Be Reborn Episode 8 Recap
> Be Reborn Recap
Zhuang Wenjie rushed back to his hospital room, feigning a stomachache when he found Liao Shuang there, peeling an apple for him. Liao Shuang, seeing his feigned urgency, offered to step out, allowing Zhuang Wenjie to quickly enter the bathroom and check that the device hidden in the ceiling tiles was undisturbed, which brought him a moment of relief.
Liao Shuang later remarked that Zhuang Wenjie was too stubborn, returning to his room for the toilet when there was one much closer at the checkup ward. Meanwhile, Luo Jian convened a case analysis meeting, where Ma demonstrated the dire consequences of the Qing'an Security System’s key being compromised. All security measures designed and installed by Qing'an would become obsolete, rendering them useless against the thieves. This included door security, alarm systems, and even long-distance conference systems.
Ye reported that Qing'an's partnerships spanned financial services and foreign trade, encompassing numerous businesses. Luo Jian learned that Qing'an was undergoing a full system upgrade to nullify the stolen key terminal, a process estimated to take twelve hours, with only seven remaining. Worried the thieves would strike during this window, Luo Jian outlined a two-pronged approach. He tasked Ye with tracing the hackers’ attack path and urging Internet Security Management for assistance.
He also instructed Pang Dazhi to obtain a comprehensive list of Qing'an's clients to identify potential targets. Luo Jian stressed that given the elaborate effort involved, the thieves' objective must be significant. Liao Shuang reported back to Luo Jian that she hadn't found any clues, initially dismissing Sun Zhijian as too carefree to provide useful information.
Luo Jian, however, having learned from Liao Shuang that Zhuang Wenjie was emotionally unstable, and also aware of Sun Zhijian’s computer expertise and previous academic scholarship, instructed Liao Shuang to speak with him. Back in the hospital room, Ding Shenghuo's coded message urged Zhuang Wenjie to reach a designated location by midnight, making Zhuang Wenjie anxious. Sun Zhijian, meanwhile, expressed his suspicion that Liao Shuang was assigned to Zhuang Wenjie because she liked him.
He then tried to call Lin Zhiyue, questioning why Zhuang Wenjie preferred his company over hers, and teasing Zhuang Wenjie about being shy. Zhuang Wenjie desperately tried to stop Sun Zhijian from making the call, concerned about putting Lin Zhiyue in danger. Just then, Luo Jian arrived, returning Zhuang Wenjie's mobile phone and necklace, items previously held as evidence.
Luo Jian took the opportunity to commend Zhuang Wenjie's talent in criminal profiling, gleaned from his quick assessment of Jia Jinyan's case, and subtly invited him to join the police force, emphasizing his unique ability to understand the criminal mind. After Luo Jian left, Liao Shuang pressed Sun Zhijian further, hinting that she had seen surveillance footage from their dorm.
Sun Zhijian, nervous about the recorded conversation, confessed that he had stolen a computer from Zhuang Wenjie's roommate, intending to swap its hardware components with his own. Zhuang Wenjie discovered this and secretly returned the computer, but was then wrongly suspected of the theft himself. Liao Shuang reported Sun Zhijian's confession to Luo Jian, expressing her belief that Zhuang Wenjie had a strong moral compass and wouldn't collude with Ding Shenghuo, even if he understood Ding Shenghuo's coded messages.
She also inquired about the status of Ding Shenghuo's code decryption, to which Luo Jian indicated it was ongoing. Luo Jian, however, insisted that Liao Shuang remain with Zhuang Wenjie until his discharge, much to her dismay. Zhuang Wenjie, having overheard parts of Liao Shuang’s conversation with Sun Zhijian, became alert to the fact that his actions were being scrutinized. Following Luo Jian's instructions, police compiled a facial composite of the engineer mentioned by Shi Lei.
Shi Lei immediately identified the man as Xu Wei, the one who assisted him in opening Jia Jinyan’s safe. Ye quickly uncovered Xu Wei's identity as a renowned software architect. His wife had reported him missing after he left on a business trip a week prior, initially calling daily but then falling silent. This confirmed Luo Jian’s suspicion that Xu Wei was being coerced by the thieves.
Indeed, Xu Wei was shown held captive by the man wearing a pig-head mask, with a timed explosive device strapped to his neck, forcing him to crack the Qing'an system's key. With less than two hours remaining before Qing'an's system upgrade completed, Luo Jian and his team meticulously reviewed the twenty-eight client companies provided by Qing'an, eliminating targets one by one.
During this time, Zhuang Wenjie, independently working in his hospital room, also methodically analyzed the security systems of these companies, finally identifying Longhu Department Store as a likely target. The team discussed various businesses, such as Xuri Jewelry, which despite having a blind spot in its air vent, was protected by automated IR sensors, close proximity to a police station, and frequent patrols.
They also dismissed Fuxinyuan Jadeite, which, despite its lack of conventional security, was protected by a community of the owner’s friends and family who acted as informal security, and Depu Capital, where money was electronic and not physically present. Ma then informed Luo Jian that Qing'an’s technical personnel had roughly pinpointed the hacker's attack location to a triangular area within Shuikumen, Haihua Street, and Qingyun Pier.
To further narrow it down, they needed to insert analyzers into server rooms for detection. Luo Jian immediately dispatched Pang Dazhi, along with a team and Ma, to investigate that area and apprehend Xu Wei. As Luo Jian continued to evaluate the remaining two potential targets, Baoyun Jewelry and Longhu Department Store, Qing'an announced the successful completion of their system upgrade.
Despite this good news, Xu Wei, under extreme pressure, failed to crack Qing'an's main key system within the allotted time. However, he did manage to implant a Trojan into the security system of Longhu Department Store. The masked man, pleased with this partial but critical success, acknowledged Xu Wei's speed, saving his life for the moment. Luo Jian's team still hadn't definitively identified the thieves' ultimate target among the two remaining possibilities.
Luo Jian probed Zhuang Wenjie for his perspective, asking which of the two he believed the thieves would choose. Concurrently, the masked individual, pleased with Xu Wei’s success, made a phone call, stating simply, "It's done. The rest is up to you."
