Episode Summary
Qin Feng refuses a suspicious transfer order while investigating Qiao Defu. Peng Hanzhang gets blackmailed by He Biao over his nephew's crime. Qiao Defu is arrested for fraud, revealing a massive scam that ruins Wen Qin's business. Liu Tianye is released but fears Qin Feng's investigation, so he pays Su Hongbao to assassinate Qiao Defu to silence him.
Spoiler Alert
The Job Goes Sideways
We kick things off back in 2002. Ye Tianyou leads his team on a raid. They look confident. Qin Feng is right there with him, and the teamwork is solid. They manage to grab the killer they were hunting. But it’s not all smooth sailing.
Hu Xiaoyue almost ruins the whole thing. He is clumsy. He slips and ends up dangling out of a window. It looks bad. Qin Feng has to react fast to pull him back inside before he drops.
Back at the station, Director Chu throws a curveball. He wants to transfer Qin Feng to the provincial bureau. It sounds like a promotion. Qin Feng turns it down immediately. He is deep into the Qiao Defu investigation. He knows this is a critical moment. He can’t leave now. Director Chu doesn't push back, but the offer hangs in the air.
Office Politics and Dirty Tricks
Ye Tianyou checks in on Qin Feng later. He asks about the transfer offer. He wants his student to succeed, but he is also suspicious. The timing is terrible. They just found a lead on Qiao Defu. Now the brass wants to move the lead investigator? Ye Tianyou thinks someone is trying to hide something.
Trouble finds Peng Hanzhang too. His nephew got drunk and hit someone with a car. It’s a mess. His sister comes to him in a panic. Peng realizes the victim knows who he is. He suspects this isn't an accident. He thinks He Biao set this up.
Peng confronts He Biao the next day. He Biao doesn't even deny the leverage. He plays the family card. He reminds Peng that his sister raised him. He tells Peng to work with him to fix the mess. Then comes the bribe. He promises to help Peng get a promotion later. It’s a classic shake-down.
The Scam is Real
The Qiao Defu situation explodes. He owes wages to a lot of workers. They are protesting in the streets. Qiao tries to pay them off with some cash to shut them up. It doesn't work. The criminal investigation team hauls him in. They also grab Liu Tianye for questioning.
Qin Feng sees Liu Tianye at the station. He warns him to stop hiding things.
Outside, the business falls apart. Wen Qin checks the paperwork. The contract they signed with Qiao Defu is worthless. It was with a subsidiary company that doesn't exist anymore. They got scammed. The money is gone.
News breaks that Qiao Defu embezzled public funds. Qin Feng goes home to break the bad news. He tells the family about Liu Tianye’s detention. Wen Jiangyan panics about the farm’s missing money. Qin Feng tells them to gather their evidence. It’s their only shot.
Cleaning Up the Mess
Liu Tianfei and Zhao Peng are in crisis mode. They meet in secret. They need to get Liu Tianye out. They decide to lay low. No new trouble.
Wen Jiangyan goes to Zhang Xin for help. She regrets rushing into the deal with Qiao. She doesn't care about the money anymore. She just wants the people safe. Eventually, Liu Tianye gets released. But the accounts are frozen. Wen Qin has to do the hard part. She goes door-to-door to apologize to the villagers for the lost wages.
The Lighter and the Hit
Qin Feng isn't done. He corners Liu Tianfei with a lighter. He asks about his connection to Su Hongbao. Liu Tianfei lies. He says he just borrowed money for a car. Qin Feng sees right through it. They get into a shouting match.
Liu Tianye finds out and loses it. He scolds his brother for fighting with a cop. He knows Qin Feng will keep digging. If he digs too deep, he finds the business with Su Hongbao. Liu Tianye makes a call. He tells Zhao Peng to pause their operations. Then he makes a darker decision. He wants Qiao Defu dead the moment he gets out.
Mai Hongchao tries to warn Su Hongbao. He asks about the lighter and the Longwan gang. He tells Su to stay away from them because Qin Feng is watching. Su denies everything. He tells Mai to stop looking into old cases.
But Su Hongbao ignores the advice. He goes to a hideout in the suburbs. He retrieves a weapon. Liu Tianye shows up with a bag of cash. The deal is simple. Kill Qiao Defu. Then get out of town.
