Be Reborn Episode 2 Recap
> Be Reborn Recap
Zhuang Wenjie confronted three unfamiliar men in his apartment with composure, realizing they were the same individuals who had previously entered his home and deliberately left behind the photo of him and his mother. One of the men introduced himself as Ding Shenghuo. Zhuang Wenjie accused Ding Shenghuo of stealing the "Water Lily" painting and framing him. Ding Shenghuo denied the accusation, claiming that Ma San had identified Zhuang Wenjie as the prime suspect.
However, Zhuang Wenjie, observing the subtle gestures and habits of the other two men, quickly deduced their respective roles in the theft. He pointed out that the man sitting behind him, who frequently pressed his left purlicue, likely suffered from tenosynovitis and was a technical expert, probably responsible for the power outage at the art gallery.
The other man, who consistently sought out dark areas, was likely skilled in exploiting security blind spots, having checked out Zhuang Wenjie's apartment in advance. Ding Shenghuo was impressed by Zhuang Wenjie's sharp insight, noting it was as keen as his father Zhuang Yaobo's. Ding Shenghuo then asked Zhuang Wenjie for a favor, but Zhuang Wenjie firmly refused, stating he would not become a thief, and insisted that the actions of his ancestors had no bearing on him.
Ding Shenghuo then called out a young man, Ding Wei, who had been hiding in the restroom. Zhuang Wenjie recognized Ding Wei as the person he had seen talking to Lin Zhiyue earlier that day and warned him to stay away from her. Ding Shenghuo countered, asserting that Zhuang Wenjie cared deeply for Lin Zhiyue and threatened her safety if Zhuang Wenjie did not cooperate.
Ding Shenghuo then revealed that he had hidden the real "Water Lily" painting in Zhuang Wenjie's apartment and had used Zhuang Wenjie's fixed-line telephone to contact Ma San for forging the painting. He informed Zhuang Wenjie that Ma San had been arrested and that the police would arrive within 20 minutes, urging him to find the painting and consider his proposal. Ding Shenghuo and his associates then departed.
After they left, Zhuang Wenjie frantically searched his apartment and finally found the genuine "Water Lily" hidden in the kitchen ceiling. Just then, Luo Jian arrived at Zhuang Wenjie’s apartment, feigning a casual visit. Startled, Zhuang Wenjie quickly hid the real painting underneath a stack of his own imitation paintings, as Luo Jian looked around the room, intending to inspect them. Zhuang Wenjie quickly diverted his attention.
Luo Jian inquired about Zhuang Wenjie’s whereabouts during two specific times, as Ma San's phone records showed two calls originating from a fixed-line phone at Zhuang Wenjie's rental apartment: one on the 24th of the previous month around 4:10 PM and another on the 9th of the current month around 2 PM.
Zhuang Wenjie confirmed he was not home on either occasion: on the 24th, he was at a rock climbing club activity with his teacher, who could verify his presence, and on the 9th, he was at Xiaoyi Art Gallery buying drawing paper and pigments, where the owner could also confirm his purchase. Luo Jian then asked about a fixed-line phone in the apartment, but Zhuang Wenjie was unaware of having one.
He called his landlord, Mr. Zhou, who explained that the old landline had been removed due to age, but the phone jack remained. As Luo Jian prepared to leave, he noticed the faint smell of smoke. Zhuang Wenjie quickly lied, claiming a plumber had been there to fix a clogged toilet and was smoking. Luo Jian, finding no further anomalies, left the apartment. The next morning, Zhuang Wenjie went to school and noticed Ding Wei following him persistently.
Frustrated by the harassment, Zhuang Wenjie ordered takeout from Xiangzikou restaurant, where he worked, to be delivered to Luo Jian. The package contained detailed sketches of Ding Shenghuo and his three associates, along with a note explaining they were the real thieves and the original "Water Lily" painting. Luo Jian received the package and immediately sent Liao Shuang to have Mr. Fang, an expert, authenticate the painting.
He also dispatched officers to investigate the takeout platform and ascertain the true identities of the four individuals in the sketches. Separately, Ding Wei offered to sponsor Lin Zhiyue's Mid-Autumn Festival Gala, and she gladly exchanged contact information with him. After Ding Wei left, Zhuang Wenjie warned Lin Zhiyue not to trust him or have any further contact. Back at the station, the delivered "Water Lily" was confirmed to be genuine by experts.
Luo Jian learned that Zhuang Wenjie had indeed been to Xiangzikou that day and that the delivery rider had brought the package directly to the Criminal Investigation Department. Pang Dazhi quickly identified three of the four men from the sketches: Ding Shenghuo, a notorious organizer of art heists, who was arrested for the Luoshen case in 2007 with Zhuang Yaobo and served ten years, released a year ago.
Lei Xiaofei, nicknamed "Flea," specialized in high-rise thefts and was released a year ago after serving four years. Wang Sixing, known as "Crow," hacked company financial systems using Trojan viruses, served three years, and was released six months ago. All three had served time in the same prison cell block. Ding Wei, however, had no criminal record, and his identity remained unconfirmed. Pang Dazhi was convinced that Zhuang Wenjie was a thief trying to clear his name.
However, Luo Jian theorized that Ding Shenghuo, Lei Xiaofei, and Wang Sixing had colluded to steal the painting and then framed Zhuang Wenjie. Luo Jian also noticed a peculiar detail: the "Water Lily" was first donated to the museum on September 21, 2001, which was Zhuang Wenjie's birthday. Later, Zhuang Wenjie went to the restroom, where Ding Wei was waiting for him.
Ding Wei pressed Zhuang Wenjie about his decision to cooperate with Ding Shenghuo, reminding him that he had no other option after the painting was left in his home. In a moment of urgency, Zhuang Wenjie secretly called Luo Jian. Over the phone, Luo Jian overheard Ding Wei threatening Zhuang Wenjie. Realizing the phone was lit, Ding Wei became suspicious and demanded to see Zhuang Wenjie's phone.
Zhuang Wenjie quickly deleted the call record and switched his phone to music mode before handing it over. Ding Wei examined the phone, found nothing, and seemed convinced that Zhuang Wenjie was ready to cooperate. Zhuang Wenjie then agreed to meet Ding Shenghuo. Ding Wei blindfolded Zhuang Wenjie and confiscated his phone before driving him away.
Luo Jian, having heard parts of the conversation, immediately requested school surveillance footage, which confirmed Zhuang Wenjie leaving with Ding Wei in a white car. Luo Jian ordered his officers to follow the vehicle. The police pursued Ding Wei’s car to an underground parking garage at a shopping mall. However, due to Ding Wei’s anti-reconnaissance skills, the car disappeared within the garage. Officers guarding the exit also reported no sighting of the vehicle. Concerned for Zhuang Wenjie's safety, Luo Jian instructed his team to check all underground garage surveillance footage, but they found no trace of the car.
