Sword Rose Recap, Plot, Synopsis
Sword Rose Synopsis
Deng Yan, a policewoman who is determined to join the Anti-Drug Brigade and uncover the truth behind her drug enforcement officer boyfriend's death, shines brightly during an unexpected operation to rescue a baby hostage. As a result, she is transferred by the Party Committee of the Tianhai City Public Security Bureau to serve as the acting director of the Anti-Trafficking Office. In order to solve cases of child trafficking and forced prostitution of girls from other regions, Deng Yan employs meticulous reasoning, precise judgment, and courageous actions. She not only turns skeptical colleagues into admirers who firmly support her but also gradually unveils shocking secrets hidden behind each trafficking case.
Confronted with cunning and ruthless criminals, Deng Yan, along with her colleagues in the Anti-Trafficking Office, work together tirelessly. Through extensive investigations, arrests, and rescues, they overcome various obstacles such as interrupted leads, false accusations leading to suspension, and hired assassinations. Eventually, they bring each suspect of the human trafficking network, including Deng Yan's sister-in-law, to justice. Meanwhile, the truth behind her boyfriend's murder also begins to emerge.
Sword Rose Recap
Episode 1 Recap
On the night of April 25, 2009, in Linshan City, Deng Yan, a section chief from the Provincial Bureau's Secretariat Division, was walking through a bustling night market when a young girl named Fafa approached her. Fafa claimed the road to her home was dark and she was scared to walk alone, asking Deng Yan to escort her. After confirming Fafa's parents were supposedly waiting at home nearby, Deng Yan agreed.
As Deng Yan dropped Fafa off at her apartment building, a van suddenly screeched to a halt. Two men, Zhao Liang and Hu Xifan, emerged, subdued Deng Yan, and forced her into the trunk. Zhao Liang then ordered the reluctant Fafa into the van. They were human traffickers who used Fafa as bait, telling their victims they were helping them find wealthy, powerful men to secure a life of luxury.
Inside a secluded warehouse, Hu Xifan instructed Fafa to remain in the car. Another abducted girl was already being held inside. Hu Xifan tried to inject Deng Yan with a sedative, but she struggled fiercely. Just then, an associate announced the buyer's imminent arrival, and Hu Xifan and Zhao Liang exited to greet them. Seizing the opportunity, Deng Yan found a piece of broken glass and began cutting through her restraints.
Zhao Liang returned to get the other girl, beating her when she resisted. Deng Yan, having freed herself, kicked Zhao Liang to the ground and rescued the girl, promising they would escape together. As they approached the exit, another kidnapper spotted them. Deng Yan grabbed a fire extinguisher and sprayed the criminals, urging the girl to run for help. The girl managed to scale a wall and flee, with one of the kidnappers in hot pursuit.
Unbeknownst to Deng Yan, this was a carefully orchestrated police raid. An hour earlier, Han Liang, Captain of the Linshan City Police Bureau's Criminal Investigation Detachment, and Yin Jiansheng, Deputy Director of the Anti-abduction Office, had deployed their team. Officer Chang Rui was undercover, posing as a buyer. When the abducted girl escaped and ran into Chang Rui, she urgently told him another girl was inside who needed saving.
Chang Rui immediately reported the change in situation to Yin Jiansheng, who, concerned for the safety of all victims, ordered the team to move in. As police stormed the compound and apprehended the traffickers, Hu Xifan seized Deng Yan, holding her at knifepoint. He demanded a car to escape, forcing Han Liang to agree and order his officers to back off.
Spotting a knife on a nearby table, Deng Yan grabbed it and stabbed Hu Xifan, allowing officers to apprehend him. When Yin Jiansheng came to her aid, he was surprised to learn her true identity: she was also a police officer. Meanwhile, Officer Yang Jiajia tried to comfort a trembling Fafa, but the frightened girl ran away and had to be taken to the station by another officer. After the raid, Chang Rui expressed his frustration to Han Liang.
He explained that they had spent immense effort on the Zhou Min abduction case, building an elaborate network to capture the mastermind, but Deng Yan's unforeseen actions had disrupted their plan, allowing the main culprit to escape. Despite Chang Rui's objections about her lack of frontline experience, Chief Xiao Wenjin had already decided to appoint Deng Yan as the new Director of the Anti-abduction Office.
Deng Yan admitted to Xiao Wenjin that her actions had interfered with the operation but explained that as a police officer, she had to act when a life was in danger. Xiao Wenjin reassured her, emphasizing that the safety of the people always comes first. Xiao Wenjin then introduced Deng Yan to the Anti-abduction Office team. Despite Chang Rui's visible displeasure, Deng Yan humbly introduced herself, acknowledging she was new to anti-abduction work and asking for their support.
She immediately began working, requesting all unsolved cases from Yin Jiansheng. Meanwhile, Officer Ai Xin was unable to find Fafa to hand her over to the welfare center, eventually discovering the girl hiding under Chang Rui's desk. Later, Deng Yan found herself drawn back to the night market, stopping outside the "Tuanyuan Restaurant." A missing person poster for "Lin Ran" hung outside, and inside, the restaurant was filled with photos of other missing children.
This sight triggered a painful memory for Deng Yan: twenty-four years ago, on her birthday, her best friend, Lin Ran, went home to get more money to buy her a music box, promising to return. While waiting, Deng Yan witnessed Lin Ran being abducted by traffickers. The tragedy devastated Lin Ran's family; her mother, Madam Zhang, fell severely ill, and her father furiously blamed Deng Yan's family.
From that day on, a young Deng Yan vowed to become a police officer and dedicate her life to finding Lin Ran, regularly writing letters to her that she intended to deliver upon their reunion. On the night of May 10, a man known as Whiteboard approached university student Zheng Weiwei in an alley. Claiming he needed help choosing a gift for his sister, he offered her a bottle of water as thanks.
Zheng Weiwei drank the water, which was laced with a sedative, and quickly collapsed. Upon receiving the report, Han Liang urged Deng Yan to solve the case quickly, highlighting the severe impact of such crimes during their special operation. Deng Yan reviewed the blurry surveillance footage and deduced that the abductor was a seasoned criminal. She sought Chang Rui's opinion, but he responded with cold detachment.
Deng Yan then assigned Yang Jiajia and Yin Jiansheng to interrogate Zhao Liang, Yan Lei to interrogate Hu Xifan, and dispatched Ai Xin and Chang Rui to investigate the scene. At a nearby convenience store, a student confirmed seeing a suspicious black car parked there for several days. During interrogation, Hu Xifan confessed that his handler was Whiteboard, whose full name was Bai Wentao.
He revealed that Whiteboard was known for planning "big jobs" and preferred using sedatives, a detail that aligned with Zheng Weiwei's abduction. Deng Yan proposed merging the Zheng Weiwei and Zhou Min cases. The link was confirmed when Ai Xin showed surveillance photos to Hu Xifan, who immediately identified the man as Whiteboard. Han Liang approved the merger, instructing the team to find Whiteboard quickly.
Separately, during their interrogation by Ai Xin and Yan Lei, Zhao Liang revealed that Fafa called Whiteboard "Dad." Deng Yan realized this meant Fafa could be a valuable source of information, and considered the possibility that Fafa herself was a past victim whom Whiteboard had raised.
Episode 2 Recap
Deng Yan learned that Fafa called Whiteboard "dad" and sought to question her about Whiteboard's whereabouts. Ai Xin observed Fafa's guarded demeanor around people, leading Deng Yan to suspect that Fafa might have been kidnapped by Whiteboard. The officers spent the night comparing old kidnapping case files, and Ai Xin quickly identified three cases with similarities to Fafa. Deng Yan decided to visit Fafa at the welfare home the next day to verify the information.
The following morning, Deng Yan arrived at the welfare home to see Fafa sitting on the ground, seemingly lost in thought. Noticing a wound on Fafa's hand, Deng Yan gently bandaged it. Upon learning that Deng Yan was a police officer, Fafa grew suspicious, asking if the police were there to catch her father. Deng Yan affirmed that police officers catch bad people and would indeed apprehend Fafa's father if he were a criminal.
Meanwhile, Chang Rui, having heard that Whiteboard was a heavy gambler, went to a casino he frequently visited to investigate. Deng Yan's conversation with Fafa confirmed Whiteboard's gambling habit. She immediately contacted the Anti-abduction Office, instructing officers to search all entertainment venues and underground casinos in the city for Whiteboard, ensuring no lead was overlooked. Just then, Chang Rui called back, confirming he had already located Whiteboard.
