Ordinary Greatness Episode 28 Recap
> Ordinary Greatness Recap
Xia Jie was burdened by worries concerning her mother. Upon returning from a police call, Li Dawei noticed Xia Jie's preoccupation and inquired about her troubles, but she was reluctant to share. Meanwhile, Chen Xincheng learned that Liu Xiaoli had been brought into the Balihe Police Station after causing a disturbance and fighting in a local bar. He, Li Dawei, and Xia Jie went to the interrogation room, where Liu Xiaoli, upon seeing Chen Xincheng, burst into tears.
Chen Xincheng asked Xia Jie to bring Ye Wei, the Instructor, to question Liu Xiaoli. Li Dawei, observing Liu Xiaoli’s heavy makeup and dyed blue hair, commented to Chen Xincheng that Liu Xiaoli was likely engaged in sex work and that her previous accusation against Yue Wei was probably false, concluding she was beyond help.
Instructor Ye Wei later informed Chen Xincheng that Liu Xiaoli had deliberately come to a bar within the Balihe Police Station’s jurisdiction to cause trouble and get arrested. Her intention was to draw Chen Xincheng’s attention because she believed he was the only person who truly listened to her and would help her.
Instructor Ye Wei added that the bar fight was a minor dispute, and Liu Xiaoli would be released after a warning, but she had requested to see Chen Xincheng before she left. Chen Xincheng asked Li Dawei to continue looking for clues while he went to speak with Liu Xiaoli. Chen Xincheng and Xia Jie found Liu Xiaoli still crying. Chen Xincheng urged her to calmly explain her situation so he could assist.
Liu Xiaoli tearfully recounted that since the previous incident, she had been ostracized; her neighbors accused her of provoking the assault, her stepmother refused to let her come home, and her father offered no support, leaving her homeless. She lamented the difficulties of life. Chen Xincheng, visibly angry, scolded her for blaming others and urged her to take responsibility for her own life, criticizing her self-destructive appearance. Liu Xiaoli explained her stepmother would not allow her into the house.
Chen Xincheng then calmed down, advised Liu Xiaoli not to continue going astray, and promised to help her wholeheartedly. Liu Xiaoli implored Chen Xincheng to bring Yue Wei to justice, to which Chen Xincheng promised to investigate the truth as soon as possible. He then personally assured her that he would address her housing issue and "see this through," reiterating the importance of self-respect. He then asked Li Dawei and Xia Jie to escort her out.
After Liu Xiaoli left, Xia Jie commented on Chen Xincheng's unusual anger. Li Dawei suggested that Chen Xincheng likely saw Liu Xiaoli as his own daughter, Jia, feeling sympathy for her plight but frustration at her lack of initiative. Noticing Xia Jie's continued distress, Li Dawei tried to probe, mentioning her recent financial struggles, a loan application he’d glimpsed on her phone, and her mother’s return from Dali. He asked why she was still so unhappy.
Xia Jie snapped at him, telling him to mind his own business, but Li Dawei insisted he wouldn't back down when provoked and continued to press her, offering his help. Their conversation was cut short when Chen Xincheng returned with news of another police call, instructing them to change and meet him in the car. On their way, Chen Xincheng confided in Li Dawei that he was convinced Liu Xiaoli had been raped, despite the lack of evidence.
He stressed that protecting her was their priority, even if she was outside their jurisdiction, because she was their client. Concerned for Liu Xiaoli, Chen Xincheng and Li Dawei accompanied her to her home, where they found her stepmother forcefully trying to evict her.
Liu Xiaoli defiantly demanded her biological mother's hair salon back, escalating into a heated argument with her stepmother, who hurled insults, calling Liu Xiaoli a disgrace and accusing her of seducing "wild men," and now, even police officers. Chen Xincheng warned the stepmother that slandering police officers was a legal offense. Just then, Liu Xiaoli’s younger half-brother returned from school. The stepmother quickly ushered him inside, locking the door and leaving Liu Xiaoli, Chen Xincheng, and Li Dawei outside.
Chen Xincheng told Liu Xiaoli to wait at the community office. He then took Li Dawei to a nearby police station to seek assistance from Chief Song. Chen Xincheng requested help finding Liu Xiaoli a place to stay and a job. Chief Song recognized Liu Xiaoli as a recurring problem in his jurisdiction.
Chen Xincheng explained that he had come to know her through a case and believed her to be fundamentally good, but a victim of an early maternal loss and an irresponsible father. After some discussion about the limits of police involvement in family matters, Chen Xincheng emphasized that Liu Xiaoli might be a crucial witness in a major case, necessitating her protection.
Chief Song ultimately agreed to help, promising to arrange for low-rent housing and a job so Liu Xiaoli could support herself. Soon after, Chief Song secured a low-rent apartment for Liu Xiaoli and arranged for her to work as a cashier at a local supermarket. Chen Xincheng visited her at her new workplace, advising her to cherish the opportunity and be meticulous in her duties, especially since the job was arranged through Chief Song’s connections.
He also gifted her a water bottle, reminding her to stay hydrated. Liu Xiaoli confirmed her apartment was good and safe, being right behind the police station. Chen Xincheng reassured her that they were still investigating her case, promising to bring the perpetrator to justice once evidence was found, no matter where he might be. Liu Xiaoli expressed her heartfelt gratitude. Later, Chen Xincheng took his daughter, Jia, out to dinner.
