Episode Summary

A key witness, Wang Yu, is murdered by Xiong Lei just as he is about to be rescued by Li Renjun, who then becomes the primary suspect in the killing. Meanwhile, prosecutor Hong Liang faces a personal and professional crisis when he is framed for attacking villagers in his hometown, a scheme orchestrated by Chen Shenglong. With the investigation intensifying and alliances crumbling, Li Renjun is left to grapple with the deadly consequences of his silence.

Spoiler Alert

In the Name of Justice: Episode 32 Spoilers

The pressure mounts as the Special Investigation Team questions Li Renjun. Prosecutor Hong Liang urges him to speak the truth, but Li is torn, fearing his wife Liu Yun will be dragged down by her connection to Chen Shenglong. His hesitation fills him with regret. Later, Xu Yanwu advises him to cooperate fully, revealing that Hong Liang is now looking into the old "1·31 Case," a sign that a final reckoning is imminent.

Meanwhile, Chen Shenglong sends his man, Xingzi, to Hong Liang's hometown, Hongjia Village, to cause chaos. Xingzi manipulates a villager named Hong Yi into leading a protest against the Yuanli Group. Hong Yi publicly accuses Hong Liang and his brother-in-law, Jiang Yuan, of illegally seizing village land for development, promising that the rival Tianlong Group will offer a much better deal. The situation escalates into a riot, and in the ensuing chaos, Hong Liang's father collapses.

At the same time, a desperate manhunt is underway. Xiong Lei captures and tortures Chang Sheng, a close friend of the fugitive Wang Yu, to find out his location. Under duress, Chang Sheng agrees to help Xiong Lei set a trap when Wang Yu calls, revealing his plan to escape the city of Dongping by hiding in the No. 8 freight car.

When Hong Liang rushes back to his village, he finds it barricaded. He runs home to find his father sick in bed. Before he can process what's happened, Hong Yi and a mob of angry villagers arrive at his house. They accuse him and Jiang Yuan of corruption. As Hong Liang tries to protect his mother from the aggressive crowd, a scuffle breaks out, all of which is secretly filmed by Xingzi. Hong Yi falsely shouts that the prosecutor is attacking villagers. The confrontation ends when Hong Liang's father gets out of bed and shoves Hong Yi to the ground.

The trap for Wang Yu is set at the distribution center. Wang Yu, disguised as a worker, spots Xiong Lei and his men waiting for him and realizes he's been betrayed. He manages to hide on a truck just as Xiong Lei forces Chang Sheng to call him. Wang Yu hangs up, confirming their suspicions, and a frantic search begins. With nowhere left to run, Wang Yu makes a desperate call to Li Renjun, revealing a critical piece of information: the true boss behind Chen Shenglong is a man named Yu Tiancheng. Li Renjun immediately asks Xu Yanwu to send police for a rescue.

Back in Hongjia Village, the video of Hong Liang's confrontation goes viral, painting him as a violent official. His worried parents force him to leave for his own safety. Just as he leaves, his superior, Sun Xiangqun, calls and orders him to remain in the village pending an investigation. Alone and heartbroken, Hong Liang eats the food his mother packed for him.

The climax arrives at the distribution center. Li Renjun gets there just as Wang Yu climbs down from his hiding spot on a truck roof. But before they can connect, Xiong Lei opens fire, fatally wounding Wang Yu. The arrival of police sirens forces Xiong Lei and his men to flee. Wang Yu dies in Li Renjun's arms without saying another word.

The fallout is immediate and severe. Wang Yu, a key witness, is dead. The head of the investigation, Lan Jingming, is furious and orders an all-out effort to find the killer. Because Li Renjun was at the scene of the crime, he becomes the prime suspect, accused of being a corrupt protector for the gangs and silencing a witness. During his interrogation with Zheng Yaping and a newly returned Hong Liang, Li Renjun is overwhelmed with guilt, admitting that if he had told the truth earlier, Wang Yu might still be alive.

Elsewhere, the criminal alliance begins to crack. Chen Shenglong prepares to flee the city and warns Xiong Lei that their boss, Yu Tiancheng, will surely betray them and use them as scapegoats. Unwilling to believe it or return to a life on the run, Xiong Lei refuses to leave.