Be Reborn Episode 4 Recap
> Be Reborn Recap
Ding Shenghuo had meticulously instructed Zhuang Wenjie to project an aura of unyielding confidence when dealing with Liao Detong to secure his trust. During their meeting, Liao Detong attempted to assert dominance, questioning Zhuang Wenjie, "As a student, do you need that much money to spend? You don't need to worry about it. As a young kid, you're pretty greedy. Aren't you scared that I'll betray you?"
Guided by Ding Shenghuo's earlier counsel via a hidden earphone, Zhuang Wenjie met the challenge with a bold "You can try." This defiant response visibly impressed Liao Detong, who remarked on the striking resemblance to Zhuang Yaobo, saying, "You're just like him. When your father made a deal with me for the first time, that's how he was. Even your intonation is the same."
Satisfied, Liao Detong agreed to the three million yuan, instructing his subordinate, Mr. Hua, to prepare the cash. He then noted Zhuang Wenjie's apparent indifference to the large sum, to which Zhuang Wenjie replied, "Since you trust me, I should be able to do the same." Luo Jian, observing from the command center, commented on the legal risks of acquiring the painting, stating, "The police force is looking for this painting. He's really taking lives and the law for granted."
Luo Jian and his team also noted Zhuang Wenjie's remarkable transformation in demeanor. Upon successfully completing the transaction, Zhuang Wenjie exited Deyao Group with two large bags of cash. Ding Wei was waiting in the underground garage with a different vehicle, explaining that Ding Shenghuo had arranged the car switch to evade surveillance. Luo Jian's monitoring team immediately reported losing contact with Zhuang Wenjie.
Regretting the peril Zhuang Wenjie was in, Luo Jian swiftly instructed his officer, Hao, to closely track the new car and ordered Team B to maintain tight surveillance on the car workshop. He also arranged for a report to be made to Chief Zhao regarding the evolving situation and potential plan adjustments. Later, Liao Detong deposited the painting into the vault.
A team member called Ding Shenghuo to confirm that the Beetle device hidden within the painting's scroll had been activated. Ding Shenghuo noted it was 6 PM and declared they would initiate the heist once Zhuang Wenjie and Ding Wei returned. Simultaneously, Luo Jian received news that Liao Detong had placed the painting in the vault, indicating Ding Shenghuo's plan was underway.
Meanwhile, Liao Shuang reported on the police's preliminary investigation: Gongde Auction House occupies the first five floors of Block B in Deyao Group's twin towers, with the vault located in the southeast corner of the third basement. Liao Detong had confessed to illegally purchasing the artifact and agreed to cooperate with the police to apprehend the thieves.
Technical analysis of the vault's security system revealed a recent upgrade with a German Parker system designed to counteract electromagnetic radiation, rendering Ding Shenghuo's supposed "electromagnetic jammer" useless. Further examination of the device itself confirmed it was not a jammer but a timed igniter, containing flammable white powder, an electromagnetic coil, two lithium batteries, and a timer set for 1 AM. At the precise moment, the coil would heat, igniting the powder, and triggering a small fire.
This, in turn, would activate the vault's emergency protocols: an automatic power cut and the release of carbon dioxide to suppress the flames, temporarily disabling the security system for six minutes. Luo Jian's team deduced that Ding Shenghuo intended to exploit this brief window, recalling the 18-second "Water Lily" theft. They also questioned why Ding Shenghuo had misled his subordinates about the device's true nature. Luo Jian concluded that the cunning thief trusted no one, not even his own crew.
After handing over the money, Zhuang Wenjie reminded Ding Shenghuo that he had fulfilled his part of the agreement. However, Ding Shenghuo insisted, "Your mission isn't over yet. Tonight, you're coming to the vault with us." Zhuang Wenjie firmly refused to participate in stealing. Ding Shenghuo countered that his presence was indispensable for a critical task.
To persuade him, Ding Shenghuo promised to reveal the full story behind the mysterious photograph Zhuang Wenjie sought, and then disappear from his life forever if he cooperated with the night's plan. After some hesitation, Zhuang Wenjie reluctantly agreed. Ding Shenghuo, pleased, reassured him, "You're a good kid. Relax. Everything will be fine after tonight." Luo Jian orchestrated the police deployment, commanding from a surveillance vehicle.
He reiterated to all units the paramount importance of Zhuang Wenjie's safety and instructed them to apprehend Ding Shenghuo's team immediately upon their entry into the vault. Ding Wei, driving the new car, engaged in a series of evasive maneuvers, circling the Deyao Group buildings twice before driving away. Luo Jian, recognizing this as a diversion tactic from Ding Shenghuo's usual elaborate counter-surveillance, dispatched officers to the car workshop.
Posing as stranded motorists, they found the workshop deserted, confirming that Ding Shenghuo's main operation was not centered there. After successfully drawing away police attention, Ding Wei made a phone call, engaging in a fabricated personal conversation to mask his real activities. He then confirmed his diversion to Ding Shenghuo before stepping out of his car for a breath of fresh air, where police officers moved in and arrested him.
Luo Jian pressed Ding Wei for Ding Shenghuo's whereabouts, but Ding Wei feigned ignorance, repeatedly claiming he didn't know "Ding Shenghuo" and had committed no crime. Frustrated, Luo Jian ordered him to be taken into custody, stating that the police were fully aware of their activities. Meanwhile, Ding Shenghuo, Zhuang Wenjie, Lei Xiaofei, and Wang Sixing had gained entry into Block A of the twin towers.
When Ding Shenghuo attempted to call Ding Wei and received no response, he realized Ding Wei had been captured and promptly removed and discarded his phone's SIM card to prevent tracking. The police, meanwhile, managed to narrow Ding Shenghuo's potential location to within a two-kilometer radius of the buildings and also discovered a hidden underpass at the car workshop leading to the main street. Ding Shenghuo led his team, including Zhuang Wenjie, to the rooftop of Block A.
Zhuang Wenjie, upon seeing the setup, asked, "Are you guys planning to ride across with a zip line?" Ding Shenghuo corrected him, "Not 'you guys'. It's 'us'. We'll cross it together." Wang Sixing and Lei Xiaofei then swiftly rigged a steel wire between Block A and Block B, and were the first to traverse it. When it was Zhuang Wenjie's turn, Ding Shenghuo told him to secure a rope around his waist.
However, Wang Sixing deliberately tampered with the mechanism, leaving Zhuang Wenjie suspended midway across the wire. Forced to unclip, Zhuang Wenjie, relying on his climbing skills, laboriously pulled himself hand-over-hand along the wire, eventually reaching Block B. Lei Xiaofei then assisted Ding Shenghuo in crossing. Ding Shenghuo hastily apologized to Zhuang Wenjie, explaining that Wang Sixing had merely wanted to test his abilities and that he shouldn't take it personally.
Throughout this precarious crossing, Luo Jian's monitoring teams continued to report no unusual activity within the buildings, further intensifying his confusion about Ding Shenghuo's actual target. At precisely 1 AM, the timed igniter in the painting's scroll activated, triggering a small fire and setting off the vault's emergency system. The alarm blared, and the security systems temporarily shut down.
A team member quickly reported to Ding Shenghuo that the system was down and they had five and a half minutes, urging them to switch the surveillance feed. With the security compromised, Ding Shenghuo, Zhuang Wenjie, Lei Xiaofei, and Wang Sixing promptly entered the vault. Simultaneously, alerted by the alarm, Luo Jian immediately issued the command, "Attention, everyone. They're here. Operation begins now," and he, along with the SWAT team, converged on the vault, taking up positions just outside its entrance.
