Episode Summary
A flashback reveals how the murdered informant, Zheng Xiaoshan, began working for Tu Hongjiang. In the present, Tu is a suspect in the murder while he hunts for his wife's killer, San Ma Hu, who is reportedly arriving by train. The train search turns into a chaotic diversion, while another cop, Han Xin, gets assaulted while successfully capturing a lead named Gao Si. The situation escalates when Tu's other informant is kidnapped and placed in a death trap, forcing Tu into a race against time.
Spoiler Alert
The Informant and The Suspect
This episode kicks off with a flashback. We jump back to 1998. Tu Hongjiang and his team are wrapping up a bust. Just as they're about to leave, Tu spots something down a dark alley. A group of thugs is roughing up a guy named Zheng Xiaoshan. Their boss is furious. Zheng had a chance to steal a pile of cash but backed out. He couldn't go through with it. He heard the money was for the guy's sick daughter. The boss was about to chop off Zheng's hand as a lesson. Tu Hongjiang steps in right on time, saving him. From that day on, Zheng became Tu's secret informant.
Back in the present, that same informant is dead. Forensics finds a clear footprint on the windowsill. The killer obviously jumped out before Tu arrived. The autopsy report is even more telling. Zheng died from a single, clean cut to a major artery. This wasn't some random mugging. The killer was a pro.
Zhan Peng already has issues with Tu Hongjiang. Finding out Tu was first on the scene makes him suspicious. Before their boss can say anything, Tu returns. He ignores everyone and grabs the autopsy report. He's clearly heartbroken and furious. Zhan Peng doesn't back down. He demands Tu tell him what's going on. Tu insists Zheng was set up and storms out.
A Ghost from the Past
The informant from the last episode, Guang Tou, wakes up. He immediately calls Tu Hongjiang with a tip. One of his guys saw the notorious San Ma Hu get on a train. He's due to arrive in Xiaotong tomorrow afternoon. This is huge. San Ma Hu is the man who murdered Tu Hongjiang's wife. Tu's boss, Xiong Guoliang, tells him to take all the backup he needs.
Tu also remembers something important. Zheng once told him that he had a single point of contact named Gao Si. This Gao Si must be involved somehow. We learn Gao Si is a loan shark who hangs out in internet cafes. Zhan Peng takes this lead and immediately starts his own investigation.
A Mess at the Station
Tu Hongjiang gets his team to the train station. He doesn't see San Ma Hu anywhere. He thinks it might be a setup, but he can't risk it. He starts searching the train car by car. He runs into one of San Ma Hu's main people, Bai Tao Hua. They trade a few verbal jabs.
Suddenly, a passenger yells that his wallet is gone. Zhang Nanyi, one of the cops, sees right through it. It's a classic distraction. The same guy then "finds" a different wallet on the luggage rack and pockets it. Zhang Nanyi doesn't hesitate. He arrests the guy for the old thief-crying-thief routine. During the chaos, another one of San Ma Hu's crew, Bing A Dou, casually walks past the cops. He pickpockets them without anyone noticing. Bai Tao Hua delivers a final taunt. She says a guy named Ba Zi Jiao is as useless to them as Tu is, then leaves with Bing A Dou.
Two Crises at Once
While the train station drama unfolds, Han Xin is at an internet cafe. She's looking for Gao Si. Tu called the owner ahead of time, so he's being helpful. But another mysterious group is also looking for Gao Si. Han Xin spots him first. He tries to run and even punches her in the face. It doesn't work. Zhan Peng arrives just in time to tackle and arrest him.
Just then, Tu Hongjiang's phone rings. It's the hospital. Guang Tou is gone. Someone knocked him out and kidnapped him. Tu immediately suspects Ba Zi Jiao, the man Bai Tao Hua mentioned. Before he can even move, his phone rings again. This time, it's Chairman Han Weidong, Han Xin's father. He's furious his daughter got punched. Tu tries to explain it's part of the job, but the Chairman isn't having it. He blames Tu for encouraging her to be a cop in the first place.
The episode ends with another call. Ba Zi Jiao has Guang Tou at a grinder factory. He gives Tu one hour to get there, or Guang Tou dies. Ba Zi Jiao just wants to scare Tu. But one of his men takes it too far. He cuts the sandbag holding Guang Tou, making him fall faster toward the grinder. If Tu doesn't make it, Guang Tou will actually be killed. Ba Zi Jiao looks horrified. He didn't want to kill anyone, but he's also terrified of disobeying San Ma Hu.