Chang Rui, posing as a wealthy man named Xie, began gambling lavishly at a casino and arranged a high-stakes game. The casino boss, alerted to Xie's presence, called Whiteboard to join the game, also involving Zhao Dafeng. Whiteboard, introducing himself as Bai, readily agreed and quickly won a substantial amount of money. When he attempted to leave, Zhao Dafeng, nicknamed Crazy, challenged him, leading to a heated argument.
Chang Rui intervened, calming the situation and suggesting they continue playing for fun, covering Zhao Dafeng's previous losses. Chang Rui continued to play with Whiteboard and Zhao Dafeng through the night, eventually winning all their money. He then returned their winnings, explaining that he sought partners to expand his "business" in Linshan, and proposed they make money together. Whiteboard and Zhao Dafeng were eager to join him.
Chang Rui immediately called Yin Jiansheng, explaining that he had found not only Whiteboard but also an accomplice named Zhao Dafeng, whom he suspected of being part of an organized kidnapping group. He wanted to prolong the operation to catch a larger target. Yin Jiansheng then reported this to Deng Yan, who, in turn, decided to report the situation to Captain Han.
Suddenly, Yan Lei received an urgent report: a baby boy named Little Spud was missing from the Central Garden Square in Xinmin Street. Deng Yan, without delay, led her officers to the scene, instructing Ai Xin to remain at the office for calls. Upon arriving at the small square, Deng Yan and Yin Jiansheng learned from local police officers that the child's grandmother, Mrs. Lin, a former doctor, had rushed to help an unconscious person.
After the ambulance took the patient away, she realized Little Spud was gone. Deng Yan recognized Mrs. Lin as her mother's colleague and reassured her that they were there to help. Little Spud's parents soon arrived, distraught and demanding that the police find their child immediately. Deng Yan calmly explained that they were already deploying traffic police and other units to assist in the search.
Yang Jiajia reviewed the square's surveillance footage and quickly identified a suspicious vehicle with a fake license plate. Deng Yan, suspecting it belonged to kidnappers, personally led the pursuit. The vehicle carried a couple and a baby. The couple sped away, but Deng Yan and Chang Rui pursued relentlessly, eventually forcing the vehicle to stop. The couple adamantly claimed the child was theirs, attributing their frantic escape to having smuggled cigarettes and a fake license plate in the car.
Forensic tests confirmed that the baby in the vehicle belonged to the couple. Little Spud's parents were devastated and directed their anger at Mrs. Lin. Deng Yan felt their investigative direction might be flawed and suggested broadening the search. She proposed expanding the search radius beyond the park entrance to include all exits, deep areas, and blind spots, ensuring no area was overlooked.
She also suggested re-visiting the park to find potential eyewitnesses and contacting other police stations to issue a joint investigation notice, as the child might have already been transferred. Deng Yan and Yan Lei began posting missing person notices for Little Spud near the crime scene. They arrived at Tuanyuan Restaurant, a long-standing civilian anti-kidnapping organization. Madam Zhang, the proprietor, immediately recognized Deng Yan as a childhood friend of her missing daughter, Lin Ranran.
Madam Zhang greeted her warmly, and Deng Yan assured her that she had never forgotten Lin Ranran's case. Yan Lei then received a call from the bureau, prompting them to leave. Meanwhile, lawyer Sun Wenhan encountered Luo Xiaoxing on the street. She was still searching for her younger brother, Luo Xiaoyu, who had been kidnapped fifteen years prior. Sun Wenhan offered to be her legal representative and accompanied her to the Public Complaints Administration to seek assistance.
The administration then called Deng Yan's office. Both Sun Wenhan and Luo Xiaoxing expressed doubts about the Anti-abduction Office's effectiveness, to which Deng Yan responded by detailing the police's extensive efforts, including 327 investigations across 11 provinces and interviews with over 760 individuals since Luo Xiaoyu's disappearance. Luo Xiaoxing recounted her family's tragedies: her mother committed suicide after Luo Xiaoyu went missing, and her father, grandfather, and grandmother all passed away without seeing him return.
She expressed her anguish, having searched for fifteen years with no results. Sun Wenhan pressed Deng Yan for tangible results, demanding Luo Xiaoyu's swift return. In response, Deng Yan made a solemn promise: if she failed to solve Luo Xiaoyu's case, she would resign from the police force. Later, a fisherman discovered Zhao Dafeng's body in a river. Chang Rui personally went to confirm the identity, confirming it was indeed Zhao Dafeng.
He recalled their last encounter in the casino, where he, as Xie, had befriended Whiteboard and Zhao Dafeng. During that meeting, Chang Rui implied he was involved in human trafficking, using the slang term "leather business," which Zhao Dafeng confirmed was also their line of work. Chang Rui then offered Zhao Dafeng 30,000 yuan as a down payment for goods, agreeing to a two-day delivery. Back at Tuanyuan Restaurant, Qian, the landlord, arrived to collect rent.
Madam Zhang, in financial straits, gathered 1,100 yuan, supplemented by money pooled by the restaurant's volunteers. She handed it to Qian, who noted it was insufficient but agreed to give her a few more days to gather the rest.
Episode 3 Recap
Sun Wenhan and Luo Xiaoxing arrived at Tuanyuan Restaurant where they witnessed Qian pressing Madam Zhang for overdue rent. Madam Zhang, explaining her financial struggles, could only offer 1,100 yuan, promising the remaining 2,000 yuan soon. Without hesitation, Sun Wenhan covered the outstanding amount, telling Madam Zhang to consider it his rent for working from the restaurant. Deeply grateful, Madam Zhang accepted his generosity.
Sun Wenhan then introduced Luo Xiaoxing, explaining she had come to Linshan to find her brother, Luo Xiaoyu, whom she had been searching for 15 years, and had been living on the streets. Madam Zhang, empathizing with Luo Xiaoxing's plight, offered her a place to stay and work, noting that other staff members were also parents of abducted children, sharing similar experiences. She assured Luo Xiaoxing that everyone at the restaurant would help her.
Chang Rui, undercover as a buyer, confronted Whiteboard, pressing him about Zhao Dafeng and demanding the promised "goods." Whiteboard, desperate, offered to provide "young and pretty" girls himself. Chang Rui then received a call from "Mr. Li," an alias for Yin Jiansheng, who was pressing him for the goods. Chang Rui informed him that he had secured "top-notch" goods and would send them to the "usual spot," simultaneously transmitting his location to Deng Yan's team.
Whiteboard led Chang Rui to a deserted factory. There, Whiteboard received a text message from his handler, warning him that "Xie" (Chang Rui's alias) was "bogus" and instructing him to hold onto Zheng Weiwei. Realizing Chang Rui was an officer, Whiteboard attempted to ambush him with a brick, but Chang Rui swiftly overpowered him. Deng Yan and her team arrived promptly, securing Whiteboard and taking him into custody.
Deng Yan and Chang Rui meticulously searched the abandoned factory, discovering a hidden room where a terrified Zhou Min was being held captive. Zhou Min, in a state of extreme distress and exhibiting signs of severe trauma, was rushed to the hospital. There, medical personnel worked to calm her as she cried out in fear, pleading for them not to touch her and to take her away.
Chang Rui wished for Zhou Min to identify Whiteboard, but the doctors confirmed she was still in a highly disoriented and fragile mental state, unable to be questioned, advising against any stimulation. Yan Lei and Chang Rui began interrogating Whiteboard. Despite mounting evidence, Whiteboard adamantly denied his involvement, falsely claiming Zhou Min was his girlfriend and that he had only "punished" her for misbehavior.
Yan Lei informed him that sufficient evidence of his crimes had been gathered, offering a reduced sentence if he confessed and revealed accomplices. Whiteboard, however, remained uncooperative, suggesting they bring Zhou Min to confront him. Chang Rui, drawing on his past experience as a drug enforcement officer, warned Whiteboard that he was facing serious charges and that Zhou Min would identify him once she recovered. He then pressed Whiteboard about other victims and accomplices.
When shown a photo of a child named Fafa, Whiteboard initially claimed she was his biological daughter, then shifted to say he found her abandoned in his hometown around November 2002 and adopted her informally due to his inability to complete legal procedures. Chang Rui countered, revealing that the girl's true name was Qiu Luoluo, and he knew Whiteboard had kidnapped her. Meanwhile, Little Spud's family was consumed by anguish and disarray.
His father printed numerous missing person flyers, which the entire family went out to distribute. His grandmother, tear-stricken and self-reproachful, agonized over the fact that Little Spud went missing while under her care, leading to a heated argument among family members before they resolved to focus solely on finding the child. Deng Yan, overwhelmed by the lack of progress, found herself in a state of distress.
