Ordinary Greatness Episode 23 Recap
> Ordinary Greatness Recap
Li Dawei received grave news from the doctor that his father, Li Yisheng, might only have a few days left to live and would soon fall into a deep coma without feeling pain. Heartbroken, Li Dawei stayed by his father's side, wanting to spend his father's last moments with him. His master, Chen Xincheng, visited him in a hurry, quietly offering support.
Li Dawei confided in Chen Xincheng that he had finally felt like he had a father, only to now lose him. Chen Xincheng tried to console him, saying that finding his father was what mattered most. Later, Xia Jie, Zhao Jiwei, and Yang Shu also arrived. Zhao Jiwei, along with Xia Jie and Yang Shu, also arrived, trying to ease Li Dawei's sorrow with their lighthearted banter and showing concern for Li Yisheng as 'our dad'.
Despite the medical team's best efforts, Li Yisheng's condition worsened, and he passed away. A devastated Li Dawei, though heartbroken, managed to handle the funeral arrangements with the help of Wang Shouyi and other officers from Balihe Police Station. Wang Shouyi assured Li Dawei's mother that the station would provide any assistance needed. Li Dawei's mother reflected that while his father used to be alone, this time, so many people came to bid him farewell, making his journey less lonely.
After the funeral, Li Dawei offered to move back home to live with his mother, but she firmly refused. She explained that she had become accustomed to living alone since Li Yisheng was rarely home. She also stated her intention to get back to her earthwork business and make money, not wanting to be cheated again. She insisted that her life hadn't changed and must continue, and sent Li Dawei back to his rental apartment.
Li Dawei started his intense work, posting on Moments whenever he had time to reassure his mother. Later, Li Dawei discussed this with Xia Jie, who suggested that his strong-willed mother might be intentionally pushing him away to prevent herself from becoming overly dependent on him emotionally after her husband's passing. Later that night, around 3 AM, after finishing a shift, Chen Xincheng and Li Dawei received a call about a rape at the T-junction of Shunhe Street.
Chen Xincheng instructed Li Dawei to call Xia Jie to meet them at the station, while they immediately headed to the scene. There, a woman named Liu Xiaoli, appearing distraught, claimed she had been raped by a black car driver, Yue Wei. She recounted that she had been drinking alone at a bar, became a little drunk, and accepted a ride home from a man she had just met. Instead, he took her to his home and raped her.
Liu Xiaoli insisted he was a terrifying pervert and that she nearly couldn't escape. When asked if she took money, Liu Xiaoli admitted receiving 200 yuan from him but swore she didn't ask for it, claiming he forced it on her. Li Dawei, observing her, whispered to Chen Xincheng that he suspected it was a prostitution deal gone sour.
Chen Xincheng noted the lack of surveillance cameras in the area and resolved to report it, deeming it a security blind spot. Guided by Liu Xiaoli, they went to the man's house. The man, Yue Wei, confirmed he knew Liu Xiaoli and stated she had just left his place. Upon hearing the rape accusation, Yue Wei vehemently denied it, claiming their encounter was consensual and that Liu Xiaoli had even taken 200 yuan from him.
He suggested that if she was unhappy with the amount, she shouldn't resort to false accusations, and that at most, it would be a prostitution case, which still violated public security regulations. Chen Xincheng sent Li Dawei to secure Liu Xiaoli in the car while he questioned Yue Wei further. Yue Wei maintained his story, stating Liu Xiaoli had flirted with him at the bar, leading him to believe she was interested.
He claimed he offered her 200 yuan for a taxi when she refused to stay or let him drive her home, and was shocked by her accusation. Liu Xiaoli, however, maintained her account, describing how she felt dizzy after getting into Yue Wei's car and woke up at his home with her clothes partially removed.
She said she desperately tried to escape and pleaded with him, but he threatened to kill her with a knife, boasting that no one ever left his house once they entered. Fearing for her life, she had no choice but to comply. She added that he was a pervert and tortured her for three or four hours.
Back at the station, after Li Dawei confirmed Yue Wei's consistent claim of consensual sex, Chen Xincheng had Xia Jie examine Liu Xiaoli, who reported no physical injuries. Li Dawei reiterated his belief that it was a prostitution case where Liu Xiaoli regretted the price and falsely accused rape, judging her as "not a decent girl."
Chen Xincheng decided to transfer the case to the criminal police team, as per regulations for rape accusations, and informed them by phone to take over the case by daybreak. Li Dawei, still convinced it was prostitution, joked that they would likely encounter them again soon. Li Dawei then used his phone to post on Moments, reassuring his mother. Later, Chen Xincheng returned home and found his daughter, Jia, withdrawn under her blanket in a messy room.
He had bought her food, including a chicken drumstick, and tried to coax her to eat. Jia, however, expressed that she found life meaningless and uninteresting, even refusing to consider pursuing art further. Chen Xincheng, deeply concerned, confessed his worries to Li Dawei, who suggested it was typical adolescent melancholy and advised encouraging her to socialize more. Chen Xincheng lamented the difficulty of raising an adolescent daughter alone.
