Ordinary Greatness Episode 4 Recap
> Ordinary Greatness Recap
Li Dawei and his master Chen Xincheng returned late after handling an incident where two cyclists collided and fought. Li Dawei suggested detaining them, to which Chen Xincheng retorted, asking if Li Dawei only knew how to detain people and if he found catching people enjoyable.
While getting water for Chen Xincheng, Li Dawei noticed his master wearing long sleeves on a hot summer day and inquired about it, but Chen Xincheng told him to stop talking and bring the two men in. Once inside, the two men immediately began to argue vehemently, blaming each other, despite Chen Xincheng's attempts to quiet them.
Suddenly, assistant policeman Sun Qiancheng rushed in to inform Chen Xincheng that Grandpa Sun from the Shangding Neighborhood parking lot had reported a possible sighting of the two robbers they had been tracking. Sun Qiancheng admitted that the information was vague and he wasn't certain. Chen Xincheng dispatched Sun Qiancheng and Li Dawei to investigate the situation, primarily to scout the robbers' former residence as part of a patrol.
He sternly reminded them to call him first and, under no circumstances, to act rashly, specifically telling Sun Qiancheng to watch Li Dawei closely. Meanwhile, Cao Jianjun received an urgent call about a young man named Yuhao, who was threatening to jump from a building after an argument with his mother. Cao Jianjun and Yang Shu immediately drove to the location.
Yang Shu suggested waiting for the fire department to arrive before ascending to the roof, but Cao Jianjun insisted they assess the situation immediately. He questioned if Yang Shu was afraid of heights and stressed that police officers must overcome such fears, instructing Yang Shu to follow him. As they drove, Li Dawei chatted with Sun Qiancheng, surprised to learn he was a 985 university graduate working as an assistant policeman.
Sun Qiancheng explained he had always dreamed of being a police officer and, after failing the civil service exam for an official position, chose to work as an assistant for less than 3,000 yuan a month while preparing to retake the exam. He expressed a strong "heroic spirit" and a desire to fulfill his dream before he died. Li Dawei empathized, revealing he hadn't initially aspired to be a police officer.
He described himself as a mischievous student with poor grades but a good heart, often helping classmates and even receiving an award for bravery. His mother, seeking to discipline him, sent him to the police academy. Despite sometimes feeling their work was like being a "rag of society," Li Dawei remained optimistic, believing opportunities favored the prepared. Meanwhile, on the rooftop, Cao Jianjun and Yang Shu confronted a distressed Yuhao and his emotional mother.
Yuhao's mother tearfully explained that they had a minor argument before she went grocery shopping, and upon her return, Yuhao was already on the ledge, threatening to jump. When she defiantly stated she would jump with him, Yuhao became more agitated. Cao Jianjun quickly intervened, telling Yang Shu to remove the mother from the scene to prevent further escalation. Cao Jianjun attempted to engage Yuhao, acknowledging his recent return from Beijing, but Yuhao immediately pushed him away.
Cao Jianjun asserted his duty as a police officer to protect Yuhao's life, only for Yuhao to declare his life worthless, calling himself a "puppet" who needed no one's protection. Cao Jianjun tried to reason with Yuhao, questioning how much longer his mother could control him given his impending master's degree graduation. To empathize, Cao Jianjun even fabricated a story about his own controlling mother and years of no contact, which Yang Shu affirmed.
Yang Shu then opened up about his own struggles, sharing that despite his master's degree from Peking University and excellent academic performance, his mother would still scold him for anything less than first place. In a defiant act, he moved from Beijing to become a police officer there after graduation.
Yuhao, however, remained convinced he couldn't escape his mother's pervasive control, believing she would rather die with him than release him, and that only death would bring an end to his struggles. Both Cao Jianjun and Yang Shu desperately continued their attempts to persuade him otherwise. While scouting the neighborhood, Sun Qiancheng and Li Dawei spotted the two robbers attempting to flee.
Sun Qiancheng suggested calling Chen Xincheng, but Li Dawei, disregarding his assistant's caution about regulations and their limited numbers, impulsively charged forward. Sun Qiancheng immediately called Chen Xincheng, reporting Li Dawei's rash action, which Chen Xincheng was too late to prevent. Li Dawei directed Sun Qiancheng to pursue one robber while he tackled the other. After Li Dawei quickly subdued his target, he joined Sun Qiancheng, and together they apprehended the second robber.
With a slight hand injury, Li Dawei proudly told Sun Qiancheng to inform Chen Xincheng that the mission was complete, proclaiming, "Opportunities are for those people who are prepared." Simultaneously, at the building, firefighters arrived. Yuhao, still on edge, warned people to keep their distance, fearing he might accidentally harm innocent bystanders if he fell. Cao Jianjun cautiously approached, explaining he was merely ensuring public safety.
Working collaboratively with Yang Shu and the arriving firefighters, Cao Jianjun successfully rescued Yuhao from the ledge. Below, grateful residents cheered and applauded Cao Jianjun, hailing him as a "big hero," which clearly delighted him. Yang Shu, observing from a distance, felt a quiet sense of pride. At the prostitution den, Cheng Hao, prioritizing Xia Jie's safety, instructed her to remain at a distance with Qizi, explaining the difficulty in securing evidence in such cases.
