Prosecution Elite – Dilraba Dilmurat, Tong Dawei, Gao Xin, You Jingru

An Ni is an procurator at the People’s Procuratorate of Jiangcheng City. As one of the top ten procurators in Jiangcheng, she has excellent work ability. Under the arrangement of her superiors, she was assigned to carry out a mission in Country A, Barcelona. It involved a large-scale telecommunications fraud case that extended to foreign countries. The Procuratorate and the JC Bureau jointly established the 723 Special Task Force to investigate the case. An Ni was chosen for this mission because she was acquainted with the undercover criminal investigator in the criminal group. Additionally, she had previous experience in Barcelona, which made her familiar with the area. As a new face, she was expected to achieve unexpected success. Deputy Captain Peng Ye from the Criminal Investigation Support Team accompanied An Ni on this mission.

An Ni learned that her senior sister, Zhang Wanru, was the undercover agent in the criminal group. Back in their university days, An Ni had a deep admiration for Zhang Wanru. Now that they were able to work together on the same mission, An Ni felt both anticipation and concern. She wanted to see her senior sister, but she didn’t know if everything was going smoothly on her end, which made her somewhat worried.

The criminal group had already started conducting internal investigations, and the danger was closing in on Zhang Wanru. An Ni and Peng Ye arranged to meet Zhang Wanru at a designated location according to the agreed time. According to the protocol, if Zhang Wanru didn’t arrive at the designated location within half an hour, An Ni and Peng Ye would withdraw, indicating that something unexpected might have happened on Zhang Wanru’s side.

As per the usual routine, Zhang Wanru planned to go out to purchase ingredients on the designated day. She scheduled the day as the opportunity to exchange information. Due to the large volume of information, it couldn’t be transmitted through the internet, so Zhang Wanru placed the data storage card containing the information in a green card holder she frequently wore. Li Quan was in charge of the criminal gang in Barcelona. He received a message from the boss, and everyone remained silent, investigating the mole. Li Quan already had a suspicion in his mind, but he wasn’t certain which of the two individuals it was. However, he was prepared to test them. If anyone insisted on going out the next day, that person would be considered the mole.

Zhang Wanru sensed that Li Quan had become wary of her. She wasn’t sure if the information exchange would proceed smoothly the next day, nor did she know who the person coming to meet her would be. Faced with too many unknowns, Zhang Wanru still decided that she must go out for the rendezvous. Only by doing so could they quickly dismantle the hideout and temporarily conclude the matters there. Zhang Wanru discussed with Uncle Chen, who was going out to make purchases, to leave an hour earlier the next day. She wanted to finish the purchases early so that Uncle Chen could relax and play mahjong. In reality, she intended to use that time to exchange information. However, the next day, Li Quan locked the main gate, allowing entry but not exit. Zhang Wanru went to ask Li Quan about the situation and saw his determination. She couldn’t insist on going out, as that would easily raise Li Quan’s suspicion.

Zhang Wanru had a private conversation with Uncle Chen and received a piece of information from him. Li Quan was already suspecting Lao Wu. Zhang Wanru immediately understood. Nevertheless, she still wanted to find an opportunity to go out. When Zhang Wanru went to see Li Quan yesterday, she overheard him talking to someone at the door. She knew he would go out today and wanted to seize this opportunity. Zhang Wanru used the excuse of a missing stray cat and wanted to go out with Lao Wu and Uncle Chen to look for it. However, Lao Wu couldn’t leave because he was training the recruits, so Zhang Wanru left with Uncle Chen. Zhang Wanru asked Uncle Chen to play mahjong while she went for a foot bath, but unexpectedly, Uncle Chen betrayed her. He informed Lao Wu immediately. Lao Wu contacted Li Quan right away, and Li Quan ordered someone to secretly tail Zhang Wanru.

Peng Ye and An Ni spotted Zhang Wanru and also noticed the tailing operative. Peng Ye deliberately spilled coffee on the person who was tailing them, diverting their attention. This gave Zhang Wanru the opportunity to toss the green card holder in front of An Ni, and An Ni successfully obtained the intelligence. However, in the next moment, Zhang Wanru was hit by a car. An Ni rushed back to see Zhang Wanru lying in a pool of blood, unable to accept this reality. But she couldn’t run over to her, so all she could do was watch from a distance.

Two years passed, and An Ni often visited Zhang Wanru’s grave. She continued the unfinished work left by Zhang Wanru. An Ni would always remember the way Zhang Wanru died with her eyes open. She was determined to bring down the criminal gang and provide an explanation to Zhang Wanru. After two years of investigation, the den led by Li Quan was dismantled. He admitted to hiring a hitman to kill Zhang Wanru. An Ni and her team discovered a valuable lead from Uncle Chen. They learned that there was another person named Lao A who frequently contacted Li Quan. The fraud criminal gang had not been completely eliminated, so the 723 Special Task Force was restarted, with An Ni selected as a member. Bai Zhaoxi and Guo Hongjiang served as the team leaders of the task force, and they held their first joint meeting.

During the contact meeting, there was a conflict between He Luyuan, the captain of the criminal investigation team, and An Ni. Zhang Wanru had always liked He Luyuan, but unfortunately, He Luyuan was a workaholic who focused only on work and not on relationships, according to Bai Ju’s words. However, Zhang Wanru’s sacrifice had a significant impact on He Luyuan. Initially, they suspected that Zhang Wanru’s death was suspicious, but there was insufficient evidence, so they could only handle it as a traffic accident. Therefore, He Luyuan was somewhat dissatisfied with An Ni. The two almost argued during the meeting, but Bai Zhaoxi and Guo Hongjiang intervened to stop them. He Luyuan received a case that needed to be handled and had to temporarily leave the meeting. He assured the leaders that he would fully cooperate.

