Episode Summary
Detectives Liu Ziming and Cao Lei investigate the murder of gamer Yang Jian. Initial suspicion falls on Luo Bo, the jealous boyfriend of Yang Jian's girlfriend, Tang Jianyong. Luo Bo confesses after being caught. However, inconsistencies, including unidentified fingerprints, lead Captain Huang to reopen the case, forcing Liu Ziming to cut his honeymoon short. The investigation takes them to Yang Jian's hometown, where his uncle, Yang Liansheng, confesses to being the actual murderer after Yang Jian survived Luo Bo's initial attack. Liu Ziming is suspended for his initial oversight. Cao Lei, grieving his son, leaves the detective squad. While suspended, Liu Ziming coincidentally spots a wanted criminal.
Spoiler Alert
So, our main guys, Detectives Liu Ziming and Cao Lei, are on the case of a deceased gamer named Yang Jian. They start at the local internet cafe, trying to get the lowdown. The owner points them towards Yang Jian's girlfriend, Tang Jianyong. But here’s where it gets juicy: a fellow gamer in Yang Jian’s guild whispers to Liu Ziming that she suspects Tang Jianyong’s other boyfriend, Luo Bo (who owns a hardware store), might be the killer. Apparently, Yang Jian was quite the gaming celebrity, attracting a lot of female fans, but he was totally smitten with Tang Jianyong, even playing her games for her.
Liu Ziming and Cao Lei head over to Luo Bo's hardware store, but it's locked up tight. A neighboring shopkeeper mentions Luo Bo lives there and hasn't opened up for a couple of days. Suspicious! They bring in Tang Jianyong for a chat, and boy, does she have a story. She admits she was two-timing them! She says the last time she saw Yang Jian was to ask for money for medical treatment because – get this – he apparently gave her an STD. She also can't reach Luo Bo, so she leaves her phone with Liu Ziming.
The detectives then track down Luo Bo's friends, who paint a picture of Luo Bo being super devoted to Tang Jianyong, while she was mostly just into her games. Suddenly, Luo Bo calls Tang Jianyong’s phone (which Liu Ziming has). Liu Ziming, quick on his feet, pretends to be Tang Jianyong's new boyfriend. This, predictably, sends Luo Bo into a jealous rage, and he threatens to come find Liu Ziming and settle things.
Not long after, Liu Ziming and Cao Lei are staking out Tang Jianyong's place, and sure enough, Luo Bo shows up. They arrest him on the spot. Under questioning, Luo Bo confesses. He says he went to Yang Jian's place to tell him to leave Tang Jianyong alone. They argued, things escalated, and in a fit of anger, Luo Bo killed Yang Jian. He even leads them to where he dumped the body.
Case closed, right? Liu Ziming thinks so. He's rushing to write the case report because he’s antsy to go on his honeymoon with Fang Tingting. Cao Lei, however, isn't so sure. He points out there are two unidentified fingerprints on the murder weapons – a dumbbell and a wire. Liu Ziming brushes it off; they have a confession and solid evidence, what more do they need? So, off Liu Ziming and Fang Tingting go on their honeymoon, enjoying romantic sunsets by the sea, where Liu Ziming even brings up wanting to have a baby, and Fang Tingting is all for it.
But hold up! Captain Huang isn't satisfied and rejects Liu Ziming's report. Cao Lei calls Liu Ziming immediately, who has to cut his honeymoon short and rush back. Captain Huang insists they identify those mystery fingerprints. Plus, there’s a discrepancy between Yang Jian’s registered birth date and his household registration. He sends Liu Ziming and Cao Lei to Yang Jian's hometown, Ancheng. There, Yang Jian's uncle, Yang Liansheng, drops a bombshell and confesses.
Here’s the real story: After Luo Bo attacked Yang Jian and left him for dead in that wasteland, Yang Jian actually regained consciousness and made it back to his rental! Later, Uncle Yang Liansheng came looking for money Yang Jian owed him. When Yang Jian couldn't pay up, Yang Liansheng, in his own fit of rage, killed him and dumped the body back in the same desolate spot.
So, the case finally seems settled. Luo Bo is guilty of assault, but Yang Liansheng is the actual murderer. Captain Huang makes Liu Ziming and Cao Lei write self-criticism reports to reflect on their work attitude. Liu Ziming is furious, arguing he works tirelessly day and night only to be accused of dereliction of duty. Captain Huang ends up suspending him.
Meanwhile, Cao Lei, still deeply grieving the loss of his son, decides to leave the detective squad for a desk job. He even buys a restaurant and invites Liu Ziming and another friend, Liu Yang, for drinks. Liu Ziming is too heartbroken for his friend to try and talk him out of it. Adding to Liu Ziming's woes, his relative (sounds like his dad or a close elder), Liu Jianlin, suddenly falls critically ill and needs emergency surgery. Thankfully, after a tense wait, Liu Jianlin pulls through.
With Liu Ziming suspended, his brother-in-law offers him a job as his personal driver. While out driving, he encounters a young girl on the roadside, cradling her beloved dog, trying to get a ride to a pet crematorium. All the other drivers refuse her. Liu Ziming, being the softie he can be, gives her a lift. The dog died of old age, and the girl had it euthanized. Liu Ziming comforts the distraught girl, offers her some water, and, ever the cop, gives her some safety advice, which makes her guess he's a police officer. His brother-in-law, meanwhile, is left waiting as Liu Ziming is late returning.
We then see a poignant scene of Cao Lei packing up his belongings at the station, wiping his desk clean, and leaving the detective team for good. His colleagues gather to see him off, and it’s an emotional, teary farewell.
But the episode isn't quite over! While in Ancheng (perhaps on personal time after the case, or maybe still lingering from the investigation), Liu Ziming is at the Qi'an Ferry when he spots a wanted criminal, Sun Haixing! He quickly snaps a photo and sends it to his colleague Zhao Dali, telling him to notify the Ancheng police.
