Detective L Episode 23 Recap
> Detective L Recap
The order to execute Wei Feng was delivered to the prison, and Lu Wen De personally oversaw the guards preparing for the task. Superintendent Sha Wei pleaded for more time for Luo Fei, but Lu Wen De was adamant that the execution proceed immediately. Meanwhile, Luo Fei, whose eyes were red from sleepless nights, was too distraught to eat the wonton soup Qin Xiaoman brought him.
He was struggling with the case, but a comment from Qin Xiaoman about opening a window for "ventilation" suddenly sparked a realization. Luo Fei remembered the vent in the crime scene room. Investigating it further with Qin Xiaoman, he discovered tobacco ash and firecracker fragments inside. Understanding the killer's modus operandi, Luo Fei frantically called the police station to stop the execution. However, Lu Wen De was determined to proceed.
As Wei Feng was being led to the firing squad, Sha Wei attempted to intervene. Lu Wen De furiously threatened to execute Sha Wei as well, but the prison's Chief Chen insisted on taking an incoming call. This momentary distraction allowed Sha Wei to physically shield Wei Feng from Lu Wen De’s gun, taking a shot in his arm.
Chief Chen then arrested Lu Wen De on the orders of the Municipality, who had been informed of Lu Wen De's disruption of prison order. Luo Fei arrived and explained to Lu Wen De how the killer had murdered Tian Bai Chuan beforehand with a silenced pistol, then removed the silencer and hid the gun.
The killer then used a cigarette with a firecracker fuse inserted into it, throwing it into the narrow vent, which acted as a natural amplifier, to simulate a gunshot. This ruse allowed the killer to escape through a pre-designed window before Wei Feng and Luo Fei arrived, controlling the timing with the length of the cigarette. Lu Wen De, though arrested, defiantly declared that if the real culprit wasn't caught, Wei Feng would remain imprisoned for life.
Convinced by Luo Fei that keeping Wei Feng jailed would only aid Jin Bu Bai's larger scheme, Superintendent Sha Wei decided to release Wei Feng. Wei Feng's informant, Tian Bai Chuan, had hinted at a more terrible plan involving a virus, and the incident at St. John Hospital was just the tip of the iceberg.
Shortly after Wei Feng's release, his wife, Yuan Yuan, came to pick him up and joyfully informed him that she was pregnant, a revelation that left Wei Feng overjoyed. However, Luo Fei soon received grave news: one of the five severe flu patients at St. John Hospital had died. The situation was escalating, and Luo Fei grew increasingly concerned when he learned Yuan Yuan had received an anonymous letter and photographs, which she intended to report.
Luo Fei suspected this was Jin Bu Bai's doing, believing he had discovered Yuan Yuan's identity and was targeting her due to Wei Feng's perceived betrayal. Benjamin's examination confirmed Luo Fei's fears; the letter and photographs were coated with a potent, mixed poison powder. Yuan Yuan was poisoned, and only an antidote could save her. Luo Fei delivered the grim news to Wei Feng, who was devastated, regretting that his actions had endangered his loved ones.
To find a cure, Luo Fei decided to pursue two avenues simultaneously: a team of experts from the Concession Medical Association would work on developing an antidote, while Luo Fei and his team would investigate the hospital patients for clues. They began by questioning Dr. Hao about the deceased patient, Guo Yong Qiang, who had suddenly deteriorated despite showing signs of recovery. Benjamin's autopsy revealed Guo Yong Qiang died of poisoning, not flu, between 10:00 PM and 10:30 PM.
Given that no strangers had entered the ward, the killer was likely an acquaintance. The next day, shocking news arrived: Dr. Hao had apparently committed suicide in his office. At the crime scene, Dr. Hao was found slumped over his desk, a suicide note in his hand, and blood on his mouth and the note, with the door locked from the inside. Benjamin's initial assessment pointed to suicide, with cyanide found in his water glass.
However, Luo Fei quickly deduced it was murder. He pointed out the suicide note was written with black ink, but no black pen was found in the office. He revealed that the killer had added cyanide to Dr. Hao's water using ice, and then, after the doctor drank it, called him to prompt him to pick up a pre-prepared suicide note, faking his death.
Luo Fei further theorized that the killer precisely timed the call by observing Dr. Hao through a small cutout in the frosted glass office door, confirming the killer was present in the hospital, and likely one of the remaining four patients or their family members. During this intense investigation, Yuan Yuan suddenly collapsed at the hospital. Wei Feng immediately called for a doctor.
President Ouyang of the expert panel explained that the synthetic virus was incredibly complex, and the small amount of poison found on the photos was insufficient for analysis. They desperately needed a fresh sample of the poison powder to determine its composition. Desperate, Wei Feng went to the prison to confront Jin Bu Bai, demanding the antidote. Jin Bu Bai, philosophical about love and death, claimed he never created antidotes, only poisons.
However, he offered Wei Feng a deal: if Wei Feng would deliver a fake message to Luo Fei—that a truck with a false license plate would attack the water plant two days later at 8:00 AM—he would provide Wei Feng with a sample of the poison. To ensure Wei Feng's compliance, Jin Bu Bai injected him with a virus, promising an antidote in seven days if Wei Feng followed his instructions.
Wei Feng, thinking of Yuan Yuan and their unborn child, agreed. Luo Fei and Wei Feng began questioning the remaining four patients and their families. Their attention soon fell on Old Huang, Xiao Hu's father, who seemed suspicious. When they arrived at Old Huang's house, they found him dead. Qin Xiaoman discovered a packet of the virus powder in the house. Wei Feng immediately grabbed the car keys, intending to rush the sample to President Ouyang for analysis. Luo Fei, however, insisted on accompanying him. As they drove, Luo Fei confronted Wei Feng, questioning him about Old Huang's death, implying Wei Feng might be responsible.