He spoke about Liu Xiaoli’s situation, mentioning how outsiders often misjudged her due to her appearance and behavior, unaware of her underlying misfortunes. He admitted to initially disliking Liu Xiaoli but came to understand and pity her after learning her story. Jia empathized, recognizing Liu Xiaoli as a girl lacking love. Chen Xincheng then spoke of his own feelings, assuring Jia of his love, though he struggled to express it.
Jia, in turn, confessed that she knew he loved her and that she, too, struggled to express her affection, sometimes getting angry when she tried to show care. After this emotional exchange, Chen Xincheng gently suggested that it might be inconvenient for Jia to continue staying with Xia Jie. He offered to rent an apartment for Jia near his home, but Jia, touched by their conversation, agreed to move back in with him, much to his delight.
Li Dawei, meanwhile, delved deeper into the Yue Wei case. He discovered a closed case from 2014 where a girl named Lin Cuicui had reported Yue Wei for rape to the police station in Xianqian Street. Similar to Liu Xiaoli’s situation, the case was dismissed due to a lack of conclusive evidence, making it difficult to distinguish between rape and consensual activity.
Li Dawei presented this finding to Chen Xincheng, noting the similarity in the victims' appearances and obtaining Lin Cuicui's contact details. They promptly went to Lin Cuicui’s workplace. Lin Cuicui, now a manager, was visibly agitated and refused to cooperate, citing fear of Yue Wei's retaliation and concern that police involvement would affect her job. Chen Xincheng left his business card, urging her to call if she remembered anything.
Shortly after Chen Xincheng and Li Dawei left, Lin Cuicui called Chen Xincheng. He acknowledged her desire to forget the painful experience but stressed that justice was necessary for her true healing and safety, given their belief that Yue Wei was a repeat offender. Lin Cuicui revealed that Yue Wei had threatened her with a "slit throat" gesture after encountering her on the street, intensifying her fear.
Persuaded, Lin Cuicui recounted her experience: at 18, new to the city, she worked as a foot therapist and, needing money, sometimes "went out" with clients for extra payment. Yue Wei offered her 500 yuan to go home with him, bypassing the shop's commission. Desperate for money, she agreed. At his home, she realized her mistake, but Yue Wei tied her to the bed, torturing her for several hours and threatening her with a cleaver.
She believed she was going to die when, miraculously, Yue Wei received a phone call. After a moment of distress, he untied her and angrily told her to leave before he changed his mind. Frightened and unpaid, she escaped and immediately reported the incident to the police. However, Yue Wei claimed the encounter was consensual and threatened to expose her workplace for prostitution, leading her to drop the case.
She confirmed the incident occurred a few days before her police report on August 21, 2014. Li Dawei and Chen Xincheng discussed the case further. Li Dawei shared that Yue Wei had been away from his hometown for many years, making him unrecognizable to local police. Chen Xincheng voiced his strong suspicion that Lin Cuicui and Liu Xiaoli were merely the "luckiest" of Yue Wei’s victims, fearing other girls never left his apartment alive.
He instructed Li Dawei to search for missing women, particularly those from nightclubs, foot massage parlors, and bars. Li Dawei directly asked if they suspected Yue Wei was a serial killer targeting "fallen women." Chen Xincheng conceded it was too early to conclude but highlighted the compelling similarities and suspicious aspects of the cases.
Wang Shouyi then instructed them to hand over their findings to Captain Luo of the criminal police group, reiterating that major case investigations fell under the criminal police's purview. Chen Xincheng and Li Dawei went to meet Captain Luo, proposing an investigation into missing women from entertainment venues over the past decade.
Captain Luo agreed to investigate and keep them informed, though he expressed skepticism about the "serial killer" theory, noting Yue Wei's quiet behavior since the Liu Xiaoli incident did not fit the profile. Later, while Chen Xincheng and Li Dawei were on a police call responding to a fighting with weapons incident on Jinbao Street, Li Dawei received a call from another police chief with a crucial update.
On the night of August 20, 2014, around midnight, Yue Wei’s mother passed away. His family contacted him shortly after to inform him. Li Dawei deduced that Yue Wei was likely in the midst of assaulting Lin Cuicui when he received the news, disrupting his plans and allowing her to escape. He enthusiastically concluded that Yue Wei was indeed a "perverted killer."
Chen Xincheng, however, cautioned against making such a definitive conclusion, stating it was still just a "possibility" and suggested they report this new information to their chief. Wang Shouyi, now aware of these developments, explained that Captain Luo’s criminal police group had also found a girl who went missing from a nightclub nine years prior. Her case was initially closed because her ID was fake, and despite investigations, no further leads were found until now.
Captain Luo showed Chen Xincheng and Li Dawei old surveillance footage from the nightclub, where they recognized a younger Yue Wei, though the image was blurry. Captain Luo acknowledged the increased suspicion towards Yue Wei but noted the lack of concrete evidence and the missing girl's fake ID hindered further investigation. Wang Shouyi confirmed that Chen Xincheng and Li Dawei’s investigative direction was accurate.
Due to manpower shortages in the criminal police group, Captain Luo asked Balihe Police Station to take over the surveillance of Yue Wei, mentioning that two new surveillance cameras had been installed near his frequent routes. Chen Xincheng immediately volunteered his station for the task, which Wang Shouyi approved, declaring a "net" had been cast for Yue Wei. While Li Dawei was diligently analyzing the surveillance videos, Xia Jie approached him, finally ready to confide.
She admitted she felt no one could help her, but Li Dawei encouraged her, suggesting an outsider's perspective might be beneficial. Xia Jie then revealed that her mother was experiencing problems again.
