Episode Summary
Xu Desheng is murdered, with a tree branch left as a calling card that points towards the powerful drug lord Luo Bingzhang. The police, led by the astute Lin Qiangfeng, link the murder to a recent drug bust. The killers are revealed to be a pair of female assassins, Sang Bo and Miao Lun, who work for a syndicate represented by their handler, Mo Kang. As the investigation zeroes in on Lu Shaohua, the man who reported the crime, Mo Kang closes in on the meth chemist, Lao Gui, setting up a tense confrontation.
Spoiler Alert
The Narcotic Operation Episode 2
The episode kicks off with the murder of Xu Desheng, who is found with a distinctive tree branch plunged into his chest. This isn't just any branch; it's from a tree that the formidable Xigang drug lord, Luo Bingzhang, planted for his son. When Luo discovers the desecration of his son's tree, he is enraged, setting a dangerous tone for anyone involved.
The police investigation, led by Tan Qinglin and the sharp newcomer Lin Qiangfeng, gets underway. Bureau Chief Chen Qingquan quickly connects the dots, ordering them to merge the murder case with a recent customs bust where methamphetamine was discovered hidden inside bottles of foreign liquor. To assist, they are assigned the "Three Musketeers" from the Development Zone's police force, though Lin Qiangfeng is immediately unimpressed, realizing their reputation is far greater than their actual skills.
We soon learn the identities of the killers: Sang Bo and Miao Lun, two female assassins from Wanbei. They disguised themselves as men to execute Xu Desheng, burned their vehicle, and coolly reverted to their female appearances before reporting the successful mission to their handler, Mo Kang.
Meanwhile, the intricate web of local corruption and crime begins to unravel. The deputy town mayor, Jin Yongxiang, secretly meets with a local drug dealer, Zhao Shuangxi, to warn him about the murder. It's revealed that Xu Desheng was smuggling drugs for Zhao Shuangxi. Jin Yongxiang is terrified because the tree branch is a clear message that could draw the wrath of the powerful Luo Bingzhang down on them.
A flashback to one year earlier provides crucial context, showing Lu Shaohua, Xu Desheng, and a man named Lao Gui all meeting at a hospital. It was Lao Gui who first suggested the idea of smuggling goods through a foreign liquor business to Xu Desheng.
Back in the present, Lu Shaohua, who was the one to report the murder, is brought in for questioning. He tells Lin Qiangfeng that he went to Xu Desheng's home to demand answers after hearing about the drug seizure at the docks, only to find him dead. He passionately defends his brother, Lu Shaodong, insisting he has nothing to do with drug trafficking. Although Lu Shaohua's story is airtight, Lin Qiangfeng's instincts tell him something is off.
The episode culminates in a tense sequence where Mo Kang, the assassins' handler, tracks down Lao Gui, who is exposed as the chemist who manufactured the seized meth. Mo Kang threatens him at gunpoint, but Lao Gui creates a diversion with a smoke bomb and escapes. In his frantic getaway, Lao Gui drops his phone. Mo Kang picks it up just as it starts to ring, leaving the audience on a cliffhanger.
