Episode Summary
Lin Qiangfeng confirms his theory that Lu Shaohua faked his death and uncovers clues leading to his new identity and location. Meanwhile, Lu Shaohua manipulates international drug lords with a calculated information leak while juggling his new life with a pregnant Wu Yanping and a suspicious Ma Yingzi, who is being held in check by the drug lord Xie Guohao. The episode ends with the police closing in on Lu Shaohua as his whereabouts are finally confirmed.
Spoiler Alert
Two years ago, Lu Shaohua, accompanied by Wang Lin and Qiu Laibao, located Wu Yanping at her great-aunt's home in Tieji County, Lvteng City. Overjoyed to see him, Wu Yanping greeted him in the fields. To show his gratitude, Lu Shaohua generously gave one thousand yuan to every villager and bought new home appliances for the great-aunt. Impressed by his wealth, the village chief persuaded him to invest in a Yew tree plantation for producing Taxol, an anti-cancer drug. Lu Shaohua, seeing the opportunity, invested thirty million to build the plantation.
In the present, Ha Hong's investigation leads him to a security guard at the Hualin Biological Products Factory, who reveals that Lu Shaohua visits the factory every night at midnight in a Santana, leaving before dawn. Meanwhile, Lu Shaohua faces a crisis: a 12-ton shipment of methamphetamine destined for the Fen'ang Country drug lord, Xie Guohao, has been seized. With the delivery date approaching, Lu Shaohua devises a plan. He sends Luo Bingzhang to explain the situation to Xie Guohao but also tasks Ma Yingzi with the same mission, putting them on the same flight. This serves as a test: if Luo Bingzhang's group can successfully leave the country, it confirms the police are not yet aware of their identities.
At the airport, Ma Yingzi sees Luo Bingzhang with Liang Hongmei and Liang Dongchao checking in. She reports this to Lu Shaohua before proceeding to check in herself. At the same time, officer Lin Qiangfeng becomes more certain that Lu Shaohua faked his own death. He consults with a forensic examiner, Lao Qian, about the bone fragment found at the explosion site. Lao Qian confirms that a small piece of the iliac bone can be surgically removed from the hip without long-term harm and that it can regenerate. This strengthens Lin Qiangfeng's theory that Lu Shaohua planted the bone to create the illusion of his death.
As Lu Shaohua anticipated, upon landing in Fen'ang Country, Luo Bingzhang, Liang Hongmei, and Liang Dongchao immediately transfer to a flight to Mao Country to meet with an associate named Caipa. Ma Yingzi meets with Xie Guohao, who accepts the explanation for the failed delivery. He tells her to warn Lu Shaohua to be cautious and vows to settle the score with Xiang Fu and Luo Bingzhang. To ensure Ma Yingzi's loyalty, Xie Guohao brings out her son, Chenchen, whom she hasn't seen in two years. He uses the boy as a hostage, reminding her of how his men killed Qiu Laibao two years prior when he tried to help her and Chenchen escape Wanbei.
Following through on his threat, Xie Guohao dispatches an assassin. In Yangzhuang, the killer uses a man named Akun to lure Xiang Fu into a trap, murdering Xiang Fu and then killing Akun to eliminate the witness. The assassin then proceeds to Mao Country to target Luo Bingzhang, Liang Hongmei, and Liang Dongchao.
To further his own agenda, Lu Shaohua instructs Ma Yingzi to leak the news online that his 12-ton meth shipment was seized. The story immediately captures the attention of international drug lords, with the most powerful South American kingpin, Guster, offering a $20 million reward for Lu Shaohua. Caipa sees the news and informs Luo Bingzhang, who correctly guesses it's a ploy by Lu Shaohua. Unwilling to miss a potential payday, Luo Bingzhang tells Caipa to contact Guster.
Back in China, Ha Hong shares his findings about the Hualin Biological Products Factory with Lin Qiangfeng, who suspects it's Lu Shaohua's new drug lab. To reopen the officially closed case, they need definitive proof that Lu Shaohua is alive. Ha Hong posts reward notices in local villages. Lin Qiangfeng's attempt to persuade his superior, Tan Qinglin, to reopen the case fails, as Tan Qinglin insists Lu Shaohua is dead and dismisses all of Lin Qiangfeng's evidence.
Meanwhile, Lu Shaohua has settled Wu Yanping in a large villa he bought for her. During a visit, she joyfully tells him she is two months pregnant. Later, while Lu Shaohua is with Wu Yanping for a prenatal check-up, Ma Yingzi returns to the country. Suspicious after being unable to reach him, she uses Wang Lin's phone to arrange a meeting at a noodle shop. When they meet, Lu Shaohua offers flimsy excuses for his silence, but Ma Yingzi smells a woman's perfume on him, deepening her distrust.
The investigation finally gains momentum. Ha Hong discovers that two years ago, Wu Yanping was picked up by a man named "Lin Bin," whom Lin Qiangfeng deduces is an alias for Lu Shaohua. Officer Li An learns that Luo Bingzhang is in Mao Country and prepares a team to arrest him. Lin Qiangfeng chooses to stay behind to continue his search for Lu Shaohua. He visits Wu Yanping's great-aunt, who positively identifies a photo of "Lin Bin" as Lu Shaohua. The village chief also recognizes his associate, Wang Lin. At that very moment, Ha Hong calls with a critical tip: Lu Shaohua has just been spotted in Jinchuan.
