekong river at tripoint, 28 September 2021

A lot has been written about this region that straddles the borders of three countries : Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos. Time and again, news are recycled about the dangerous crime-beds that are firmly rooted in the region. It used to be the growing ground of poppy fields, transformed into opium, and other drugs such as heroin. The mountainous terrain and the civil wars going on both prevented crackdowns and encouraged the illegal trade which brought revenue to the local gang lords. 

Note: the triangle above is exaggerated; Yunnan is not part of it; the two maps to the left are more accurate.

Geographically, the hilly territory at the confluence of Mekong and Ruak rivers at the borders of Laos, Thailand and Myanmar constitute the Triangle.  It has been the source of much political conflict and instability for decades after the Second World War. The region is also known for its natural resources, including copper, gold, opium, and natural gas.

The Golden Triangle is at the Confluence of Ruak River and Mekong Rivers

View of the Golden Triangle at Wat Phra That Doi Pu Khao on 26 October 2021 (photo by  on Chainwit on Wikipedia)

Chiang Rai is the commercial center of the Golden Triangle border region of Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos. It is an excellent base for exploring the region. Chiang Rai is essentially a service city for the surrounding province. The greater area has a relatively small population of 200,000 people, but also has a respected university and other civic facilities.
The character is distinctly Northern and is distinct from Chiang Mai to the south in various ways. The food is spicier and the ethnic composition includes a good percentage of hill tribes and Burmese exiles. (links to Wikivoyage details)

In recent years, the Thai part of the Golden Triangle has been somewhat pacified, Thailand has even opened a tourist zone (The Golden Triangle Park)  and  a museum of the Opium trades of the past (poppy fields have been eliminated since 1965 in Thailand) ! A magnificent bronze Buddha image sits on a boat (Phra Chiang Saen Si Phaendin or Phra Buddha Nawa Lan Tue, on a large boat called Rua Kaew Kusoltham).  Although the region and the park may be visited with groups adnd guides, it still is not 100% safe to go on tour there !

Hall of Opium museum in Chiang Rai: it sits in a green valley

Papaver somniferum  (opium poppy field and seed pod exuding latex from a cut, Wikipedia)

"The Hall of Opium Museum is a combination of multimedia and exhibition to make learning more fun. Aiming to educate people about opium, this exhibition portrays every angle of the story, starting from the history of the Golden Triangle, the origin of opium, the opium war, opium warlords, drug smugglers, opium effects, the battle against opium and poppy growing, to rehabilitation of living conditions of the people who live in the central of the Golden Triangle, the former worldwide infamous drug trading zone. The exhibition features the following zones: Entrance Zone: A 137-meter-long dark tunnel towards an artificial poppy field in the Hall Zone. Hall Zone: An artificial poppy field, where you can learn about various species of poppy flowers. Opium in Siam Zone: A mock-up of a Chinese tea house in Yaowarat where people came to smoke opium and the story about the origin of opium in Siam. Magic Medicine Zone: This zone shows science behinds the development of morphine and heroin. Opium Effects Zone: This zone shows the adverse impact of drugs and drug addictions on individuals and the society. " (Golden Triangle Park, Thailand Tourism information)

In Laos, the only visitable part of the Golden Triangle is Don Sao island, a "tourist trap" reputed for fake leather bags and whisky laced with snakes that are supposedly medicinal! a high-speed rail link has been constructed, linking Bangkok in Thailand to Vientiane, the Laotian capital ; it passes on impressive rail bridges over rice paddies, lakes, and rivers, and links now all the way to the Chinese border, with a link further to Kunming, the Yunnan provincial capital.

