Episode Summary
In this episode, the police investigation makes significant headway as Deng Yan uncovers key evidence linking a suspect to Little Potato's abduction and identifies the traffickers' likely area of operation. While the child's mother, Cai Xin, spirals into despair, a separate investigation by Sun Wenhan puts him in grave danger. The episode culminates in a major breakthrough as the police arrest a key suspect and Deng Yan gets a visual on the criminals in action.
Spoiler Alert
The search for Little Potato takes a heavy toll on his parents, Lin Hao and Cai Xin, who fall victim to a 200,000 yuan scam in their desperate attempt to find him. The incident also leaves officer Yin Jiansheng injured and hospitalized. Overwhelmed by the pressure, officer Deng Yan meticulously re-examines the surveillance footage from the abduction. She spots a crucial detail: a woman hastily getting into a van. While the camera only captures the woman's lower body, it clearly shows the driver's distinctive shoes.
The clue leads Deng Yan to the van's driver, Meng Gui. During interrogation, Deng Yan notices his shoes are an exact match to those in the video. Despite this, Meng Gui staunchly denies any involvement, and with no further evidence, the police can't force a confession. Meanwhile, Cai Xin's emotional state deteriorates rapidly. She quits her job and, worn down by grief and exhaustion, falls seriously ill. Deng Yan rushes to her side, comforting the devastated mother and vowing to do whatever it takes to bring Little Potato home.
The episode also touches on a cold case as Sun Wenhan accompanies Luo Xiaoxing to the Anti-trafficking Office. They are seeking updates on Luo Xiaoyu, who was abducted 24 years ago. Frustrated by the lack of progress, Luo Xiaoxing accuses the police of inaction. Officers Yang Jiajia and Ai Xin explain the immense difficulties of a case that old, revealing they have been actively working on it and have even circulated a composite sketch of what Luo Xiaoyu might look like today.
A breakthrough in Little Potato's case comes from an unexpected source: a witness in one of Sun Wenhan's legal cases saw the abduction. This new information leads Deng Yan and her colleague Chang Rui to a wholesale market, but they soon discover the van used by the kidnappers has a cloned license plate to avoid detection. By tracking the cloned van's movements, they realize it frequently passes through the Linshan district, leading them to suspect the traffickers' hideout is located there.
At the same time, Sun Wenhan pursues his own lead about a recently adopted boy in the remote Xibang Village who matches Little Potato's description. His independent investigation quickly turns dangerous when the adoptive parents and villagers mistake him for a child trafficker, surrounding his car and smashing the windows before a local official intervenes.
As the police set up surveillance in Linshan, Deng Yan spots the cloned van. The operation kicks into high gear: Chang Rui moves in and successfully arrests Meng Gui at a bathhouse. Deng Yan tails the van to its destination, where she witnesses the driver handing a child over to another man, confirming she has found the active trafficking ring.
