Resumen del episodio 39 (final) de The Knockout
> Resúmenes de The Knockout
Xu Zhong called He Liming, requesting permission to excavate the highway in Qinghua District to locate Tan Siyan's remains. Xu Zhong argued that finding the lost son of a father, who might have died in the line of duty and was buried under the highway, was of paramount importance. He Liming, reminding Xu Zhong of his role in his promotion, firmly denied the request, stating the highway could not be dug unless he was replaced.
Soon after, Yang Youzhu rushed to Xu Zhong, reporting that she had found online information about an underground bank transferring funds for Qiangsheng Group. The bank was located in an office building owned by Qiangsheng Group. Xu Zhong immediately ordered Sun Xu to take action. Sun Xu led a team to raid the underground bank, where the manager confessed that Song Zhifei of Qiangsheng Group had instructed them to transfer assets overseas.
Meanwhile, financial manager Song Zhifei was attempting to retrieve the real ledgers and a list of bribed officials from his safe when Huang Yao entered and confronted him. Song Zhifei initially tried to claim he was taking the documents to her father, Gao Qiqiang, but Huang Yao saw through his lies, revealing her knowledge of the underground bank raid and accusing him of trying to use the sensitive documents to save himself.
Terrified, Song Zhifei knelt and begged for mercy, assuring her that he had not revealed a single word to the special investigation team, despite them having approached him to surrender. He handed over all the true ledgers and the name list to Huang Yao, swearing there were no backups. Huang Yao, maintaining a facade of understanding, accepted the documents.
An Xin reported to Xu Zhong a major breakthrough: Bai Xiaochen had confessed all his crimes and was prepared to testify against Gao Qiqiang. Xu Zhong recognized this as significant progress, especially when combined with the evidence from the underground bank. He immediately decided to launch a full-scale operation to apprehend all remaining suspects, confirming that all necessary preparations were in place. Meanwhile, Huang Yao, now in possession of the ledgers, called Gao Qiqiang.
Feigning fear and a broken-down car, she reported that Song Zhifei had attempted to escape with the company's ledgers, but she had intercepted him and was now hiding at the company's first-floor cafe. Gao Qiqiang, concerned, promised to rush to her location. Immediately after this call, Huang Yao contacted An Xin, identifying herself as Mo's daughter, and informed him that she had Qiangsheng Group's real ledgers and that Gao Qiqiang was also present.
She urged An Xin to arrive at the cafe within ten minutes. Moments after Huang Yao's call to An Xin, Guo Shanfeng, Jiang Tian's hitman, appeared at the cafe and abducted Huang Yao. Gao Qiqiang arrived shortly after, but only found out from a staff member that Huang Yao had left with a tall, strong man.
He then received a call from Guo Shanfeng, who was using Huang Yao's phone, telling him to come to the rooftop alone if he wanted to see his daughter. On the rooftop, Gao Qiqiang confronted Guo Shanfeng, who identified himself as Jiang Tian's best friend. Guo Shanfeng brutally attacked Gao Qiqiang and confessed to killing Chen Shuting.
He revealed that Jiang Tian had ordered him to cause Chen Shuting's fatal car accident after witnessing her take Bai Xiaochen from the underground garage. Guo Shanfeng then gave Gao Qiqiang a gruesome choice: either jump from the building himself, as Jiang Tian had been forced to do, or he would push Huang Yao. Huang Yao pleaded with Guo Shanfeng, but he dismissed her pleas. Gao Qiqiang, desperate, tried to negotiate for his daughter's release.
As Guo Shanfeng was about to force Gao Qiqiang to jump, An Xin arrived with a tactical team. Guo Shanfeng immediately seized Huang Yao, holding a knife to her throat, and forced her into an elevator. Gao Qiqiang, despite his injured leg, and An Xin bravely pursued them into the elevator. Working together, they managed to pry open the elevator doors, rescue Huang Yao, and subdue Guo Shanfeng. Uniformed police quickly arrived and apprehended Guo Shanfeng.
In the aftermath, Huang Yao, visibly distressed and conflicted, approached Gao Qiqiang, who had just risked his life for her. When he told her he saved her because she was his daughter, Huang Yao asked what she should do, expressing her exhaustion. Despite her internal struggle, she made a decisive choice. She turned to An Xin and publicly presented all the criminal evidence against Gao Qiqiang to the guidance team.
Gao Qiqiang, witnessing this betrayal from someone he treated as his own daughter, was utterly stunned and too disheartened to resist arrest. Huang Yao's decision stemmed from years of hidden resentment. She recalled her first encounter with An Xin, whose kind smile and comforting lie about her mother, Huang Cuicui, going on a distant trip, brought her warmth despite knowing it was a falsehood.