THE HUB OF ILLICIT AND DRUGS TRADES

"How One Man Rules in Asia’s Golden Triangle"(Bloomberg, August 20, 2024 repost to YouTube, 15 minutes)

As the drugs trade keeps flourishing in the world,  reporters point to the persistence of gangs in the "Golden Triangle". Most recent was this Bloomberg feature of August 2024, that brought up, again, the role of famous "kingpin" Zhao Wei.  To blame China behind for being complacent or perhaps benefiting from the illegal trades! But, as PeachBlossomGoddess  justly remarked in comments : 

"The Golden Triangle is a very complicated area and a known hotbed for drug trafficking and all kinds of illegal activity. But the scamming syndicates are everywhere, not just in the Golden Triangle - its in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Thailand etc. The reporter is exaggerating the Golden Triangle's issues and Zhao Wei by making that the epicenter of everything bad. Its also the typical ignorant Western press reporting. China unlike America does not interfere with domestic affairs of sovereign nations. They are not going to storm across the Thai/Laos/Myanmar border to play superhero superpower and take down Zhao Wei. That is how wars get started !!! And you can bet your bottom dollar if they did it, the US would seize it as an excuse to sanction or even start a war with China for invading Thailand/Laos or Myanmar. Its just ridiculous. --- The real issue, which I hope the drama explores is that all three countries are basically run by the military. And the military are partners in the whole drug trafficking effort. They need it to fund their existence. They can shut it all down if they wish but they don't. They just cry about how they have no control over the situation bc its not a legitimate economic activity for a legitimate government to be engaged in. It is a business worth billions of dollars and very meaningful to these otherwise nothing economies."

Quite true, these trades are an ever regenerating cancer that has affected the world for centuries : the Italian Mafias are still not extinct, neither are the Mexican and South American "cartels", and gangs in America have been portrayed time and again in movies and literature : they are far from vanished. The slave trade of past centuries may have ended officially for the "righteous countries" (some of which partook shamelessly in the opium trade and wars, between 1839 and its peak from 1889 to 1892 spreading the drug from India to China and to the rest of Asia), but several countries still resort to unofficial or not slave trade, rebranded as "human trafficking"...

The catalogue of crimes includes money laundering, often through casinos, and rare wood or endangered species trafficking, and today, online scams that can siphon away the savings of gullible Netizens, particularly elderly people.

According to a Quora comment, the largest gang in the Golden Triangle is the Shan army :

 "Created by defeated soldiers of the Republic of China (Taiwan) following the loss of mainland China in 1949, the Shan Army has used its massive drug cultivation and processing for 7 decades to fight wars against China and the Republic of Myanmar.

Holding large swathes of Shan State in Myanmar, with Shan State comprising almost a third of Myanmar, the Shan Army wages a constant battle against federal forces in Napiydaw for independence — and in effect create a buffer border state between China and Myanmar.

The US turns a blind eye to this activity and in fact sanctions Myanmar itself to weaken its ability to deal with the Shan State rebels, despite the heavy flow of drugs from the Golden Triangle that ultimately reach America, particularly opium and opioids. It does so to foster chaos in the region, and destabilize China and Myanmar. CIA agents operate from a massive base in Thailand in support of Shan State activities, a similar playbook from US activities in South America."

But the Shan State itself has roots that go much further up in time, as witness the well-known story of warlord and drug kingpin Khun Sa (1934-2007) . The Chinese side of his family had been living in Shan State since the 18th century.  Trained by the Kuomintang, he established his independence by the 1960s and, like many government-supported warlords, used profits from the opium trade to buy large supplies of military equipment from the black markets in Laos and Thailand ; these warlords were soon better equipped than the Burmese army.

  Although Khun Sa had been captured in 1969, he was released in 1974, in a release rumored secretly brokered by Thai General Kriangsak Chomanan, whom Khun Sa secretly contributed $50,000 US to support  in a 1981 Thai election campaign. From 1974 to 1994, Khun Sa became the dominant opium warlord in the Golden Triangle. As drug trafficking routes opened up to India, Laos, and Cambodia, which Khun Sa did not control, his power waned. Challenged militarily by another nominally independent ethnic rebel organization in northern Myanmar, the United Wa State Army (which became the largest opium supplier in the region), Khun Sa finally surrendered to the Burmese government on January 5, 1996, gave up control of his army, and moved to Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon) with a large fortune. During his retirement he became a prominent local businessman, with investments in Yangon, Mandalay and Taunggyi. After his retirement he described himself as "a commercial real estate agent with a foot in the construction industry". He ran a large ruby mine, and invested in a new highway running from Yangon to Mandalay.  (adapted from the Wikipedia biography)

