Episode Summary
The episode follows the aftermath of the Wanhai case. Li Renjun publicly vows to reform the prosecutor's office. Qiao Zhenxing's widow, Zhou Mei, seeks justice, claiming her husband was framed and murdered, but a crucial second autopsy is impossible as his body was cremated. Hong Liang faces professional setbacks and guilt over the Qiao family's plight before his resignation is finally approved. A tense birthday party for Li Renjun exposes deep-seated conflicts and questionable alliances among officials, particularly after a businessman crashes the event, infuriating the senior official Lan Jingming.
Spoiler Alert
Tensions Flare and Alliances Fray in a Shocking Episode
The fallout from the Wanhai case continues to ripple through Dongping, leaving careers and lives in its wake. In an emotional public meeting, Li Renjun reflects on the case, expressing his deep disappointment that both his university classmate, Qiao Zhenxing, and his own mentor, Xie Hongfei, chose a path of corruption. He vows to forge a prosecutor's office of unimpeachable integrity.
Meanwhile, Qiao Zhenxing's family is fighting to clear his name. His wife, Zhou Mei, appears at the prosecutor's office, insisting her husband was an honest man who was framed and did not commit suicide. She reveals that someone coerced a man named Zhou Biao to falsely accuse her husband of taking bribes, which was followed by the discovery of three million in cash planted in their home. Her quest for justice hits a devastating roadblock: Qiao's body was mistakenly cremated, making a second autopsy impossible. The scandal has already cost Zhou Mei her job and gotten their daughter, Qiao Yiran, expelled from school. Overwhelmed with grief and anger, she confronts Hong Liang, who is left speechless with guilt over the family's suffering.
Hong Liang's own career is in turmoil. He is informed that his duties are being transferred to Cao Ye and is pressured to get test results from the Jinhai Karaoke Bar, but his superior, Sun Xiangqun, can't help him. In the business world, Liu Yun successfully pressures Wan Hong to sell his family's last remaining asset, a mine, to the Tianlong Group to stave off financial ruin.
The episode's central drama unfolds at a birthday party for Li Renjun. The celebration turns into a theater of political maneuvering when Xie Hongfei makes a tearful public apology to a high-ranking official, Lan Jingming. The tension escalates when Chen Shenglong of the Tianlong Group unexpectedly arrives with a cake, thanking the officials for eliminating his business rival, Wanhai. Lan Jingming is furious at the blatant fraternizing between government officials and corporate leaders, publicly scolding Sun Fei and Liu Yun for allowing the intrusion and reasserting the need for a clear boundary between their worlds.
On the sidelines, other characters face their own crises. Lawyer Zhang Wenjing is blacklisted from five firms after her involvement in the Wanhai case, leading to a bitter argument with Fu Bing, whom she accuses of abandoning her. In a more hopeful turn, Hong Liang's friend Jiang Yuan returns from the US with a business proposal. This coincides with Hong Liang finally receiving approval for his resignation, with Zhang Fang signing off on his departure. The episode closes as Hong Liang has one final official conversation, his future uncertain but finally in his own hands.
