Episode Summary
Lin Hao and Cai Xin fall victim to a cruel scam, paying a large sum for a false lead on their son, Little Potato, which results in a dramatic chase and a devastating revelation. As the police investigation continues, new characters are introduced who are also searching for their abducted loved ones. Deng Yan officially takes lead on the Little Potato case and makes a public appeal for information.
Spoiler Alert
In Peng'an Town, the investigation into a human trafficking ring continues as Deng Yan and Chang Rui follow a lead to the wealthy Mo family, who are said to have sheltered a mute girl. The family patriarch, Lao Mo, insists the girl was just a distant relative who has since left for her hometown. His son, Mo Lin, remains unnervingly silent, raising the officers' suspicions.
Meanwhile, the desperate search for Little Potato takes a dramatic and costly turn. Lin Hao and Cai Xin are contacted by an informant who claims to know their son's whereabouts, demanding a hefty 200,000 yuan. With only a fraction of the amount, they turn to Lin Hao's mother. Overcome with guilt for losing her grandson, she makes the drastic decision to sell her apartment to raise the money, despite fearing it could be a scam. After she sends the money, a glance at an anti-fraud poster confirms her worst fears, and she frantically calls Deng Yan for help.
The episode also introduces a new, poignant storyline centered on Zheng Xiaoxing. Orphaned after her parents and grandparents passed away, she has spent the last 24 years searching for her younger brother, Zheng Xiaoyu, who was abducted as a child. She finds allies in her cause: Sun Wenhan, a lawyer whose own son was taken, represents her for free. He also helps her get a job at the "Reunion Diner," a restaurant owned by Auntie Zhang, another parent whose child was abducted. In her spare time, Zheng Xiaoxing sketches portraits of what her brother might look like today, clinging to the hope of one day finding him.
By the time Deng Yan is alerted, Lin Hao and Cai Xin have already been led to Lianxiang Town by the scammer. Spotting a child they believe is Little Potato, they pay the remaining sum, snatch the boy, and flee. This sets off a chaotic car chase with the child's actual family. The pursuit ends with Lin Hao being stopped while Cai Xin flees with the boy to the roof of a multi-story parking garage.
The situation escalates into a tense standoff. Deng Yan arrives just in time to de-escalate, calming a hysterical Cai Xin who nearly falls from the building's edge. Once everyone is safe, the child is taken for a DNA test. The results are heartbreaking: he is not Little Potato. The realization that they've been cruelly scammed and lost a huge sum of money leaves Lin Hao and Cai Xin utterly devastated.
The fallout from the failed rescue is immense. At the station, Yang Jiajia proposes creating a centralized database of all known abducted children to streamline future investigations. Investigator Yin Jiansheng, still working the case despite being hospitalized after a car accident, is a cause for concern. His superiors decide to officially hand the Little Potato case to Deng Yan so he can recover.
The episode concludes with two new efforts to find the missing children. Deng Yan makes a public appeal on television, asking for any information regarding Little Potato. In a parallel effort, Sun Wenhan hires a renowned sketch artist to create an age-progressed portrait of Zheng Xiaoyu, based on his sister Zheng Xiaoxing's features, opening a new avenue of hope.