Whiteboard continued to be uncooperative, and Zhou Min's fragile mental state meant she was unable to provide testimony. The fate of Zheng Weiwei and Little Spud remained unknown, fueling Deng Yan's urgency and desperation. The Anti-abduction Office received an anonymous tip reporting that Little Spud had been sold to Nanyangdian Village. Deng Yan, accompanied by Yin Jiansheng and Chang Rui, immediately headed to the village, where they were met by Officer Hu from the local police station.
Officer Hu warned them that Nanyangdian Village had a history as a notorious trafficking hub and its residents were extremely wary of law enforcement. Yin Jiansheng devised a plan for them to pose as a team conducting law popularization education. They proceeded to Yang Yong's house, where local intelligence indicated a recent purchase of a boy.
Upon entering, they observed baby formula, bottles, and children's toys, despite Yang Yong's insistence that he had no children and that these items were merely placed to "attract luck" for his wife to conceive. While Yin Jiansheng engaged Yang Yong in a discussion about anti-trafficking laws, Chang Rui, feigning a search for a restroom, discreetly located Yang Yong's wife attempting to hide a child.
After Chang Rui located the child, Yin Jiansheng discreetly advised Deng Yan not to disclose any findings to Little Spud's grandmother, who had called Deng Yan for updates, until the DNA test results were conclusive. Deng Yan and Chang Rui then separately interrogated Yang Yong and his wife. The couple confessed that they had purchased the boy after years of infertility, obtaining him through the wife's distant cousin, Han Yougang.
They described meeting a rundown van under a row of willow trees at the village's eastern entrance, where the child had been left for them by an unseen trafficker. Following the pre-arranged price, they left the money in the vehicle and took the child. However, subsequent forensic DNA testing confirmed that the rescued child was not Little Spud. Deng Yan's relentless dedication to her work at the Anti-abduction Office meant she was rarely home, deeply concerning her parents.
Her mother understood that Deng Yan's fierce commitment stemmed from the unresolved case of Lin Ran, who was abducted 24 years prior when she went back to get money for a birthday gift she had saved up to buy for Deng Yan. Meanwhile, Sun Wenhan, whose son Sun Xiaoguang was abducted over a decade ago at Fushan West Gardens when he was two, was consumed by grief.
His profound sorrow sometimes led him to mistake other children for his lost son, resulting in him being falsely accused of child trafficking and taken to the police station. Fortunately, Ai Xin arrived to clarify the misunderstanding, explaining his tragic circumstances. At the hospital, Deng Yan learned from the doctor that Zhou Min, while physically recovering, had suffered significant mental trauma and showed abnormally high estrogen levels in her blood.
When Deng Yan attempted to question Zhou Min about potential other victims, Zhou Min's mother vehemently refused, citing her daughter's fragile state and inability to withstand any further distress. She even angrily suggested police use harsh interrogation methods on the traffickers, which Deng Yan patiently explained was unlawful. Later, Zhou Min's parents celebrated her birthday in the hospital room, a scene that triggered Deng Yan's painful memory of Lin Ran's abduction years ago.
With Whiteboard refusing to confess and Zhou Min unable to cooperate, the Anti-abduction Office faced a deadlock. Initial leads on Han Yougang also hit a wall, as the provided phone number was suspended and Han Yougang himself had gone into hiding. Frustrated, Deng Yan decided to pursue a new line of inquiry with Whiteboard. She confronted him with evidence: the discovery of Estradiol in his home.
Deng Yan explained that this drug, used to treat estrogen deficiency and known for promoting growth and breast enlargement, was clearly not for him. She accused him of forcing Zhou Min to take it to accelerate her development, intending to force her into prostitution. Cornered, Whiteboard finally admitted, claiming Zhou Min was his girlfriend, that he had indeed given her the drug.
Episode 4 Recap
Deng Yan and Chang Rui began their interrogation of Whiteboard, focusing on his administration of estrogen to Zhou Min. Whiteboard, cunningly, claimed he only wanted his girlfriend to be "more developed" for his pride, accepting responsibility while implying it was a minor transgression. Chang Rui, frustrated by Whiteboard's evasiveness, believed they needed concrete evidence and suggested questioning Zhou Min. Although Deng Yan initially noted Zhou Min's mother's refusal, Zhou Min herself surprisingly arrived, willing to testify.
Zhou Min bravely recounted her ordeal, stating she wanted to prevent Whiteboard from harming others. She described encountering him on her way home from school when he asked for directions. After showing him the way, she blacked out. When she regained consciousness, she was in a small room with a man in a white coat, whom she identified from a photograph. Terrified, remembering stories of organ harvesting, she struggled as he tried to remove her pants.
He then covered her face with a cloth, and she lost consciousness again. Her next awakening found her blindfolded, disoriented by loud club music, and only able to hear voices. She distinguished her abductor talking to another angry man, repeatedly apologizing. During a subsequent interrogation, Deng Yan and Chang Rui confronted Whiteboard with the confessions of Hu Xifan, an unlicensed doctor, and Zhao Liang, both of whom had revealed details of his activities.
The officers exposed that Whiteboard's supposed "dating" of Zhou Min involved taking her to an unlicensed doctor for a "goods inspection" before sending her to a nightclub. Under pressure, Whiteboard conceded he was upset with Zhou Min for being "stubborn" and had impulsively considered selling her, even to Chang Rui. In a slip, he mentioned he "didn't have a handler" before quickly retracting, insisting he acted alone and denying ever mentioning a "boss" when with Zhao Dafeng.
He finally divulged the name of the nightclub: Platinum No. 1. Deng Yan and Chang Rui then led Anti-abduction Office officers to the Platinum No. 1 nightclub. Inside, the loud environment led a colleague to advise Deng Yan to remove her earpiece and relax, as her tense demeanor made their purpose obvious. On the third floor, Zheng Weiwei was observed being forced to drink with a client, Mr. Li, who treated her roughly.
A manager, having booked the entire floor for a week for Mr. Li, received an urgent order from "the boss" to immediately bring out the captured girls, specifically "the girl" the boss had "got his eyes on," a command that frustrated the manager. Deng Yan discreetly ascended to the third floor, noticing two men guarding a door. She then witnessed two individuals forcibly dragging a girl away. She intervened immediately but was swiftly surrounded.
Chang Rui arrived to back her up. Despite their efforts, the girl was still taken. Deng Yan promptly called Yin Jiansheng, instructing him that the suspects were moving downstairs and to "move in now." In the underground parking lot, Yin Jiansheng and his team intercepted the abductors who were dragging two girls. The police secured the area, assuring the rescued girls they were safe.
During interviews, Deng Yan learned that the girls had been lured from Mount Mangqing with false promises of lucrative city jobs, only to be tricked and forced into serving clients. One girl recalled being taken to a "forest-like place" where others were waiting, then to a house, made to change, and put into a car. She mentioned another girl, remarkably brave, who jumped from the moving vehicle and escaped.
The rescued girls were uncertain if the runaway was recaptured, as they never saw her again. They identified a bald man as one of their captors, later confirmed as Bai Wentao, by his code name "Number Four." They also mentioned seeing another girl being dragged away by two men, but couldn't confirm if she was the one who had escaped earlier.
Based on the victims' accounts, the police concluded that Bai Wentao's statements were largely accurate, but his "handler" remained unknown, as both Bai Wentao and Hu Xifan were clearly intimidated and refused to provide information. An officer suggested the escaped girl was a key clue, and Deng Yan agreed, emphasizing that even without knowing her identity, they knew "where she was last seen." Madam Zhang hosted a regular gathering for parents of abducted children, where they shared their painful experiences.
One mother, Meilian, tearfully recounted her child being missing for over eleven years, lamenting that she no longer knew what he looked like. Another parent, Liu, expressed deep self-blame for losing his grandson, Xiaoxiao, after being just ten minutes late for kindergarten pickup. Madam Zhang offered comfort, urging them to believe their children were safe and would eventually return.
During this time, Deng Yan received an update from an officer confirming the identification of the two recently rescued girls and the notification of their families. However, there were no leads on the escaped girl from the nightclub or on Little Spud. The officer advised Deng Yan that anti-trafficking cases demanded patience and were comparable to "looking for a needle in a haystack." Madam Zhang introduced Lin Hao and Cai Xin, Little Spud's parents, as new members of the group.
Cai Xin, visibly distressed, initially declined to share her story. As another speaker passionately discussed the reality of "spiritual connection" and the power of "blood ties" in finding children, Cai Xin erupted in anger. She sharply criticized the group for focusing on "psychic connections" instead of actively searching for their children, some of whom had been missing for years.
Despite attempts by other parents to express understanding, Cai Xin retorted that she didn't comprehend their passive approach, accusing them of "sighing, pretending everything's okay, avoiding reality, and wasting time." She emphatically declared, "The kids won't come back on their own!" and stormed out, leaving Lin Hao to apologize for her outburst.
