The fifth episode of The Manipulated commences with a flashback, painting a scene from five years ago. Baek Do-kyeong, a man with a sinister demeanor, commits the heinous crime of murdering Chu Na-young before calling his father for assistance. Meanwhile, at an extravagant event celebrating the triumphant bid of GA Investment, a firm renowned for its grasp on national data security, a few disgruntled suits air their grievances against the company and its questionable victory.
Yo-han, the CEO himself, strolls in and sets the record straight, reminding them that the company's essence has always been rooted in data security. Their jaws drop as they learn he's the one in charge. One of them points a finger of disdain, only for Yo-han's assassin to swiftly sever it, adding it to Yo-han's collection of morbid art pieces.
Back at his lair, Yo-han receives a call from Assemblyman Baek, who seeks to save Do-kyeong from his predicament. In return, Yo-han requests the assemblyman to procure him an art piece. With that, Yo-han dives into his work. His team of cleaners descend upon the crime scene, setting up cameras that grant him a bird's eye view of the chaos. As they keep Na-young's body in a bathtub filled with warm water, Yo-han scours through millions of CCTV footage, meticulously selecting a candidate to frame – Tae-joong.
Yo-han meticulously follows Tae-joong's routine, even collecting his DNA, including a used condom from the morning after Tae-joong spent the night with his girlfriend. He plants a sickly plant in the building where Tae-joong delivers food, ensuring he spends more time inside and crafting a replica of his bracelet. Everything falls into place as Tae-joong is arrested.
As the prisoners arrive at Yo-han's compound, they are greeted with a lavish feast and individual rooms marked with numbers. Tae-joong finds solace in room 9, but sleep eludes him. Instead, he sneaks out in a desperate bid for escape, only to be caught by none other than Yo-han himself. Yo-han informs him of a match the next day, promising a special reward to the winner.
As Tae-joong returns to his room, Ji-yong – the man who once tried to assassinate Tae-joong but now holds him in some measure of respect – leads him to Deok-su. Deok-su's men are poised to attack when Yo-han's guard forces them to halt.
As dawn breaks, the prisoners are herded outside, their eyes widening in disbelief as Yo-han announces they'll be participating in a car race. When one of them dares to protest this gruesome treatment, Yo-han coldly executes him, his gunshot echoing through the air. He then reveals the prize money for the winner: a staggering 5 billion won.
The scene shifts to Do-kyeong and another man arriving at Yo-han's underground hub, where he's set up three separate "fall guys" for their crimes. They refer to these fall guys as avatars, each representing a different aspect of their past misdeeds.
Yo-han greets them with a sinister smile, explaining that this car race is more of a ruthless dogfight, devoid of any rules or mercy. His plan is to turn this into a thrilling form of entertainment, allowing gamblers from the dark web to place bets on the action. And with this idea, he harbors an ambition to expand it globally, implementing it in various countries as a dark spectacle.