"Following an eradication campaign in the Golden Triangle, poppy cultivation decreased more than 80 percent from 1998 to 2006  but grew back again, before decreasing since 2014, as synthetic drug production expanded. The Golden Triangle is now one of the world's leading areas for the production of synthetic drugs and particularly methamphetamine as production has scaled up of Yaba tablets and crystalline methamphetamine, including for export to Australia, New Zealand, and across East and Southeast Asia. In 2023, Myanmar overtook Afghanistan as the world’s biggest producer of opium, after a  ban on poppy cultivation by the Taliban reduced opium production by approximately 95%." (Opium is also used in medicine, so it is difficult to eradicate poppies entirely: "the use of morphine and other derivatives (codein, laudanum...) isolated from opium in the treatment of chronic pain has been reestablished.").

"With respect to the accelerating synthetic drug production in the region, and specifically in Shan State, Myanmar, Sam Gor, also known as "The Company", is understood to be one of the main international crime syndicates responsible for this shift.  Sam Gor is alleged to control 40% of the Asia-Pacific methamphetamine market, while also trafficking heroin and ketamine.

----

TOURISM  IN THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE

My GIF excerpt from "Complete Guide to the Golden Triangle" (click on to view in full, 6'40) Wikipedia, Trip.Advisor and other sites  have spectacular pictures of the Golden Triangle, although that region still remains an adventurous proposition to visit.

Thailand Laos Burma Border (GoldenTriangle) viewpoint at Wat Phra That Pha Ngao in October 2022, by Chainwit on Wikipedia At Sop Ruak, a village at the confluence of the rivers) nicknamed "center of the Golden Triangle" : the gate to the Golden Triangle features elements of various creeds :  an Indian Ganesh statue, a Chinese dragon, an elephant, a fish tailed goddess --> The Golden Buddha or Phra Chiang Saen Si Phaendin sits just across from the GTSEZ where the conspicuous golden dome can be seen on the other side of the Mekong river.  --->

Border crossing checkpoints: Thailand- Laos

Thailand - Myanmar (not many there !)

What is the best time to visit Golden Triangle?   The best time to visit The Golden Triangle in Thailand is from November to February which are the winter months. The weather is pleasant, dry and the water level of the rivers Mekong and Ruak is safe for boat rides. The mercury level remains between 14ᵒC and 31ᵒC. From March the temperature starts rising and averages to about 33ᵒC until June (average low remains around 27ᵒC). July onwards, there is a slight dip in the average high temperature and the monsoons arrive. The region receives an average annual rainfall of approximately 1700 mm. It rains the most in the months of August and September. Since the Golden Triangle is located at the confluence of the rivers, visiting during the rainy season is not recommended due to a drastic rise in the water level and possibilities of floods.  (Source)

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In episode 6, Mr Cai gave a pair of gold tapirs to Ai Suo who was celebrating his wedding:

What is a Tapir?

(Copy from the page on the site of the Tapir Specialist Group, with some adaptation and additions)

These rare mammals are often confused with hippos, pigs or anteaters, but their closest living relatives are actually rhinos and horses. Tapirs are a living fossil; they have been around since the Eocene, having survived waves of extinction of other animals. They are South America’s largest native land mammal, with adults ranging in size from 300-700 pounds.

A tapir’s most notable feature is its unique prehensile nose. Not only can they wiggle their nose, but they can use it to grab leaves when foraging. When swimming, they can use it as a snorkle! They are fast and agile swimmers. Tapir hides are very tough, and their bodies are streamlined for easy maneuvering in the forest. They have four toes on their front feet and three toes on their hind feet, with which they can run very fast for short bursts of speed through the forest.

Tapirs don’t reproduce rapidly like some mammals; their pregnancies are very long – 13 to 14 months! And they only have one baby per pregnancy. Tapir babies stay with their mothers for twelve to 18 months. Though they are tough, resilient animals who have survived for many millennia, as their populations continue to decline, it is increasingly difficult for them to recover.