Huquan Group encountered a public relations crisis, and Li Yitang, An Ni’s best friend, was the company’s proxy lawyer. She successfully won the lawsuit for them. However, in the second trial, Shixiaohu’s mother lost the case, and the law firm only assigned an intern to appear in court. Faced with reporters’ interviews, Shixiaohu’s mother, Aunt Zhan, had nothing to say. She wanted justice for her son’s death, but as an ordinary citizen, she couldn’t compete with the powerful Huquan Group. Even the intern lawyer couldn’t bear to see this and reminded Aunt Zhan that if she gathered evidence, she could file an appeal with the procuratorate. Aunt Zhan expressed her gratitude to her.

Luo Xiaoting is a journalist who is also following the Huquan case. She feels very sorry for Aunt Zhan’s situation but is powerless to help. She hopes Aunt Zhan will bury Shixiaohu as soon as possible and not continue like this. Luo Xiaoting’s father, Luo Jiangxiao, is a law professor who has decided to join Huquan and help them handle the public relations crisis. Luo Xiaoting hopes her father, who is approaching retirement, won’t get involved with Huquan and be bought by them, earning money that compromises his integrity and endangering his reputation. When Luo Jiangxiao heard his daughter’s words, his expression became somewhat unnatural.

Luo Jiangxiao met with Huquan Group’s boss, Yin Huiquan. As a gaming network company, Yin Huiquan needed a professional team to handle his company’s crisis and negative publicity. So he offered to hire Luo Jiangxiao with a high salary of two million. This made Luo Jiangxiao somewhat uneasy, worried that the money was too much. However, Yin Huiquan insisted that he deserved such treatment.

The case that He Luyuan accepted was the Yan Fangfang’s car plunging into the river. After the investigation, He Luyuan discovered that the brake pads had been tampered with, leading him to believe it was likely a deliberate murder. However, Yan Fangfang’s parents refused to allow an autopsy. So He Luyuan had to first learn about the situation from Yan Fangfang’s husband, Zhu Xin. Zhu Xin didn’t provide any valuable clues, but he seemed too calm, arousing He Luyuan’s suspicion. Finally, He Luyuan reminded Zhu Xin that the public security authorities had the right to perform a forced autopsy on bodies with an unknown cause of death. He hoped Zhu Xin could help persuade Yan Fangfang’s parents.

After the autopsy, He Luyuan indeed discovered some clues. Yan Fangfang had been taking antidepressant medication, but the medication she took before her death was not prescribed by her main doctor. Even Yan Fangfang’s main doctor didn’t understand why she changed medication when she hadn’t developed resistance to the previous one. Moreover, the new medication she switched to had a major side effect of dizziness and blurred vision, which was another suspicious point in the case.

Through investigation, He Luyuan learned that Zhu Xin had bought personal accident insurance for Yan Fangfang, and she also had a lover. Yan Fangfang’s vehicle had been involved in two accidents within a year. He Luyuan suspected that Zhu Xin knew about Yan Fangfang’s affair. He asked his apprentice to investigate the timing of Zhu Xin’s insurance purchase and the time of Yan Fangfang’s affair. In the evening, He Luyuan took his apprentice to Zhu Xin’s home to continue the questioning.

Huquan Group’s new product, Huibo app, was about to be released. Li Yitang invited An Ni to attend the product launch event, but An Ni was busy preparing for her case and couldn’t arrive on time. However, their mutual friend, Wang Xiaojiao, came to cheer for her. Wang Xiaojiao’s husband, Chen Yonggang, was still an employee of Huquan and held a leadership position. Li Yitang and the senior vice president of Huquan, Zhao Jikai, were in a relationship. Now, among the three close friends, only An Ni was single. Li Yitang invited An Ni to the post-event banquet to introduce her to a potential boyfriend, Xiao Muen, the technical director of Huibo app. He was talented and capable, making him a suitable match for An Ni. An Ni arrived after the product launch event, and with the help of her good friend, she had her first encounter with Xiao Muen.

An Ni missed an exciting scene during the launch event. Someone hacked into the network system, and on the big screen, there was a masked person shouting that Huquan harmed people and even released a photo of Shixiaohu. Fortunately, Xiao Muen promptly shut down the computer and earnestly requested the guests not to spread what they had seen privately. Someone seemed to be trying to prevent the release of Huibo app, and the Huquan PR team would provide an explanation later.

Chen Yonggang and Wang Xiaojiao had an adorable daughter, and they should have been a happy family. However, Chen got involved in gambling and was being pursued by debt collectors, who even came to their doorstep.

He Luyuan deliberately mentioned the name of Yuan Fangfang’s lover, Zhang Jianhua, to Zhu Xin. According to the mobile communication information on the day Yuan Fangfang had an accident, it was Zhang Jianhua who asked Yuan Fangfang to meet at Yunding Mountain. Zhu Xin’s micro-expressions and some small actions couldn’t escape He Luyuan’s notice. Although he claimed not to know Zhang Jianhua, his actions revealed the truth. He Luyuan learned from Zhu Xin that Yuan Fangfang had recently been buying some more revealing sleepwear, which was very different from her previous style. They used to be conservative in their intimate life. When Zhu Xin mentioned this, he showed his helplessness.