Soon after, a tearful Liu Xiaoli appeared at the station, appealing to Chen Xincheng. She insisted she had been raped, not involved in prostitution, and felt deeply wronged that she was being labeled a prostitute after her assault. She told him that her family now knew about the incident and her stepmother wouldn't even let her into the house.
Chen Xincheng offered to speak to her stepmother and encouraged her to find a proper job, avoid risky places, and cherish herself. Still feeling uneasy about the case, Chen Xincheng and Li Dawei visited Captain Luo at the criminal police team to review the evidence. Captain Luo showed them surveillance footage from the bar and a nearby intersection.
The clips showed Liu Xiaoli and Yue Wei interacting intimately at the bar, walking out together, and her leaning her head on his shoulder in his car. Captain Luo pointed out that she walked steadily despite claiming to be drunk, questioned why she would get into a stranger's car late at night, and highlighted the lack of physical injuries on her and the 200 yuan she received.
He also noted that their investigation into Liu Xiaoli's background revealed no proper employment, a history of relationships with multiple men, and instances of receiving money from them. Furthermore, Captain Luo revealed that when questioned about Yue Wei's "perverted" actions, Liu Xiaoli provided inconsistent accounts across multiple interrogations, leading him to believe she was fabricating details.
Based on this, Captain Luo concluded that the case lacked evidence for rape but had sufficient evidence for prostitution and whoring, which was how they intended to classify it. Chen Xincheng requested to review the confessions, which Captain Luo initially declined but eventually allowed him and Li Dawei to read at the station. Chen Xincheng and Li Dawei then thoroughly reviewed Liu Xiaoli and Yue Wei's interrogation records, working until dawn.
While reviewing the documents, Li Dawei, still convinced of her prostitution, questioned Chen Xincheng if he truly didn't believe she was a prostitute, pointing to her demeanor. Chen Xincheng cautioned him against prejudice, stating that police shouldn't judge based on appearance and that a girl who doesn't 'love herself' isn't necessarily a prostitute, as there's no definite connection. Chen Xincheng decided they needed to speak to Liu Xiaoli again.
He instructed Li Dawei to keep their private investigation confidential, treating it as a "personal hobby" since the criminal police team had already made their conclusion. Li Dawei eagerly agreed to learn from his master. Chen Xincheng subsequently called Liu Xiaoli back to the station. He confronted her about her inconsistent testimonies with the criminal police team.
Liu Xiaoli admitted that she had deliberately exaggerated details to try and get the police to take her case seriously, but it had backfired, making her story convoluted. She then provided a more detailed and consistent account of Yue Wei's actions, confirming he was a pervert. She explained that she had a previous boyfriend with similar disturbing tendencies, which taught her that resisting was futile.
Instead, she chose to comply, trying to find an opportunity to escape, which also explained the lack of physical injuries. She recounted how Yue Wei tortured her for three or four hours and reiterated his boast that no one brought to his home ever escaped. Chen Xincheng pressed her on why Yue Wei would then let her go.
Liu Xiaoli revealed her strategy: she had set up a timed auto-dial function on another phone at her home, configured to call her mobile phone at 2:30 AM. When the call came through, she feigned a conversation with a "girlfriend," fabricating a story that her friend would call the police if she didn't return home by a certain time.
Yue Wei, seemingly convinced, allowed her to answer the phone and then, after some hesitation, let her leave, giving her 200 yuan. She took the money out of fear that he wouldn't release her otherwise. Liu Xiaoli swore her story was true, even offering to be struck by lightning if she lied. Chen Xincheng acknowledged the current lack of strong evidence for rape but assured her the police would not abandon the investigation.
He advised her to keep their conversation confidential, avoid any further contact with Yue Wei, and encouraged her to find a respectable job, care for herself, and provide solace to her deceased mother's spirit. Liu Xiaoli was deeply moved, expressing that no one had shown such concern for her since her mother's death. Reflecting on the case with Li Dawei, Chen Xincheng found Liu Xiaoli's updated account credible but still puzzled by several aspects.
He questioned how Yue Wei, an unofficial car driver, could afford to frequent a motorcycle bar across the city from his jurisdiction. He also found the timeline suspicious: Liu Xiaoli arrived at Yue Wei's at 10:30 PM and left at 3 AM. This extended period didn't align with a quick, illegal prostitution transaction, nor did her departure at 3 AM fit a consensual overnight stay.
Chen Xincheng also pondered if 200 yuan was "too cheap" for a young woman involved in prostitution. He concluded that there were two possibilities: either Liu Xiaoli was a habitual liar who had even managed to deceive an experienced officer like himself, or they had encountered an extremely cunning and dangerous criminal. Li Dawei, greatly impressed by Chen Xincheng's astute observations, joked about his initial assumptions of his master.