There are four living species of tapir, each with a distinct appearance and habitat range. Tapirs are found in the forests of Central and South America as well as Southeast Asia. They are becoming rare in their habitats, mostly due to habitat destruction and poaching, and they are designated as either Vulnerable or Endangered as a result.

Learn More

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) maintains the Red List, widely recognized as the most comprehensive and objective global database of the conservation status of plant and animal species. 

• IUCN Red List – Lowland Tapir  (South America)  ;
• IUCN Red List – Baird’s Tapir  (Central America)
• IUCN Red List – Mountain Tapir (Peru, Ecuador, Colombia ; it is extinct in Venezuela and Bolivia)
• + 

IUCN Red List – Malayan Tapir  : The Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus), also called the Asian tapir, is the largest of the five species of tapir and the only one native to Asia. The scientific name refers to the East Indies, the species' natural habitat. In the Malay language, the tapir is commonly referred to as cipan, tenuk or badak tampung.

Anecdote :   Tapirs are herbivorous, nocturnal, with poor eyesight but sharp hearing and sense of smell. They usually feed at dusk, eating tender shoots and leaves of more than 115 species of plants, of which around 30 are particularly preferred. This one had been found as a very young orphan but quickly grew to be a concern and was given to National Park staff in Malaysia. Every night, it entered a restaurant to get watermelon ! Here, it was observed in Jerantut, Malaysia, in January

It has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2008, as the population is estimated to comprise fewer than 2,500 mature individuals. Since 2014 (last count), it stays on the "endangered' red list; their population is decreasing. 

"The Malay Tapir occurs in three relatively distinct and, in a few cases, isolated populations - two occurring on mainland Southeast Asia (Thailand/Myanmar), Southern Thailand/Malaysia and the other the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. The population on Sumatra continues to decline due to extensive loss of habitat, accidental and deliberate trapping for meat and removal of animals for zoos in Indonesia. To date, there are no reliable population estimates for Sumatra. It is now considered extinct in Sabah on Borneo.

Anecdote :  The mythical 貘 (mò) There is proof that tapirs were once found as far north as China. But there, it as confused with the giant panda, with the name mò being applied to both species.  (In Japan, tales of the tapir are believed to have given rise to the legendary baku.) Chinese woodblocks depict the mo (貘) as having an elephant trunk, rhinoceros eyes, cow tail and tiger paws, following the description of 9th-century Tang poet Bai/Bo Juyi. Between August 2021 and August 2022, archaeologists excavated 23 pits containing ancient animal sacrifices near the tomb of Emperor Wen (reign circa 180 B.C. to 157 B.C.). In addition to the skeletons of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) they found remains of a tapir,  gaurs (a species of bison), tigers, green peafowl (also called green peacocks), yaks, golden snub-nosed monkeys and takins (goat-like creature).

"The Malayan tapir is the largest of the four extant tapir species and grows to between 1.8 and 2.5 m (5 ft 11 in and 8 ft 2 in) in length, not counting a stubby tail of only 5 to 10 cm (2.0 to 3.9 in) in length, and stands 90 to 110 cm (2 ft 11 in to 3 ft 7 in) tall. It typically weighs between 250 and 320 kg (550 and 710 lb), although some adults can weigh up to 540 kg (1,190 lb). The females are usually larger than the males. Like other tapir species, it has a small, stubby tail and a long, flexible proboscis. It has four toes on each front foot and three toes on each back foot.

It  is easily identified by its markings, most notably the light-colored patch that extends from its shoulders to its hindquarters. Black hair covers its head, shoulders, and legs, while white hair covers its midsection, rear, and the tips of its ears; these white edges around the rims of the outer ear as is true of other tapirs.

The disrupted coloration breaks up its outline, providing camouflage by making the animal difficult to recognize against the varied terrain and dense flora of its habitat; potential predators may mistake it for a large rock, rather than prey, when it is lying down to sleep. But it does not have many predators :  even leopards don't attack it : it can bite fiercely, despite not being a carnivore, and once severed the arm of a zoo attendant who had come too near to its offspring.  Young tapirs of all species have brown hair with white stripes and spots, a pattern that enables them to hide effectively in the dappled light of the forest. This baby coat fades into adult coloration between four and seven months after birth. Weaning occurs between six and eight months of age, at which time the babies are nearly full-grown.

