Episode Summary
In "In the Name of Justice" Episode 2, the discovery of Qiao Zhenxing's body under an ice waterfall triggers a major investigation. Prosecutor Hong Liang's plan to resign and move to Beijing is derailed when he is recalled to duty. The case escalates dramatically when an anonymous letter accuses prosecutor Li Renjun of being a corrupt protector for organized crime and claims Qiao was murdered. The provincial authorities intervene, assigning Hong Liang to lead the sensitive investigation into Qiao's death and the explosive corruption allegations.
Spoiler Alert
In the Name of Justice, Episode 2 Recap: A Frozen Body and a Buried Conspiracy
The second episode of "In the Name of Justice" wastes no time, plunging its characters and the audience into a conspiracy that threatens to shatter the legal system of Dongping City. What begins with a grim discovery in the ice quickly spirals into a high-stakes game of political maneuvering, where the line between justice and corruption blurs.
A Shocking Discovery
The episode opens with a chilling scene: five university students discover a man's body frozen beneath an ice waterfall. The authorities are called in, led by Jiang Hongjun, the pragmatic captain of the Pingshan Development Zone's Criminal Investigation Division. His initial assessment is that the body washed downstream. The victim is soon identified as Qiao Zhenxing, a prominent figure whose death sends immediate shockwaves through the city's elite. As police officer Yang Jing nervously takes the students' statements, it's clear there's more to this than a simple accident. The news travels fast, prompting Deputy Chief of Police Xu Yanwu to summon prosecutor Li Renjun for an urgent meeting.
A Prosecutor's Escape Plan
Meanwhile, prosecutor Hong Liang is desperate for a change. He submits his resignation to his superior, Director Sun Xiangqun, with plans to move to Beijing and reunite with his wife, Jiang Min, and their daughter, Doudou. However, Sun stalls, assigning him one last case involving a man named Wang Chunxiang.
After successfully closing the case, Hong Liang is granted a seven-day leave to get his affairs in order in Beijing. Before leaving, he endures a bitter tirade from a woman named Zheng Yaping, connected to the Wang Chunxiang case, and says his goodbyes to his father-in-law, who alludes to unspecified "trouble" at the Dongping court. On his way to the airport, a call to his colleague Li Renjun about the incident is quickly shut down, a sign that powerful people want to contain the situation.
Grief, Investigation, and Ambition
At the forensic center, Qiao Zhenxing's wife, Zhou Mei, and daughter, Qiao Yiran, are overcome with grief as they formally identify his body. The on-site investigation, led by the ambitious Deputy Chief Sun Fei, yields few clues. Sun Fei reports his lack of findings to his superiors, clearly hoping to leverage the high-profile case for a promotion. The investigation does turn up one crucial piece of evidence: Qiao's car is found, but there are no signs of a struggle inside, deepening the mystery of his final moments.
While Hong Liang is in Beijing trying to arrange housing and school for his family, he receives the stunning news of Qiao's death from Li Renjun. His wife, Jiang Min, senses his distraction and urges him to return to Dongping, but he is determined to settle his family first.
An Anonymous Accusation Changes Everything
The plot thickens considerably when the case reaches the provincial level. Li Renjun, following advice, reports a recent courtroom disruption to Zhang Fang, the Procurator-General of the Haidong Provincial People's Procuratorate. But this meeting is overshadowed by a far more explosive development: an anonymous letter delivered to the prosecutor's office.
The letter makes a series of stunning claims:
- Qiao Zhenxing was murdered.
- A man named Wan Hai, recently prosecuted, is not a gangster.
- The true "protective umbrella" for organized crime in Dongping is none other than the prosecutor Li Renjun himself.
This bombshell accusation, coupled with Qiao's death, forces Procurator-General Zhang Fang to convene an emergency meeting. The investigation is no longer a local matter.
The Recall
The fallout is immediate. Zhang Fang reports the letter to Yan Licheng, the Secretary of the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission, who decides to involve the elite Eleventh Department to assist the police. Back in Dongping, Hong Liang's boss, Sun Xiangqun, officially recalls him.
In a final, pivotal scene, Hong Liang goes to Procurator-General Zhang Fang to get his resignation signed. Zhang, now fully aware of the stakes, questions Hong about his background as a Dongping native with 18 years of experience in the prosecutor's office. He persuades Hong to postpone his resignation and take on the Qiao Zhenxing case. Hong agrees, his plans for a new life shattered. He is now at the center of a storm, tasked with investigating a potential murder that could expose deep-seated corruption within his own ranks.