On his command, officers stormed the building, with Qizi restraining an eager Xia Jie. Meanwhile, Li Dawei and Sun Qiancheng successfully apprehended the two robbers and loaded them into the car. Sun Qiancheng bandaged Li Dawei's hand, which had been scratched during the pursuit. A furious Chen Xincheng arrived, taking a seat between the two culprits for the ride back.
At the station, after the robbers were secured, Chen Xincheng severely reprimanded Li Dawei for his unauthorized action, reiterating his prior instructions to call first and not act rashly. Li Dawei argued that the quick escape of the robbers left no time for reporting. Chen Xincheng accused him of seeking personal glory and highlighted the danger of the armed robber. Li Dawei dismissively claimed Chen Xincheng was overreacting, as the knife was far from him.
Enraged, Chen Xincheng ordered Li Dawei to his office while Yang Shu stood by, at a loss. Back at the station, Wang Shouyi, barely containing his anger, summoned Li Dawei and Yang Shu to his office. He ordered them to face away, stating their presence elevated his blood pressure. He then harshly questioned Li Dawei's "heroic" actions.
Wang Shouyi revealed Chen Xincheng's tragic past: years ago, Chen Xincheng bravely attempted to rescue a suicidal girl from a building, holding onto her for over twenty minutes until his elbow was raw to the bone. Despite his efforts, the girl, determined to die, slipped and fell. Her family subsequently blamed Chen Xincheng for negligent rescue, leading to disciplinary action from the bureau and a substantial compensation payment. This devastating event had left Chen Xincheng profoundly disillusioned.
Li Dawei was visibly moved by Chen Xincheng's story. Wang Shouyi continued his reprimand, pressing Li Dawei on his unauthorized actions. He reiterated that a police officer's first duty is self-protection, and disregarding orders for "personal heroism" was foolish. He pointed out the dangers of confronting a habitual offender, especially alone, and highlighted the risk Li Dawei posed not only to himself and his family but also to Sun Qiancheng, an assistant policeman earning a modest salary.
Turning to Yang Shu, Wang Shouyi acknowledged Cao Jianjun's impetuous nature in acting before the firefighters arrived. He explained that Yang Shu was assigned to Cao Jianjun specifically to integrate Yang Shu's theoretical knowledge with Cao Jianjun's practical experience, encouraging mutual learning. He strictly instructed Yang Shu to intervene and persuade Cao Jianjun to wait in future similar situations.
Wang Shouyi concluded with a heartfelt declaration that he, as a chief, would rather visit his officers in confinement than at their graves, citing Xia Jie's father as a sobering example, and urged both Li Dawei and Yang Shu to prioritize their safety while performing their duties. During the raid, Cheng Hao's team apprehended many individuals. A mother, Xiang Cuihua, was brought out with her young daughter, Wang Shuaiyang.
Xiang Cuihua desperately pleaded that she was merely a worker and innocent, worrying about her child. Cheng Hao instructed an officer to find a family contact for the child. Xia Jie comforted Wang Shuaiyang and took her aside. Xiang Cuihua provided her husband's phone number to Xia Jie. Xia Jie assured Xiang Cuihua that her husband would be contacted to pick up Wang Shuaiyang, but Xiang Cuihua still had to go to the station for investigation.
As Xia Jie and Zhi Gang escorted Xiang Cuihua to the station, Xiang Cuihua tearfully confessed her desperate circumstances, having been repeatedly exploited during her three years in the city. She recounted working grueling hours moving bricks for meager pay, only to have half her wages withheld, and admitted considering suicide. She expressed her fear of family disapproval if they discovered her line of work, stating she felt she had no other choice.
Xia Jie listened and reassured her that a truthful explanation at the station would lead to her release if she was innocent. Later, Li Dawei learned that Yang Shu had been staying in a chain hotel since his transfer to Balihe had prompted him to return his previous rental.
Li Dawei invited Yang Shu to share a three-bedroom apartment his mother had rented for him nearby, citing her concern about his commute and his desire to alleviate her financial burden by sharing rent. Yang Shu readily accepted, expressing admiration for Li Dawei's cheerful and optimistic outlook, which contrasted with his own upbringing under strict and often scolding parental guidance. Yang Shu assured Li Dawei that he had internalized Wang Shouyi's earlier admonishments.
Zhao Jiwei then joined them, expressing envy for their active field assignments. He advised them not to resent Wang Shouyi, explaining that the chief's sternness was a sign of valuing their potential. Zhao Jiwei lamented his own routine of trivial community tasks, such as assisting with a pregnant stray cat, which he felt offered no chance for significant "achievements."
Zhang Zhijie proudly showed Zhao Jiwei photos of a mother cat and her newborn kittens, joyful that he had personally ensured the pregnant stray cat received care at a rescue center, even paying 200 yuan for the delivery. Zhao Jiwei, however, dismissed this as a trivial matter. Zhang Zhijie firmly corrected him, emphasizing that all community work, no matter how small, is important.
He recounted a grave past incident where a seemingly minor issue – a resident's broken toilet window – was ignored despite his warnings. This neglect led to a thief entering through the broken window, stealing money, and raping the female homeowner, tragically demonstrating how seemingly insignificant details can escalate into serious crimes. This story finally made Zhao Jiwei understand the meticulousness of Zhang Zhijie's approach to community policing.
