Episode Summary
Deng Yan is framed for bribery by the trafficker Liu Gang and gets suspended, preventing her from acting on a new lead concerning the suspect Zhou Hongcai. As Liu Gang orders Zhou to be silenced, Zhou makes a daring escape, triggering a manhunt by both the police and the criminals. The episode concludes with the fugitive Zhou Hongcai contacting a victim's family member, demanding a ransom for information.
Spoiler Alert
The episode kicks off with a calculated move against Deng Yan. Fearing that Deng Yan's friendship with Lin Ranran will lead her to uncover his role in Lin Ranran's trafficking, Liu Gang orchestrates a plan to neutralize her. He has his subordinate, Xiao Wu, secretly plant 80,000 yuan in Deng Yan's wardrobe and sends an anonymous letter to the Commission for Discipline Inspection. When the money is discovered, Deng Yan is immediately suspended from her duties pending a full investigation.
Both Xiao Wenjin and Han Liang are convinced of Deng Yan's innocence, but with no way to explain the origin of the cash, their hands are tied. Han Liang correctly suspects a setup but lacks the hard evidence to prove it. In the interim, Xiao Wenjin appoints Yin Jiansheng as the temporary head of the Anti-trafficking Office and instructs Han Liang to cooperate fully with the investigation into Deng Yan.
Meanwhile, a crucial memory resurfaces. At the Reunion Diner, Auntie Zhang, who has been feeling that she forgot something important, is prompted by Luo Xiaoxing's discovery of a missing poster for Lin Ranran. She suddenly recalls seeing a man named Zhou Hongcai, who had visited the diner asking questions about Lin Ranran. Luo Xiaoxing immediately calls Deng Yan.
Despite her suspension, Deng Yan rushes to meet Han Liang with this new information. However, Han Liang, bound by protocol, cannot authorize her to pursue the lead and orders her to stand by and not act on emotion. A disheartened Deng Yan is comforted by Yin Jiansheng, who witnesses her frustration.
The criminal element is also in motion. Liu Gang, suspecting a leak, confronts Zhen Ni, who swears her loyalty. Convinced that "Brother Cripple" was the one who betrayed him, Liu Gang agrees with Zhen Ni's suggestion that Zhou Hongcai must be silenced permanently.
In a touching side story, Sun Xiaoguang, after learning his adoptive father Qi Defu is ill, rushes back to Qingluo Town. He's met there by his biological father, Sun Wenhan, and officer Yan Lei. Sun Wenhan is deeply moved to learn that Qi Defu spent his life savings to care for Xiaoguang's health over the years. When Xiaoguang returns, having walked home to save money after buying a medical device for Qi Defu, a powerful reconciliation occurs. Sun Wenhan decides to stay and apply for a volunteer teaching position so that Xiaoguang can remain with Qi Defu and continue his schooling. In a tearful embrace, Xiaoguang finally calls him "Dad."
The hunt for Zhou Hongcai escalates. Liu Gang's man, Xiao Wu, successfully captures Zhou and is about to cripple him when a phone call from Liu Gang interrupts him. Seizing the moment, Zhou throws a bottle out the window to attract attention. A neighbor, hearing the noise, knocks on the door. While Xiao Wu is distracted, Zhou manages to cut his bonds and escape through the window.
The police, alerted by residents, arrive on the scene. Yin Jiansheng spots Zhou Hongcai fleeing in a small truck and manages to note the license plate number. With Zhou on the run, Liu Gang receives a call from his boss, who orders him to eliminate Zhou before the police can capture him. Yin Jiansheng and Chang Rui deduce Zhou will try to flee the city and head to the bus station to intercept him.
The episode ends on a tense cliffhanger. Auntie Zhang, having waited anxiously all day at the diner for news, receives a shocking phone call. It's Zhou Hongcai. He claims to have information on Lin Ranran and demands she bring him 100,000 yuan.