Chen Yonggang couldn’t resist the temptation and used the money from his provident fund, deciding to try his luck again. Just as he was on the phone with his friend, Wang Xiaojiao came to his house with Xiao Muen and An Ni, and he hastily hung up the call. Chen Yonggang had prepared a meal in advance, and they all ate together. Wang Xiaojiao mentioned Chen Yonggang’s previous gambling on soccer games, but fortunately, with An Ni’s help, Chen Yonggang had changed. Xiao Muen, as a leader, advised Chen Yonggang not to get involved in gambling. Chen Yonggang made promises, but the next second he went to the bedroom to continue gambling. Unfortunately, Wang Xiaojiao saw him, and she started crying and making a scene. Fortunately, An Ni and Xiao Muen were there to calm them down.

Xiao Muen decided to give Chen Yonggang a raise, but it was just a temporary solution that wouldn’t fundamentally solve the problem. After leaving Wang Xiaojiao’s house, Xiao Muen and An Ni walked and talked along the way. They got along reasonably well, but they held completely different views on some issues. Xiao Muen believed that evil was inherent in people, and the prevalence of cybercrime was due to individuals, not the internet, just as the existence of laws anticipated the behavior of criminals and set limitations for them. However, An Ni did not share this belief, but she had no intention of changing Xiao Muen’s perspective. Instead, she recognized his strong passion for his career. Xiao Muen also noticed that An Ni didn’t have romantic feelings for him. An Ni admitted that she had desires and emotions, but she couldn’t focus on anything else until she resolved her senior sister’s issue. Therefore, her sole focus now was to eradicate the cybercrime syndicate.

The news of Chen Yonggang’s online gambling spread to their company’s work group, and as soon as he arrived at the company, he noticed his colleagues whispering and saw from his phone that his secret was exposed. He couldn’t bear it for a moment and had the urge to jump off a building but lacked the courage. As a result, he dejectedly returned to his office and happened to see Xiao Muen discussing work with employees. In front of his colleagues, Xiao Muen explained for Chen Yonggang, stating that the information was false and its purpose was to disrupt their team’s morale. He hoped that everyone wouldn’t believe this matter and wouldn’t judge Chen Yonggang with biased eyes, as it would be unfair. Chen Yonggang never expected Xiao Muen to speak up for him, and he was deeply moved. Xiao Muen would do his best to help him resolve the issue, but Chen Yonggang had to quit gambling as soon as possible.

Yuan Fangfang’s case was determined to be the murder of Zhu Xin’s wife, and it had already attracted the attention of the media. He Luyuan brought Zhu Xin back to the team for interrogation, and this case was handed over to the prosecutor’s office, led by the seasoned General An Ni. This gave He Luyuan and An Ni a chance to reopen the conversation. Zhu Xin hired Lawyer Chen, who was preparing to argue for his innocence. However, Zhu Xin asked him if anyone had asked him why he killed Yuan Fangfang, and Lawyer Chen was stunned and didn’t answer.

Hui Quan acquired the Green Broadcast Company, and the company’s market value increased rapidly. Zhang Xiaobei, a friend of Shi Xiaohu, was very angry when he saw this news. He wanted to seek revenge for Aunt Zhan and Shi Xiaohu against Hui Quan. Shi Xiaohu shouldn’t die in vain. Zhang Xiaobei went live outdoors and took off his mask, revealing his true identity for the first time. He said in the live broadcast that he was going to jump into the river. In fact, he was going all-in and planned to expose Hui Quan’s dark secrets in the live broadcast. Many people were watching his livestream, including Luo Xiaoting. Shi Xiaohu survived the suicide attempt but remained in a vegetative state and passed away six months later. Zhang Xiaobei was determined to use his life to confront Hui Quan. After finishing speaking, Zhang Xiaobei jumped into the river. He Luyuan was originally supposed to be a witness in court but received a message and rushed to the scene where Zhang Xiaobei jumped into the river. An Ni couldn’t reach him, and with the court session approaching, she had to come up with a contingency plan. The search and rescue team made every effort to search, and after He Luyuan arrived at the scene, he immediately took off his coat and jumped from the same spot where Zhang Xiaobei had jumped. The incident of Zhang Xiaobei jumping into the river once again put Hui Quan in the spotlight of public opinion. Yin Huiquan continued to pressure Zhao Jikai, but now too many unfavorable things for Hui Quan kept happening on Zhao Jikai’s side, and Yin Huiquan was gradually losing patience with him.

Yin Huiquan arranged for Luo Jiangxiao to save the situation. After Zhao Jikai learned about it, he immediately contacted Li Yitang to pick him up. Luo Jiangxiao officially joined Hui Quan. Luo Jiangxiao proposed a professional crisis public relations plan for Zhang Xiaobei’s jumping into the river incident. Regarding the failure of the platform to immediately ban the account during the live broadcast, they should bear partial responsibility. However, since Zhang Xiaobei is still being searched for and his death is not confirmed, it cannot be determined as a suicide. Additionally, legal action should be taken against those who incited others to commit suicide online. Luo Jiangxiao used a tactic of distorting the truth, claiming that Hui Quan was the biggest victim in this incident and that Zhang Xiaobei himself should be sued. As for the recently acquired live streaming platform, the platform should be held responsible for inadequate regulation. Zhao Jikai was very satisfied with Luo Jiangxiao’s proposed solution.

An Ni faced difficulties in court. Zhu Xin’s lawyer seized the handle of He Luyuan entering Zhu Xin’s house without a search warrant to gather evidence that evening. This violated the proper procedure, making the evidence obtained illegal and inadmissible. In addition, He Luyuan did not appear in court to testify, which proved the illegality of the evidence collection process and put An Ni in a very passive position. Lawyer Chen proposed in court to have an important witness, Lin Shuang, appear and testify, catching An Ni off guard as she had no knowledge of this person’s existence. In cases involving loss of life, even if the defendant requests a new key witness to appear in court, the presiding judge will most likely agree, as An Ni discussed. The presiding judge ultimately decided to postpone the trial, and Zhu Xin was taken back to the detention center for continued custody.

