Episode Summary
Qin Feng outsmarts a smear campaign by recording his own officers during an arrest. He then crashes Liu Tianye's annual meeting to arrest Ding Baoshuai based on cuff link evidence, though Baoshuai claims he has an alibi. Meanwhile, Liu Tianye's underlings start a secret smuggling ring to cover stock market losses, which Liu Tianye discovers and orders them to keep hidden.
Spoiler Alert
Surveillance and Secrets
Liu Tianye is playing the long game. He planted hidden cameras all over his competitor's turf. He wants total control and is moving piece by piece. Meanwhile, Fang Lei talks to the police. He admits that Zheng Kao is the one who moved Liu Yi.
Zhang Xin wraps up her investigation. She calls her boss and feels a sense of relief. Liu Tianye calls her to offer congratulations. He is impressed by how she handled things. But Zhang Xin does something unsettling. She offers a young girl to her boss as a "gift."
The Trap
Bian Jing finds a crucial clue at the crime scene. It is a cuff link. She traces the purchase records. The buyer turns out to be Luo Xiaomei, who is Xiaoshuai’s wife.
Zheng Xun and Bian Jing go to arrest the suspect, Zheng Hao. But the situation gets messy. Villagers block their path and start throwing punches. Zeng Xu has to fight back to defend himself. He manages to grab Zheng Hao. But Liu Tianfei is watching. His men secretly film the fight. They force Xu Jiajun to spread rumors about police brutality using the edited footage.
The Counter-Play
Zheng Hao acts tough in the interrogation room. He refuses to talk. He thinks his powerful backers will save him. Wen Bo brings in the bad news. The media is running the "police brutality" story.
But Qin Feng is two steps ahead. He knew they would try this. He had Zeng Xu bring a stranger along to film the entire arrest. They release the full, unedited footage. The fake news story falls apart instantly.
Business and Betrayal
Xiaoshuai is busy bribing people. He gives a "product" to Bank President Song. He even sorts out Song's son's schooling. The club is getting ready for its annual meeting. Zhao Wenxuan shows up looking for his dad, Zhao Peng. Liu Tianye intercepts him. He introduces the kid to the Education Bureau chief. But Wenxuan has other plans. He wants to work at Tianyun Group instead of going abroad.
Trouble is brewing elsewhere. Pork stocks crash. Old Wei is furious with Xu Jiajun about the heavy losses. Xu Jiajun needs to fix this fast. He suggests a smuggling deal to make up the money. They decide to hide this operation from Liu Tianye.
Crashing the Party
Qin Feng ruins the vibe at the annual meeting. He shows up and calls the police to arrest Ding Baoshuai. The evidence points to him because of that cuff link. Liu Tianfei tries to act tough. He physically blocks the police. Liu Tianye knows this looks bad. He tells Tianfei to back down. The party is a disaster. Liu Tianye hates Qin Feng more than ever now.
The Aftermath
Ding Baoshuai denies everything. He claims he got drunk and lost the cuff link. He insists he didn't hurt anyone. He even has a witness to provide an alibi. Peng Hanzhang is furious. He yells at Zhong Yanning for authorizing an arrest without solid proof. He demands punishment for the mistake. Zhong Yanning stands her ground and vouches for the investigation.
Liu Tianye discovers the side hustle. He finds out Wei and Xu are smuggling. He blows his top. But he is smart. He tells them to keep their mouths shut. Specifically, they must hide this from Wen Jiangyan.
