Episode Summary

The episode begins with the bizarre death of Yang Youmo, who, after a mysterious call, climbs a construction crane and dies of fright. Captain Zheng Gang's investigation reveals Yang is the last member of a family plagued by tragedy, including his wife's fatal fall, his son's death, and his stepdaughter's disappearance. A former detective, Zhong Ning, who is also Zheng Gang's estranged brother-in-law, becomes entangled in the case through cryptic online posts and by secretly re-enacting the victim's final moments. As the police pursue a new lead, a woman named Zhao Qian, she is shown being abducted and buried alive at a landfill, suggesting a far-reaching conspiracy is behind the family's annihilation.

Spoiler Alert

The Perfect Suspect, Episode 1 Recap: The Annihilation of a Family

The premiere of "The Perfect Suspect" opens in the grim, early morning light of Xingang City with a bizarre and disturbing death. A middle-aged man, Yang Youmo, receives a mysterious phone call that sends him driving to a construction site. There, under some unseen coercion, he straps a strange device to his arm, climbs a towering crane, and suffers a psychotic break that leads to his death from sheer terror. The scene is unsettling, with the device on his arm initially appearing to be a bomb.

Full Recap

A Ghost of a Family

When Captain Zheng Gang of the Criminal Investigation Detachment arrives on the scene, the case quickly becomes more complex than a single, strange suicide. He confirms the victim's identity and realizes this is the final chapter in a tragedy that has haunted the city. Months earlier, Yang Youmo's wife died in an accidental fall from a building. Shortly after, their young son died inexplicably. Just a week later, his stepdaughter, Yang Yan, was swept away and disappeared during a reservoir flood. With Yang Youmo's death, his entire family has now been wiped from existence. The initial investigation provides a strange clue: the device on Yang's arm was not a bomb, but a high-altitude meter, or altimeter, which was somehow instrumental in his death.

The Online Provocateur

As the police grapple with the scene, a user in an online forum begins posting chillingly accurate theories about the killer's motives, almost as if they are orchestrating the events in real-time. Zheng Gang traces the IP address to an internet cafe and finds a man named Zhong Ning, who calmly surrenders, stating, "I'm the one you're looking for."

Zheng Gang arrests him, but back at the station, Police Chief Zhang Yiming is furious. He uncuffs the man and reveals his identity: Zhong Ning is not only a former detective and current divorce lawyer but is also Zheng Gang’s brother-in-law. A deep-seated tension exists between the two men, stemming from a past case where Zhong Ning's wife—Zheng Gang's sister—was assassinated, a tragedy for which Zhong Ning seems to hold his brother-in-law responsible.

A New Suspect and a Vanishing Act

Given the horrifying scope of the Yang family case, the city establishes the "1103 Special Task Force," with Zheng Gang appointed as its leader. His first move is to visit Yang Youmo's grieving mother. The elderly woman is adamant, insisting that a woman named Zhao Qian is responsible for her son's death. However, when police arrive at Zhao Qian's luxurious villa, her housekeeper informs them that Zhao Qian has been missing for an unusual amount of time, unreachable and unlike her usual self.

The investigation yields a digital breadcrumb when the tech department recovers a photo from Yang Youmo's phone, taken just before his death. It's a picture of his car's dashboard, showing the speedometer locked at 154 km/h. As Zheng Gang and his colleague Li Keran investigate Yang's apartment, they spot a shadowy figure fleeing the scene. Looking out the window, Zheng Gang sees Zhong Ning's car speeding away.

A High-Speed Confrontation

Zheng Gang gives chase, and the two men engage in a high-speed pursuit down the highway, mirroring the dangerous speed from the photo on Yang's phone. Zheng Gang realizes Zhong Ning isn't just fleeing; he's recreating Yang Youmo's final moments. The chase ends back at the same construction site. As Zheng Gang prepares to climb the tower crane himself, he finds Zhong Ning has already discovered an elevator. When confronted, Zhong Ning deflects, claiming that every citizen in Xingang has a right to be invested in solving the annihilation of the Yang family.

The Cliffhanger

The episode concludes on a terrifying note. In the dead of night at a remote landfill, the missing Zhao Qian is seen bound and helpless at the bottom of a garbage pit. As rain pours down, a dump truck begins to bury her alive under a torrent of mud and sludge. A man dressed in black watches from the shadows, waiting until she is completely submerged before turning and walking away, leaving her for dead and deepening the mystery for the task force.

Spoilers & Key Takeaways

  • A Family Wiped Out: The central mystery is the complete destruction of the Yang family over a matter of months: the wife's fall, the son's death, the stepdaughter's disappearance, and now Yang Youmo's bizarre, fear-induced death.
  • The Crane and the Car: Yang Youmo was seemingly forced into a deadly game, driving at 154 km/h and then climbing a tower crane with an altimeter strapped to his arm, which ultimately led to his death.
  • The Ex-Cop: Zhong Ning, a former detective and Zheng Gang's estranged brother-in-law, is deeply and secretly investigating the case. His online posts and re-enactment of the crime suggest he knows more than he's letting on.
  • A New Victim: Yang Youmo's mother points the finger at Zhao Qian, but before the police can question her, she is abducted and left to be buried alive in a landfill, suggesting a larger conspiracy is at play.