Episode Summary
Qi Sizhe and Chen Chuchuan clash over their shared past with Li Ming. The police investigate a collection of bones that yield no DNA. Qi realizes the killer is murdering victims and swapping their body parts with formalin-soaked medical specimens at the university. The team confirms the bones belong to the missing Liu Yuanyuan.
Spoiler Alert
Old Wounds and Bad Blood
Qi Sizhe finally confronts Chen Chuchuan. He wants to know why Chen really opened a clinic in Hecheng. Chen tries to play it cool. He claims it’s because of their mutual friend. This brings up ugly memories. They used to drink together as a trio. But Qi Sizhe can’t let the past go. He blames Li Ming for Yu Fei’s death. He tells Chen that a real friend wouldn’t have done what Li Ming did. Chen insists it was a personal choice. Qi isn't buying it.
The Chemistry Doesn't Add Up
Gao Yuan brings some hard science to the table. He compares the drug traces found in Li Yiqi and Li Shuting. The results don't match. This complicates the case for Han Feng. He watches over the comatose Li Yiqi with a lot on his mind.
Later, Qi and Chen visit their old teacher, Wu Yongchang. It’s his birthday. The professor still keeps a photo of the three former students. Qi seizes the moment. He asks Wu if Li Ming’s drug formula could have leaked out. Wu doesn't shut him down. He encourages Qi to keep digging and find the truth.
A Pile of Bones
Qi takes Han Feng to the autopsy room. It is a grim sight. The collected bones come from at least ten different people. But there is a problem. They can't extract any DNA. The only solid lead is some clothing fibers. Those fibers have Liu Yuanyuan’s DNA on them.
This creates a massive hurdle. Without DNA, they can’t identify the victims. Liu Yuanyuan bought acid and knives. That looks suspicious. But Qi spots a flaw in that theory. The killer processed these bodies with expert precision. Liu doesn't have that skill set. She couldn't dismantle ten bodies in four days alone. Zhu Qingyue and Han Feng agree. She isn't the butcher.
Wan Guoxin notes the dump sites are all in surveillance blind spots. The killer planned this carefully. The team tracks Liu’s movements from four days ago. She wore a red coat and carried a bag. She walked into an alley near a night market and vanished. Zhu suggests she never made it out of that market.
The University Connection
Chief Bai Nian sets up a special task force. He brings Qi on board. Han Feng and Su Huaining catch a break with a pedicab driver. He remembers taking Liu Yuanyuan to Hecheng Medical University.
The school cameras pick her up. She walked toward some buildings under renovation. Then the trail goes cold.
Qi has a breakthrough during dinner with Gao Yuan. He realizes why the bones yielded no DNA. They aren't fresh kills. They are medical specimens soaked in formalin.
The Specimen Swap
The team raids the university. Security claims they haven't seen Liu. Han and Qi head straight for the specimen building. Everything looks orderly on paper. The logs match. But Qi has a sharp eye. He sees drag marks near the specimen jars.
The security guard admits he slacks off. He sleeps on the job because students usually have permission slips. This negligence gave the killer an opening.
Qi puts the horrific puzzle together. The killer murders the victims. Then he dismembers them. He swaps the fresh body parts with the preserved specimens in the jars. He dumps the old, preserved bones around the city. The cuts are surgical. They are right at the joints. This guy knows human anatomy perfectly.
Gao Yuan finds a match. The bones belong to someone with arthritis. Qi remembers Liu Yuanyuan had that condition. The test confirms it. The discarded bones belong to Liu Yuanyuan.