Later, Deng Yan, Yin Jiansheng, and other officers deliberated on a potential link between the trafficking of girls and children, with Deng Yan suggesting Bai Wentao might be involved in both. She proposed that finding "Luoluo" and the "middleman" who connected her to Bai Wentao could be a breakthrough for child trafficking cases.
Yin Jiansheng, however, maintained that the operations were separate and prioritized finding the escaped girl from the nightclub, especially since Bai Wentao claimed Luoluo was an adopted child. They ultimately decided to focus on locating the escaped girl. Concurrently, at home, Lin Hao's aunt visited his mother, suggesting that Lin Hao and Cai Xin should have another child to provide Cai Xin with "something to hold on to." Cai Xin overheard this conversation and became furious.
She confronted her mother-in-law, accusing her of prompting the aunt's suggestion and angrily declared that Little Spud was her only child, "not some object you can just replace," vowing never to have another. She harshly told her mother-in-law that if she held such a view, she didn't "deserve to be his grandmother." Lin Hao arrived home amidst the escalating argument.
Cai Xin then lashed out, blaming his mother for Little Spud's disappearance, asserting, "If it weren't for her, our son wouldn't have gone missing!" Lin Hao stepped in to defend his mother, stating that his mother did not lose Little Spud on purpose. His mother, in tears, expressed deep regret and self-blame, stating she understood Cai Xin's pain as a mother and would even trade her own life to bring Little Spud back.
Soon after, Lin Hao received a phone call and excitedly informed his mother that there was news about Little Spud. He, Cai Xin, and his mother then met Zhao Zhilong, who introduced himself as a volunteer from a community outreach group. Zhao Zhilong claimed his cousin had seen Little Spud in Lianxiang Town, identifying him by a black mole on his back—a detail confirmed by the parents from a missing child notice they had posted online.
When Lin Hao eagerly suggested they go to Lianxiang Town immediately, Zhao Zhilong advised caution, warning that rushing might "alert the traffickers." He offered to have his cousin, who was familiar with the area, scout a general location first. He then made them promise not to involve the police once Little Spud was found, reasoning that child trafficking was a serious crime and that police involvement might provoke the traffickers to "do something extreme."
Lin Hao's mother voiced her suspicion, stating, "I don't trust that man. Something feels off. I feel like he's connected to the people who took our child." However, Cai Xin, desperate to find her son, dismissed the concern, declaring, "I don't care if he is connected to them or not. What matters is getting my child back. I only care about that!"
Deng Yan and her team continued their search for the escaped girl from Platinum No. 1, but surveillance around the area yielded no useful leads. Suspecting she might have left Linshan City, they decided to extend their search south towards Pengcang Town. Meanwhile, Cai Xin and Lin Hao were packing for their trip to Lianxiang Town. Lin Hao's mother urged them to contact Director Deng, but Cai Xin vehemently refused, reminding her of Zhao Zhilong's warning against police involvement.
She argued that if the police could have found Little Spud, they would have already. Upon arriving in Lianxiang Town with Cai Xin's maternal grandparents, they met Zhao Zhilong's cousin, Wang. Wang confirmed Little Spud was in the town but couldn't pinpoint the exact family who had taken him, suggesting they'd need more people to help inquire. He provided a map with marked locations and proposed they split up.
Lin Hao and Cai Xin began showing Little Spud's photo to locals. At a stall, a woman confirmed seeing a "chubby child who smiles at everyone" recently, indicating he likely lived nearby, which greatly encouraged Lin Hao and Cai Xin. Soon after, Lin Hao received a call confirming Little Spud's location. They rushed to meet Wang again, who showed them a photo of Little Spud taken by his friend. Lin Hao confirmed it was their son.
Wang then revealed that his friend, who was near the buyer's house, was demanding 200,000 yuan, claiming the money was not for him. Lin Hao and Cai Xin were stunned, realizing they didn't possess such a large sum. Following this, Lin Hao led Cai Xin to a small shop run by Madam Liu, known as "Chatterbox," renowned for knowing everything in town. After purchasing some candy, they discreetly asked Madam Liu if she had seen any "young girls from out of town lately." She confirmed she had.
Episode 5 Recap
Deng Yan and Chang Rui traveled to Peng'an Town for their investigation. An informant approached Chang Rui for a fee, and Chang Rui paid him all the money he had. They learned from an old woman that the wealthiest family, the Mo family, had taken in a mute girl. The old woman initially mentioned the east side of town but then corrected herself, stating they lived on the west side of the street.
Deng Yan and Chang Rui decided to visit the Mo family to investigate. Upon meeting Mr. Mo, he claimed the mute girl was a distant relative who had returned home after failing to find a job due to her disability. His son, Mo Lin, was present but remained silent. Mr. Mo quickly sent him away. Deng Yan suspected Mr. Mo was hiding something and believed the mute girl was key to solving a case.
When Chang Rui suggested further questioning, Deng Yan decided instead to have someone monitor the family to avoid alerting them. Separately, Cai Xin contacted Lin's mother, explaining that she and Lin Hao had located Little Spud through Zhao Zhilong's cousin, but the individual demanded 200,000 yuan for his specific whereabouts. Lin Hao and Cai Xin only had 20,000 yuan in cash, so Cai Xin appealed to Lin's mother to help raise the rest.
Lin's mother was overjoyed at the news but also worried about potential scammers. Cai Xin quickly sent her a photo of Little Spud's back as proof and assured her that people in the town had seen him. Lin's mother offered to borrow money from relatives, but Cai Xin adamantly urged her not to involve anyone else or the police, fearing it could jeopardize Little Spud's safety.
Lin's mother promised to find a way to raise the money herself, without telling anyone. Meanwhile, Luo Xiaoxing, whose brother Luo Xiaoyu was abducted, had become an orphan after her parents and grandparents passed away. Despite twenty-four years passing, she continued her search for him. Sun Wenhan, whose own son Xiaoguang had also been abducted, empathized with her plight.
He offered to represent her as her lawyer and introduced her to Madam Zhang, the owner of Tuanyuan Restaurant, where Luo Xiaoxing started working as an assistant. Luo Xiaoxing spent her free time drawing her imagined version of Xiaoyu, fearing she wouldn't recognize him if they ever met. Madam Zhang and Sun Wenhan, both carrying the pain of missing children, offered words of comfort, emphasizing a psychic connection between family members, which helped ease Luo Xiaoxing's heart.
After careful consideration, Lin's mother decided to sell her apartment. Despite it being a valuable school district property that was about to gain more value with a new school branch, she insisted on a quick sale for cash, even if it meant a significant price reduction. Her real estate agent quickly found a buyer willing to pay cash that day. Lin's mother transferred the 200,000 yuan to Lin Hao.
Later, seeing an anti-fraud public service announcement, she grew increasingly uneasy and called Deng Yan for advice. Deng Yan immediately recognized it as a scam, leaving Lin's mother devastated and distraught, blaming herself for being tricked. Lin Hao and Cai Xin met with the individual, later identified as Zhao Zhilong's cousin. He took half of the 200,000 yuan, and a middleman revealed Little Spud was supposedly at Yao Laosan’s house in Lianxiang Town.
The individual then quickly left after receiving the remaining 100,000 yuan. Lin Hao and Cai Xin soon spotted a woman holding a child whom they believed was Little Spud. Cai Xin seized the opportunity, quickly grabbing the child from a stroller and getting into their car. The woman and her husband, realizing their child was gone, immediately called neighbors for help and pursued Lin Hao’s car. The couple and their neighbors chased Lin Hao, eventually intercepting his car.
Lin Hao got out to confront them, while Cai Xin, seizing the moment, ran off with the child into a high-rise parking lot. Officer Yan Lei, witnessing the chaos, immediately reported the situation to Deng Yan, stating that Lin Hao and Cai Xin had snatched a child and were near Linshan North Station. Deng Yan, without hesitation, rushed to the scene with Chang Rui and Yang Jiajia. On the rooftop parking lot, Cai Xin was cornered by the furious couple.
She became increasingly agitated, threatening to jump with the child if they came any closer. Firefighters had already deployed a safety mat below. Deng Yan arrived and calmly talked Cai Xin down, playing on her conviction that the child was Little Spud and reassuring her that no one would take him away. Cai Xin eventually handed the child over to Deng Yan, who instructed Chang Rui and Yang Jiajia to take the child for a DNA test.
The forensic DNA results confirmed that the child was not Little Spud. Lin Hao and Cai Xin were utterly heartbroken, realizing they had been victims of a sophisticated scam orchestrated by the Wang brothers, who had transferred the money to Zhao Zhilong. The revelation left them completely distraught, clinging to each other and weeping uncontrollably.
