Episode Summary
The episode reveals that Cao Xiaojun and Wu Ximei faked his death for insurance money to treat their son, Tianbao. The plan goes wrong, leading Cao Xiaojun to kill a nosy neighbor. As the police close in, a DNA test reveals a deeper plot: Cao Xiaojun's real target was his coworker, Ni Xiangdong, for a separate insurance policy. Cao Xiaojun ambushes and kills Ni Xiangdong. Flashbacks show their history at a construction site, where the foreman's cruelty and Xu Qingli's kindness set the stage for Cao Xiaojun's desperate actions.
Spoiler Alert
The Plan Goes Sideways
The episode kicks off with Xu Qingli. He's hauling a heavy box up a mountain for Cao Xiaojun. He gets curious and decides to peek inside. And who does he find in there? Cao Xiaojun.
Xu Qingli completely freaks out. He drops the box and just bolts down the mountain. A security guard, Liu Cheng'an, sees him running and gets suspicious. He decides to go check out what's happening.
Just as he gets there, Cao Xiaojun is climbing out of the box. Liu Cheng'an sees bloodstains on the crate. He panics and immediately tries to call the police. That was a bad move. Cao Xiaojun knocks him out cold. Then he shoves the unconscious guard into the very same box. With that little problem handled, Cao Xiaojun escapes the mountain and heads back home.
The Insurance Scam and a Loose End
It Was All About the Money
So, what was that whole box stunt about? It was an insurance scam.
We learn that Wu Ximei and Cao Xiaojun planned the entire thing. They were desperate for money. They needed it to pay for their son Tianbao's medical treatments. But the lead detective, Meng Chao, is already closing in. He's very suspicious of Wu Ximei.
She knows she'll probably get caught soon. She tells Cao Xiaojun that he must stay free. He has to be the one to take care of Tianbao, no matter what happens to her.
Silencing the Neighbor
That night, Cao Xiaojun tries to slip away from his house. But his drunk neighbor, Li Qingfu, spots him on his way out. The neighbor asks where he's going. He also casually mentions that the police have been around looking for him.
Cao Xiaojun can't afford any witnesses. He decides right then to kill Li Qingfu to keep him quiet.
The Walls Close In
The next morning, Cao Xiaojun tries to call Wu Ximei. She doesn't pick up, and he starts to get worried. Wu Ximei is also in a panic. She grabs Tianbao and makes a run for it from the hospital. She is terrified the police are coming for her.
She literally walks right past the cops on her way out. They just miss catching her. The police check the hospital's security footage. They see her on camera escaping through a back door with the boy.
The detectives are starting to connect the dots. They discover that Tianbao is the beneficiary for two different life insurance policies. One is for Cao Xiaojun. The other is for Ni Xiangdong. They also have the neighbor's report about seeing Cao Xiaojun. They figure the whole case is about a big insurance payout.
The Final Confrontation
The DNA Twist
Then the DNA results come back. This changes everything. The test proves that Ni Xiangdong is not Tianbao's biological father.
Detective Meng Chao realizes he had the motive completely backward. This was never about Cao Xiaojun faking his own death. He figures Cao Xiaojun's real plan was to kill Ni Xiangdong for the insurance money.
The Attack on Ni Xiangdong
He's right. Cao Xiaojun is already inside Ni Xiangdong's apartment. He has locked the door from the inside and is waiting. Ni Xiangdong gets home and doesn't notice anything is wrong. He lights a small fire to warm up the room.
Cao Xiaojun ambushes him from behind. He starts to strangle him. Ni Xiangdong puts up a fight. He manages to stab Cao Xiaojun before he's choked unconscious. But it isn't enough. Cao Xiaojun drags his body to the window. He throws Ni Xiangdong from the high-rise building into a large puddle of water on the ground below. He stands there and watches. He only leaves after he is sure the body has sunk and isn't coming back up.
How It All Began (Flashback)
The Construction Site
The show then jumps back in time. We finally see how Cao Xiaojun and Ni Xiangdong first crossed paths. They both worked at the same construction site.
During payday, Xu Qingli used the name "Ni Xiangdong" to sign for something. This detail catches Cao Xiaojun's attention. Later, he's at the hospital with his son. He tells Wu Ximei about meeting a guy who looks a lot like Ni Xiangdong. He decides he needs to investigate this man.
He befriends the real Ni Xiangdong at work. He learns they are actually from the same hometown. But Ni Xiangdong is cagey. He claims his family moved to the city when he was very young, so he doesn't remember the village at all.
A Friend in Need
We see more of life on the work site. The foreman, Cheng Ge, is a local bully. He tries to pick a fight with Xu Qingli. Cao Xiaojun steps in to de-escalate the situation.
Soon after, the construction project is shut down. Everyone loses their job. Cao Xiaojun begs the foreman to get their final wages released. He explains his son is sick and he desperately needs the money. The foreman refuses. That night, Xu Qingli gives Cao Xiaojun all the money he has left. He tells him his son's health is more important. Cao Xiaojun is deeply grateful for his friend's sacrifice.
The Last Straw
Xu Qingli gets back to his dorm room and finds his money is gone. He had hidden it in his pillow. He then overhears the foreman and his crew talking about how much money "that kid" had. He knows they stole from him. He confronts them, but they just deny everything.
Things get even worse. Xu Qingli had taken in a stray dog. He leaves for a bit, and when he comes back, the dog is missing. He then sees the foreman and his friends cooking meat over a fire. He assumes the worst. He completely snaps. He grabs a brick and attacks them in a blind rage. He is outnumbered and they start beating him. Cao Xiaojun arrives just in time and saves him from the beatdown.
