Episode Summary
In this episode, Li Lusheng is arrested for the rape of Zheng Weiwei after a confession from an accomplice. Chang Rui, after a crisis of conscience, decides to remain on the police force and gets Qingpi to confess his role and name his superiors. Zheng Weiwei discovers she is pregnant and is saved from a suicide attempt by Deng Yan. The investigation uncovers a financial link between Li Lusheng and a company owned by Deng Yan's cousin, deepening the complexity of the case.
Spoiler Alert
The episode opens with Zheng Weiwei, who has been drugged by a human trafficker named Baiban. Another criminal, Qingpi, then forces her to entertain Li Lusheng, who proceeds to rape her. This crime comes to light after the arrest of Chen Amo, who confesses the details to the police. Officers from the Anti-trafficking Office promptly arrest Li Lusheng. However, his wife arrives with a lawyer, vehemently insisting on his innocence and claiming he was framed. Deng Yan tells them to go home and await the results of the investigation.
Deng Yan applies for an arrest warrant for Li Lusheng, but her superior, Han Liang, instructs her to gather more solid evidence to ensure the charges stick. Meanwhile, Chang Rui is released after three days of detention. His colleagues welcome him back, but after much reflection, Chang Rui decides to resign from the police force, telling Deng Yan he doesn't believe he can be a qualified officer.
Later, Chang Rui visits the grave of his father, Chang Yongjun. He finds a bouquet of carnations left by Qingpi. Deng Yan also arrives to pay her respects. Chang Rui expresses his complicated feelings, recalling a father who was always consumed by work and never had time for him, a man who ultimately sacrificed his life to save a "scum" like Qingpi. Deng Yan urges him not to disappoint his father's spirit and to become a great officer like him. After she passionately argues her case and leaves, Chang Rui reconsiders, remembering Qiu Luoluo once calling him a good cop. He calls out to Deng Yan, deciding to stay and continue fighting the traffickers.
Reinstated, Chang Rui apologizes to his superior, Xiao Wenjin, for previously acting rashly and arresting Qingpi on his own, which disrupted the Anti-trafficking Office's larger plan. Xiao Wenjin, after a heated argument, accepts his apology and tasks them with finding Qingpi's boss.
During interrogation, Chang Rui reveals a stunning truth to a defiant Qingpi: he is the son of Chang Yongjun, the man who saved Qingpi's life. Shocked, Qingpi's conscience is shaken. He confesses that Li Lusheng, who had taken a liking to the accomplished university student Zheng Weiwei, paid him 100,000 yuan to abduct her. Deng Yan suspects this is more than a simple kidnapping and begins investigating Li Lusheng's company's recent business dealings.
Zheng Weiwei, devastated, visits her alma mater, Linshan University, and sees her award-winning work on display, which only deepens her sorrow. The situation worsens when she discovers she is pregnant from the assault. Feeling hopeless, she leaves a note and runs away, planning to commit suicide with sleeping pills. Deng Yan finds her just in time, stopping her and encouraging her to face the future bravely. Deng Yan shows her a video from Pingjiao, another trafficking victim who has since found her birth parents and is living a happy life. Pingjiao's message of hope encourages Zheng Weiwei, who breaks down in tears. Armed with a DNA report confirming the fetus is Li Lusheng's, Deng Yan and Chang Rui confront him again. Faced with the undeniable proof, Li Lusheng is left speechless.
The investigation into the trafficking ring continues. Qingpi reveals his boss is known as "Brother Cripple" , but he has never met him, only dealing with an intermediary named "Brother Fei". An officer, Yang Jiajia, identifies Brother Fei as Fei Yan and tracks his recent movements to the Tianhai Jixiang Entertainment Center.
The case takes another turn when investigator Yan Lei discovers that during the time of Zheng Weiwei's kidnapping, Li Lusheng's company signed a cooperation agreement with Dingshun Company, which is owned by Deng Yan's cousin, Ye Xiuming, and his wife. Deng Yan reports this potential conflict of interest to Xiao Wenjin. It's revealed that Ye Xiuming's business is in trouble. His wife, without his knowledge, used five million yuan to help Li Lusheng fund a purchase from Southeast Asia's Qinmang State, but the investment was lost at sea, leaving them financially ruined.