Upon hearing the news, Lin's mother was overcome with grief, crying profusely and taking all the blame for their misfortune, including the loss of her house money. Deng Yan felt a deep sense of sadness witnessing their despair. Recognizing the need for better resources, Yang Jiajia proposed creating a comprehensive database to centralize all information on abducted children, believing it would significantly improve the efficiency of future searches. Chang Rui supported her initiative.
Later, Yin Jiansheng collapsed from exhaustion due to his relentless efforts to find clues about Little Spud and was hospitalized. Han Liang informed Deng Yan, advising her to extend support to her colleagues. Deng Yan went to the hospital but found Yin Jiansheng had left, having claimed he had family matters to attend to, but was likely still pursuing leads.
She then visited the retired former Director, who understood Yin Jiansheng's unwavering dedication and encouraged Deng Yan to remain steadfast in her anti-abduction work, emphasizing the importance of perseverance. Yin Jiansheng's wife was visibly frustrated by his preoccupation with cases, even while hospitalized, and he even hid in the bathroom to continue making calls. Chang Rui attempted to visit Yin Jiansheng but was initially denied entry by a strict nurse.
He managed to sneak into the room, where Yin Jiansheng eagerly inquired about the Little Spud case's progress. Chang Rui mentioned Yang Jiajia’s database project. Deng Yan later returned to the hospital to check on Yin Jiansheng, finding Chang Rui hiding, thinking she was the nurse. Yin Jiansheng wanted to discuss the case, but Deng Yan insisted he focus on his recovery, promising to talk after his discharge.
Concerned for Yin Jiansheng’s health, Xiao Wenjin and Han Liang agreed that he needed to rest and decided to entrust the Little Spud case to Deng Yan. Deng Yan appeared on television, publicly announcing Little Spud’s abduction and urging the public to provide any leads. She highlighted the surge in child trafficking cases and emphasized that the Little Spud incident was a critical opportunity to mobilize the public to fight abductions, ensuring every family understood prevention.
Sun Wenhan sought out Professor Yang, Linshan City's top sketch artist, to draw Luo Xiaoyu's appearance as an adult based on Luo Xiaoxing's features. Meanwhile, Yang Jiajia successfully created a trial version of the comprehensive database, compiling all of Little Spud’s case information into a mini-database, which she then showed to Chang Rui.
Episode 6 Recap
Deng Yan meticulously reviewed surveillance footage from the park square, focusing on the moments Little Spud went missing. She observed a woman quickly getting into a van while holding something that, based on its size, she suspected was a child. Although the camera only captured the woman's lower body, Deng Yan noticed a man standing by the vehicle.
Recalling a previous interrogation, she recognized the distinctive fidgeting of Meng Gui's feet and the specific shoes he wore, which matched those of the van driver in the surveillance. This strongly suggested Meng Gui and the woman collaborated in Little Spud's abduction. However, with Meng Gui's persistent denials and no definitive proof that the package was Little Spud, Deng Yan knew they needed more concrete evidence before making an arrest.
Meanwhile, Little Spud's mother, Cai Xin, was consumed by grief, unable to eat or sleep, dedicating all her time to distributing missing person flyers. Her boss, Mr. Liu, urged her to return to work, stating the project couldn't wait and suggesting she "let go." Heartbroken and overwhelmed, Cai Xin defiantly resigned. Overcome by exhaustion and distress, she collapsed. Lin Hao, desperate, called Deng Yan for help.
Deng Yan rushed to the hospital to comfort a distraught Cai Xin, who felt hopeless after losing her son, being swindled, and quitting her job. Deng Yan vowed to bring Little Spud back, no matter the cost, and Cai Xin, holding onto Deng Yan, wept uncontrollably. Deng Yan later advised Lin Hao to seek psychological help for Cai Xin, noting her condition resembled post-traumatic stress disorder.
At the Anti-abduction Office, Luo Xiaoxing, accompanied by Lawyer Sun Wenhan, confronted Ai Xin and Yang Jiajia about her brother, Luo Xiaoyu, who was abducted 24 years ago. Frustrated by the lack of progress, Luo Xiaoxing accused the police of inaction. Sun Wenhan presented a sketch.
Yang Jiajia explained that Director Deng had already commissioned a portrait of Luo Xiaoyu, based on his bone structure, after meeting Luo Xiaoxing at the Public Complaints Administration, and had distributed it to various public security departments for assistance. Luo Xiaoxing, however, expressed dissatisfaction that she hadn't been shown the portrait earlier. Ai Xin clarified that police protocols prevented them from communicating with families unless new leads emerged and urged Luo Xiaoxing to be patient and cooperate with their efforts.
Deng Yan then visited the welfare home where Qiu Luoluo was staying. The director informed her that Qiu Luoluo, who they called Fafa, had been refusing to eat or drink since her relatives were found. Deng Yan brought Qiu Luoluo's sister, Tingting, and Tingting's adoptive parents to the welfare home. Tingting gently explained to Qiu Luoluo that their parents had died in a car accident and that her adoptive parents could only afford to adopt one child.
Qiu Luoluo was heartbroken, crying and begging her sister to take her along. The director assured Deng Yan that social workers specializing in child psychology would be assigned to monitor and provide counseling to Qiu Luoluo, alleviating Deng Yan's concerns about the child's psychological well-being. Later, Chang Rui was seen comforting Qiu Luoluo, who was quietly crying. After being discharged from the hospital, Vice Director Yin Jiansheng immediately returned to the Anti-abduction Office, eager for updates on Little Spud's case.
Meanwhile, Ai Xin and Yang Jiajia continued reviewing surveillance footage but still found no clear images of the woman who abducted Little Spud. A crucial new lead emerged when Sun Wenhan's client, who was at the square during the abduction, recounted seeing a woman carrying a child towards a "beat-up van." Although she couldn't see the woman's face clearly, the description of the van matched the one seen in earlier surveillance.
Deng Yan immediately instructed Yang Jiajia to track the movements of this white van, license plate South C 1798B, which was frequently seen near the Qingluo Town wholesale market. Deng Yan and Chang Rui located the van at the market. Its driver, Wang Laoshi, panicked and fled, mistakenly believing they were debt collectors pursuing him for an unpaid loan.
Once apprehended, Wang Laoshi vehemently denied knowing Meng Gui or ever lending his van, explaining he uses it daily for seafood deliveries. Deng Yan discerned Wang Laoshi's truthfulness, deducing that Meng Gui was operating a cloned vehicle. Yang Jiajia’s subsequent investigation confirmed Meng Gui was indeed driving the cloned van, which had an irregular travel pattern, appearing in multiple cities like Lingnan, Linjiang, Hongxi, and even neighboring provinces within a month, often avoiding highways.
Its last known location was Youyi Mall in Lingnan at 8 PM the previous night. Deng Yan proposed expanding the search radius, suggesting this indicated a larger criminal ring, a theory Yin Jiansheng supported, believing it might connect to existing girl trafficking cases. Simultaneously, Sun Wenhan learned about a family in Xibang Village, Jinglong Town, Shanyang County, who adopted a child resembling Little Spud.
He contacted his former coworker, Fan Dacheng, who confirmed the child's presence and warned Sun Wenhan about the close-knit and wary villagers. Sun Wenhan traveled to the village, using the excuse of visiting Fan Dacheng to approach the adoptive family's house. He secretly took a photo of the child, noting the child’s pale and unwell appearance.
The child’s adoptive father, Zheng Mingguang, returned home and confronted Sun Wenhan, accusing him of being a child trafficker and forcing him to delete the photo. Zheng Mingguang then warned other villagers to be vigilant against strangers. Deng Yan continued to analyze the cloned van's movements, observing that it consistently passed through Linshan regardless of its destination (Lingnan, Jijiang, Changqing, Hongxi, Jiuguan County), leading her to suspect Linshan was their operational base.
Despite the van's cunning attempts to evade most city cameras, four specific intersections consistently captured its presence. Deng Yan, wary of alerting the suspects, decided against involving local police and instead assigned herself, Yin Jiansheng, Chang Rui, and Yang Jiajia to stake out these four critical intersections. Based on the van's consistent three-day return pattern to Linshan, they anticipated its arrival soon, as it had been three days since its last sighting in Jijiang.
Yang Jiajia arranged for assistance from traffic control to aid their surveillance efforts. Sun Wenhan made a second attempt to visit the adoptive family, but the adoptive mother discovered him and alerted her husband, Zheng Mingguang. Believing Sun Wenhan to be a child trafficker, Zheng Mingguang incited the villagers, who trapped Sun Wenhan in his car and smashed its windows. Sun Wenhan attempted to call Yin Jiansheng, but his phone was on silent.
