Episode Summary
In this episode, Pingjiao has an emotional reunion with her birth mother. The police track down and capture the trafficker Qingpi, but the operation is compromised by a vengeful Chang Rui, who is subsequently punished for his reckless actions. With Qingpi stonewalling the investigation, a breakthrough comes when another victim, Zheng Weiwei, reveals the identity of her other abusers, leading the police to a new suspect, Li Lusheng, who denies all charges.
Spoiler Alert
The episode opens with an intensely emotional reunion as Pingjiao is finally returned to her birth parents. She is heartbroken to see her mother, Bai Xiujing, in a state of mental distress caused by the trauma of her daughter's abduction. When Deng Yan brings Pingjiao to her, the mother instantly recognizes her long-lost child. They collapse into each other's arms, weeping, a sight that moves everyone present. This reunion hardens Yang Jiajia's resolve, and she vows to bring all abducted children back to their families.
Meanwhile, the wanted trafficker Qingpi is starving and stops at a small village store. After buying some food, including his favorite salted duck eggs, he is recognized by the shop owner, who immediately reports him to the police. Xiao Wenjin organizes a joint operation between the Anti-trafficking Office and the Criminal Police Brigade to capture him. He orders Chang Rui to stay home, worried that Chang Rui's personal history will cause him to act irrationally. However, Chang Rui learns of the operation in Hongxi Village and drives there himself, against orders.
Deng Yan's team, including Yin Jiansheng, arrives in Hongxi Village but struggles to pinpoint Qingpi's exact hiding spot. Deng Yan correctly assumes Qingpi will try to contact his associate, "Brother Fei," and decides to stake out the area. Although the police discover a public phone number Qingpi used, it has been disconnected. When Chang Rui arrives in the village and calls Yan Lei for their location, Deng Yan instructs Yan Lei not to tell him, wanting to keep him out of the operation.
The situation escalates when Qingpi heads to a pier. Deng Yan's team follows, spotting a large boat approaching to meet him. Believing this is their chance to capture not just Qingpi but also Brother Fei and his superiors, Deng Yan decides to wait before making a move. Her plan is ruined when Chang Rui suddenly appears and attacks Qingpi. A fierce fight breaks out, and both men fall into the water. As Deng Yan's team rushes to provide backup, the boat sees the chaos and quickly flees.
Chang Rui manages to subdue Qingpi and drags him ashore. Overcome with rage, he begins to beat him relentlessly. Yan Lei tries to intervene, but Chang Rui is consumed by the memory of his father, who died saving him. Yin Jiansheng finally pulls him off, and Deng Yan has Qingpi formally arrested. Later, Xiao Wenjin severely reprimands Chang Rui for his actions. Chang Rui admits he wanted to kill Qingpi to atone for his father's death, which prompts an angry Xiao Wenjin to have him placed in solitary confinement.
Despite pleas for leniency from Deng Yan and Yin Jiansheng, Xiao Wenjin holds firm, explaining that as an old friend of Chang Rui's father, he cannot allow Chang Rui to break the law. The interrogation of Qingpi hits a wall; he refuses to cooperate, playing dumb. Deng Yan believes Chang Rui might be able to get through to him with an emotional appeal, but with him confined, her hands are tied.
The focus then shifts to another victim, Zheng Weiwei, who has locked herself in her room since being discharged from the hospital. Her worried mother calls Deng Yan for help. Deng Yan reads from Zheng Weiwei's own award-winning article, encouraging her to be brave and face her past. This allows Zheng Weiwei to finally open up about the horrific ordeal she suffered. She reveals that Qingpi forced her to be with a "Boss Li." When she fought back and scratched Boss Li, he ordered Qingpi and a man in sunglasses to pull out her fingernails. Recounting the story is agonizing, but Deng Yan encourages her by telling her how Pingjiao helped catch traffickers, which finally helps Zheng Weiwei begin to heal.
With Qingpi refusing to talk, Deng Yan decides to pursue the new leads: "Boss Li" and the man in sunglasses. She has Yang Jiajia retrieve surveillance footage from the nightclub where the assault happened. The police also re-interrogate another accomplice, Chen Amo. He remains uncooperative until Yin Jiansheng informs him that his mother has been hospitalized. Worried for her, and assured by the police that she is being cared for, Chen Amo finally breaks his silence and identifies "Boss Li" as a man named Li Lusheng.
The team learns that Li Lusheng, who married into wealth, is controlled by his demanding wife. Yang Jiajia and Yan Lei bring Li Lusheng in for questioning, but he denies everything. To avoid re-traumatizing Zheng Weiwei, Deng Yan has Chen Amo identify him. During the interrogation with Han Liang, Li Lusheng denies raping Zheng Weiwei. When shown a picture of Chen Amo, he claims they are conspiring to frame him and demands a lawyer. The episode ends with Li Lusheng's wife arriving at the station with a lawyer, loudly proclaiming her husband's innocence.