"Malayan tapirs can live up to 30 years, both in the wild and in captivity. They reach sexual maturity around age three, but have a long gestation period (over a year, about 390–395 days), after which a single calf is born that weighs around 6.8 kg (15 lb).

"The tapir moves slowly through the forest and pausing often to eat and note the scents left behind by other tapirs in the area. It can run quickly when threatened or frightened, and if forced to fight can defend itself with its strong jaws and sharp teeth. Malayan tapirs communicate with high-pitched squeaks and whistles. They usually prefer to live near water and often bathe and swim, and they are also able to climb steep slopes.

Thailand supports one of the most comprehensive systems of protected areas in Soutast Asia. Over 200 National Parks, Marine National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries and Non-hunting areas cover 17% of land area (1999).  Almost all-remaining intact forest now lies within protected areas, with mostly degraded lands outside. Since most existing Malay Tapir habitat is already protected, the future for conservation of the species in Thailand is quite positive. In Thailand, Tapirus indicus is recorded from forest areas in the west and south of the country (1988), including transboundary forest areas in border areas, and large isolated forest remnants. The transboundary forests represent the most extensive, contiguous habitats for large mammals left in the country (1999). They include the Western Forest Complex (Thai-Myanmar border), which includes 12 protected areas, and covers over 18,730 km² including both dry and wet forests, and the Kaeng Krachan/Chumpol complex which covers 4,373 km², mostly wet evergreen forest on the Thai-Myanmar border.

"While the Thai-Myanmar [ŧapir] population apparently remains stable, it is fragmented with many subpopulations often numbering less than 15 individuals which are not viable populations for the long term. Therefore, Thai populations are fragile with most subpopulations are unlikely to reach more than 50-100 individuals at the most. The smaller fragmented populations with only 10-15 individuals are left with no chance of linking up to other protected areas and suitable habitats. This is not genetically sustainable, but management intervention (e.g. moving individuals to supplement new genes) can suppress the risk of inbreeding. To date, no reliable population estimate exists for the Thailand/Myanmar population, although it is anticipated to be less than 250 adult individuals. Therefore, the long-term survival of Malay Tapirs in Thailand seems to be dependent primarily on proper meta-population management.

In the drama ....

Guo Qilin at press conference, holding a toy baby tapir.

Shen Xing found a baby tapir in the forest, and was immediately thought to attract luck. (Episode 8 around 19:22)

At the wedding in ep.6, Ai Suo had mentioned that "the tapir that was given to Banlong [who held sway over the restricted part of the Trilateral slopes] has grown old. It's time to bring i back home." Before the tapir was carried to the wedding in a cage, presumably to be released in the wild later.

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Note : Pictures are from MDL, Weibo, Baidu, Douban, dramawiki or other (linked to sources) or my screenshots from episode. 

