Episode Summary
The episode sees Liu Ziming juggling an old murder case, where suspect Hu Zong remains uncooperative, and a new urgent case: the disappearance of nightclub personality Wang Hui. She was last seen getting into a cement mixer truck, whose driver, Chen Jian, is quickly identified. An initial attempt by Xia Yu and Li Yugang to arrest Chen Jian goes wrong, nabbing the wrong person. After a tense highway chase, Wang Hui is rescued, and Chen Jian is apprehended. During interrogation, Chen Jian confesses to murdering four bar girls due to past traumas and rejections. Liu Ziming also interviews Qiu Jie, a woman from Chen Jian's past who was also attacked by him and now wishes to keep her past hidden.
Spoiler Alert
The Old Case Looms, But a New One Explodes
So, remember that murder case? Dong Xiang coughed up a few names of regulars who knew the deceased. Our main man Liu Ziming, along with Xia Yu and Li Yugang, did the rounds, but everyone had an alibi. Their last stop, a certain Hu Zong (Mr. Hu), flat-out denied knowing the victim, even when Liu Ziming laid out some pretty solid evidence. Stubborn much?
Meanwhile, Liu Ziming’s personal life is… well, he’s trying. Fang Tingting was home alone, unable to sleep, so Liu Ziming, stuck on duty at the precinct, called her up and sang her a lullaby. Aww, a tough cop with a soft spot!
But duty calls, and it calls loud. Liu Ziming suddenly gets a new case: Wang Hui, a "nightclub queen," has vanished. He, Xia Yu, and Li Yugang rush to the scene. Turns out, just two hours earlier, Wang Hui hopped into a cement mixer truck while Dong Xiang (yes, the same Dong Xiang from the other case – this guy’s always around trouble!) wasn't looking. Thankfully, Dong Xiang had the presence of mind to jot down the license plate.
The Search for Wang Hui and a Botched Arrest
Liu Ziming and Dong Xiang head to Wang Hui's place, only to find her young daughter, Qianqian, home alone. Qianqian mentioned her mom was on a night shift. Liu Ziming, ever the protector, warned Qianqian about opening the door to strangers. Dong Xiang, clearly worried, took Qianqian back to his place and then, with Liu Ziming, to Cao Lei's restaurant. It’s good to see some kindness amidst the chaos.
Xia Yu and Li Yugang, meanwhile, traced the cement truck to a construction site and got a name for the driver: Chen Jian. They immediately called Liu Ziming with the update. Eager beavers Xia Yu and Li Yugang found Chen Jian's place and, without waiting for Liu Ziming (uh-oh, you know that’s not gonna end well), tried to make the arrest. Surprise! They nabbed the wrong guy, Yu Baiping. Chen Jian lived next door. Just as Liu Ziming rushed in, they all headed to the correct apartment, but Chen Jian was long gone.
Cue Captain Huang (Captain Huang), who arrived on scene and gave Liu Ziming a serious dressing down. You could almost hear the "I'm too old for this" sigh. Xia Yu, however, managed to track Chen Jian’s truck to the national highway, so Captain Huang and Liu Ziming took off in pursuit.
Highway Showdown and a Chilling Confession
This is where it gets intense. Chen Jian had choked Wang Hui unconscious and then, with unbelievable callousness, pulled over to relieve himself. Wang Hui, showing incredible resilience, woke up and made a break for it! Chen Jian, however, was quick to give chase and caught her again. Just when things looked dire, Liu Ziming and the team swooped in for a dramatic rescue. Phew!
Back at the station, Liu Ziming pulled an all-nighter interrogating Chen Jian. And the story that came out was horrifying. Chen Jian confessed to murdering four bar girls. His twisted reasoning? His father abandoned the family and remarried, leading his mother to unleash all her bitterness on him. Later, his own wife left him. He then met a woman named Qiu Jie, and they were apparently serious enough to consider marriage, but she left him too. That was the final straw, and he began targeting bar girls for revenge. Chilling stuff.
The Past Haunts Another
Liu Ziming then tracked down Qiu Jie. She admitted she used to be a bar girl and had met Chen Jian a few times. According to her, Chen Jian misunderstood their relationship. An angry remark from her set him off, and he choked her unconscious. She woke up in a ditch. Now married with a family, Qiu Jie begged Liu Ziming to keep her past a secret, terrified it would ruin her current life. What a mess.
A Ray of Sunshine: Welcome, Baby Liu!
Amidst all this darkness, there was a truly happy moment: Fang Tingting gave birth to a healthy baby boy! Liu Ziming rushed to the hospital, absolutely beaming as he looked at his son. It’s moments like these that remind you what they’re fighting for.
Even little Qianqian came to visit Wang Hui in the hospital, and Wang Hui was visibly relieved to see her daughter safe and sound.
Adding to the good news, Wang Xuanzi popped by to see Fang Tingting and the baby, and while there, ran into Liu Ziming and Li Yugang, taking the chance to ask about Xia Yu (hmm, interesting!).
Even Captain Huang paid a visit to Liu Ziming's home to offer congratulations and, in a rather sweet gesture, gave the baby his name: Liu Yidian.
Life was looking up for Liu Ziming. He even took Fang Tingting to a construction site to show her their new apartment, which would be ready next month. And the deed? It was in Fang Tingting’s name. She was, understandably, over the moon.
Fast Forward to 2007: New Year, New (Old?) Problems
And just like that, we jump to 2007! Liu Ziming comes home from work, and his mother-in-law immediately tries to rope him into helping a neighbor get their impounded dog back. Liu Ziming looked like he’d rather face another serial killer. Fang Tingting, bless her, told her mom to mind her own business.
Professionally, things took a less glamorous turn. Captain Huang assigned Liu Ziming to help the local police station investigate… stolen manhole covers. Yes, you read that right. Liu Ziming was less than thrilled, but orders are orders. So, off he went with Xia Yu and Li Yugang to check out scrap yards.
A Ghost from the Past and an Undercover Op
Speaking of the past, Li Wei is out of prison. He went back to his old place only to find it sealed. Using a neighbor's phone, he tried calling Liu Ziqing (Liu Ziming's sister, perhaps?), but she wanted nothing to do with him. So, his next call was to Liu Ziming.
Juggling cases, Liu Ziming first hit up a scrap yard, pretending he wanted to sell some manhole covers. The owner told him to come back at night. Then, he rushed off to meet Li Wei. Li Wei was desperate to apologize to Liu Ziqing, but she wasn't having it. Liu Ziming suggested Li Wei try working at Cao Lei’s restaurant, but Li Wei still had dreams of being his own boss. Liu Ziming gave him an old phone and a stern reminder to check in at the police station.
Later that night, Liu Ziming returned to the scrap yard, this time claiming he had a whole truckload of manhole covers. The owner, sketchy as ever, said he buys anything, no questions asked, and then showed Liu Ziming to the back. And there they were: piles of stolen manhole covers, all smashed up to hide their origins.
Looks like Liu Ziming’s got his hands full again, from heinous crimes to petty theft, and a whole lot of personal drama in between. What will happen with Li Wei? And will Liu Ziming crack the manhole cover ring? Stay tuned, folks!
