Episode Summary
The investigation into Li Guokun stalls but leads to a witness from the old Cangbei Nude Corpse Case. Ning Zhen joins Cao Jin's task force, and they consult psychologist Luo Yin, who reveals someone impersonated him during the Cangbei investigation. Believing the cases are linked and someone is diverting attention, they reopen the Cangbei case, focusing on missing ex-cop Wu Fei as a prime suspect. Ning Zhen and Lu Fan are partnered to investigate. After Luo Yin initially denies recognizing the voice on an old anonymous tip recording, he later identifies a former patient with a similar voice. Following this lead, Ning Zhen and Lu Fan find the patient murdered at a butcher shop, marked with a familiar symbol, and realize he's barely alive.
Spoiler Alert
Mie Zui - Episode 5 Recap & Spoilers: The Plot Thickens (and Twists!)
So, picking up the trail, our guy Tao Zi digs into that last phone number connected to Li Guokun. Turns out, the call was super recent! This means the person on the other end might know more about Li Guokun's current situation. Tao Zi passes this juicy bit of info to Cao Jin. But here's the kicker: the owner of that number? They were apparently a witness in the old, infamous "Cangbei Nude Corpse Case." Talk about a curveball!
Cao Jin, now armed with this new lead, loops in Ning Zhen. He basically asks her if she's ready to jump into the deep end with the task force. Just then, Lu Fan calls Ning Zhen, but she decisively hangs up on him (ouch!) and tells Cao Jin she's in.
First stop for the newly formed duo (Cao Jin and Ning Zhen) is a meeting with Dr. Luo Yin, a well-known psychologist Ning Zhen even recognizes from TV. Luo Yin confirms he did counsel Li Guokun back in prison but insists they haven't been in touch since his release. Ning Zhen, sharp as ever, pivots the conversation to the Cangbei Nude Corpse Case. Luo Yin remembers it clearly – specifically, that someone impersonated him back then, feeding the cops false leads. Interesting...
Ning Zhen starts putting the pieces together. The search for Li Guokun hits a dead end, but suddenly leads them straight to another major cold case? She smells a setup. It feels like someone is deliberately trying to shift the police's focus onto the Cangbei case. Her theory? To find Li Guokun, they might actually need to solve the Cangbei mystery first. Who knows everything about old cold cases? Lu Fan, whose father was involved in many of them. So, off she goes to pick his brain.
Meanwhile, Cao Jin is also hitting the archives, digging into the Cangbei file. He recalls that during the original investigation, there was a cop named Wu Fei who quit the force to start an information consulting company. Wu Fei had apparently contacted Cao Jin's mentor (his "Shifu") offering info on the case... and then vanished. Back then, all the evidence pointed towards the missing Wu Fei being the killer.
Cao Jin and his mentor check out Wu Fei's old consulting office. It becomes clear Wu Fei was pretty shady and would do anything for money. While they're searching, a call comes into Wu Fei's old business line – it's an auto repair shop asking about a car Wu Fei dropped off ages ago and never collected. Adding another layer, they remember the original Cangbei victim's residence was burned down, further complicating the investigation and turning it into a cold case.
Armed with this potential connection between the Li Guokun search and the Cangbei case, Cao Jin goes to Chief Zhao. He argues the cases might be linked and requests permission to officially reopen the Cangbei investigation. Seeing a chance to crack a notorious cold case, Chief Zhao readily agrees. Seizing the moment, Cao Jin also pushes for Ning Zhen to be officially transferred to the detective team. Chief Zhao, recognizing promising talent, gives the green light.
Ning Zhen gets the full rundown on the Cangbei case from Lu Fan. He confirms that while all physical evidence pointed to Wu Fei, there were no eyewitnesses – only that anonymous tip supposedly from "Luo Yin." Ning Zhen speculates that even if the tipster was anonymous, they must have known Luo Yin personally to use his name and details so convincingly.
Right as Lu Fan wonders why Ning Zhen is suddenly so interested in this old case, Cao Jin calls him. Surprise! Lu Fan is now officially partnered with Ning Zhen to investigate the Cangbei Nude Corpse Case.
The new partners go back to Dr. Luo Yin. They play him the recording of the anonymous tip from years ago, hoping he might recognize the voice. Despite Ning Zhen's theory that the caller must know him, Luo Yin listens and claims he doesn't recognize the voice at all.
However, after Lu Fan and Ning Zhen leave, Luo Yin doesn't let it go. He spends the night digging through his old patient files, comparing voices. Success! He finds a patient record with a strikingly similar voice and passes the lead onto Ning Zhen and Lu Fan.
Following the lead, Ning Zhen and Lu Fan arrive at a butcher shop out in the suburbs. The place looks deserted, messy, and gives off seriously creepy vibes. They cautiously search the premises. And then they find him – the person they were looking for (presumably Luo Yin's former patient). He's been murdered, strung up... and on the floor beneath him is that same distinct, mysterious mark they've seen before.
Just as they're taking in the gruesome scene, Ning Zhen makes a startling observation: the victim isn't completely dead yet.