Character picture	Character description	Actor / Actress cast for the role
	[1]   Shěn Xīng,  沈星 22 years old from China who came unexpectedly to work under his uncle, on the Monung Xinhao hotel project in the south-east Asian country, "Federal Republic of Bomo" beginning September 2008. He learned "the ropes" before Chinese New Year (2009-01-26) when the workers were planning to go on home leave. After the cliffhanger end of the first episode, Shen Xing found himself conscripted by a  gang for 660 journeys of "supplying water" to pay his debts.	Guō Qílín  aka Kevin Guo 郭麒麟   Weibo b. 1996-02-08 in Tianjin Actor in 10+ dramas and as many movies, crosstalk performer, and TV host. He is the son of famous crosstalk actor Guo De Gang. In  2020, Guo won the 12th China TV Drama Awards: Most Loved Television Character of the Year for his role in the 2019 series Joy of Life as Fan Sizhe, Fan Xian's brother.  Fandom Name: Hùlín jūn 护林军 (Forest guards)
	[2]  Shěn Jiàndōng, 沈建东 Shen Xing's uncle, chief  engineer of the construction site but beset by payment defaults that jeopardized the project. He did not want Shen Xing to drop out of technical school and not go to universiy He tried to find money lenders and got abducted, causing his nephew to shoulder all responsibilities and go looking for him.	Yóu Yǒng 尤勇    Weibo b.1963-12-13 in Xi'an A graduate from the Shanghai Theater Academy, You Yong or You Yong Zhi 尤勇智  has played in over 40 dramas and in as many movies since 1989. He is best known for his roles in movies such as  2000  Crash Landing,  2008-2009 Red Cliff,and Red Cliff II.
	[3]  Guō Lìmín, 郭立民 A co-worker and roommate of  Shen Xing, on Shen Jiandong's construction site. Guo Limin was  friendly but needed to work as a waiter in the Monung Casino. His shifting role in the drama is best explained by the actor in his farewell message.	Zhào Rùnnán 赵润南 - Weibo b.2000-12-26 The young actor entered c-ent in 2019 with support roles in a few movies and dramas.
	[4]  Uncle Ma /Mǎ shū 马叔 Old friend of Shen family and engineer, asked by Shen Jiandong to keep Shen Xing out of trouble and "learn the trade".	Zhāng Hào  张浩 b.1975-06-29 Although there are several actors by that name, and Baidu or other lists didn't made clear which one it was, I'd wager it is this one, because he also played in 2022 Reset, and in several dramas that have similar vibes to "Escape" + looks are similar.
	[5]   Tí  Pān,  提潘 middleman  Shen Xing first met him when he was collecting raw materials for the construction site,  with Uncle Ma.	Mǎ bō  马波 b.1985-08-07 Douban He was an actor at the Lanzhou Military Region Combat Repertory Troupe and is now an actor at the Art Creation Center of Xi'an West Film Group. He played in about 8 dramas since 2011, including in 2022 Reset.
	[6]    Áng Tūn  昂吞 Car repair shop owner in Kyu-Lawn ( 大曲林 in Chinese) and foreign alcohol trafficker for Uncle Cai. He scammed Cai, and cooked up a plan to get rid of those who could expose him.	Wáng Xiǎomù 王小木 b.1986-01-02 He has played in 3 dramas and 3 movies since 2017
	[7]   Bàzǐ gē    坝子哥 A fruit businessman who also engaged in private lending business. Ti Pan brought Shen Xin to sign a contract for 1.2 million (so he could pay the workers at the construction site). Bazi spoke some French and some Chinese and was very scary.  He also posed as a "human trafficker" (or rather "illegal migration agent") in ep.2.	Liú Yáng   刘洋 Weibo b. 1987-04-06 He has played in about 14 movies and 8 dramas since 2013.
	[8] Mào Bā  貌巴  [Maung Ba] Employee of Mr.Cai on the alcohol routes, young man, married with a child, he was Dan Tuo's biological brother.   He appears again in ep.2 in flashback to make clear why Ang Tuo did what he did.	Xīn Hàojiāng    辛浩江  Douban b.1996-09-30 He appeared in 7+ dramas since 2019, according to Douban, in different genres: patriotic like 7 parts movie-drama 2019 My People, My Country, or xianxia-xuanhuan  2024 Sword and Fairy 4.
	[9]   Dàn Tùo  但拓 Uncle Cai’s right-hand man. With time, he was going to call Shen Xing 弟 [Dì] i.e. "younger brother", and Shen Xing would acknowledge him as 哥 [Gē] i.e. elder brother (ep.10).	Jiāng Qílín  江奇霖  Weibo aka Jiāng chāo 江超 b. 1985-04-02 in Sichuan Actor and singer of Yi ethnicity, married to acress Zhōu Qíqí  周奇奇. He has appeared in about 26 dramas and 7 movies since 2004.  Former member of music duo "Blue Bird Flying Fish".
	[10]  Xì gǒu ("Scrag") 细狗 spiky rusty haired cousin of Mr Cai’s defunct wife who had been family for Mr Cai since “Scrag” was little	Wáng Hǎitāo 王海涛 b.1988-02-21 He has appeared in about 8 dramas and  5 movies.
	[11]  Uncle Cai (Cāi shū) 猜叔 To-Pan boss of alcohol and cigarette smuggling. A Buddhist, but a ruthless gang leader who knew how to get loyal followers. In the first episode, he was careful about revenge, although it looked like he wanted to kill Shen Xing. Later, he would realize the potential of Shen Xing and let him be inducted into the gang brotherhood where each protected the others. He acquired Shen Xing's debt but was not particular about repayment, once Shen Xing proved he was loyal.  He was also very protective of his followers, DanTuo and Scrag. In ep.3, we get to know his background as son of a medicinal herbs trader from GZ, who married the daughter of General Bobei's doctor in Bomo, after having been looking for wild lingzhi mushroom.	Francis Ng  吴镇宇 (Ng Chun Yung or Wú Zhènyǔ), real name 吴志强  (Wú Zhìqiáng) b.1961-12-21 in Hong Kong  Douban "Francis worked in HK TVB during the 80s and 90s but went to ATV for several years in between.  Aside from TV roles, he's done a great deal of cinema work, as well as advertising and modeling. He briefly returned to TVB for one-time drama contracts, but now devotes most of his time to movies. " "He is regarded as one of the best actors working in HK today and, along with Anthony Wong and Lau Ching Wan, was named one of the “Three Great Characters” at the 25th HK International Film Festival."

