Episode Summary
Yiwei is haunted by the hit-and-run he committed. Qin Yu devises a complex plan for Luo Wen to use Ma Shanbao as a witness, demanding a large payout to make it seem credible. This backfires when the judge sees through it but plays along. As gang tensions rise, Qin Yu prepares to send his son abroad while also trying to convince Ma Shanbao to take the fall. After a series of chaotic, last-minute decisions and a missed phone call, Han Lie's men attack Ma Shanbao's home. Ma Shanbao flees but is hunted down and killed by Han Lie.
Spoiler Alert
The Setup
A Lawyer's Bold Gamble
Yiwei is still haunted by the hit-and-run. He keeps flashing back to the moment he hit Han Gang. We see him get out, walk over to the body, and realize Han Gang is dying. He panicked and fled the scene.
Luo Wen goes to the prison to see Ma Shanbao. She tells him that his friend, Xiao Bei, has gone missing. That’s all it takes to make Ma Shanbao flip. He agrees to become a witness just to get out of jail. He says he’s ready to point the finger at a major player.
Luo Wen immediately tells Qin Yu. When Qin Yu learns the judge is Zhang Songshan, he comes up with a plan. He knows people from the old district never cooperate with the police. A witness would never come from there. So, he decides to go big. He tells Luo Wen to have Ma Shanbao demand an outrageous price for his testimony. The price is three years of living expenses and a ticket to a new country. The whole point is to make the judge think Ma Shanbao has a powerful and dangerous person backing him.
The Gangs Are Getting Restless
Things are getting tense on the streets. Cao Weir is at the docks overseeing a smuggling operation when Qi Changrong shows up unannounced. Cao Weir is instantly on high alert.
Qi Changrong is here to chew him out. He says Cao Weir has no respect. We learn that Ma Shanbao is his nephew. This whole mess is now a family affair for him. On top of that, one of his men, Da Xiong, was attacked with hot oil. Han Gang is still in a coma. Qi Changrong knows a gang war is about to erupt. He sees all of Cao Weir's smuggled goods and assumes he took dirty money, which brought all this heat down on them.
The Walls Close In
A Judge Plays Hardball
Luo Wen, following Qin Yu’s script, goes to see Judge Zhang Songshan. The judge is stunned. He can’t figure out why this rookie lawyer is acting so bold or why her demands are so high.
Luo Wen made a bad assumption. She thought Zhang Songshan would be sympathetic because he also came from the old district. She was completely wrong. He actually grew up abroad and cut all ties with that world. The meeting is a disaster, and Luo Wen leaves with nothing.
Later, Tang Xuan brings a report to the judge. It’s a lab analysis of the asthma inhaler found at the scene. The residue from the inhaler is a perfect match for the vomit found nearby. This is solid proof that Ma Shanbao was not the driver. Luo Wen doesn't know this yet. The judge decides to see how this plays out. He wants to smoke out whoever is really advising Luo Wen.
He calls her back into his office. He agrees to consider the deal but says he wants to meet the powerful man behind her client. Luo Wen refuses without a second of hesitation. This confirms it for Tang Xuan. A rookie lawyer isn't running this show. Someone much smarter is pulling the strings.
A Father's Desperate Plan
Luo Wen manages to score a small victory. She gets Ma Shanbao released on house arrest. The condition is simple. He has until tomorrow to name the real driver.
Ma Shanbao goes home and has a reunion with his family. His sister, Xiao Xue, cooks all his favorite dishes. It’s a touching scene, and even Luo Wen is moved by it.
Qin Yu, however, is already planning his endgame. He’s working two angles at once. First, he’s rushing to get his son, Yiwei, a flight out of the country. Second, he tells Cao Weir to convince Ma Shanbao to confess to the crime. He wants Ma Shanbao to take the fall to save his own family.
The Point of No Return
A Fatal Miscalculation
Qin Yu gets word from Luo Wen that Ma Shanbao is planning to tell the truth. This sends him into a panic. He grabs Yiwei and they race to the airport.
He has no idea what’s happening back at Ma Shanbao's house. Ma Shanbao's uncle, Qi Changrong, has been talking to him all night. He has successfully convinced his nephew to take the blame to protect his family.
But Yiwei refuses to leave. He’s had enough of his father controlling his life. He gets angry, jumps in his car, and speeds off to his grandmother's house. Left with few options, Qin Yu makes another anonymous call to Han Lie. He tells him Ma Shanbao was the driver and that he has police protecting him.
The next morning, the plan changes yet again. Ma Shanbao tells his uncle he is going to follow Luo Wen's original plan. He will be a witness so his family can escape safely. Cao Weir hears this and immediately tries to call Qin Yu with the urgent update.
The call never connects. Qin Yu left his phone in the car, which is parked at his mother-in-law's house. The message doesn't get through. By now, it’s too late. Han Lie has already sent his men.
Two gunmen arrive in the old district. They walk up to Ma Shanbao's house and unload their guns into it. The police guarding the house survive the attack. Ma Shanbao escapes out the back and runs into the hills.
Han Lie chases him down. He corners him. He raises his gun and fires. Ma Shanbao is shot and killed on the spot.
