Be Reborn Episode 17 Recap
> Be Reborn Recap
Zhuang Wenjie, using the knot-tying and untying skills he learned from his father, Zhuang Yaobo, quickly freed the ropes from his hands and legs. Shortly after, Ms. Hong's subordinates came upstairs for a check. Zhuang Wenjie, feigning an urgent need for the washroom, asked them to open the door. The guards, realizing neither had the key, exchanged words. One guard remarked, "I don't have the keys. You open it." Another questioned, "Didn't Cook pass the keys to you?"
The first replied, "I thought he passed the keys to you." They decided the situation was safe, reasoning, "Forget it. I think the kid has simmered down. It should be fine. His hands and feet are tied up. The door is locked as well. Can he even escape from this?" Feeling uncomfortable, one suggested, "The ventilation in here is terrible. Let's go out and take a breather." As they left, one of them complained about Zhuang Wenjie being troublesome.
Meanwhile, Su Ying's team received an update on Ma Youfang's black Audi. Its movement trajectory was traced, revealing it was driven from Yujiang City to Qingcheng three days prior, parked in an underground lot, and then taken by Yu Tian, a member of Ms. Hong's group, that morning. Investigators suspected the car had a signal jammer, causing surveillance interruptions in the tunnel, making it difficult to pinpoint where Zhuang Wenjie might have been transferred.
They were still scrutinizing eleven vehicles that passed through the tunnel during the relevant time. Separately, their surveillance on Li Anfu indicated he had remained at his hotel throughout the day. As the two guards went downstairs, Zhuang Wenjie made his escape through the roof. From a window, he observed workers loading large wooden boxes labeled as "load-bearing bricks" below. Circling around to the front, he overheard the same two guards discussing Ms. Hong's "last time" working for Monsieur.
One guard revealed that Ms. Hong planned to betray Monsieur and claim the "Luoshen" painting for herself. The other added that anything Monsieur desired must be "extremely valuable." Feeling uneasy about Zhuang Wenjie, they decided to check on him. Just as they headed upstairs, Zhuang Wenjie seized the moment to descend the stairs, but another guard spotted him and shouted, "Our hostage has escaped!" Zhuang Wenjie fled in a panic, darting through the warehouse, pursued by three men.
Suddenly, an unknown individual appeared, effortlessly opened a back door, and allowed Zhuang Wenjie to escape. As his rescuer vanished, Zhuang Wenjie called out, "Who are you? Who exactly are you?" Outside, Ms. Hong, Zhang Meng, and Yu Tian were waiting. Upon receiving news of Zhuang Wenjie's escape, Ms. Hong deduced he would alert the police. She sternly questioned her subordinate, "You can't even hold a student captive?"
She then immediately ordered, "It's very likely that Zhuang Wenjie went to the cops. Tell Li Anfu to act in advance." Meanwhile, a police officer reported to Su Ying that Li Anfu had left his hotel, picked up by a luxury car. The officer confirmed, "Li Anfu has left the hotel. He was picked up by a luxury car. I've already sent my men to investigate its license plate and details."
Su Ying surmised that Ms. Hong and her group were initiating their plan, adding, "The key is that we still don't know where they will use the iris." She instructed her team to tail Li Anfu and assess his destination. Luo Jian concurred, noting his own concern, before another officer announced Zhuang Wenjie's arrival to surrender. At the police station, Su Ying interrogated Zhuang Wenjie about his escape and the iris.
Zhuang Wenjie, withholding the detail of being rescued, explained he was hooded, his phone confiscated, and held in a large warehouse. After his escape, he hailed a taxi, and the driver identified his location as the Side Dock Warehouse. Zhuang Wenjie warned that Ms. Hong's group had likely begun their operation and urged the police to quickly identify their target. Su Ying dismissed his involvement, instructing him to focus on his confession, a sentiment Luo Jian echoed.
Zhuang Wenjie then recounted the conversation he overheard between Ms. Hong's subordinates, suggesting they investigate Monsieur. He added, "I was in a hood when I went in. My phone was taken too. But when I escaped, I heard honking. After I had escaped from them, I realized I was somewhere along the river. I kept running. . . for around six or seven minutes. I passed through a small forest before I reached the main road.
After that, I stopped a cab driver. The cab driver told me that I was at Side Dock Warehouse. You guys can retrieve the renting details of Side Dock Warehouse. Oh, yeah. When I was inside, I overheard the conversation of Ms. Hong's lackeys. They said they were working together with a man called Monsieur. You guys should look into him too."
