Be Reborn Episode 20 Recap
> Be Reborn Recap
Xu Zhengqing confessed his past actions to Zhuang Wenjie, acknowledging his fault and expressing no expectation of forgiveness. As Luo Jian unexpectedly arrived, Xu Zhengqing quickly hid in the bathroom. Luo Jian greeted Zhuang Wenjie, asking if he had a girlfriend or a guest. Zhuang Wenjie replied that it was just a guest, introducing Xu Zhengqing as "Mr. Xu," his tenant who had come to discuss the lease renewal.
Xu Zhengqing, emerging from the bathroom, attempted to leave, claiming they had agreed on a rent increase, but Luo Jian insisted they all chat. Luo Jian introduced himself as Luo Jian, the captain of the criminal investigation department, and asked Xu Zhengqing his full name and profession. Xu Zhengqing identified himself as Xu Zhengqing, a watch repairer, and admitted to being nervous around a police officer.
When Luo Jian inquired about his five-year tenancy, Zhuang Wenjie explained that the Residents Committee had managed the rent for his old house while he was in an orphanage, and he had only recently taken over, which was how he met Mr. Xu.
Xu Zhengqing corroborated this, adding that he had come to propose a rent increase because Zhuang Wenjie's house had the lowest rent in the area, and he felt sympathetic for the young man's difficulties, but Zhuang Wenjie had refused. Luo Jian found their rent dispute unusual and then abruptly questioned Zhuang Wenjie about his activities yesterday afternoon. Zhuang Wenjie, annoyed, accused Luo Jian of excessive prying, especially after the Li Anfu incident.
Luo Jian clarified he was there to discuss Liao Detong and pressed Zhuang Wenjie on whether he went to Neverland Botanical Garden because of him. Zhuang Wenjie denied any connection to Liao Detong, finding Luo Jian's questions baffling. Luo Jian then turned his suspicion to Xu Zhengqing, asking if he was truly a tenant. Zhuang Wenjie vehemently defended Xu Zhengqing, asserting that not everyone he associates with is problematic. Luo Jian, frustrated, declared he would investigate and left.
After Luo Jian's departure, Xu Zhengqing expressed concern that Liao Detong might have betrayed them, but Zhuang Wenjie believed Luo Jian's suspicion stemmed from his own discoveries. Zhuang Wenjie then confronted Xu Zhengqing, stating that he could not forgive him for his past actions but was determined to uncover the truth behind his father's death. He proposed they continue to work together, demanding complete transparency from Xu Zhengqing. Xu Zhengqing agreed.
Later, while reviewing the list, Xu Zhengqing recognized a name, Dai Mengde, and initially hesitated to meet him due to past history, but Zhuang Wenjie reminded him of their agreement to be honest. Xu Zhengqing eventually conceded. Meanwhile, Luo Jian and Liao Shuang visited the community office and confirmed Xu Zhengqing's tenancy from the lease contract. However, Luo Jian remained suspicious of Xu Zhengqing, despite Liao Shuang suggesting that Zhuang Wenjie’s classmate, Sun Zhijian, was a more likely suspect.
Luo Jian also had his colleague, Ye, investigate the English suffix found earlier, learning it was unrelated to any known entities. Zhuang Wenjie suggested they approach Liao Detong again, but Xu Zhengqing warned against it, believing Luo Jian's visit indicated the police had already uncovered something, making contact with Liao too risky. Xu Zhengqing then led Zhuang Wenjie to meet Dai Mengde. Dai Mengde greeted Xu Zhengqing like an old friend, expressing how long he had been looking for him.
He inquired about Zhuang Wenjie, noting his surname. Dai Mengde asked Xu Zhengqing where he got the list, and after Xu Zhengqing refused to say, Dai Mengde deduced it was from Liao Detong, the middleman for an illegal auction house called Undercurrent. He explained that all member information was confidential for security, and only the middleman would have such a complete list. Xu Zhengqing confirmed he and Liao Detong were business partners.