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Sample of the Episode title chapter poster and of the intro animation (My GIF from episode, linked) : Shen Xing drove to the Mokok (Mókuàng  磨矿) gem mine and gem market owned by jade and gems trader Wu Haishan. He was told to drive two people who brought puppets to perform Chinese opera!   -- GIF of the mine from an article.

(While witnessing a brawl we learn why the country is called Federal republic of Bomo : two rival tribes, the Bo and the Mo, live there, so the country has two regions : Bokang and Mokang.)

	[15]  Duàn sì  段四 Supervisor of the Haishan Mine, who worked for Wu Haishan. From the Mo tribe, he was in constant rivalry with Gan Ting who accused him of bullying the Bo tribes people. He locked a child in the mine shaft where the boy had fled to, and retrieved a large ruby ("pigeon blood gem")  ingested by another.	Wèi Wěi  魏伟 b.Nov 18, ?   Douban He is an actor, director, and casting director, who has worked on many produuctions since 2011, including 2022 Reset where he played the role of bus company director.
	[16]  Wáng ānquán , 王安全 Gem market scammer and jack of all trades. He was "reliable", even as "chip stacker" although he would betray his associates and patrons with no qualms.	Jiǎng Qímíng  蒋奇明  Weibo  b.1992-12-29 Actor in movies, dramas, and on theater stage, graduated from the Central Academy of Drama. He also was the antagonist in 8.9 Douban rated 2024 To the Wonder unusual mini drama.
	[17]  Sūn Shān, 孙山 Chinese fortune seeker on the Gem Market who traded a precious watch for money to purchase a big uncut emerald, but was cheated because Wang Anquan had given him fake money.	Qián Lěi 钱磊 b.1985-08-07 He has appeared in about 2 movies and 7 dramas since 2014.
	[18]  Wú Hǎishān  吴海山 Chinese owner of the gem mine and of the jade shop on the Gem market where he was "rotating committee member",also member of the "Xianlong Chamber of Commerce". He used clear lenses for his glasses, with a bejeweled chain, to mask his missing eye, and was a sort of scholar in ancient superstitious texts about dreams interpretation.	Wáng Xùn 王迅  Weibo b.1974-11-27 in Chengdu Entertainer who started in crosstalk shows in 1992, he has taken part in many variety shows and appeared in dozens of movies and dramas since 2009.
	[19]  Dé Chá   德查 Gem cutter store owner on the Gem market.	Jiàn Kāng建康  Weibo aka Shi Jiankang    b. ?-02-19, in Linyi, Shandong Not credited on the Baidu or dramawiki page, but he had an animal poster on his Weibo page! He appeared in 8 movies and 4+ dramas since 2020.
	[20]  Gān Tíng   甘廷 Rival of Duan Si from the Bo tribe, who replaced him as supervisor. He guided Shen Xing on the mine grounds after he was pushed inside by a crowd and saw them panning and washing the sand. He let Shen Xing try his hand at gem mining in the scorching heat, and Shen Xing found a small ruby in a shallow mud puddle. Gan Ting also secretly tried to help the kid in the shaft who had hid another gem. Gan Ting handed that gem over to Wu Haishang...	Jiǎ Wěi  贾伟 b.1979-12-03 in Kunming He has appeared in about 6 movies and 17 dramas since 2002.
	[21] The Bhikkhu monks They saw Shen Xing (who has disguised as a monk) giving his food to some poor and sick people in the street, and saluted him, helping him later through a checkpoint.	Not credited on the drama pages Note : Theravāda is the official religion of Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Cambodia, and the main dominant Buddhist variant found in Laos and Thailand. The Bhikkhu are the beggar monks who live on alms, following the example of the Gautama Buddha.
	[22]  Jīngāng    金刚 The scary muscular thug “King Kong",  was connected to Wang Anquan in shady deals. He tried to hunt him down and next, went after Shen Xing. He also punished Sun Shan.	Not credited on the drama pages

