Episode Summary
A flashback reveals Meng Chao's strained relationship with his late father. The investigation zeroes in on the man impersonating Ni Xiangdong, whose real name is Xu Qingli. After a brief chase, Xu Qingli kidnaps Cao Xiaojun's son, Tianbao. He sends the parents to two different locations, setting a trap at a construction site. Meng Chao falls into the trap, and his fate is left unknown. The episode ends with Xu Qingli confronting Cao Xiaojun on a mountain, leading to a violent fight.
Spoiler Alert
A Ghost from the Past
The episode opens on a basketball court. We see Meng Chao playing with his colleagues. His dad, who is also his boss, shows up. He starts chewing Meng Chao out for his bad form. Right there on the court. In front of everyone. His dad even shows him how to shoot properly. Meng Chao just cleanly intercepts the ball. It's an awkward moment.
This whole thing is a flashback. It's a memory that clearly haunts Meng Chao. His dad felt bad about it later but was too proud to apologize. Now that his dad is gone, that memory just sits with him.
The Lies Unravel
This episode really starts peeling back the layers on our main suspect. The cops are closing in, but he's slippery.
The Uncle's Confession
Meng Chao goes back to see Ni Xiangdong's uncle, Lao Sun. He asks again about what happened after the uncle's son died. Lao Sun says Cao Xiaojun and Ni Xiangdong handled everything. They helped with the funeral. They tried to get the insurance money from the company. He says they were great guys who took care of him and his wife.
But his story doesn't add up. The details keep changing. Meng Chao loses it. He tears into Lao Sun for protecting Ni Xiangdong. He tells him that covering for the guy is only going to make things worse. Meng Chao believes Ni Xiangdong is a good person deep down. But he needs Lao Sun to trust the police to figure this out.
Finally, Lao Sun breaks. He admits they sold the van. They used the money to buy a used tricycle. Then Ni Xiangdong took off with it.
The Man in the Photo
The police get a break from another angle. They pull the insurance policy for Ni Xiangdong. But the photo on the policy isn't him. The picture is of a man named Xu Qingli.
The Chase Is On
Police find the tricycle parked in a dark alley. And guess who they see? Xu Qingli, the man from the photo, is on a rooftop. He's watching the street below. Meng Chao and his partner, Tong Hao, sneak up the street. They spot him on the roof.
Xu Qingli sees them, too. He makes a run for it. Meng Chao and Tong Hao give chase. The pursuit is short. Xu Qingli knocks Tong Hao out cold. He then steals a motorcycle and gets away.
The Kidnapping
This is where things get dark. Xu Qingli goes straight for Cao Xiaojun's family.
He finds their son, Tianbao, playing hide-and-seek with friends. He quietly grabs the boy and leads him away. No one really notices. Later, the boy's mom, Wu Ximei, comes home and can't find him. Cao Xiaojun runs out to search. One of the kids says a man with a scar on his forehead took Tianbao.
Xu Qingli takes the boy back to his place. He acts completely normal. He tells Tianbao to wait there while he goes out to buy him snacks.
A Cruel Game
Wu Ximei has a bad feeling. She starts packing their things, ready to run. Then she finds something in the house. It's Cao Xiaojun's phone. The one he lost. She immediately suspects Xu Qingli took their son.
The phone rings. It's him. Wu Ximei is crying. She begs him to let Tianbao go. She says the child is innocent. This just makes him angry. He yells that he isn't even the real Ni Xiangdong, so why is he guilty of anything?
Then he gives them a choice. He names two places. The Chengxi construction site and Fufeng Mountain. He tells them to guess where they'll find Tianbao.
The Trap
Cao Xiaojun and Wu Ximei split up. He tells her to go to the construction site. He will go to Fufeng Mountain.
Meanwhile, Tianbao tells Xu Qingli he doesn't want to move again. He just wants to play with his friends. Xu Qingli tells the boy they are just "acting." He says it's all part of a big surprise for his parents.
On her way to the site, a frantic Wu Ximei runs into Meng Chao. She tells him her son has been kidnapped by Xu Qingli. She says they have to get to the Chengxi construction site.
They arrive and see a large bag hanging from the building. Tianbao's clothes are draped over it. They think he's inside. Meng Chao goes up alone to get him. He carefully climbs the scaffolding.
It's a trap. The scaffolding gives way. The bag and Meng Chao fall to the ground below. We don't know if he survives. They check the bag. It's just full of clothes.
The Real Confrontation
The episode cuts to Fufeng Mountain. Xu Qingli is there with Cao Xiaojun. He had set the trap at the construction site and then came here.
He smugly tells Cao Xiaojun that Wu Ximei has probably fallen to her death by now. Cao Xiaojun completely snaps. He lunges at Xu Qingli. The two start brawling as the episode ends.