Her father, Chen Jinmo, had once told her he trusted only two people: Gao Qiqiang and An Xin. However, Huang Yao later learned that Gao Qiqiang, the very person her father trusted, was responsible for his death. She distinctly remembered overhearing Chen Shuting tell Tang Xiaolong that Gao Qiqiang considered her father merely a "chess piece" whose death was inconsequential.
This fueled a deep-seated hatred in Huang Yao, who then outwardly adopted a meek and obedient demeanor toward Gao Qiqiang while secretly plotting her revenge. When An Xin, after her public accusation, asked why she hadn't come to him for help, Huang Yao explained that Gao Qiqiang had taken her only family, and she felt compelled to exact her own justice, fully accepting the personal cost.
Upon learning from Secretary Wang that Gao Qiqiang had been arrested and Qiangsheng Group's bank accounts frozen, Zhao Lidong knew his own illicit funds, though hidden, would soon be exposed. He instructed Secretary Wang to leave Jinghai immediately, acknowledging that he himself, with deep roots in the city, could not escape. Secretary Wang bowed and departed, only to be intercepted by Fang Ning and his team and taken in for investigation.
Shortly after, Xu Zhong and Ji Ze arrived at Zhao Lidong's office. Zhao Lidong attempted to maintain a facade of calm, discussing ambitious plans for Jinghai's future development, including new highways and reservoirs. However, Xu Zhong and Ji Ze cut him short, informing him that officials from the Provincial Commission of Discipline Inspection had arrived to take him in. Zhao Lidong was then escorted away for investigation.
With the provincial leadership's approval, Xu Zhong oversaw the excavation of the S108 highway in Qinghua District, where Tan Siyan's remains were discovered. Following Guo Shanfeng's confessions, the bodies of Wang Li and Lu Han were also found, having been sealed in cement-filled metal buckets and submerged in riverbed pits. These discoveries brought the Qiangsheng Group gang case to its conclusion.
The court subsequently delivered its verdict: Gao Qiqiang, as the organizer and leader of the organized crime group, was found guilty of numerous charges, including intentional murder, kidnapping, and bribery, and was sentenced to death with lifelong deprivation of political rights and confiscation of all personal property. Tang Xiaolong, a core member, also received the death penalty for his involvement in various crimes, including murder and organizing prostitution.
Bai Xiaochen was sentenced to five years in prison, deprived of political rights for one year, and fined 50,000 yuan for his participation in organized crime and robbery. An Xin visited Gao Qiqiang in the detention center, checking on his well-being. He informed Gao Qiqiang that Gao Qilan, who had been crying during her visit to An Xin, was preparing to go to Africa and had asked An Xin to bring him dumplings.
Gao Qiqiang reminisced about the dumplings An Xin gave him 20 years ago when he was first arrested, calling them the best he ever had. He pondered how his life would have turned out if he had never agreed to Tang Xiaolong and Tang Xiaohu's request to teach Xu Lei a lesson. He imagined he might still be the humble fishmonger from Old Factory Street, and perhaps he and An Xin could have been friends.
An Xin simply responded, "There are no ifs." Soon after this visit, Gao Qiqiang was led away for his execution. In the aftermath, An Xin worked late, falling asleep at his desk. His colleague, Xiao Wu, noticed his hand trembling and offered him a massage, which An Xin gently declined, musing that his ailment was 20 years old. He then light-heartedly advised Xiao Wu, who was also single, not to be too picky about marriage.
Meanwhile, in Linjiang, Xu Zhong's leader, He Liming, was interrogated by Li Mu regarding his connection to Zhao Lidong and his obstruction of the highway excavation. He Liming attempted to downplay his involvement, claiming he was merely misguided and prioritizing urban development. However, upon Xu Zhong's return to Linjiang, he immediately confronted He Liming with Huang Cuicui's damning audio recording.
He Liming, recognizing the incontrovertible evidence, pleaded for leniency and a peaceful retirement, but Xu Zhong insisted on upholding justice and urged him to confess. Consequently, He Liming was expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office for corruption, abuse of power, and harboring criminals. Meng Dehai, for his part, was demoted and placed on one-year Party probation, with an order to retire, acknowledging his cooperation.
Zhao Lidong received the death penalty for numerous crimes, including leading organized crime, intentional murder, and abuse of power, with lifelong deprivation of political rights and confiscation of all assets. Yang Jian was sentenced to fifteen years in prison, three years deprivation of political rights, and a two-million-yuan fine for participating in organized crime, bribery, and illegal possession of firearms. With the Qiangsheng Group and its network of protectors finally eradicated, Jinghai ushered in a more just and orderly society.
Reflecting on the long journey, An Xin still felt a sense of unease, expressing that he would only feel truly comfortable when Jinghai no longer needed him. Xu Zhong countered that the people would always need their protection, emphasizing that continuous efforts to eradicate crime were essential for the happiness and peace of the populace.
