Episode Summary

An anonymous letter accusing Vice Mayor Li Renjun of corruption and alleging that a recent death was murder prompts the province to form a special task force. Prosecutor Hong Liang, who is trying to resign, is forced to lead the team with his old rival, Zheng Yaping. Upon arrival in the city of Dongping, their hotel rooms are bugged. As the investigation begins, key witness Wan Hai is coerced into giving a false confession, and Hong Liang breaks protocol by secretly meeting with Li Renjun, who gives him a cryptic warning about the city's dangers. The team is being watched from the shadows.

Spoiler Alert

"In the Name of Justice" Episode 3 Recap: A City of Secrets

An anonymous letter sent to the Provincial Prosecutor's Office ignites a firestorm, forcing a reluctant prosecutor back into the field to confront old ghosts and a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of the city of Dongping. The third episode throws the newly-formed investigation team into a web of surveillance, coercion, and political maneuvering where no one can be trusted.

Full Spoilers for Episode 3 of "In the Name of Justice" Below

The Anonymous Tip and a Forced Partnership

The episode kicks off when Provincial Prosecutor Zhang Fang receives an anonymous letter with three explosive allegations: the recent death of an official, Qiao Zhenxing, was a murder, not a suicide; a local businessman named Wan Hai was framed as a triad boss; and the city's Vice Mayor, Li Renjun, is the corrupt protector behind it all. Taking this directly to the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Committee, Zhang gets immediate approval to form a special guidance task force to investigate.

The first person they want for the job is Hong Liang, a prosecutor on the verge of resigning. His connection to the case is personal: he was university classmates with both the deceased Qiao Zhenxing and the accused Vice Mayor, Li Renjun. Hong vehemently refuses the assignment, citing a bitter past conflict with his would-be partner, the sharp and uncompromising Zheng Yaping, over a previous case involving a man named Wang Chunxiang. However, Prosecutor Zhang leaves him no choice, holding his resignation letter hostage and forcing him to join as the deputy team leader under Zheng Yaping. Zheng is equally furious about the partnership but relents on one condition: that Wang Chunxiang, the very subject of their past dispute, be assigned to their team.

A City Already in Motion

Before the task force even arrives, the conspirators in Dongping are making moves. Wang Yu, a local business manager, is seen instructing a subordinate to forge materials to frame Wan Hai. Meanwhile, the imprisoned Wan Hai is visited by his lawyer, Cheng Zijian, who delivers a chilling ultimatum: either Wan Hai falsely testifies that prosecutor Zhang Wenjing coached him to commit perjury and forge evidence, or his son, Wan Chao, will be in grave danger. Cornered and fearing for his son's life, Wan Hai agrees to the false confession.

Zhang Wenjing, the prosecutor who originally handled Wan Hai's case and is now under suspicion, is disappointed to learn that only a "guidance group" is being sent, not a full-blown special investigation team. Desperate, she asks an associate, Fu Bing, to help her find evidence to overturn Wan Hai's conviction. Fu Bing makes a troubling discovery: Wan Hai's children, Wan Chao and his sister, created a fake petition with signatures written in blood, a desperate gambit that could easily backfire and discredit their entire appeal.

Welcome to Dongping: You're Being Watched

On March 1st, the provincial team—led by Zheng Yaping and Hong Liang and including investigators Zhang Huaien, Bai Ziyan, and Wang Chunxiang—arrives in Dongping. The city's prosecutor, Xie Hongfei, gives them a warm, official welcome, but the pleasantries hide a sinister reality. As the team settles into their hotel, a masked figure slips into their rooms and installs listening devices. Their entire operation is compromised from the moment it begins.

The stakes are raised when Hong Liang gets a call from police captain Fang Hongjun with a critical piece of information: just before his death, Qiao Zhenxing placed a call to Hong Liang's phone. The connection was poor and the call dropped before anything could be said, but it proves a direct link between the two old classmates at the moment of the tragedy.

The web of connections tightens when Hong Liang receives a dinner invitation from the main target of the investigation, Vice Mayor Li Renjun. Zheng Yaping sternly warns him against any private contact with a person of interest, calling it a breach of protocol. Hong Liang ignores her, attending the dinner to press his old friend about Qiao Zhenxing's death. Li Renjun remains evasive, offering only cryptic warnings about the complexity of Dongping's situation, mentioning Wan Hai's case and Zhang Wenjing's "disruptive" behavior in court.

The episode closes on two ominous notes. First, the police report back on the forensics from Qiao's death: no signs of a struggle were found and there was alcohol in his system, but his mobile phone—the one used to call Hong Liang—is missing. Second, after leaving the dinner, Hong Liang receives a text from an unknown person named Xu Yanwu: "Dongping is not peaceful. Watch what you say." The message is clear: the team is not just investigating a case; they are being watched, and they are in danger.

Key Developments & Takeaways:

  • The Investigation is Compromised: The task force is under surveillance, with their hotel rooms bugged from day one. Their every move is being monitored.
  • Coercion and False Confessions: Wan Hai has been forced to lie and implicate prosecutor Zhang Wenjing, creating a major obstacle for anyone seeking the truth.
  • A Team Divided: The animosity between team leaders Hong Liang and Zheng Yaping is palpable. Hong's decision to secretly meet with a primary suspect, Li Renjun, has already created a rift and violated the rules of the investigation.
  • The Missing Phone: The biggest clue in Qiao Zhenxing's mysterious death is his missing cell phone, which contains the record of his final, interrupted call to Hong Liang.
  • A Web of Conspiracy: It is clear that multiple players in Dongping, from businessmen to lawyers and potentially high-ranking officials, are actively working to conceal the truth.