Spoiler Alert
In the Name of Justice - Episode 23 Spoilers: The Fallout
The Wanchuan mine disaster sends shockwaves through the community. As emergency services rush to the scene, a terrified Liu Yun arrives to witness the chaos. Fifteen injured miners are evacuated, and a survivor, Wan Hong, pleads with her for help, leaving her frozen in fear.
The news quickly goes national. A worried Wang Yu calls Chen Shenglong for details but is curtly dismissed, leaving him anxious about potential involvement. Jiang Yuan, upon seeing the news, immediately suspects Chen Shenglong is behind the disaster. He confronts his superior, Yu Tiancheng, demanding he rein in Chen, but Yu remains silent. Meanwhile, Chen's henchman, Xiong Lei, confirms he successfully sabotaged the brake pads as instructed. Chen makes it clear he has no intention of ever going back to work for Yu Tiancheng.
Escaping the mine, Wan Chao receives a crucial piece of evidence: a video secretly filmed by the old mine chief showing Jiang Hongjun tampering with the brake pads. The truth dawns on him—the disaster was no accident. Spotting a police checkpoint ahead, he flees and goes into hiding.
At the hospital, the situation grows dire as two of the fifteen miners succumb to their injuries. The victims' families cause a scene, and Liu Yun, overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation, hides from the confrontation. Wanhai, the mine's owner, is devastated. He is questioned by Ma Chongyang, who also brings up the "1.31" armed robbery case from thirteen years ago. Wanhai recalls escaping through a window when Sun Yihu and Yang Dayou robbed the payroll, but he offers no new leads. Elsewhere, Jiang Hongjun interrogates the old mine chief and Wan Hong, trying to pressure them, but gets nothing.
With the city's top officials demanding answers, Wan Chao becomes a wanted man. Desperate, he calls Zhang Wenjing for help, telling her he has proof the disaster was deliberate. She can't help him directly but gives him Zheng Yaping's phone number. After narrowly escaping Chen Shenglong's men, who are hunting him, Wan Chao manages to contact Zheng Yaping from an internet cafe and sends her the incriminating video.
Zheng Yaping, convinced the disaster was sabotage, pushes a reluctant Hong Liang to form a special investigation team. Just as Hong Liang is about to report on a separate case, Zheng Yaping bursts in and shows the video to their superiors, Zhang Fang and Sun Xiangqun. Seeing Jiang Hongjun, a police officer, tampering with evidence, Zhang Fang is enraged. He approves the new investigation team, led by Zheng Yaping and Hong Liang, tasking them with getting to the bottom of the mine disaster and other related cases.
The incident causes a major rift between Chen Shenglong and Yu Tiancheng. During a heated confrontation where Jiang Yuan adds fuel to the fire, Yu slaps Chen. Chen is left completely disillusioned, feeling he's being cast aside after years of doing Yu's dirty work, which included serving jail time for Jiang Yuan.
Later, a weary Liu Yun returns home. She tells her husband, Li Renjun, that a potential acquisition deal she had arranged for Wanchuan Mining is now dead. Li Renjun is visibly shocked when he learns the interested buyer was none other than Chen Shenglong.
