Episode Summary
In this episode, Deng Yan's investigation uncovers that Lu Sheng, angered by a business dispute, ordered the kidnapping of She Qinglin's son. The job was passed to a fugitive named Huang Chuan, who, after receiving the ransom, mysteriously returned the child. The police launch a manhunt for Huang Chuan, tracking him to the deep mountains where he is eventually injured by a trap and captured.
Spoiler Alert
The investigation into Lu Sheng deepens as Deng Yan discovers a business connection between him and her cousin-in-law, Ye Xiuming, through their company, Dingshun. She learns that a man named Wu Bin had introduced the two, leading to a partnership that ended in financial ruin for Ye Xiuming. When Deng Yan's investigators, Ai Xin and Yin Jiansheng, question Wu Bin, he confirms the story and adds a crucial detail: he once witnessed Lu Sheng harassing a woman named Zheng Weiwei.
Under questioning, Lu Sheng confesses his recent activities. Two months prior, She Qinglin, the general manager of Kaiyi Trading Company, paid him a deposit for a shipment of goods. Lu Sheng used Dingshun Company to import the items from Qinmang Country, but the cargo was lost at sea. When a desperate She Qinglin repeatedly came to him for answers, Lu Sheng ordered his subordinate, Qingpi, to kidnap She Qinglin's child to silence him.
Meanwhile, detectives Yan Lei and Chang Rui look into another lead, Fei Yan, at the Tianhai Jixiang Entertainment Company. The owner, Liu Gang, shows them surveillance footage of Fei Yan, but it reveals nothing more than a regular, low-spending customer. Deng Yan senses something is wrong with the company. Her intuition is correct; Liu Gang had tampered with the recordings, and Fei Yan has already fled the country.
Qingpi's confession reveals another layer to the plot. While Lu Sheng did order the kidnapping of She Qinglin's son, Congcong, Qingpi never carried it out himself. Before he could act, he got a call from an old acquaintance, Huang Chuan, who was on the run after his money was stolen by "Auntie Hong." Desperate for cash, Huang Chuan asked Qingpi for a loan. Bound by rules, Qingpi couldn't give him money but instead offered him the kidnapping job.
Based on Qingpi's description, the police create a sketch of Huang Chuan. However, Yin Jiansheng advises against releasing a public warrant to avoid tipping him off. When detectives visit She Qinglin, he is clearly terrified, insisting the kidnapping was just a "misunderstanding." The truth finally comes out when Deng Yan and Chang Rui find him hastily trying to move his family. His wife breaks down and contradicts his lies, forcing She Qinglin to reveal what really happened. After his son was taken, he received a ransom demand for 30,000 yuan. He paid it, but Congcong wasn't returned. Instead, the kidnapper, Huang Chuan, sent a text telling him to think about who he might have offended recently. Realizing the message was pointing to Lu Sheng, She Qinglin went and begged him for forgiveness. Soon after, he received another text from Huang Chuan with the location where they could find their son, safe and sound.
The team is baffled as to why Huang Chuan would release the child, leading them to believe he is still hiding in the Linshan area. Yin Jiansheng recalls that Huang Chuan has a history of escaping capture by hiding in the deep mountains. Deng Yan immediately organizes a search operation in the mountains with the local police.
Huang Chuan spots the police search and flees deeper into the wilderness, heading for Pengcang Mountain. A public tip-off confirms his location. As night falls, a desperate Huang Chuan's attempt to get help from a forest ranger fails. He presses on through the dark woods, only to be caught in a trap set for wild boars. Guided by the forest ranger, Deng Yan and her team finally locate and arrest the injured Huang Chuan.
In the episode's final moments, a new problem arises for another character, as Auntie Zhang is unable to pay her rent, leading to a confrontation with a troublemaker named Xiao Qian at her restaurant.