After coming out of the river, He Luyuan felt that something was fishy about the whole incident. Zhang Xiaobei is even more skilled in water than him, so why would he choose to jump into the river and commit suicide? Moreover, after searching for him for so long, there was no sign of Zhang Xiaobei’s “body,” suggesting that he might not be dead. The reason He Luyuan cares so much about Zhang Xiaobei is that he is Zhang Wanru’s younger brother and has watched him grow up. Because of Zhang Xiaobei’s situation, He Luyuan was late for the 723 meeting, and Bai Zhaoxi criticized him privately, hoping he could manage his mindset. They were now working together, and He Luyuan represented the image of Gong’an. He knew he was in the wrong and didn’t offer any explanation, willing to accept any punishment. He Luyuan apologized to An Ni proactively, and although An Ni didn’t respond, she brought him a glass of water. He Luyuan understood her intentions, realizing that she had forgiven him.

Regarding the handling of the Zhang Xiaobei incident, Xiao Muen had a different opinion. He took the initiative to contact Luo Jiangxiao, hoping to temporarily postpone the prosecution of Zhang Xiaobei. This would be unfavorable for the public opinion surrounding the live streaming platform. Luo Jiangxiao expressed no objections, and Xiao Muen relayed the information to Zhao Jikai. They could adopt alternative methods to meet the company’s requirements.

An Ni and He Luyuan went outside from the meeting room to get some fresh air and started discussing Zhang Xiaobei. They had both met the child before and had a good impression of him. At Zhang Wanru’s memorial service, An Ni felt a great deal of sympathy seeing how sad Zhang Xiaobei was and specifically told him that he could come to her if he needed anything. He Luyuan also treated Zhang Xiaobei as his own younger brother and had been giving him money since Zhang Wanru’s death. Zhang Xiaobei had always considered He Luyuan as his brother-in-law, and now with this incident, An Ni understood He Luyuan’s feelings. An Ni told He Luyuan that there was a homeowner named Zhang Xiaobei in the 723 case, so the most urgent task was to find him.

An Ni and He Luyuan returned to the scene of Zhang Xiaobei’s jump into the river but found no new leads. An Ni received news that someone was live streaming from Zhang Xiaobei’s rental house, so He Luyuan immediately took her to investigate. They discovered Zhang Xiaobei’s account book, showing that he owed a lot of money, but they didn’t find any other valuable clues. He Luyuan took An Ni to find Zhang Xiaobei’s friend, Da Nan, hoping to gather more information from him.

Luo Jiangxiao discovered that Luo Xiaoting was writing an article related to Zhang Xiaobei, and he was very angry. For the first time in many years, he lost his temper at his daughter and ordered her to immediately stop and not get into unnecessary trouble. Luo Xiaoting didn’t understand her father’s behavior, but she made it clear that she wouldn’t delete the article. Luo Jiangxiao couldn’t argue with his daughter and had to compromise, but he advised Luo Xiaoting to publish it under a new account.

Danan told He Luyuan that he had met him before Zhang Xiaobei had an accident. At that time, Zhang Xiaobei sent a WeChat message to someone named Liang Yi and asked when they would depart. However, the person blocked him. Zhang Xiaobei was surprised by this. There is no other information available. Although Danan is a small hoodlum, he is not fundamentally bad. He Luyuan gave him 100 yuan for meals, hoping he would learn something positive. Danan was very grateful and hoped that He Luyuan would inform him if he had any news about Zhang Xiaobei.

Through her interaction with He Luyuan, An Ni discovered that he had a vibrant life and was down-to-earth. He Luyuan taught An Ni a lesson that their line of work required them to be immersed in the vibrant life and be able to handle cases effectively. He Luyuan had not understood this before because he had been assigned to work at the local police station for two years. But now he realized the essence of life. Whether as a prosecutor or an investigator, one needed to have a sense of life in order to handle cases properly.

He Luyuan found Aunt Zhan, the mother of Shi Xiaohu, to gather information. Aunt Zhan did not know Zhang Xiaobei, but a few days ago, she received an envelope with money and a letter signed by Zhang Xiaoguang. He Luyuan confirmed that it was Zhang Xiaobei’s handwriting after reading the letter. Prosecutor Guo realized that the internet could increase exposure and decided to follow the trend. The prosecutor’s office also started livestreaming legal education, with An Ni taking the lead. An Ni was nervous during her first livestream, but fortunately, Han Xuan was there to assist her. Initially, only three people watched their livestream, but later they gained more followers by interacting with popular livestreamers. Aunt Zhan saw An Ni’s livestream and recalled what the lawyer had told her, deep in thought.

He Luyuan visited Zhang Xiaobei’s father in the hospital and learned that Zhang Xiaobei had visited him before. Zhang Xiaobei had mentioned that he was going on a long journey. Uncle Zhang couldn’t stand his son’s idle behavior and didn’t believe his claims of becoming rich. They had an argument and parted ways. He Luyuan received a call from An Ni, and coincidentally, they both believed that Zhang Xiaobei was acting and hadn’t actually died.