Fortunately, the village security chief, Debang, intervened, stopping the agitated villagers and taking Sun Wenhan to the village committee for questioning. Later, Deng Yan spotted the cloned van (C1798B) and immediately notified her team. She dispatched Chang Rui to the Tianxia Shuiyi Bathing Center, where Meng Gui was apprehended while taking a shower. Deng Yan pursued the target van, which briefly entered and then quickly exited the Hongtoushan Residential Area. She continued to follow it to its final destination, observing multiple children inside. The driver then dropped off one of the children to a waiting man.
Episode 7 Recap
As Deng Yan tracked a trafficker, she arrived at a transaction where a child was being handed to a buyer. Just as the exchange occurred, police officers swiftly moved in. The trafficker immediately fled, while the terrified buyer dropped to the ground. Officers pursued the fleeing trafficker relentlessly. Deng Yan rushed forward to embrace the boy, reassuring him that she would take him home to his mother.
Meanwhile, Yang Jiajia discovered and rescued two more abducted children from the trafficker's vehicle. The trafficker was apprehended shortly after. Later, during an initial interrogation, Chang Rui questioned Meng Gui, who feigned ignorance, claiming he was merely a designated driver. Chang Rui pressed him, reminding him of past incidents involving children and pointing out his recurring presence in such cases. Meng Gui eventually confessed to being a driver who transported abducted children to traffickers.
He revealed that in the case of Little Spud, he was acting under the orders of a woman known as Madam Hong. Chang Rui reported this information to Yin Jiansheng, noting that Meng Gui claimed Madam Hong was a single point of contact and that Yang Jiajia was verifying Meng Gui's call records for more leads. Sun Wenhan had earlier gone to Xibang Village to investigate Little Spud's whereabouts but was mistaken for a trafficker by the villagers and detained.
Yin Jiansheng had to intervene late at night to secure his release. Despite this setback, Sun Wenhan’s information proved valuable; led by Sun Wenhan, Deng Yan met Fan Dacheng, who reported that a child in the village strongly resembled Little Spud, though the villagers believed the boy to be Zheng Mingguang’s own son. Recognizing the need for solid evidence, Deng Yan, Yin Jiansheng, and a small team decided to visit Xibang Village.
Posing as population census takers, they were led to Zheng Mingguang's home by the village chief. Zheng Mingguang's wife, Liu Hongmei, was initially cautious but cooperated, providing her household register. During their visit, Deng Yan observed the child, Zheng Wendong. She also learned from a doctor that Zheng Wendong was a premature baby born at seven months with a fragile immune system.
Though Deng Yan found no immediate discrepancies in the official documents, she subtly obtained a hair sample from Zheng Wendong for DNA testing while distracting Liu Hongmei by doting on the child. During a subsequent interrogation led by Deng Yan, Meng Gui remained evasive, attempting to downplay his involvement.
Chang Rui then confronted him with irrefutable evidence, including eyewitness accounts and surveillance footage showing Meng Gui and his wife at Central Garden Square, where his wife handed him a child who was then concealed in a travel bag. Chang Rui revealed that the child found in Meng Gui's car during his arrest was his own, implying the trafficked child had already been moved to another vehicle.
Faced with conclusive proof, Meng Gui confessed that Madam Hong had previously instructed him to deliver a boy to Han Yougang. Later, Han Yougang called him directly, urgently requesting another boy. Meng Gui admitted that he and his wife then abducted Little Spud from Central Garden Square and sold him to Han Yougang for 50,000 yuan. Separately, Lin Hao accompanied Cai Xin to the location of their first date.
Cai Xin then proposed a divorce, explaining that while she knew Lin Hao’s mother hadn't meant for Little Spud to be taken, she felt an overwhelming burden of guilt and despair since the abduction. She struggled with sleepless nights, couldn't face her mother-in-law, and had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and severe depression, requiring long-term medication that precluded having another child.
Despite Lin Hao's pleas and offers to move out, Cai Xin insisted that divorce was the best choice for both their sakes. Lin Hao, heartbroken by Cai Xin's decision and the loss of his son, later returned home intoxicated. He confronted his mother, bitterly blaming her for being distracted by saving someone else at the park, which he believed led to the abduction and the fracturing of his family.
His mother, deeply pained, repeatedly apologized, her despair so profound that she contemplated taking her own life. The next morning, Yang Jiajia delivered the DNA test results: Zheng Wendong, the child from Xibang Village, was confirmed to be Little Spud, and the child was indeed Lin Hao's biological son. Deng Yan was both shocked and delighted and immediately organized a team, including Chang Rui, to rescue Little Spud from Xibang Village.
Upon arrival, the village chief informed them that Zheng Mingguang was out, with only Liu Hongmei and the child at home. Deng Yan assigned Yang Jiajia to secure Liu Hongmei while she and Chang Rui focused on the child. Inside the house, Deng Yan informed Liu Hongmei of her arrest for child trafficking. Despite Liu Hongmei's desperate pleas and insistence that the child was hers, Deng Yan clarified the illegality of buying a trafficked child.
As Deng Yan and her team attempted to leave with Little Spud and Liu Hongmei, Zheng Mingguang arrived with a group of villagers, blocking their path. Liu Hongmei screamed for the villagers' help, claiming the police were stealing her child. The villagers, who had attended Zheng Wendong's full-month banquet and believed him to be Zheng Mingguang's son, sided with Liu Hongmei, accusing the police of making a mistake.
A tense standoff ensued as the villagers refused to move, some even attempting to assault the officers, believing them to be "fake cops." Chang Rui drew his gun to deter the crowd, but they remained defiant. Sun Wenhan arrived, creating a diversion that allowed Deng Yan and Yang Jiajia to lead their team and Little Spud away via an alternate route. Soon after, additional police units arrived and successfully apprehended Zheng Mingguang.
Meanwhile, Lin Hao awoke to find a suicide note from his mother, indicating her intention to end her life. Panicked, he desperately called relatives, but no one had seen her. He then reached out to Cai Xin, informing her of his mother's disappearance. Cai Xin soon received a call from the police, who had located Lin Hao's mother on surveillance at Mangjiang Bridge and dispatched officers. Cai Xin and Lin Hao immediately rushed to the bridge.
At Mangjiang Bridge, Lin Hao and Cai Xin frantically tried to persuade Lin Hao's mother not to jump, promising they would not divorce and expressing their sorrow for her pain. Lin Hao's mother, consumed by despair, felt Little Spud was lost forever and wanted to die. Just as hope seemed to wane, Deng Yan arrived, holding Little Spud. Seeing her grandson alive, Lin Hao's mother's despair transformed into overwhelming joy and tears of relief.
She embraced Little Spud tightly, refusing to let him go. News reports soon confirmed Little Spud's safe return, bringing immense relief to many, including Madam Zhang, who saw the broadcast. Later, Chang Rui and Deng Yan separately interrogated Liu Hongmei and Zheng Mingguang. Liu Hongmei became highly emotional, screaming and insisting that Little Spud was her child, making it difficult to extract information. Zheng Mingguang, however, was more cooperative.
He admitted they had bought the child but claimed Liu Hongmei had handled all the arrangements, including finding the contact, and that he merely followed her lead because she managed the household finances. He expressed genuine affection for the child and even asked if they could pay more money to keep him, though the officers reminded him that he had committed a crime.
Yin Jiansheng noted that while Liu Hongmei was distraught, Zheng Mingguang spoke freely but lacked specific details, indicating Liu Hongmei was the true instigator. Yin also suggested that Liu Hongmei's profound grief and attachment to the child were understandable for a mother who had lost hope. After some time, Liu Hongmei calmed down and confessed. She revealed that she had suffered a miscarriage six months into her pregnancy and was subsequently diagnosed with infertility.
Distraught, she and Zheng Mingguang were advised by Han Yougang to adopt a child to secure Zheng Mingguang's family inheritance, which would otherwise go to his younger brother. Han Yougang immediately contacted Meng Gui, requesting a child approximately six months old. Liu Hongmei paid 100,000 yuan to purchase Little Spud and pleaded with the police to help her recover the money from Han Yougang.
Officers noted that Han Yougang had now sold at least two children, prompting a warrant for his arrest. The police affirmed their focus on finding Han Yougang and continuing investigations into other missing children, including Zheng Weiwei and a girl who had fled to Pengcang Town. At the Linshan City Welfare Home, staff gathered the children in the main hall, but one child, Zheng Luoluo (Fafa), was found to be missing after nap time.
Despite searches, Zheng Luoluo could not be located, implying an escape. The case then shifted focus with a call from Captain Han suggesting a visit to Bai Wentao, who was revealed to be deceased.
