Chas cracks under the pressure of handling an issue for Declan in addition to his own book, going on a road trip to deepest Leicestershire until Declan rescues him. Meanwhile Shane Longman is poised for a merger with a bigger Japanese partner, supported by Peter Longman but mistrusted by wise head Leonard Ansen. Protocol faxes and business dinners ruffle feathers, until they discover through Wendy's old flame Michael that really such Ikeda mergers are asset-stripping takeovers; Declan and Chas' emotional re-entry causes the outraged Ikeda Chairman to tear up the whole deal.
—Ian Campbell