Based on the instructions from the Party Committee of the Prosecution Office, Prosecutor Guo assigned two investigators, An Ni and Wang Heyu, to tackle the challenge of combating new types of cybercrime. He wanted them to become familiar with the mechanisms. Aunt Zhan went to the prosecutor’s office to appeal and caused a scene, attracting the attention of passersby. After hearing the news, Prosecutor Guo brought Wang Heyu and An Ni to meet Aunt Zhan. Aunt Zhan grabbed An Ni’s hand and begged her to help. As for the appeal, the prosecution office had its own procedures, and it was not under An Ni’s department. Prosecutor Guo arranged for Wang Na to handle the case specifically and coordinate with Aunt Zhan. Unexpectedly, Aunt Zhan insisted on An Ni’s involvement and refused to get up unless An Ni handled it. Prosecutor Guo had no choice but to let An Ni and Wang Na work together. They could organize a joint hearing to solve Aunt Zhan’s problem, and Aunt Zhan was very grateful for Prosecutor Guo’s help.

An Ni asked Han Xuan to help retrieve the trial video of the Shi Xiaohu case. After watching the video, it seemed unlikely that Aunt Zhan would win the case. Wang Heyu also watched the trial video and considered the case to be very tricky. Nevertheless, An Ni would not give up. She went to Aunt Zhan’s house to collect information and hoped to do her best to help her. An Ni asked Aunt Zhan why she insisted on having her handle the case. Aunt Zhan hesitated at first but eventually showed her a newspaper and a letter she had received. The newspaper contained news about An Ni being named one of the top ten prosecutors. Aunt Zhan had been hesitant to share this information, fearing that powerful influences would suppress it. That’s why she went to the prosecution office to make a scene. An Ni reassured Aunt Zhan and advised her to take care of herself while entrusting the case to her.

Wang Heyu’s wife fell and was admitted to the hospital. She had been pregnant for over a month, but the fall resulted in a miscarriage. After hearing about the situation, Prosecutor Guo told Wang Heyu to stay at the hospital and accompany his wife. Over the years, Wang Heyu had been diligent and never took sick leave even when he had a cold or fever.

He Luyuan and An Ni believed that the Shi Xiaohu case and Zhang Xiaobei’s situation were likely related and connected to Huizhen’s game. After investigating, He Luyuan discovered that Shi Xiaohu’s account had made donations to a pornographic website. He immediately informed An Ni about this.

Guo Jian told An Ni that the court had decided to mediate between Aunt Zhang and Hui Quan, considering that Hui Quan was a local private enterprise and the court needed to handle the matter cautiously. Although the mediation would be challenging, An Ni would follow the court’s arrangement. Since Li Yitang was associated with Hui Quan, An Ni had no objection if the court asked her to recuse herself. After receiving the court’s letter, Li Yitang contacted An Ni, but An Ni avoided answering the call to avoid suspicion. She planned to meet Li Yitang after the matter was resolved.

Chen Yonggang spent over 20,000 yuan to buy the bag that Wang Xiaojiao liked. He claimed to have bought it with a bonus from the company. Wang Xiaojiao was very happy and believed Chen Yonggang’s words. At night, while Wang Xiaojiao was sleeping, Chen Yonggang wanted to place a bet on a football game. He contacted his friend again, finding it difficult to stay away from gambling. As the trial date for the Zhu Xin spousal murder case approached, An Ni took Han Xuan to the detention center to question Zhu Xin. Zhu Xin was not willing to cooperate with An Ni, but An Ni and Han Xuan cooperated with each other and used psychological tactics to make Zhu Xin reveal his motive for the murder. An Ni’s psychological tactics were successful, revealing that someone had used Zhu Xin to commit the murder of Yuan Fangfang. Zhu Xin broke down and confessed the truth, revealing that he owed over 9 million yuan in gambling debt and had fallen into the trap of online gambling step by step.

An Ni obtained an important clue from Zhu Xin, mentioning a loan app called “Hui Quan Dai” on the Du Bo app. An Ni and Han Xuan were shocked to discover the connection between this case and the Hui Quan group. An Ni couldn’t help but lament that human nature was still driven by greed, giving criminals an opportunity.

An Ni shared the investigation findings with He Luyuan, who coincidentally discovered a location involved in a live-streaming platform related to pornography. An Ni felt that all the recent investigations were very similar: Du Bo, online loans, pornography, and it was highly possible that Zhang Xiaobei’s online lending was also related to this organization. An Ni decided to report to higher authorities and, if necessary, conduct a joint investigation.

The trial for Zhu Xin officially began, and this time He Luyuan appeared in court as a witness. However, witness Lin Shuang’s testimony pointed the murder suspicion towards Yuan Fangfang’s cousin, Yuan Qi. Yuan Fangfang and Yuan Qi had been involved in a heated dispute over inheritance, making Yuan Qi a murder suspect. Lin Shuang was convinced that she saw Yuan Qi tampering with Yuan Fangfang’s car. An Ni’s reasoning was meticulous. She believed that Lin Shuang had never actually seen Yuan Qi in person but only heard Yuan Fangfang casually point to a bald person and refer to him as Yuan Qi. This couldn’t prove that the person Lin Shuang saw was indeed Yuan Qi. An Ni requested a 30-minute recess to summon Yuan Qi to testify, and the presiding judge agreed to An Ni’s request.

During the recess, An Ni had Han Xuan check Lin Shuang’s social media. They discovered that Lin Shuang had been drinking on the night of the incident, and based on her regular updates, it was evident that Lin Shuang had a low alcohol tolerance. Therefore, she wasn’t in a clear state of mind when she claimed to have seen someone tampering with Yuan Fangfang’s vehicle. Although Lin Shuang vividly described the person she saw as bald and wearing an AC Milan jersey, and Yuan Qi had indeed been to Yuan Fangfang’s house that night, according to Yuan Qi’s description, he left his jersey at Yuan Fangfang’s place and arrived home around 8:30 PM, with records of scanning the QR code and measuring body temperature at the entrance of the residential compound.

