Episode Summary
The police's sting operation to catch the mysterious "Long Xing Tian Xia" fails completely. Their key informant, Gao Si, is assassinated by a professional killer after escaping custody. The attempted arrest of a go-between results in capturing an intellectually disabled man. Meanwhile, Tu Hongjiang is pulled into a violent side plot involving old rivalries, which culminates in the antagonist San Ma Hu revealing himself by murdering a man in front of Tu as a "greeting gift."
Spoiler Alert
The Sting Operation Goes Sideways
So, the police have this guy Gao Si in custody. Zhan Peng is digging through chat logs and finds a screen name that keeps popping up: "Long Xing Tian Xia." Gao Si plays dumb at first. But he's also a drug addict, and withdrawal starts to hit him hard. Zhan Peng cleverly uses this. He just waits it out, and Gao Si eventually cracks.
Gao Si confesses that "Long Xing Tian Xia" contacted him. This mysterious person knew a lot about him and threatened his drug supply unless he cooperated. On the 13th, he followed orders and dropped a package in a cabinet. He swears that's all he knows.
A Botched Arrest
The police decide to set up a sting. They get one of their own to pose as Gao Si and arrange a new deal with "Long Xing Tian Xia." The meeting spot is a busy farmer's market. The undercover cop drops the package in a trash can, just as planned. Then, a man named Li Ergou approaches to pick it up.
Zhan Peng gives the signal to move in. But Li Ergou is surprisingly tough. He fights back hard and even injures Zhan Peng before backup finally takes him down. The big twist? They get him to the station and realize Li Ergou is intellectually disabled. His brother later shows up with hospital records. He explains that a childhood fever caused brain damage. So, their new lead is a dead end.
A Witness Silenced
While all this is happening, another officer, Han Xin, is guarding Gao Si. He manages to escape. She chases him out into the street, but a car suddenly hits both of them. A man dressed in black gets out of the car. He walks straight over to Gao Si, kills him, and leaves. Han Xin is left unconscious on the ground. The operation is a total failure. The main witness is now dead.
Old Grudges and New Threats
There's a whole other mess brewing on the side. A guy named Ba Zi Jiao comes home from his mistress's place. He finds a fake eyeball in his teacup. Then, someone breaks in and beats him up. The attacker is a man called "Dead Blind Eye." Years ago, Ba Zi Jiao blinded him in one eye, and now he's back for revenge.
The Eyeball in the Tea
Tu Hongjiang gets a call from Ba Zi Jiao's mistress, asking for help. Tu knows this is bad news. He has to drop what he's doing with the main investigation to go save Ba Zi Jiao. He knows "Dead Blind Eye" will kill him otherwise. Tu tells Ba Zi Jiao to call his boss, San Ma Hu, for help. But the calls go unanswered. Ba Zi Jiao has been left out to dry.
A "Greeting Gift" from San Ma Hu
Things get even darker. Tu gets a call from someone named Bing Adou. He says he has kidnapped "Dead Blind Eye" and gouged out his other eye. He wants to trade him for Ba Zi Jiao. Tu agrees and brings Ba Zi Jiao to the exchange point. But it's a trap. He watches as San Ma Hu's men push "Dead Blind Eye" off a building to his death. San Ma Hu then calls Tu. He calls the murder a "greeting gift." We finally have a name for the man pulling the strings.
The Fallout
Back at the station, everyone is reeling. The operation was a disaster.
Blame Game at the Precinct
Xiong Guoliang is furious. He holds a meeting and just rips into everyone. He especially lays into Tu Hongjiang for abandoning the sting operation to deal with the Ba Zi Jiao situation.
A Father's Plea
Later, Han Xin's father, Han Weidong, goes to see Tu. He begs Tu to fire his daughter. He can't stand seeing her in so much danger. But we learn Han Xin has her own reasons for being a cop. She doesn't just admire Tu. She also admires the cop her own father used to be.
