Episode Summary
In the series finale, Wu Bin is exposed as the criminal mastermind "Brother Cripple." His attempt to flee the country with Fang Zilin as his hostage is foiled by Deng Yan and her team in a tense border standoff. Following his capture, a cryptic clue from a deceased trafficker leads Deng Yan to finally locate her childhood friend, Lin Ranran, who was abducted decades earlier. The series ends with the Anti-trafficking Office being honored for their success in dismantling the trafficking network and resolving all major storylines.
Spoiler Alert
Sword Rose Episode 32: The Final Takedown
The series finale of "Sword Rose" brings the sprawling human trafficking case to a dramatic and satisfying conclusion, as the true identity of the criminal mastermind "Brother Cripple" is finally revealed, leading to a tense cross-border showdown.
The episode kicks off with Wu Bin on the verge of panic. After receiving a tip from his associate Xiao Wu, he knows his time is up. In a desperate move, he books two plane tickets to Qinmang Country, planning to force Fang Zilin to flee with him.
Meanwhile, the Anti-trafficking Office presents its findings to their superior, Xiao Wenjin. They have pieced everything together: testimony confirms that Wu Bin is the infamous "Brother Cripple," the real power behind Jiji Trading, and forensic evidence proves he was the one who pushed Ye Xiuming off the building. With all the evidence in place, Xiao Wenjin issues the order to bring Wu Bin in.
Unaware that the police are closing in, Wu Bin sets his escape plan in motion. He first has his men pick up Qianqian, Fang Zilin's daughter, to use as leverage. He then meets with Fang Zilin, spinning a lie about an urgent project in Qinmang Country. However, Fang Zilin has finally seen through his facade. She plays along while secretly calling team leader Deng Yan. The police act quickly: Yang Jiajia begins tracking Fang Zilin's phone, while officers Chang Rui and Yan Lei are dispatched to the airport to intercept them.
The situation escalates when Wu Bin, instead of driving to the airport, speeds towards the border. In the car, a cornered Fang Zilin confronts him about Ye Xiuming. Wu Bin drops the act, admitting he pushed him and revealing he has already transferred his illicit funds to an overseas account. When she tries to call for help, he snatches her phone.
The police realize the change in destination and redirect their units. At the same time, another team, led by Ai Xin and Feng Junjie, successfully locates Qianqian, who is safe with her nanny at a shopping mall.
The final confrontation takes place at the border. As Chang Rui and Yan Lei arrive, they spot Wu Bin and Fang Zilin struggling in a nearby forest. Moments later, Deng Yan and Han Liang arrive with backup, surrounding the area. Wu Bin takes Fang Zilin hostage, but Deng Yan shatters his leverage by publicly exposing him as the notorious trafficker, Brother Cripple. In a last-ditch effort, Wu Bin offers to trade information on the whereabouts of Lin Ranran—Deng Yan's long-lost childhood friend—for his freedom. The revelation that Wu Bin is the head of the trafficking ring leaves Fang Zilin devastated. Deng Yan astutely uses Wu Bin's feelings for Fang Zilin to create an emotional distraction, giving a hidden sniper the perfect opportunity to wound and neutralize him. Wu Bin is finally apprehended.
With the main villain captured, the remaining plot threads are tied up. Ye Xiuming awakens from his coma, and he and Fang Zilin tearfully reconcile, vowing to stay together. In his confession, Wu Bin admits that Lin Ranran was his very first victim, whom he kidnapped and handed over to another trafficker, Zhou Hongcai, but he claims not to know where she is now. He also confirms that "Brother Cripple" was merely a codename passed down within the organization.
A crucial clue emerges from the belongings of the deceased Zhou Hongcai: a note containing a few strange characters and the number "8610." Deng Yan deduces that "8610" refers to October 1986, the month Lin Ranran was abducted. After intense analysis, she deciphers the characters as an old form of simplified Chinese spelling out "Tingchang Village." A nationwide search points them to the correct village. In a powerful, long-awaited moment, Deng Yan and Ai Xin travel to the village and spot a woman working in the fields—it is unmistakably Lin Ranran.
The series concludes with several heartfelt resolutions. The young orphan Qiu Luoluo is officially adopted into a loving home. Auntie Zhang retires to a nursing home, leaving her "Reunion Diner" in the trusted hands of Sun Wenhan and Ruan Meiyu. Chang Rui visits his late father's grave, finally at peace with his legacy and committed to being a good police officer.
The final scene takes place at a commendation ceremony at the Linshan City Public Security Bureau. Xiao Wenjin praises the Anti-trafficking Office for their outstanding work, awarding them a Collective Second-Class Merit. Accepting the award on behalf of her team, Deng Yan pays tribute to their fallen colleague, Yin Jiansheng, and delivers a hopeful speech, expressing her firm belief that a day will come when there is no more human trafficking in the world.