Zhu Xin pleaded guilty in court, and it was then that An Ni revealed that Zhu Xin was bald and usually wore a wig, but he intentionally wore Yuan Qi’s jersey to frame him during the crime. An Ni stated to the court that Zhu Xin had refused to provide a truthful statement due to his lawyer’s obstruction, but he had been highly cooperative during the prosecution process and provided crucial leads in the online gambling and Du Bo cases. Therefore, An Ni hoped that the court would consider lenient sentencing.

As more people fell victim to online fraud, the inspection authorities and the investigation bureau decided to merge the online gambling and Du Bo cases mentioned by Zhu Xin for further investigation, allowing An Ni and He Luyuan to work together again. After the meeting, An Ni took He Luyuan to the canteen of the Procuratorate to have a meal. He Luyuan envied the pleasant environment there, with spacious surroundings and delicious food.

Wang Xiaojiao invited An Ni and Xiao Muen to her home for dinner. Xiao Muen went to the Procuratorate to pick up An Ni, and they chatted about their interests on the way, getting to know each other better. An Ni discovered that Xiao Muen was not the typical science-oriented guy she had imagined. He enjoyed listening to symphony music and had an interesting life. An Ni, on the other hand, surprised Xiao Muen by revealing her love for crosstalk. An Ni noticed that Chen Yonggang seemed to be doing well recently and speculated that he had truly turned over a new leaf, making everyone happy.

While Wang Xiaojiao took her daughter to the bedroom to sleep, she thanked Xiao Muen for helping Chen Yonggang apply for a bonus. Xiao Muen realized that Chen Yonggang had lied, and it seemed he hadn’t quit gambling after all. However, Xiao Muen chose not to expose Chen Yonggang’s lie.

After dinner, Xiao Muen accompanied An Ni as she walked around the residential area near her home to aid digestion. They discussed their work, and An Ni took the opportunity to inquire about the Hui Quan group from Xiao Muen. Xiao Muen revealed that he had not willingly accepted the acquisition by Hui Quan but compromised to support the employees who had worked with him for many years. He believed that after the acquisition, their living conditions would improve, and they could continue to pursue their dreams. An Ni observed during their conversation that Xiao Muen had strong principles despite being in the live-streaming industry, knowing what actions were off-limits.

After Xiao Muen dropped An Ni off at her home, he returned to Wang Xiaojiao’s place. He called Chen Yonggang and asked him to come downstairs. Chen Yonggang was initially puzzled, but Xiao Muen directly informed him that he was being fired not due to his job performance but because he couldn’t quit gambling. Chen Yonggang expressed his desire to earn more money to prevent his wife and child from suffering. Xiao Muen gave him a final chance, warning that if he didn’t change his ways, he would be fired.

The hearing for Aunt Zhang’s case was held as scheduled. Before it began, An Ni warned Aunt Zhang that the outcome might not be as she desired. She advised Aunt Zhang to retrieve Shi Xiaohu’s gaming account so they could further investigate whether his death was solely due to game addiction or if there were other reasons. An Ni assured Aunt Zhang that the Procuratorate would seek justice for her.

Eventually, An Ni confronted her close friend Li Yitang. An Ni, on behalf of Aunt Zhang, demanded the return of Shi Xiaohu’s gaming account from Hui Quan. Li Yitang was reluctant to hand it over, claiming it was Hui Quan’s property and that the account had no economic value, unlike commercial accounts on Weibo or WeChat. An Ni used her own method and had Han Xuan secretly recharge 3,000 yuan into Shi Xiaohu’s account. She argued that now that the account had money, it should be returned to the rightful inheritor, Aunt Zhang. Unexpectedly, Li Yitang agreed to a settlement in the end. Aunt Zhang trusted the Procuratorate and believed that An Ni would fight for justice, so she agreed to the settlement. The incident didn’t affect the strong bond between An Ni and Li Yitang. They could separate personal and professional matters, which was probably why they were such good friends.

Zhao Jikai was furious when Li Yitang handed over Shi Xiaohu’s gaming account. Li Yitang couldn’t understand his emotions. This was simply something she had to do. After they started dating, Li Yitang felt a sense of unfamiliarity towards Zhao Jikai for the first time. Feeling upset, she sought solace in An Ni and asked her to come to her house to talk. An Ni was deeply concerned and drove Li Yitang home in her car. From Li Yitang, An Ni learned about Zhao Jikai’s difficult past and how he had struggled to reach his current position step by step. An Ni noticed the sparkle in Li Yitang’s eyes and the sweet smile on her face when she talked about Zhao Jikai, realizing that she genuinely loved him.

An Ni took the opportunity to inquire about Xiao Muen’s situation from Li Yitang. Li Yitang recalled how Zhao Jikai had asked her to find a way to sideline Xiao Muen and seemed a bit uneasy. She told An Ni that Xiao Muen was from Zhejiang, a place known for producing talented individuals. Xiao Muen was exceptionally capable and had a good appearance. An Ni’s mood brightened as she listened to Li Yitang. Eventually, both of them prepared for bed and went to sleep.

Luo Xiaoting once again advised her father not to work at Hui Quan. As a renowned scholar, she believed he should retire after achieving success and not involve himself in a controversial company like Hui Quan. Luo Jiangxiao became angry, feeling that his child didn’t understand his heartfelt intentions. Everything he did was for his daughter, to sell their house and provide for her. Luo Xiaoting, who was 26 years old and without a formal job, worked in online media, which was not a long-term plan. However, Luo Xiaoting believed in her abilities. Influenced by her father since childhood, she wanted to uphold justice and wouldn’t give up. She was also aware that there must be hidden motives behind Shi Xiaohu and Zhang Xiaobei’s situation and hoped her father would do what was right.

