Episode Summary
The anti-trafficking team pursues two major cases: an undercover operation to expose a trafficker named Baiban by exploiting his gambling addiction, and the urgent search for a recently abducted infant, Little Potato. The investigations force Officer Deng Yan to confront past failures and fresh public scrutiny, culminating in her vow to solve a 15-year-old cold case. The episode ends on a cliffhanger as a key informant in the undercover operation is found murdered.
Spoiler Alert
The investigation into a young girl named Fafa intensifies as Deng Yan suspects she was abducted by a man she calls "dad," Baiban. After learning from Fafa that Baiban has a serious gambling problem, Deng Yan orders a city-wide sweep of all underground casinos. Meanwhile, officer Chang Rui is already working undercover at one of Baiban's regular spots. Disguised as a wealthy gambler named Boss Xie, Chang Rui stages a high-stakes game, successfully luring in both Baiban and another man, Zhao Dafeng. After an entire night of gambling, Chang Rui wins all their money, only to return it while proposing a lucrative partnership in Linshan. His true goal is to use them as bait to uncover the mastermind behind their operation.
The team's focus is suddenly split when a new, urgent case arises: a baby boy named Little Potato has been abducted from a public square. The boy's grandmother, Auntie Lin, was momentarily distracted while providing medical aid to a stranger who had collapsed. The police track a suspicious vehicle with a fake license plate, leading to a high-speed chase. Deng Yan and Chang Rui manage to stop the car, but the couple inside insists the baby with them is their own. A forensic test confirms their story, leaving the investigation at a dead end and Little Potato's parents devastated.
While distributing missing person flyers, Deng Yan encounters Auntie Zhang, the owner of the "Reunion Diner." Auntie Zhang recognizes Deng Yan as the childhood friend of her own abducted daughter, Lin Ranran, reopening old wounds for the officer. The pressure on Deng Yan mounts when a lawyer, Sun Wenhan, brings a woman named Luo Xiaoxing to the police. Luo Xiaoxing has been searching for her brother, Luo Xiaoyu, for fifteen years and accuses the anti-trafficking office of incompetence. Faced with the family's tragic history, Deng Yan makes a solemn vow to find Luo Xiaoyu or resign from the force.
The episode concludes with a grim twist: Zhao Dafeng, the man from the casino, is found dead. Chang Rui identifies the body and recalls giving him a 30,000 yuan deposit for a human trafficking deal just two days prior, confirming the high stakes and danger of their ongoing undercover mission.
