Black & White Forest Episode 4 Recap
> Black & White Forest Recap
Two months ago, Xing Liang returned home late and quietly entered, attempting not to wake Wen Zixuan. However, she was awake and waiting for him on the sofa. She suggested he wasn't afraid of waking her but rather avoiding facing her. Xing Liang stated he was merely following regulations and that the punishment for losing a gun, a serious mistake, was reasonable. He asked if she expected him to abandon his principles just because Wen Binbin is her brother.
Wen Zixuan clarified she wasn't asking him to violate principles but to speak up for Wen Binbin within the rules. Xing Liang felt the punishment was beneficial for Wen Binbin, describing him as someone who "never gets his work done," associating with questionable people and not behaving like a police officer. Wen Zixuan became upset, accusing Xing Liang of never saying anything positive about Wen Binbin and seeing him as "nothing."
She concluded he didn't consider himself part of the Wen family, echoing her father's past sentiment. Xing Liang countered, asking if she truly considered him part of the family. Their argument woke their daughter, Feifei, who asked them to stop fighting. Wen Zixuan quickly assured Feifei they weren't fighting, just speaking loudly. Later, Bao Chenyan confronted Wen Binbin, explaining that someone was intentionally trying to provoke conflict between their group and Dian Lao'er, and it was fortunate they didn't retaliate.
He suspected Wen Binbin had called Xing Liang about the situation. Wen Binbin was angered by the suspicion and lack of trust. Bao Chenyan asked who Wen Binbin was calling secretly in the car. Outside, Luo Tianyi observed someone handling chains, joking about them playing "the Ghost," who captures souls. The person replied they used the chains to "lock up traitors." Hearing a noise inside, they rushed in to find Wen Binbin had been knocked unconscious.
In the Captain's Office, Captain Xing received information from the Na Meng Public Security Bureau, combined with clues from Wen Binbin, identifying the potential suspect as Sun Changhai. They began tracking him but found his identity information showed no activity for seven months, suggesting he might have another identity. They also noted the voice on Dian Lao'er's phone sounded like someone not from the north, making them suspect the clue about Sun Changhai might be a deliberate misdirection.
However, they decided to prioritize tracking Sun Changhai. Wen Binbin, having recovered, called Xing Liang. He suggested Xing Liang should give him credit for the day's events. Xing Liang responded angrily, saying he should be disciplining Wen Binbin, not giving credit. He told Wen Binbin to continue associating with Bao Chenyan and questioned why Wen Binbin didn't report information today, reminding him of his duty as a police officer. Liu Yong asked Xing Liang if Wen Binbin was being framed.
Xing Liang reassured him, stating that Bao Chenyan's relationship with Wen Binbin meant he wouldn't make trouble for him. He also believed Wen Binbin was smart enough to figure out the police had tampered with Dian Lao'er's phone and could handle himself. Back with Bao Chenyan, Wen Binbin expressed his deep disappointment at their lack of trust after years of being brothers.
He felt if they couldn't trust each other, there was no point in continuing their brotherhood and it was better to part ways. As he tried to leave, he was forcibly stopped and knocked unconscious again. Liu Yong asked Xing Liang if they should send someone to check on Wen Binbin, concerned for his safety. Xing Liang initially dismissed the idea, suggesting Wen Binbin needed to handle such matters himself if he wanted to succeed.
However, Liu Yong pointed out that Wen Binbin was part of their team and had helped them. Xing Liang relented, instructing Liu Yong to send someone to check in thirty minutes. Xing Liang then discussed the volatile situation with Liu Yong, noting that while Bao Chenyan seemed relatively stable, Dian Lao'er was unpredictable, especially with the large financial interests involved in the Tuan Island renovation. He stressed the importance of monitoring both of them to ensure social stability.
Xing Liang also expressed a desire for Bao Chenyan to stay on the right path and avoid ruining his efforts by clashing with Dian Lao'er. Liu Yong commented on Bao Chenyan's apparent good fortune to have Xing Liang worry about his welfare. Separately, Chen Mingyuan received a call from his boss urging him to quickly finalize the Tuan Island matter. Chen Mingyuan confirmed he was handling it and was told to find all the shareholders.
Later, Chen Mingyuan told a subordinate that the list of Tuan Island shareholders was nearly complete. The subordinate asked if they were going to attack Bao Chenyan, but Chen Mingyuan dismissed the idea, giving him a strict deadline to deliver the list of all shareholders, threatening repercussions if he failed. Wen Binbin woke up for the second time and saw Bao Chenyan, who apologized for the day's events and had prepared a large meal.