The reconciliation between Hui Quan and Aunt Zhang was detrimental to Hui Quan. Luo Jiangxiao told Zhao Jikai that this had once again put Hui Quan in a difficult situation and that Zhang Xiaobei’s case would resurface. The top priority was to find Zhang Xiaobei’s father and sign a liability waiver with him. They needed to establish that Zhang Xiaobei’s actions had nothing to do with Hui Quan so they could turn from being passive to taking the initiative. Zhao Jikai didn’t believe Zhang Xiaobei’s father would easily compromise. He suggested finding a way to both settle with Zhang Xiaobei’s father and ensure he never caused trouble for Hui Quan again, which posed a dilemma for Luo Jiangxiao. As expected, Luo Jiangxiao faced obstacles, and Zhang Xiaobei’s father wouldn’t agree to any of Hui Quan’s demands. Money couldn’t buy Zhang Xiaobei’s life.

Luo Jiangxiao reported this matter to Yin Huiquan and then went to see Zhao Jikai. They received a call from Yin Huiquan, who knew they had tampered with the contract, resulting in Zhang Xiaobei’s father’s refusal. Zhao Jikai explained to the boss that they had indeed blurred some clauses, and the money was given in response to the other party’s request, not purely out of humanitarian aid. Consequently, once Zhang Xiaobei’s father signed, it would be considered extortion, allowing them to send him to jail. Yin Huiquan was furious, considering their actions a manipulation of the law to sacrifice lives. He sternly warned Zhao Jikai and Luo Jiangxiao that without his permission, they were not allowed to privately contact anyone involved with Hui Quan.

He Luyuan went to the Procuratorate for a meeting with An Ni. Xiao Muen took the initiative to bring them a late-night snack. He Luyuan wasn’t very happy when he saw this and asked Han Xuan to help with the delivery. An Ni knew that He Luyuan had stomach problems, so she specifically prepared a bowl of hot soup for him. Han Xuan teasingly commented on An Ni’s favoritism while they were present, leaving An Ni speechless.

Bai Zhaoxi asked He Luyuan to arrange for two young colleagues to investigate the situation at Jiangcheng University. After their investigation, they found that these online lending platforms mainly targeted university students, especially local universities. He Luyuan decided to go with An Ni. During their investigation, they obtained a lot of information. Many Jiangcheng University students indeed borrowed money online, and male students mainly used the borrowed money to purchase gaming equipment. An Ni also discovered a dropout student named Yang Bao who specifically introduced online lending to others. She speculated that Yang Bao was taking a cut for herself from these transactions.

He Luyuan and An Ni obtained Yang Bao’s address and went to his house to find him. They successfully apprehended Yang Bao and began questioning him. Yang Bao claimed not to know Shi Xiaohu but acknowledged that he knew Zhang Xiaobei. He first met Zhang Xiaobei at an internet cafe and introduced him to the online lending platform. Zhang Xiaobei earned income from gaming and used to support a girl through live streaming. However, due to an imbalance between income and expenses, Zhang Xiaobei accumulated debt. Later, Zhang Xiaobei also became involved in expanding the network. He Luyuan speculated that Shi Xiaohu was most likely introduced by Zhang Xiaobei. Yang Bao also confessed that he had an online superior who was possibly a female.

Wang Heyu took care of his wife for a few days before returning to work. He also prepared gifts for An Ni and Han Xuan, and everyone was happy. The issue of illegal online lending is very tricky. The public security organs and the procuratorate are handling it together. They cannot let the criminals harm more college students. The secretary of the municipal party committee, Secretary Zhou, knows that the current issue of illegal online lending is related to Hui Quan. The relationship between official and private enterprises needs to be handled well. If this matter is related to Hui Quan, they must handle it according to the law. If it is unrelated to Hui Quan and instead involves illegal organizations or individuals using Hui Quan’s live streaming platform, they must also crack down on it severely, without any tolerance.

An Ni and Han Xuan went to find Aunt Zhang to learn more about whether Shi Xiaohu had borrowed money before his death. Aunt Zhang was unaware and no one had come to collect any debts. Zhao Jikai found Luo Xiaoting’s social media account. She had been speaking out about Shi Xiaohu and Zhang Xiaobei’s situation and even initiated a poll online. Zhao Jikai found Luo Jiangxiao, who felt ashamed and promised to ask Luo Xiaoting to delete the content and publicly support Hui Quan using his own account. He also planned to bring in some legal experts to stand together. To show his loyalty to Hui Quan, he voluntarily gave up his year-end bonus. Zhao Jikai knew how to win people over. Not only would he not deduct Luo Jiangxiao’s bonus, but he would also give him more. After all, Luo Jiangxiao was part of Hui Quan’s think tank. Yin Huiquan had warned that Luo Jiangxiao should not be treated negligently.

An Ni met with Luo Xiaoting, who she had been following on social media. She praised her for doing well, being outspoken and having clear views. However, she expressed concern that some of her words might be too radical. Coupled with Luo Jiangxiao now working at Hui Quan, it could potentially affect their relationship. Luo Xiaoting assured An Ni that her voice would always be there and would not change due to any circumstances. She wanted to fight for justice for certain groups. As for her father Luo Jiangxiao, she couldn’t understand his decision to work at Hui Quan. An Ni was relieved to see Luo Xiaoting’s perseverance and commitment to justice in difficult times.

Chen Yonggang hadn’t been gambling recently, but he became a target for a fraud gang. A person named Zhan Peng claimed to be his elementary school classmate and kept calling him. Chen Yonggang didn’t suspect anything, and they even added each other on WeChat, maintaining regular contact. Chen Yonggang looked at Zhan Peng’s moments on WeChat and couldn’t help but sigh at how many wealthy people there were nowadays. Zhan Peng gradually gained Chen Yonggang’s trust and planned to make money together. Chen Yonggang was tempted again and took out 6,000 yuan, intending to give it a try.