Episode 8 Recap
Deng Yan and Chang Rui arrived at the detention center to interrogate Whiteboard, who was suspected of murdering Zhao Dafeng. Whiteboard adamantly denied any involvement, claiming he could never kill anyone. Deng Yan, however, produced evidence: Whiteboard's car was found near Zhao Dafeng's body, and a knife recovered at the scene bore both Whiteboard's and Zhao Dafeng's DNA.
Chang Rui, frustrated by Whiteboard's defiance, sternly reminded him that murder carried the death penalty but offered a chance for a reduced sentence if he cooperated. Faced with overwhelming evidence, Whiteboard finally confessed. Whiteboard explained that Zhao Dafeng had once stolen trafficked individuals ("goods" or "people") from him, which infuriated his handler, Skinner, who threatened Whiteboard. Whiteboard arranged to meet Zhao Dafeng, who defiantly refused to return the individuals. Enraged, Whiteboard pulled out a knife.
Zhao Dafeng, undeterred, challenged him to use it, prompting Whiteboard to stab him. Whiteboard admitted he did not know Skinner's current whereabouts or phone number, as Skinner always initiated contact and frequently changed numbers. He also clarified that he only handed over trafficked individuals to Skinner, then left after receiving payment. Meanwhile, Skinner received a call from his boss, who warned him about a recent crackdown and advised him to tell his subordinates to keep a low profile.
Separately, Luoluo, a young girl from the welfare home who had run away, sought out Chang Rui at the Anti-abduction Office. Chang Rui took her out to eat and gently inquired about her reasons for leaving. Luoluo confessed she found the other children at the welfare home "too childish and silly," unable to comprehend why they laughed despite being abandoned by their parents.
Chang Rui thoughtfully explained that while some things in life are out of one's control, how one faces them determines their future. He then informed her he would return her to the welfare home, but Luoluo expressed a wish to visit an amusement park. Chang Rui agreed, adding a condition that she behave.
That same day, Yan Lei, who was tracking Mo Lin, reported to Deng Yan that Mo Lin had fled into the mountains with a girl, He Xiaoying, after some aggressive men came looking for her at his home. Deng Yan immediately mobilized a team to Pengcang Town for a night search.
Chief Chen, a local officer, briefed them on the treacherous conditions, highlighting the damp, cold, and slippery mountain terrain, the high river levels that made crossing difficult, and the blocked bridges. He stated their search area was narrowed to the stream near the village. Yin Jiansheng suggested that Mr. Mo, Mo Lin's father, might be covering for him.
Deng Yan then assigned Yin Jiansheng to persuade Mr. Mo to cooperate rather than join the mountain search, with Yang Jiajia accompanying him. During the search, Chang Rui discovered numerous cigarette butts, surmising that non-local individuals, likely Skinner's men, had been in the area, as villagers would never risk smoking in the damp woods. Meanwhile, Yin Jiansheng and Yang Jiajia visited Mr. Mo's grocery store.
Initially evasive, Mr. Mo eventually revealed that Mo Lin was indeed hiding a girl because San Laizi, a notorious local troublemaker, and three other men, all armed with knives, were pursuing her. He admitted he had advised Mo Lin to take the girl to his second uncle's place to contact the police from there. Following the trail of cigarette butts, Deng Yan and Chang Rui's team quickly located and apprehended San Laizi and the three other men in the forest.
They continued their search and eventually found Mo Lin and the girl, whom Mo Lin called Lianqiao, hiding in a small wooden cabin. Deng Yan identified the girl as He Xiaoying, stating her full name and her father's name, He Dashan, but He Xiaoying emphatically denied this identity and home. She recounted her harrowing experience: her father, He Dashan, gambled away all their money, constantly drank, and subjected her to physical and emotional abuse. Her mother eventually left.
He Xiaoying worked after school as a waitress to support the household and her father's drinking habits. He Dashan attempted to sell her for 30,000 yuan. When she tore up the contract, he became enraged and raped her. He Xiaoying tearfully pleaded with Deng Yan not to send her back, explaining that she had run away twice before, only to be returned by the police, after which her father's abuse would resume.
Deng Yan solemnly promised He Xiaoying that they would not send her back and would ensure no one, not even her father, would harm her. Mo Lin further explained He Xiaoying's recent ordeal. She had initially run away to find her mother, but couldn't reach her. She then sought work but was ensnared by the traffickers, drugged, and woke up imprisoned in a small wooden cabin. During a transfer of girls, she seized an opportunity to escape.
Skinner had sent his men, including San Laizi, to pursue her. Mo Lin encountered He Xiaoying while she was being chased on the mountain and hid her, initially in the cabin. Mr. Mo, fearing their capture, then instructed Mo Lin to take He Xiaoying to his uncle's house, where they could safely contact the police. Later, Chang Rui interrogated one of the captured traffickers.
The man initially refused to cooperate, but Chang Rui, outlining charges of woman trafficking, kidnapping, and assaulting an officer with a weapon, warned him of a possible life sentence. This threat prompted the trafficker to reveal his handler was Skinner, noting Skinner's peculiar fondness for salted duck eggs. Meanwhile, Deng Yan visited Madam Zhang at the Tuanyuan Restaurant. Madam Zhang warmly greeted her, praising her recent success in solving cases.
As Deng Yan ate the vegetarian rice noodles, Madam Zhang reminisced about how Lin Ran, her lost daughter, also loved the same noodles, though she was much pickier. Overcome with emotion, Deng Yan confessed her deep regret and guilt over Lin Ran's abduction, wishing she had never asked Lin Ran to play outside that day or had held onto the trafficker more tightly. Madam Zhang consoled her, assuring Deng Yan that she was just a child and never to blame.
She then asked if Lin Ran was the reason Deng Yan joined the Anti-abduction Office. Deng Yan tearfully affirmed her determination to find Lin Ran. Madam Zhang then promised Deng Yan free vegetarian rice noodles whenever she visited. Later, Chang Rui took Luoluo to an amusement park, where she was visibly delighted. Luoluo wanted to ride the roller coaster, but Chang Rui told her she was too small.
Chang Rui then needed to use the restroom, instructing Luoluo to wait for him at their spot and explicitly warning her not to wander off. Upon his return, Luoluo was gone.
Episode 9 Recap
Chang Rui took Luoluo to an amusement park, where she joyfully ran around. When Chang Rui went to the restroom, he repeatedly instructed her to wait right where she was. The park was crowded. Luoluo, seeing a man grab a little boy named Dongdong and run, immediately threw down her ice cream and chased after them. When Chang Rui emerged from the restroom, he found Luoluo gone and ice cream splattered on the ground.
As he wondered what happened, he heard Dongdong's mother loudly calling for help. Luoluo ran to the park's entrance and asked a security guard to stop the man carrying Dongdong. Chang Rui and Dongdong's mother soon arrived. Dongdong's mother recognized the man as her ex-husband, Dongdong's father. Chang Rui, identifying himself as a police officer, cautioned the ex-husband not to take Dongdong without permission in the future. The security guard mistakenly assumed Chang Rui and Luoluo were father and daughter.
Chang Rui, not wanting to explain further, simply went along with it. Luoluo was overjoyed and, upon returning to the welfare institute, excitedly boasted to her friends that she now had a father. Deng Yan, reviewing the complex network of human trafficking based on information from Lianqiao, concluded that Skinner was the leader of a girl trafficking gang, while Madam Hong specialized in child trafficking, with Meng Gui transporting the children for her.
Han Yougang's activities appeared to be a separate line, possibly "private jobs" Meng Gui conducted behind Madam Hong's back. However, Deng Yan suspected Han Yougang might be a front for Madam Hong due to her cunning nature. Deng Yan instructed Yang Jiajia to continue investigating Meng Gui's travel history, specifically his van (South C1798B) and SUV (South CC0Y30), looking for extended or repeated stops that might correlate with missing persons reports.
She also told Yan Lei to keep a close watch on Skinner. Deng Yan and Chang Rui then set out to find Han Yougang. They stopped at a roadside restaurant for a meal. While Chang Rui stepped out to take a call, Deng Yan showed a photo of Han Yougang to the restaurant owner. To her surprise, the owner pointed out Han Yougang, who was dining nearby.
Startled, Han Yougang immediately fled, prompting Deng Yan to call Chang Rui to join the chase. Deng Yan and Chang Rui successfully apprehended Han Yougang and brought him in for interrogation. Han Yougang initially denied any wrongdoing, claiming he thought they were debt collectors. However, when he learned that Meng Gui had already been arrested and confessed, he visibly panicked.
He then claimed he had only helped with two "abandoned" children—one for his cousin in Nanyangdian Village and another for a coworker in Xibang Village—and that he regretted it and ran away after the first child was discovered. Deng Yan concluded that Han Yougang was not directly associated with Madam Hong. Meanwhile, Yang Jiajia's analysis of Meng Gui's travel records revealed that his vehicle had been present at the locations of two abduction cases and also in Watai Village.