An officer then reported that Li Anfu had boarded the King of Ships Yang Yong's yacht in Qingcheng City. Su Ying promptly ordered an investigation into Yang Yong and Liang Luohuan's relationship, instructing her subordinate, "Check the relationship between Liang Luohuan and Yang Yong. Be quick. Send it to my phone once you have any news." Separately, Zhuang Wenjie informed Luo Jian about seeing workers loading large wooden boxes labeled "load-bearing bricks" at the warehouse.
Luo Jian, connecting this to news of grave robbers using hollow materials for coffin reliefs, speculated if Ms. Hong's group planned something similar. He emphasized that the iris must be related to their transportation method. Su Ying soon received information that Liang Luohuan's father and Yang Yong were close friends, and that Yang Yong, being childless, treated Liang Luohuan as his own daughter.
Luo Jian immediately deduced that Li Anfu's motive for approaching Liang Luohuan was to utilize Yang Yong's ships for transporting stolen artifacts. He urged Su Ying to quickly identify which of Yang Yong's ships had departed that day. Their investigation led them to the Jinliang. Su Ying informed Luo Jian that Yang Yong regularly used the Jinliang to transport valuable art and exhibits for legitimate auction houses across Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan.
These items were stored in a special vault on the ship, accessible only by Yang Yong's iris scan. Luo Jian instantly realized that the forged iris was indeed Yang Yong's. Su Ying confirmed their analysis: Ms. Hong intended to use the forged iris to secretly place the coffin and grave goods into the vault, allowing them to be transported undetected. She detailed, "He approached Liang Luohuan to gain access to the vault on Jinliang.
Besides the coffins, I'm sure they would transport all of the grave goods across the sea in one go. The vault on Jinliang is their best cover. As long as the customs clearance is over, they can use the iris to unlock the vault in secret and hide the grave goods inside the vault. This way, they would be able to manipulate a proper cargo ship to ship their illegal goods for them legally." Luo Jian fully understood the scheme.
At the pier, Ms. Hong, accompanied by Zhang Meng and Yu Tian, met Li Anfu and Liang Luohuan. Liang Luohuan confirmed she had changed the Jinliang's route to ensure the timely delivery of the cargo. Ms. Hong assigned Zhang Meng and Yu Tian to escort the goods, instructing them to act once onboard.
To explain their presence, Ms. Hong told Liang Luohuan that their presence was not due to a lack of trust in the ship's safety, but to facilitate a quicker handover with the client upon arrival. Shortly after they boarded, crew member Luo Yue noticed a hazard light blinking and went to investigate with a colleague. Seizing this distraction, Yu Tian and Zhang Meng used the forged iris to open the vault and hide the coffin and grave goods inside.
With her plan seemingly in motion, Ms. Hong departed with Liang Luohuan and Li Anfu. Yang Yong arrived and Ms. Hong thanked him for his help, promising to hasten the marriage preparations for Li Anfu and Liang Luohuan, which pleased Yang Yong. Just as they were leaving, Luo Jian and Su Ying, leading a police force, surrounded them. Realizing the jig was up, Ms. Hong surrendered.
Police officers on the Jinliang found the coffin reliefs disguised as building bricks and the grave goods hidden in the vault. Su Ying personally interrogated Ms. Hong, confronting her about the "Tears of Moon Goddess" case. Ms. Hong feigned ignorance, prompting Su Ying to question her connection to Ding Shenghuo. Ms. Hong admitted to knowing him and occasionally seeking his help to connect with "craftsmen of our trade."
Su Ying presented evidence that Ding Shenghuo commissioned the iris and a palm print from a craftsman named Fly, indicating Ms. Hong was the true client. Ms. Hong denied ordering the palm print, asserting she only requested the iris. Su Ying pointed out that both items were found together and that Li Shuting was meant to retrieve them, with the palm print being crucial for the "Tears of Moon Goddess" theft.
When Su Ying questioned how Ms. Hong targeted Zhuang Wenjie after Li Shuting's death, Ms. Hong realized she was manipulated. She confessed that Ding Shenghuo deliberately bundled the iris and palm print to frame her for the "Tears of Moon Goddess" case. She also revealed that Monsieur had orchestrated Li Anfu's collaboration with her and his subsequent creation of a murder case to draw police attention to her, effectively selling her out.