An Ni and Han Xuan went to the prison to question Li Quan. Li Quan kept insisting that he was Old A, but An Ni knew very well that he was covering for someone else. An Ni planned to break down his psychological defenses step by step and make him confess the real Old A. The issue regarding Luo Xiaoting’s social media content had gained significant attention and had also alarmed higher-level leaders. The procuratorate was planning to hold a meeting regarding this matter.

Hui Quan conducted a self-inspection and established an optimization group. Luo Jiangxiao also helped Li Yitang adjust her public statements. Once the media released them, Yin Huiquan immediately contacted Zhao Jikai. He was currently very dissatisfied with Zhao Jikai’s work abilities, but he had started to take notice of some of Xiao Muen’s actions. He warned Zhao Jikai that if he couldn’t handle the job, he should resign as soon as possible. Zhao Jikai didn’t argue back and only showed a contemptuous smile in response.

After Yang Bao was released from detention, he couldn’t resist the instigation of his “brothers” and was preparing to return to his old profession.

Yang Bao wanted to return to his old business, so he went to the business hall to apply for a card. He didn’t expect the management to be so strict now. He found out from the notice posted at the entrance of the business hall that both phone cards and bank cards now require real-name registration. Li Yitang wanted to improve his relationship with Zhao Jikai, so he prepared a romantic candlelight dinner at home. When he heard the doorbell and opened the door, he found An Ni standing there. An Ni had received a call from Zhao Jikai and came to see Li Yitang first. An Ni saw that Li Yitang had prepared a candlelight dinner, and Zhao Jikai also volunteered to help. It seemed that the two of them were destined to reconcile. After Zhao Jikai arrived, An Ni left, not wanting to interrupt their sweet time together. While they were intimate, Zhao Jikai received a message on his phone. After reading it, he looked worried. He told Li Yitang that Yin Huiquan was going back to the country, and now Xiao Muen was the favored one in front of him. He felt that Yin Huiquan didn’t have a good opinion of him at all. Li Yitang said she would speed up the process of downsizing and get Xiao Muen out of the company as soon as possible.

After An Ni came out, she went to meet Xiao Muen. Although they were not in a relationship, they got along well and communicated smoothly. Chen Yonggang gave Zhang Peng 3,000 yuan and quickly recouped his investment. Unable to resist his desire for easy gains, he remembered the passbook his wife had shown him before, which contained about 500,000 yuan that her parents and wife had saved by scrimping and saving. He thought about using this 500,000 yuan to earn more money.

Wang Xiaojiao had dinner with An Ni and Li Yitang and gave them good news: she was pregnant. She hadn’t had a chance to tell Chen Yonggang yet because she didn’t want to put too much pressure on him. Having another child meant more pressure. But now that she saw Chen Yonggang changing for the better, she decided to keep the baby and find the right time to tell Chen Yonggang. An Ni and Li Yitang were very happy for her and encouraged her to eat more.

An Ni’s mother worked in a telecommunications business hall and was about to retire. Her supervisor gave her a heavy task: to conduct public lectures on preventing telecommunications fraud, in line with the country’s advocacy. An Ni’s mother was troubled by this and wanted to ask An Ni for help. However, An Ni was too busy herself and had no time to attend to her. But she thought of a suitable candidate: Luo Jiangxiao.

Yang Bao felt that he couldn’t continue in this line of work and wanted to give up. He told his brothers to find proper jobs in factories. However, one of his brothers didn’t want to work and introduced him to an acquaintance who had connections in this field. He called that person “Brother Tang.” Brother Tang gave him a task: to distribute free prizes at the entrance of the telecommunications business hall by registering accounts using the elderly people’s mobile numbers. Since the elderly people didn’t understand this, they only knew that registering an account would allow them to receive free daily necessities. They agreed to do it easily. They chose the business hall where An Ni’s mother worked. An Ni’s mother recognized Yang Bao because he had often come here before to apply for cards, which seemed strange to her. An Ni’s mother asked a middle-aged lady who had just received a prize, and she found out that these people were registering accounts using the phone numbers of elderly people. An Ni’s mother felt that something was wrong and quickly had her colleague report it to the police. The police arrived in time and caught Yang Bao, who didn’t want to go back to detention and quickly confessed about Brother Tang and their fraudulent methods.

Luo Jiangxiao was willing to participate in the lecture activity organized by An Ni’s mother. As the main speaker, he cooperated with the telecommunications department to conduct an offline public lecture on legal knowledge and prevention of telecommunications fraud. Xiao Muen went to the company and discovered that many of his senior employees had been dismissed by the group. He took the personnel list and confronted Li Yitang, but Li Yitang tried to calm him down, telling him that the personnel adjustments were a normal operation of the group and it was their decision. Xiao Muen didn’t want to oppose the group and would rather resign himself than let his subordinates leave. They were all talented and skilled individuals. Unable to convince Li Yitang, Xiao Muen decided to discuss the matter with the chairman. Fortunately, the chairman returned to the country, and Xiao Muen informed Yin Huiquan about his employees being dismissed. Yin Huiquan was unaware of the situation, and he knew it must be Zhao Jikai’s doing. Yin Huiquan first reassured Xiao Muen and said he would understand the situation before deciding how to handle it. The telecommunications department discovered an anomaly in the phone calls and promptly reported it to the police. Tang Ge’s hideout was raided, and while he was trying to escape, he got hit by a car.