Episode Summary
In this episode, the police successfully track down and rescue Little Potato from the couple who bought him, following a tense investigation that involved undercover work and a DNA test. The rescue culminates in an emotional family reunion that narrowly prevents Lin Hao's mother from taking her own life. The couple who bought the child confess they did so due to infertility and inheritance issues, exposing a wider trafficking network.
Spoiler Alert
The hunt for the traffickers comes to a dramatic head as Deng Yan follows them to a transaction point. Just as a child is handed over to a buyer, the police team swoops in. While the traffickers are quickly apprehended, Deng Yan rushes to comfort the terrified boy. At the same time, Yang Jiajia successfully rescues two other abducted children from the traffickers' vehicle.
During interrogation, a suspect named Meng Gui initially plays dumb, claiming he was just a hired driver. However, under pressure from Ai Xin, he cracks, admitting he transported abducted children for a woman known as "Auntie Hong," who he says is responsible for kidnapping Little Potato. This vital information is relayed to Yin Jiansheng, who immediately orders a check on Meng Gui's call history.
Meanwhile, Sun Wenhan's solo investigation in Xibang Village goes awry when suspicious villagers mistake him for a trafficker and capture him. After Yin Jiansheng secures his release, Sun Wenhan provides a new lead: a man named Fan Dacheng believes that a local resident, Zheng Mingguang, has a child who strongly resembles Little Potato. Seizing the opportunity, Deng Yan and Yin Jiansheng go undercover as census takers. They visit the home of Zheng Mingguang and his wife, Liu Hongmei. While Liu Hongmei is wary, she complies with their "census." A quick look at the household register reveals nothing, but Deng Yan, while playfully interacting with their son Zheng Wendong, cleverly snatches a strand of his hair for a DNA test.
Faced with mounting evidence from Chang Rui, Meng Gui finally tells the whole truth. He confesses that he and his wife abducted Little Potato from a public square after receiving a call from a man named Han Yougang, who needed another young boy. Han Yougang paid them 50,000 yuan on the spot.
On the personal front, the trauma of the abduction shatters Lin Hao's family. His wife, Cai Xin, asks for a divorce. She explains that while she doesn't blame her mother-in-law for the incident, the constant reminder is too painful to bear, and she has become reliant on medication to cope. A devastated Lin Hao gets drunk and confronts his mother, blaming her for their family falling apart. Overcome with guilt and grief, his mother writes a suicide note.
The DNA results come in, confirming that Zheng Wendong is indeed Little Potato. Deng Yan and her team immediately mobilize to rescue him from Xibang Village. They manage to secure the boy from Liu Hongmei, but their exit is blocked by Zheng Mingguang and a crowd of angry villagers. The situation escalates into a tense standoff, forcing Chang Rui to draw his weapon. Sun Wenhan arrives just in time to guide Deng Yan and Yang Jiajia out through an alternate route, while other officers move in to arrest Zheng Mingguang.
Just as the professional crisis is averted, the personal one reaches its peak. Lin Hao discovers his mother's suicide note and finds out she is on a bridge, intending to jump. He and Cai Xin rush to the scene. Cai Xin makes a desperate call to Deng Yan, who tells her the incredible news: Little Potato is safe. Unconvinced, Cai Xin's doubts are only erased when Deng Yan arrives at the bridge, holding Little Potato. The grandmother, pulled back from the brink, weeps with joy and relief, clutching the grandson she thought was lost forever.
In the aftermath, the interrogations of Liu Hongmei and Zheng Mingguang reveal their motive. After a miscarriage left her unable to conceive, Liu Hongmei was desperate. To secure an inheritance that would otherwise go to his brother, Zheng Mingguang's friend, Han Yougang, suggested they buy a child. Han Yougang connected them with Meng Gui, and Liu Hongmei paid 100,000 yuan for Little Potato.
The episode closes on a new thread of suspense: a girl named Zheng Luoluo has escaped from the local welfare institute.
