Episode Summary
The police deal with the tragic death of Liu Ming after the warehouse explosion, while Xu Jingzhi realizes Zhuang Mingcheng manipulated him into misinterpreting the murder cases. A dramatic highway chase ends with Zhuang jumping into a river to fake his death, though he secretly survives and escapes on a boat.
Spoiler Alert
The Dust Settles
The explosion at the warehouse left a massive mess. A doctor finds skin tissue belonging to Zhuang Mingcheng on Xu Jingzhi’s body. This is the smoking gun. He Ya orders a lab test immediately to link this DNA to the old case. She is barely holding it together.
The police team arrives at the blast site. It is grim. They find body parts scattered everywhere. They know Liu Ming didn't make it out. Mai Boyuan is found unconscious inside the warehouse. Xu Jingzhi wakes up in the hospital feeling like he just snapped out of a nightmare. He Ya gets the confirmation call about Liu Ming’s death. She swallows her grief and steps outside so Xu doesn't see her break down.
A Hero's Farewell
Zhuang Mingcheng shows up at the hospital looking serious. Inside, Xu Jingzhi isn't resting. He twists a Rubik's cube and replays the chaos in his mind. He thinks back to when he got into the police academy. He remembers telling his parents the good news. He looks at old messages from his students.
It feels like Liu Ming is still standing right there. But he isn't. Liu Ming's family arrives to collect his belongings. The mood is crushing. We learn that Liu Ming’s parents were also police officers who died in the line of duty. Liu Ming worked hard to earn their badge number. He wanted to make them proud. Now he is gone too. The whole team mourns him. He was the bright spot in a dark job.
The Puppet Master Revealed
Xu Jingzhi talks to He Ya about the nature of obsession. Unsolved cases hurt, but they also fuel the drive to keep going. They discuss the old couple, Wu Min's parents. These two claimed they rented the room and killed Lu Youliang for revenge. The police see through it. The elderly couple was manipulated. They are pawns.
Xu re-examines Lu Ran's childhood. He finally sees the truth. Zhuang Mingcheng didn't kill Lu Youliang for some noble cause. He did it because he hated the man personally. Zhuang projected his own motives onto the crime scene to confuse Xu. Xu realizes he got played. Zhuang steered the investigation the wrong way on purpose. The motive ties back to an old trafficking ring. Zhuang wanted to drag Xu down into the darkness with him. He wanted a partner for his violent revenge.
The Highway Chase
The police track a suspicious car. Xu gets the intel and joins the hunt. They swarm the highway to intercept the suspect. It is a trap. The car is a decoy.
Zhuang Mingcheng is actually on a motorcycle. He speeds through traffic. Xu spots him and gives chase. A large truck cuts Xu off and costs him valuable seconds. Zhuang races ahead but hits a police blockade. He has nowhere to go. He jumps off the bike and walks along the guardrail. He looks at Xu one last time. He gives a creepy smile. Then he jumps straight into the river.
He's Not Done Yet
The police didn't expect a suicide jump. Xu goes home and sorts through birthday gifts he bought for Zhuang over the years but never gave him. He realizes now that Zhuang was toxic. Zhuang suffocated Wu Min when she was alive. Xu thought he and Zhuang were kindred spirits looking for a way out of their trauma. He was wrong. Zhuang is just a killer.
Zhuang knew Xu was obsessed with solving Wu Min’s death. That is why he stayed away for so long. The episode ends with a shot of the water. Zhuang Mingcheng didn't drown. He climbs up the side of a passing cruise ship. He is still out there.
