Checkmate Episode 4 Recap
> Checkmate Recap
Situ Yan informed the group that their makeshift trial of Ma Shiying was not a proper legal proceeding, arguing that deliberately twisting the truth would undermine the very foundation of law, leaving vulnerable individuals without protection. He meticulously reconstructed the crime, noting the "nine stabs" inflicted on Ma Shiying, which corresponded to the nine individuals on the train.
He explained that their initial plan was for the first-class compartment to be empty and the train to arrive in Fengtian without stopping, allowing some of them to disembark while others provided a fabricated testimony about a uniformed killer. However, when circumstances changed and the train stopped, they resorted to throwing items like pipe cleaners and pearls, and one person even paraded in a red cheongsam, all to further muddy the waters and obscure the truth.
Just then, Jin Qiming rushed in to announce that an express road notice had been received: Fengtian police had already blockaded the station and were preparing to arrest the culprit upon the train's arrival. Bai Lu confronted Situ Yan, asserting that justice did not apply to Ma Shiying. She revealed that there were no coincidences; she had meticulously orchestrated everything, purchasing all the tickets and inviting everyone connected to the Xu family tragedy onto the train.
Her aim was for all to witness Ma Shiying's demise and to avenge Mrs. Xu, as she believed the courts had failed to prosecute him.
She confessed to her elaborate scheme: she intentionally used Ma Shiying's lecherous nature to arrange a meeting in his room, meticulously crafted an alibi by tending to Liao Yun, deliberately damaged her own compartment door to prevent noise, then changed into a train conductor’s uniform, administered sleeping pills to Ma Shiying, and created a disturbance to draw attention from Situ Yan and Qi Hong.
After locking the door and exiting through a connecting passage, she changed into a cheongsam and walked the corridor, even bumping into Situ Yan’s door, all to confuse the investigation. Acknowledging Situ Yan's view that the law is fair and murder a capital crime, Bai Lu attempted to jump from the window, but was stopped by the others. Distraught, she wept, blaming her own ignorance for Mrs. Xu's murder, having told a carter there were no men in the house.
She claimed the murder weapon and blood-stained clothes in her room confirmed her guilt, though everyone else vehemently denied her confession. As the train pulled into Fengtian station, police officers were waiting. When asked about the murderer, Situ Yan calmly stated that the killer had already disembarked.
He skillfully wove a narrative, claiming the killer, dressed in a conductor’s uniform, boarded at Jinzhou Station, used a master key to enter Ma Shiying's compartment, killed him while he was sedated by sleeping pills, then escaped through a connecting door into Qi Hong's room before getting off the train as it restarted. He offered to assist with a portrait of this fictitious culprit. The other passengers, relieved, corroborated his story and offered to serve as witnesses.
The police, unable to proceed further, took the witnesses away for statements. One by one, the passengers disembarked at Fengtian, expressing their gratitude to Situ Yan. He accepted their thanks but pondered whether his actions were truly just, hoping that they could all now be free from their past burdens. The train journey continued to Harbin, with Situ Yan sharing a meal with Jin Qiming, who expressed his gratitude and offered assistance in Harbin.
Upon arriving, Situ Yan went to his mentor Shen Jianxian's home, only to find the door locked. He soon encountered Mrs. Shen and Xie Hua, the Deputy Director of the Harbin Police Station, and received the devastating news that Shen Jianxian had died from a sudden heart attack. Director Xie explained that Shen Jianxian had spoken highly of Situ Yan and that his death had been swift.
Situ Yan promised to care for Mrs. Shen, who was overcome with grief, expressing her loneliness after losing both her son, Shen Siqi, and now her husband. At Shen Jianxian's memorial, Situ Yan was introduced to Luo Wensheng, the esteemed Chairman of the Harbin Chamber of Commerce, and Zou Jingxuan.
Luo Wensheng mentioned he had heard about the Ma Shiying case on the train and commended Situ Yan’s handling of it, noting that his own son, Luo Shaochuan, was a police officer connected to the matter. Zou Jingxuan then asked Situ Yan if he knew Luo Shaochuan and when he might return. Later, Luo Wensheng informed Wei Minxi, his fiancée, that a tailor from Petersburg would arrive the next morning for her wedding dress fittings.