Luo Jian simultaneously interrogated Li Anfu, pressing him for Monsieur's identity. Li Anfu feigned ignorance, then accused Ms. Hong of divulging information. He reluctantly admitted that both he and Li Shuting were Monsieur's disciples. Li Anfu claimed Monsieur had saved him from a meaningless life, teaching him "charming skills." He described Monsieur as elusive, capable of predicting thoughts, and manipulating people to do his bidding without their awareness, asserting that Luo Jian would never find him.
Luo Jian countered that Monsieur's methods were a form of manipulation, turning Li Anfu into a pawn for telecom fraud. He presented evidence of Li Anfu's chat logs with Wang Xue, containing clear incitement to suicide, which directly led to Wang Xue's death. Luo Jian explained how Monsieur used Li Anfu and Ms. Hong as cannon fodder to divert police attention.
Li Anfu then recounted his initial encounter with Monsieur five years prior, when he was working in an underground club. Monsieur, who contacted him online and never revealed his face, taught him "charming skills" that proved consistently effective, giving him a sense of dignity and unwavering loyalty to Monsieur. Ms. Hong also independently confessed that Monsieur, whom she also knew only online, had repeatedly helped her out of dangerous situations, leading her to trust his sincerity as a partner.
After the cases concluded, Zhuang Wenjie confessed to Luo Jian that he had withheld information earlier. " Captain Luo, it's my fault that I'm only telling the police about the situation by now. I would like to apologize to you guys." He admitted his desire for revenge against his father's perceived killer led him to be deceived by Ding Shenghuo. Luo Jian acknowledged his apology but also firmly stated the consequences of withholding information.
He then encouraged Zhuang Wenjie to learn from his mistakes and focus on a brighter future. Zhuang Wenjie playfully remarked on Luo Jian's "uni counselor" tone during their conversation. Luo Jian then pressed him, "You're not hiding anything else from me, aren't you?" Zhuang Wenjie reassured him he was not. Luo Jian said, "I'm sure you've learned your lesson, huh?"
He advised Zhuang Wenjie to embrace his student identity and focus on studies and work, hoping to avoid seeing him in legal news again. Zhuang Wenjie also slyly mentioned having left a more complex coded message, beyond Morse code, suggesting Luo Jian should learn such methods. Luo Jian, feigning exasperation, said, "Morse code is already tough enough for me. Do all law students have to study such a broad range of knowledge?
Back then, we had to study even more things than you guys." Luo Jian then offered to treat Su Ying to a celebratory farewell dinner for her and her team. Su Ying thanked him, initially agreeing. However, she expressed her intention to stay and pursue Monsieur, sparking a heated argument with Luo Jian. Luo Jian vehemently refused her assistance, insisting on investigating Monsieur independently to avoid being controlled by her. He asserted, "You're my old classmate, you know?
I know exactly who you are. . . The person in charge should investigate the case and arrest the culprit. You can't just take our case from us just because we're a family!" Su Ying, amused by his reaction, admitted she was teasing him, and Luo Jian reciprocated the playful jabs. He then tried to deflect her questions about his personal life, particularly about visiting his teacher's wife.
Su Ying, relenting from their argument, still advised him that Zhuang Wenjie could be a crucial breakthrough in uncovering Monsieur's identity. Meanwhile, Zhuang Wenjie went to his old family home, which was now Xu Zhengqing's clock shop. He confronted Xu Zhengqing, convinced he was the person who rescued him at the Side Dock warehouse.
Xu Zhengqing initially denied it, claiming to be just a watchmaker, but Zhuang Wenjie pressed him, revealing his knowledge of Xu Zhengqing's unique lock-picking techniques, which he had observed during a previous visit, and even quoting Xu Zhengqing's own words from the chase, referring to his tools and a black windbreaker. Cornered, Xu Zhengqing admitted, "How did you recognize me?"
Zhuang Wenjie further explained that the shop was his former family home, stating it couldn't be a mere coincidence that Xu Zhengqing, who possessed such specific skills, was related to him. Xu Zhengqing finally conceded, "You're just like Yaobai. Both of you have great intelligence and sharp eyes. Seems like I couldn't hide it from you." He then identified himself as Xu Zhengqing, Zhuang Yaobo's martial arts brother, explaining that by seniority, Zhuang Wenjie should call him "Uncle." However, he expressed profound guilt, stating, "But my child, I didn't dare to acknowledge you. Wenjie, I'm sorry. Your father died because of me."