GIF excerpt from Weibo clip - Gem Market, Bhikkhus, Tapir.

Shen Xing used a Bhikkhu Buddhist monk's ID card to cross the checkpoint, but he also ought to have had a monk certificate !

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	[35] Brother of Mu Yaozi ; he went to fetch the baby tapir in the car.	Not Credited in Drama Pages
	[36] Guò Jiāng Lóng 过江龙 "Cross River Dragon",  former foreman of Sunkong Logging Camp, under Banlong. Shen Xing had been instructed to give him the baby tapir in exchange for his uncle who had been a prisoner doing hard labor there.	Not Credited in Drama Pages Learn more about mahogany    桃花心木 [Táohuā xīn mù]
	[37]  Mù Yāozi   木腰子 “Wood Kidney", conqueror of the Sunkong logging camp. Member of the Bo tribe "Purple Scarf army", a rebel faction of Banlong's soldiers, the forested hills were his ancestral home 5 years before. He was keen to recapture iritand make a deal with the government to keep it. He intended to use the captured people and lumberjacks as slave labor, including Shen Xing and his uncle, and had those who tried to escape be shot.	Not Credited in Drama Pages Learn more about wood : 1. Huanghuali 黄花梨  rosewood from Thailand ; 2. Huali rosewood from Vietnam ; 3. Zhennan (true Nanmu  楠木) white cedar or Zinan (Nanmu) from southern regions
	[38] Lǎo Lǐ   老李 He had been the driver of Mao Pan and witnessed the brutality of his henchnman. He was a new friend of Shen Jiandong and hoped to be released and get back to his wife and small daughter.	Yǐn Yuánzhāng   尹元章 b.1966-08-01 He has appeared in about 5 movies and 19+ dramas since  1991.
	[39] President Chén Hào  陈会长, 陈昊 President of the Xianglong ("Elephants and Dragons") Chamber of Commerce in the "kingdom of Laza", uncle of Mao Pan and brother of Chen Jie. He said he was out of the wood business for several years, but that the rebels had seized "his only mahogany yard".	Zhào Jūn  赵君   Douban b.1963-02-01 He has appeared in about 8 movies and 31 dramas since 1991.
	[40]  Chén Jié  陈洁 The sister of Chén Hào was in charge of the NBM medical fund (a promising business) and charity affairs ; she was determined to get her son Mao Pan out of trouble. She became instrumental in getting the government forces convinced to take action against the rebels and to rescue the kidnapped people -and her son. Fights for logging territory had caused her to be widowed and Mao Pan to be orphaned, so she was unapologetic about his bad education.	Qián Jié   钱洁  Weibo b.?-05-23 She has appeared in 30+ dramas since 1995.
	[41]  Xiǎochái dāo  小柴刀 "Cleaver" (or "hatchet") was one of Mr. Cai's bodyguards and drivers, when Dan Tuo was not available. His father was a rubber tree plantation owner.	Not Credited in Drama Pages

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