Dai Mengde informed them that the list was outdated as Undercurrent had shifted to "virtual auctions" two weeks prior, with the next one scheduled for two days later, coinciding with the Mid-Autumn Festival. He explained that fake auction lists with QR codes were sent, which, when scanned, would reveal the real items. These auctions were held under the guise of masquerade balls to maintain buyer anonymity. Dai Mengde displayed a fake auction list with corresponding images of real items.
Xu Zhengqing immediately pointed out that a golden qilin figurine on the fake list corresponded to the "Luoshen" painting. Zhuang Wenjie realized Monsieur’s true objective was the "Luoshen." He then reviewed an invitation video attached to Dai Mengde's email. A masked man instructed attendees to reply with their location in Qingcheng City so that transport could be arranged to take them to the undisclosed auction venue. Zhuang Wenjie, determined to attend but lacking the exact location, meticulously re-examined the video.
He noticed a reflection of a hotel's WiFi name and password on a kettle behind the masked man. Realizing hotel WiFi names are often abbreviations, he deciphered it as "Qingtan Holiday Hotel." Without using his own mobile phone, he immediately sent an anonymous network message to Luo Jian, alerting him that an auction for the "Luoshen" would be held at the Qingtan Holiday Hotel in two days.
Receiving the anonymous message, Luo Jian's mind was immediately drawn back to the painful memories of the 2007 Luoshen case. Twelve years ago, Luo Jian, then a junior officer, often chafed under his mentor Fang Haizhong's practice of handling minor cases, yearning for major investigations to prove himself. One day, a mysterious paper with "Chayuan Vault" written on it was slipped into Fang Haizhong’s wife’s pocket.
Fang Haizhong suspected something was amiss and personally visited the vault, but the person in charge assured him everything was fine. Despite this, he insisted Luo Jian accompany him for a re-check, believing it was more serious than it seemed. However, the note had been accidentally washed by Fang Haizhong's wife, making it illegible. Luo Jian dismissed it as a prank or a threat from someone Fang Haizhong had offended during his time in the anti-theft squad.
He urged Fang Haizhong to pursue major cases instead, leading to a heated argument where Luo Jian was thrown out of the car. He defiantly went to eat, ignoring a phone call from Fang Haizhong. He later answered, but his phone died, which he convinced himself was "God's will" preventing him from getting involved. That night, Luo Jian returned to the police station to the shocking news that Fang Haizhong had fallen from a building and was in critical condition.
He rushed to the hospital, where he learned that his mentor had died despite their best efforts. Overwhelmed with regret, Luo Jian felt responsible for Fang's death, especially upon hearing a news report confirming that the "Luoshen" painting had been stolen from Chayuan Vault at 5 PM that day, and the suspect had crashed into a river with the painting, which was presumed lost.
Driven by the new information, Luo Jian asked his colleague, Ye, to trace the anonymous message about the Qingtan Holiday Hotel auction. Ye reported that it was a network message sent via an IP scrambler, making real-time location impossible. Meanwhile, Luo Jian drove to the Qingtan Holiday Hotel to investigate, finding nothing overtly suspicious. At the same time, Zhuang Wenjie and Xu Zhengqing, also disguised, arrived at the hotel's underground parking.
Zhuang Wenjie noticed they were being followed by four individuals. He quickly decided they should split up, cleverly leading their pursuers away by blending into a large tourist group entering the hotel. Later, back at the station, while reviewing Fang Haizhong’s old case files, Luo Jian observed Liao Shuang accidentally getting a document wet and tucking it into a book to absorb the water.
This seemingly trivial incident triggered a profound realization in Luo Jian – perhaps Fang Haizhong had done the same with the soaked "Chayuan Vault" note. He immediately returned to Fang Haizhong's wife's house. She confirmed that she had given the wet note to Fang Haizhong and had not seen it since, but she also stated that she had not moved any of his belongings since his passing. Luo Jian requested to search for the note himself. He entered Fang's study and, after a thorough search, finally found the soaked and dried piece of paper hidden within a book.
