Episode Summary

In "In the Name of Justice" Episode 5, the prosecution's case against Zhang Wenjing unravels as key witnesses, including Wanhai, are coerced into giving false testimony, which is quickly exposed. Meanwhile, prosecutor Hong Liang secretly investigates the suspicious death of his friend Qiao Zhenxing, discovering his phone is missing—a crucial piece of evidence. The stakes are raised as both Zhang Wenjing and her lawyer, Fu Bing, face violent threats, revealing a dangerous conspiracy that is manipulating the investigation from within and causing rifts among the prosecutors.

Spoiler Alert

In the Name of Justice, Episode 5 Recap: A Web of Lies and a Deepening Mystery

This Episode , the investigation into the sprawling organized crime case spirals into a vortex of perjury, intimidation, and a potential murder cover-up. As prosecutor Zheng Yaping’s case against key suspects begins to crumble under the weight of coerced testimonies, her colleague Hong Liang embarks on a dangerous, off-the-books inquiry into the death of an old friend. With threats turning brutally violent and powerful figures manipulating the investigation from the shadows, the line between ally and adversary blurs, pulling everyone deeper into the conspiracy.

The Perjury Cascade

The episode opens with Zheng Yaping leading the interrogation of two central figures in the syndicate case, Zhang Wenjing and Wanhai, only to find their accounts are riddled with contradictions. The pressure campaign against the truth is in full swing.

Wanhai, coerced by a man named Cheng Zijian who is using Wanhai’s son as leverage, attempts to frame Zhang Wenjing as the criminal mastermind. His story, however, is flimsy and falls apart under questioning from Zheng Yaping and her sharp colleague, Wang Chunxiang. Wanhai eventually breaks, admitting he was trying to take the fall for his head of security, Wu Xiaotian, who beat a debtor named Liu Gui into a vegetative state.

The prosecution's case continues to unravel as a chain of other witnesses is exposed.

  • An informant, Wang Yu, claims Zhang Wenjing strong-armed him into selling his business. But Wang Chunxiang points out a fatal flaw in his timeline: Wang Yu had reported Zhang before the date he claimed they first met. Cornered, he blurts out that his real motive was to "take down Wanhai."
  • Another witness, Chen Youcai, is rattled when Zheng Yaping reveals she knows about his childhood friendship with Wanhai’s brother. He abruptly reverses his testimony, suddenly insisting the two are a dangerous criminal duo.
  • A waitress, Shao Xiaoyan, testifies that she overheard Wanhai give the order to "beat Liu Gui to death." When Wang Chunxiang questions how she could have possibly heard a specific conversation in a loud club, she has a complete breakdown, smashing a glass and bringing the interrogation to a halt. Her volatile reaction strongly suggests she is lying under duress.

A Suspicious Death and a Secret Investigation

Meanwhile, prosecutor Hong Liang cannot shake the feeling that the recent death of his old classmate, Qiao Zhenxing, was not the suicide the police have ruled it to be. Under the guise of offering condolences, he visits Qiao’s family and uncovers a critical inconsistency. Qiao’s daughter, Yiran, reveals that her father rejected her calls four times in a row at 11:35 AM on the day he died—a time that conflicts with when Qiao had supposedly called Hong Liang.

Qiao’s brother, Qiao Feng, offers to take Hong Liang to the ice waterfall where his brother allegedly died and the ice cave on the Yongqing River where his body was discovered. But a call from his superior, the powerful Xu Yanwu, warns him to back off. Undeterred, Hong Liang evades surveillance and goes to the ice cave alone, where he makes a pivotal discovery: Qiao Zhenxing’s cell phone is missing.

Violence and Intimidation Escalate

As the legal case weakens, the forces behind the conspiracy resort to brutal tactics.

  • In her holding cell, Zhang Wenjing is confronted by another inmate who chillingly recites her daughter's school and class details, warning her to stop fighting the charges or her child will be killed. When Zhang Wenjing fights back, she is thrown into solitary confinement.
  • Her lawyer, Fu Bing, remains steadfast in his mission to prove her innocence. For his efforts, his office is stormed by thugs who viciously beat him. He refuses to yield and suffers a severe assault.

A Divided Team

The pressure creates fractures within the investigative team itself. Zheng Yaping and Hong Liang have a heated argument over his unauthorized investigation into Qiao's death. He accuses her of deliberately stalling key interrogations, while she warns him he is overstepping his authority.

The internal politics are just as treacherous. Xu Yanwu informs prosecutor Li Renjun that the police have officially closed Qiao Zhenxing's case as a suicide caused by depression, a conclusion Li Renjun refuses to accept. After his secret trip to the ice cave, Hong Liang keeps the clue of the missing phone to himself, now more determined than ever to uncover the truth.

With the official investigation compromised and key witnesses either lying or silenced, several questions hang in the balance:

  • With Qiao Zhenxing's phone missing, Hong Liang now has a tangible lead to follow, but he is operating outside his authority and against the wishes of powerful superiors.
  • The safety of Wanhai's son, Wan Chao, is in jeopardy, as Cheng Zijian has already proven he is willing to use family as leverage to control the narrative.
  • Shao Xiaoyan's emotional collapse suggests she was coerced into giving false testimony, but the identity of her manipulator remains a dangerous secret.