Wei Minxi, still affected by Shen Jianxian's death, declined a ride and insisted on running errands alone. That night, she was tragically murdered in her home, her jewelry stolen by an intruder. The following morning, Director Xie arrived at the crime scene with Luo Wensheng. They found no signs of forced entry, leading Director Xie to suspect Wei Minxi either unknowingly let the killer in or was followed. Luo Wensheng demanded a swift resolution to the case.
Later, Mrs. Shen advised Situ Yan that she would be busy hosting relatives the next day and suggested he dine at home. Situ Yan, however, found himself walking through the streets, drawn by the unique menu of the Jasmine Restaurant, which featured fusion dishes like Sweet-Bean Sauce Steak and Meat Sauce Spaghetti. He entered and ordered the spaghetti, sharing a table with Zhou Mowan.
A slight misunderstanding occurred when Zhou Mowan mistakenly ate from his dish, leading to a brief, polite exchange about payment, which Situ Yan gracefully refused. Soon after, Zhou Mowan began reading a newspaper, prompting Situ Yan to abruptly leave. Outside, Situ Yan was intercepted by Luo Shaochuan, who, looking desperate, confessed, "I killed someone." Situ Yan sensed Luo Shaochuan was unsure of his own guilt.
Luo Shaochuan explained he had a heated argument with his father the previous night, drank heavily, and awoke to find himself accused of Luo Wensheng’s murder, with no memory of the event. He dismissed tabloid reports accusing him of first killing his stepmother and then his father, stating he was in Fengtian when Wei Minxi died.
Luo Shaochuan implored Situ Yan to investigate, asking him to seek information from his fiancée, Zou Jingxuan, whom he considered like a sister, despite their arranged marriage. As police approached, Luo Shaochuan quickly retreated to hide upstairs. Moments later, police officer Lao Bao arrived, demanding Luo family documents, specifically Luo Wensheng's will. Situ Yan informed them that a will could only be read by a lawyer in the presence of all family members.
Identifying himself as Shen Jianxian’s student and a lawyer known to Mr. Luo and Director Xie, Situ Yan retrieved the will. He then read it aloud, revealing that due to Wei Minxi’s unexpected death, all of Luo Wensheng's assets were to be inherited by Luo Shaochuan. This announcement sparked an angry outburst from other family members, including Zou Jingxuan's mother, who questioned the fairness of the will and challenged Luo Shaochuan’s right to inherit if he was indeed the murderer.
Zou Jingxuan intervened, urging them to await the police’s official findings and affirming Luo Shaochuan’s presumed innocence. She then privately asked Situ Yan for his help, expressing her belief that Luo Shaochuan was innocent and her fear that Director Xie might be pressured to conclude the case by implicating him, especially since Luo Wensheng was no longer alive to protect his son.
She stressed that while she believed in his innocence, if he were proven guilty, he should face legal consequences. Director Xie, while agreeing to Situ Yan's involvement, cautioned him to participate only as an advisor and not to interfere with the ongoing police investigation, threatening to remove him otherwise. He noted that Luo Wensheng’s accounts had always been managed by Shen Jianxian and asked Situ Yan to review the ledgers, which Situ Yan had already brought with him.
Suspecting Luo Shaochuan might be hiding at Mrs. Shen’s house, Director Xie instructed Lao Bao to find a pretext to search the premises. Director Xie then briefed Situ Yan on the police's findings regarding Wei Minxi's murder. Initially suspecting a transient robber, they had set up a dragnet in pawnshops. Surprisingly, they discovered that Wei Minxi herself had previously pawned a valuable piece of jewelry given to her by Luo Wensheng as a birthday gift, despite initially cherishing it.
Her bank accounts were also found to be empty. Luo Wensheng had believed Wei Minxi's death was connected to a mysterious "matter" she insisted on resolving before publicly announcing their engagement. Situ Yan inferred that Wei Minxi had been subjected to blackmail. Director Xie questioned what secrets she might have been hiding.
Zou Jingxuan's mother, overhearing, interjected with a disparaging assessment of Wei Minxi, implying she was a gold-digger who only returned to Luo Wensheng after he became wealthy, and whose previous husband conveniently died shortly after their reunion, hinting at her involvement in his death.
