Episode Summary
Episode 25 exposes that Hu Xiaolu's car accident was a cover for the kidnapping of her daughter, Tang Zhikui. The driver, Ding Shuncheng, is arrested and confesses he was hired by a mysterious figure known online as "Dingfengbo." The child is rescued after Ding confronts the man who received her, Fu Haochen. The investigation expands to implicate businessman Ye Xiuming, who denies involvement and blames his secretary. Clues like a jade bracelet on the kidnapper and connections to a wider criminal network set the stage for the next phase of the investigation.
Spoiler Alert
The investigation into Hu Xiaolu's car crash takes a dark turn as the police uncover a premeditated kidnapping plot. Unsettled by the death of Yin Jiansheng, Chang Rui continues to investigate, linking old tire tracks at that scene to a rental car, a lead that puts him on a new and dangerous path.
Meanwhile, surveillance footage from Hu Xiaolu's accident reveals a Santana had been tailing her, confirming Chang Rui's suspicion that the crash was no accident. The police bring in the Santana's driver, Ding Shuncheng, for questioning. He claims he illegally overtook a slow-moving truck and accidentally scraped Hu Xiaolu's car, even providing proof that he paid a fine and took full responsibility. Despite his plausible story, Chang Rui remains suspicious, especially after discovering Ding Shuncheng has an unusually clean driving record. With no hard evidence, they are forced to let him go.
The case breaks open when Ding Shuncheng, after being questioned, tries to contact his mysterious employer, an online figure known only as "big brother." Finding the contact's QQ account deleted, a panicked Ding Shuncheng confronts Fu Haochen, the man he delivered the kidnapped child to. Their heated argument is interrupted by the police, who arrest Ding and rescue the child, Tang Zhikui.
Ding Shuncheng confesses everything. He was hired online by a man with the screen name "Dingfengbo" to stage the car accident. This created the diversion needed for an accomplice to snatch Tang Zhikui from another vehicle. Ding never saw the kidnapper's face but remembers a crucial detail: they wore a jade bracelet.
The investigation then turns to Fu Haochen and his business partner, Ye Xiuming. Fu Haochen claims Ye Xiuming arranged for the child, supposedly from an orphanage, and that he was unaware she was trafficked. Ye Xiuming, in turn, denies everything. He admits to helping Fu Haochen find a child to adopt but insists he instructed his secretary, Zhang Quanzhi, to follow proper legal channels through an orphanage. He denies knowing Ding Shuncheng and claims only a passing business acquaintance with another figure, Liu Gang.
In a parallel storyline, Ye Xiuming's wife, Fang Zilin, is devastated after learning she is infertile. Though Ye initially wanted a biological child, he comforts his wife, and they proceed with adopting a girl named Qianqian. This adoption, however, is deeply entangled with the criminal case unfolding around them.
With Tang Zhikui safely returned, she and her mother, Hu Xiaolu, have a heartfelt reunion at Auntie Zhang's diner. Pressured by their friends, Hu Xiaolu and her estranged husband, Tang Dong, finally talk, taking a tentative step toward reconciliation for the sake of their daughter.
The episode ends with the immediate culprits in custody, but the true mastermind, "Dingfengbo," remains a ghost, and the full extent of the trafficking ring, which may involve the mysterious "Brother Cripple," is yet to be revealed.
