Checkmate Episode 24 (Ending) Recap
> Checkmate Recap
Zhou Mowan offered Situ Yan a glass of water, but then quickly told him not to drink it, concerned that Mr. X was planning to kill another person and they needed to be vigilant. She asked Situ Yan who he thought the next victim would be. Situ Yan replied that it would either be himself or Luo Shaochuan, as the killer had deliberately lured everyone to the manor.
He elaborated that to set up this trap, the killer needed three conditions: a snowstorm, the destruction of the suspension bridge to trap everyone, and both Situ Yan and the killer present in the manor. Zhou Mowan then recalled that the suspension bridge was damaged by Luo Shaochuan's car, and he was the one who had invited Situ Yan to the manor, leading her to suspect Luo Shaochuan.
However, Situ Yan disagreed, pointing out that Du Heng had no reason to place the nicotine clipping in Luo Shaochuan's pocket if Luo Shaochuan were the murderer. Situ Yan believed this was the killer's tactic to make Zhou Mowan suspect Luo Shaochuan. Luo Shaochuan instructed Zou Jingxuan and Bai Shanshan not to leave, promising they could open the door only after the police arrived if he didn't return.
He then told Xiao Liu to guard them carefully, warning him of punishment if any harm came to them. Bai Shanshan, concerned for Luo Shaochuan's safety and fearing he was walking into danger, tried to knock him out with a wine glass, but Xiao Liu intervened, misinterpreting her intentions.
Luo Shaochuan then found Jin Qiming and forcibly took a stack of photos from him, asserting that Situ Yan was the true Mr. X and had fabricated the entire situation, including the existence of Mr. X, to solve his own designed murders and elevate his reputation. Jin Qiming, taken aback, struggled to believe that Situ Yan, who had solved so many complex cases, could be the murderer.
Luo Shaochuan continued to sow doubt, listing a series of deaths and misfortunes that occurred shortly after Situ Yan's arrival or involvement, from Shen Jianxian to his own father, and the deaths of Fan Lihua, Luo Jinyan, and Du Heng, implying Situ Yan's suspicious influence. Soon after, Luo Shaochuan, with Jin Qiming, confronted Situ Yan and Zhou Mowan in the main hall. Luo Shaochuan impatiently demanded to know who had killed Dai Liming, stating that an hour had passed.
Situ Yan admitted he didn't know, which only fueled Luo Shaochuan's frustration. Luo Shaochuan declared that Situ Yan couldn't be trusted and cryptically warned the others if they stayed, they would become the third victim. Zhou Mowan pulled Situ Yan aside, expressing her suspicion of Luo Shaochuan, particularly his sudden closeness to Jin Qiming, and how he seemed to be deliberately driving a wedge between Situ Yan and everyone else. Situ Yan then revealed he knew who Mr. X was.
He explained that Luo Shaochuan had left with both Zou Jingxuan and Bai Shanshan, but returned alone. Situ Yan deduced that Mr. X likely manipulated the situation to isolate the women. Situ Yan theorized that the only safe place to hide them outside the manor was the wine cellar, which he knew about.
He instructed Zhou Mowan to go to the wine cellar, find Zou Jingxuan and Bai Shanshan, and escort them to the study to be protected by Sergeant Bao, while he planned to return to the hall to distract the killer. Meanwhile, Luo Shaochuan told Jin Qiming that he believed Situ Yan was Mr. X and intended to kill him next.
He asked Jin Qiming to help move Zou Jingxuan and Bai Shanshan from the wine cellar to Jin Qiming's darkroom, anticipating Situ Yan would try to use them as leverage. Luo Shaochuan handed Jin Qiming his pistol, urging him to take it for protection, stating he could always get another from Sergeant Bao.
Jin Qiming initially protested that he didn't know how to use a gun, but Luo Shaochuan brushed off his concerns, explaining it was simple: "Load, aim and shoot." Jin Qiming went to the wine cellar but found neither Zou Jingxuan nor Bai Shanshan. Zhou Mowan returned to Situ Yan to report that the women were not in the wine cellar, although it looked like they had been there, perhaps having argued with Luo Shaochuan.
She also revealed that Jin Qiming had entered the cellar while she was there, prompting her to hide from him. Situ Yan, realizing the gravity of the situation, urged Zhou Mowan to continue searching for them, stressing the importance of preventing them from falling into Mr. X's hands. He then began to voice a deeper sentiment, "If we can both get out alive this time. . ." , but stopped himself, concluding, "Never mind. Let's survive first."
Zhou Mowan, understanding his unspoken words, replied, "Sure. Anything you want." Luo Shaochuan then tried to coerce Sergeant Bao into arresting Situ Yan, leveraging his family's influence. Bao, however, refused, citing Situ Yan's popularity and the lack of evidence, fearing it would cost him his job. Just then, Jin Qiming informed them that the women were missing from the wine cellar, where he had found a broken wine bottle.
Luo Shaochuan, enraged, grabbed Bao's gun despite his protests and rushed into the main hall, pointing it directly at Situ Yan. He furiously accused Situ Yan of kidnapping Zou Jingxuan and Bai Shanshan, calling him a "son of a bitch" and demanding their release. Zhou Mowan interjected that when Situ Yan asked her to look for the women, they were already gone.
Situ Yan tried to calm Luo Shaochuan, insisting he was not involved in their disappearance and that Luo Shaochuan was falling into Mr. X's trap. Luo Shaochuan retorted that Situ Yan himself was Mr. X. Situ Yan warned him that if he shot, he would become the third victim Mr. X wanted. Luo Shaochuan then forced Situ Yan out of the manor at gunpoint, threatening him with the same fate if he resisted.