Bao advised Wen Binbin to change his way of living, recalling how the "Old Master" (Wen Zixuan and Wen Binbin's father) had told him to be a decent person and do decent things before he passed away. Bao Chenyan admitted he sometimes found satisfaction in using force but felt Wen Binbin was naturally suited to be a police officer.
Wen Binbin voiced his frustration, explaining that while everyone expected him to wear a police uniform because of his father, no one considered if it suited him or made him comfortable. Bao Chenyan emphasized the vastness of the Wen family's business, noting Wen Zixuan was a woman and Wen Binbin was the only male heir.
Wen Binbin insisted he and his sister could manage and reminded Bao Chenyan that the Old Master had appointed him a "life-protecting minister" and made him promise to look after them, suggesting Bao Chenyan shouldn't go back on his word, despite Bao Chenyan calling himself an outsider. Li Xiangyuan called Xing Liang, inviting him to dinner at his family's canteen, which he jokingly described as a place for exploiting wealthy, naive individuals.
Arriving at the underground garage of the building, Li Xiangyuan encountered a drunk Wen Binbin and Bao Chenyan. Wen Binbin, clearly inebriated, recognized Xing Liang as his brother-in-law and tried to engage him, but quickly became aggressive, pushing Xing Liang and calling him a bad police officer for pushing him, whom he referred to as "the people." He also made comments questioning Xing Liang's relationship with the Wen family and how well he had looked after Wen Binbin.
Xing Liang became furious, and the situation escalated into a physical altercation. Wen Zixuan and her secretary, Na Fan, arrived just as things were heating up. Wen Zixuan intervened, telling the men to quiet down in public. She played down the incident, attributing it to Wen Binbin's loud voice attracting Xing Liang's attention. Li Xiangyuan commented on the spectacle and left the scene.
Wen Zixuan told Bao Chenyan she wouldn't get involved in their disputes but stressed that Bao Chenyan needed to keep Wen Binbin in line, as Wen Binbin only listened to him. Bao Chenyan assured her that Wen Binbin was extremely important to him, describing him as his heart, liver, and three-quarters of his life. Wen Zixuan and Na Fan departed, with Bao Chenyan encouraging Wen Binbin to leave with them.
While having dinner, Li Xiangyuan advised Xing Liang to stop letting his old neighbors treat him like a personal bank, urging him to save money for his own needs. He acknowledged the help Xing Liang received from them when he was young but cautioned against helping those in poverty indefinitely with his modest salary.
Li Xiangyuan offered to act as the one who would refuse future requests on Xing Liang's behalf, but Xing Liang declined, stating he couldn't turn away people who had helped him. Just then, Xing Liang received a call from Fei Zai reporting that Chen Mingyuan was arranging another transaction with the shooter. Fei Zai mentioned that securing Chen Mingyuan's cooperation again would likely be impossible. Xing Liang told Fei Zai he was returning immediately.
The police planned their surveillance operation for Chen Mingyuan's meeting with the shooter, scheduled for 10 AM the next day at the long-distance bus station plaza near the Binjiang Holiday Express Hotel. They recognized the challenges of the location, with limited surveillance coverage and high foot traffic. Liu Yong suggested involving Dian Lao'er for assistance, but Xing Liang believed Dian Lao'er was too afraid of the ruthless shooter and too focused on his Tuan Island interests to cooperate.
Xing Liang instructed Liu Yong to prepare a detailed operational plan based on the site conditions while he coordinated with other police departments. Unbeknownst to them, Luo Tianyi's group was also observing. One of Luo Tianyi's men spotted an individual matching the shooter's description. However, Luo Tianyi, having overheard bus station announcements during a call with Fei Zai, suspected the police were already setting up.
He decided their team would not intervene directly but would position themselves at nearby intersections to capture the shooter if he evaded the police, ensuring their hands were clean if the police operation failed. At 11:30 AM, Chen Mingyuan arrived at the bus station. Police teams were instructed to primarily track the target. Chen Mingyuan bought a bus ticket for Shenchuan. The shooter then appeared, cut in line, and bought multiple tickets for the same bus, causing a disturbance.
He boarded the bus. Liu Yong and Fei Zai followed him. However, the shooter quickly got off the bus at an earlier stop, claiming he had boarded the wrong bus. He then led Liu Yong and Fei Zai on a chase. The shooter called Chen Mingyuan, expressing impatience and instructing him to meet at the Tonight's Date Internet Cafe on Datong East Road in ten minutes, threatening to leave if he was late. The police continued the pursuit.
After running for some time, the shooter needed to use the restroom and announced he was going to the nearby Wallace. At 1:05 PM, the police tracked the shooter's phone to the Wallace on Xinghuo North Road. Xing Liang realized Fei Zai was already inside and warned him to keep eyes on the suspect but to avoid taking any action.