Outside, Situ Yan tried to explain that Mr. X’s ultimate desire was to see Luo Shaochuan fall into his trap, creating a spectacle for entertainment, but Luo Shaochuan, consumed by rage, refused to listen and shot Situ Yan, who collapsed to the ground, bleeding. Jin Qiming then rushed to the scene, admonishing Luo Shaochuan for his rashness and revealing that Situ Yan was not Mr. X.
He then explained that Dai Liming had actually died because he, fearing being the next victim after hearing about the three planned murders, attempted to poison Zheng Bai to frame Mr. X. However, during a struggle between Luo Shaochuan and Dong Cixin, the table was bumped, causing Dai Liming to accidentally drink the poisoned wine meant for Zheng Bai. Jin Qiming claimed Situ Yan had kept this truth hidden to protect Luo Shaochuan.
Luo Shaochuan, overcome with shock and remorse, was urged by Jin Qiming to surrender. Luo Shaochuan, however, burst into laughter, pointing out Jin Qiming's impatience and telling him to first confirm if Situ Yan was truly dead. Situ Yan then rose, unharmed. He turned to Jin Qiming, questioning how he knew so much about Dai Liming's death if Situ Yan hadn't told him.
Situ Yan then accused Jin Qiming of deliberately placing the nicotine in the wine cabinet and unequivocally declared, "You're the X." Situ Yan proceeded to expose Jin Qiming's elaborate plot, explaining that Mr. X, who was intimately familiar with Situ Yan's past cases in Harbin, had set three challenges to provoke discord between Situ Yan and Luo Shaochuan.
He noted that after the incident, while he, Luo Shaochuan, and Sergeant Bao were interrogating Du Heng in the study, only Zhou Mowan, Bai Shanshan, Zou Jingxuan, and Jin Qiming had the opportunity to access the nicotine. More crucially, only Jin Qiming could have placed the book "No One Lives" in the living room for Zou Jingxuan to find, with a specific page folded.
Situ Yan explained that Mr. X’s ultimate goal was to make it seem as though Situ Yan was orchestrating the murders, leading to his isolation. To counter this, Situ Yan and Luo Shaochuan had devised a counter-plan, faking Situ Yan's death to draw out Mr. X, with Xiao Liu having safely hidden Zou Jingxuan and Bai Shanshan. Jin Qiming, with a changed expression, demanded evidence.
Situ Yan further confronted him, asking why he, a Chinese, would aid a foreign power in subverting their country. He revealed that Jin Qiming was also responsible for Chief Xie's death, having created a fake letter that made Chief Xie believe his son Xie Hua was involved, manipulating him. Jin Qiming then confessed, revealing he was an orphan adopted and raised by a Japanese man named Mr. Zhang, who taught him everything.
He felt indebted to his Japanese "second parents" and admitted to returning two years prior to meticulously plan and execute all the preceding cases, using clues to guide Situ Yan into his carefully constructed trap. Situ Yan commented that Jin Qiming lost because he was too eager to win. Jin Qiming, defiant, declared that he certainly knew how to shoot, then raised the gun Luo Shaochuan had given him and fired at Situ Yan.
Just then, Zhou Mowan bravely intervened, pushing Situ Yan out of the way and taking the hit herself. Wounded, she tearfully chastised Situ Yan for using himself as bait, asking what she would do if he died.
Situ Yan, in turn, questioned her sudden concern, suggesting she had always viewed him with suspicion and had hidden her true feelings so that his death wouldn't cause her too much pain, implying that Luo Shaochuan would tell her he was Mr. X and she would forget him.
As Luo Shaochuan engaged Jin Qiming in a struggle, declaring his defeat, Jin Qiming, refusing to admit he lost, pulled out a pen and fatally stabbed himself in the neck, fulfilling his twisted plan of a third death in the manor, with his own death marking the third victim. After the dramatic events, Luo Shaochuan and Zou Jingxuan prepared for their engagement ceremony, but Zhou Mowan mysteriously vanished.
Meanwhile, Situ Yan received a letter from Beijing revealing that Li Yuanpu had been strangled in prison, the victim of a hired killer described as a gentle man over 20 wearing black-rimmed glasses. Situ Yan immediately realized the killer was Jin Qiming, connecting it to Mr. X's earlier challenge of three more murders. This revelation made Situ Yan suddenly understand that Zhou Mowan was also affiliated with the Oracle organization.
Situ Yan rushed to Luo Shaochuan's engagement party, asking for Zhou Mowan. Upon learning that Zhou Mowan was part of the Oracle, Luo Shaochuan, despite Zou Jingxuan's distress, left the party with Situ Yan to search for her, promising Zou Jingxuan they would get married. Elsewhere, Zhou Mowan was confronted by Mr. Zhang, who questioned why she had allowed Situ Yan to live, suspecting she had become emotionally involved.
Zhou Mowan asserted it was due to orders from her superiors, who believed Situ Yan would be useful in the future, though her pensive look at a necklace Situ Yan had given her hinted at deeper feelings. Her next assignment was in Beijing. Sometime later, Situ Yan was seen departing Harbin on the Orient Express for Beijing, sent off by Luo Shaochuan and Zou Jingxuan. He mentioned that a Mr. Wang had called him back for some matter.
Luo Shaochuan surmised that Situ Yan might be going to Beijing to find Zhou Mowan, believing members of the Oracle would likely relocate there. As they bid farewell, both men shared a sense that their paths, and perhaps Zhou Mowan's, might cross again in Beijing.