Curiously, Watai Village had no local reports of missing children. Deng Yan then remembered a cross-provincial assistance notice from a year prior regarding a case where the victim was from Watai Village but the crime occurred in Binliu City, Xinyang Province. Without delay, Deng Yan, Chang Rui, and Yin Jiansheng traveled to Watai Village. The village chief led them to the home of Zhang Xuegui and Cao Guihua, who had reported their eldest son missing a year earlier.
The chief called their neighbor, Wang Baozhu, to provide information. Wang Baozhu immediately recognized Meng Gui as a man who had sold cheap, smuggled cigarettes in the village just days before the child disappeared. He vividly recalled Meng Gui's car parked right there and how Meng Gui had seemed unusually interested in the child, staring at and playing with little Zhang Hao for a long time.
Deng Yan called Yang Jiajia, instructing her to access the DNA database and cross-reference Meng Gui's activity in Watai Village from a year ago with their findings. This revealed that the suspect had followed Zhang Xuegui's family to Binliu City and had been lurking near their hardware store. Further investigation of the van's license plate, South C1798B, led them to a car repair shop.
Surveillance footage from the shop showed that when Meng Gui dropped off his van for repairs, he was picked up by a motorcycle matching the one seen at the crime scene. On the day of the abduction, Zhang Xuegui and Cao Guihua were inside their hardware store when two individuals on a motorcycle rode past and snatched their child. Deng Yan noticed Cao Guihua's disturbed demeanor.
The local police chief confirmed that Cao Guihua had suffered from mental instability since childbirth, and her condition had worsened considerably after her child was stolen. The chief also mentioned that they had recently rescued a trafficked woman named Liu Shumei, originally from Linshan, who was now hospitalized and undergoing treatment after being sold by another trafficking group while fleeing and subsequently beaten severely. Deng Yan immediately recognized Liu Shumei as Meng Gui's wife.
Deng Yan and Chang Rui brought Meng Gui in for another interrogation. They confronted him with the horrific details of Liu Shumei's plight—how she was trafficked, sold, and savagely beaten to the point of being hospitalized and fighting for her life. Initially, Meng Gui tried to deny involvement in the Watai Village case, claiming he had only abducted one child.
However, as Deng Yan pressed him, describing his wife's dire condition and the possibility of a reduced sentence if he cooperated, Meng Gui finally broke down and confessed to all his crimes. Based on his detailed confession, the authorities were able to locate the abducted child, Zhang Hao. Zhang Hao was safely reunited with his parents, bringing immense relief to the family.
For Deng Yan and her team, restoring a family on the brink of collapse was the most rewarding outcome, and Meng Gui's confession also brought them closer to uncovering Madam Hong's whereabouts. Later, Xiao Wenjin and Han Liang arrived at the Anti-abduction Office to see Deng Yan. Xiao Wenjin initially adopted a stern and critical tone, questioning their procedures and past performance. However, he then dropped an official letter from the Binliu City Public Security Bureau.
The letter formally recommended that the Linshan City Anti-abduction Office be awarded a Second-Class Collective Merit for their exceptional work, especially in the recent Zhang Hao case, which involved complex cross-provincial organized crime. The team members were all thrilled upon reading the commendation. Separately, Chang Rui contacted Officer Huang of the anti-vice task force to inquire about Skinner's whereabouts.
Officer Huang revealed that Skinner was a significant target for their unit, the ringleader of a large prostitution syndicate with over a hundred people working across several nightclubs in Linshan. Officer Huang also shared that they had located one of Skinner's key bases in Luojiang County. Chang Rui quickly found Skinner's hideout in Luojiang County and infiltrated it by pretending to be a client. He was led to a room where a young woman named Pingjiao was assigned to him.
Chang Rui immediately revealed his identity as a police officer. Pingjiao, relieved, admitted she had been trafficked and had been held there for three to four months. She confirmed there were about seven or eight other girls like her. When Chang Rui showed her photos, she recognized Zheng Weiwei as one of the girls held with her. Pingjiao explained that they were always blindfolded when moved, so she didn't know the exact location where the other girls were kept.
Chang Rui assured her that they would work quickly to rescue all of them. Inside the compound, a pimp known as Mo attempted to sexually assault Zheng Weiwei, but she fiercely resisted and bit him. Skinner arrived and furiously reprimanded Mo, reminding him that Zheng Weiwei was "new merchandise" meant for a client and needed to be delivered soon.
Deng Yan, having finalized meticulous plans, led a massive overnight raid on Skinner's various hideouts, deploying over 600 officers from seven sub-bureaus. They successfully rescued many trafficked girls. However, Chang Rui noticed Zheng Weiwei was not among them. An apprehended pimp claimed Mo had taken Zheng Weiwei and gave a location for Skinner, but this turned out to be a false lead. Chang Rui then intensely interrogated another pimp, who, under pressure, finally revealed Skinner's actual hiding place.
At Skinner's true location, Mo had severely beaten Zheng Weiwei, leaving her bruised and battered. Skinner arrived, once again berating Mo for damaging his "merchandise" and instructing him to prepare her for the impatient client. Shortly after, Deng Yan and the Anti-abduction Office officers arrived at Skinner's apartment, only to find he had already fled. They searched the premises and discovered a barely conscious Zheng Weiwei hidden inside a freezer. They immediately rushed her to the hospital for emergency treatment. Zheng Weiwei's parents soon arrived, heartbroken and distraught upon learning their daughter was fighting for her life and undergoing resuscitation.
Episode 10 Recap
Zheng Weiwei's parents rushed to the hospital, blaming each other for their daughter's misfortune. Zheng Weiwei's father angrily confronted Officer Chang Rui, accusing him of failing to rescue her sooner. Chang Rui was at a loss for words, while Officer Deng Yan felt a pang of sadness. Thanks to the medical staff's dedicated efforts, Zheng Weiwei's condition stabilized, bringing immense relief to her parents.
Yan Lei and Yang Jiajia interrogated a trafficker who revealed that the girls were transported from a "transfer station" where they were always blindfolded. Deng Yan and Chang Rui sought out Lianqiao, hoping she could provide the exact location of the transfer station. They returned to Mr. Mo's convenience store, where they found Mo Lin distressed. Mo Lin, protective of Lianqiao, threatened them with a knife, suspecting the officers wanted to send her back to a shelter.
Lianqiao emerged, expressing her trust in the police and her willingness to cooperate. She recounted that the place where they were held was in a forest, in an old, dilapidated house near a fast-flowing river whose sound could be heard indoors. Director Xiao congratulated Mr. Yin Jiansheng on being nominated for a provincial model staff award. Yang Jiajia, using Lianqiao's description, narrowed down the potential location of the transfer station to one of three valleys along the Mangjiang River.
Deng Yan contacted Officer Liu from Mangma Town for a precise location. Yin Jiansheng called Liu, who eventually provided an exact spot. As they drove towards the location, Lianqiao suddenly recognized the railway track where she had fallen while being led blindfolded. Lianqiao guided Deng Yan's team deep into the forest to an abandoned forest ranger station, which she recognized as her former captivity site. Chang Rui posed as a hiker to scout the area.
Three men, claiming to be forest rangers, emerged to stop them, staring intently at Deng Yan, Yang Jiajia, and Lianqiao. Sensing danger, Deng Yan made an excuse to leave but deliberately left a camera containing a listening device on a table. The "forest rangers" were traffickers expecting a delivery that night, and let Deng Yan's group leave. One of the traffickers, Nong, discovered the camera and started looking through the photos.
Yang Jiajia monitored their conversations, while Yan Lei observed their movements. The traffickers discussed their "big job" for the night, revealing they had a delivery. They also mentioned that "Madam Hu" had been caught and their city base busted, highlighting the increased risks. Deng Yan instructed Lianqiao to return with Officer Xu for safety while the team continued their stakeout. As night fell, four traffickers arrived at the ranger station, escorting three blindfolded girls inside.
Yang Jiajia suddenly lost the audio feed, alarming Deng Yan, who feared for the girls' safety. Deng Yan urged Yang Jiajia to call Director Ge for backup, but she couldn't get through. Impatient, Deng Yan led her team in, only to find that the traffickers had escaped through a window. Deng Yan finally reached Director Ge, who deployed reinforcements, encircling the traffickers. One of the traffickers, Li Danong, grabbed a girl and held her hostage.
Deng Yan urged him to release her, and Chang Rui quickly subdued Li Danong. Yin Jiansheng, upon receiving Deng Yan's message confirming the successful rescue of the three abducted girls, expressed profound relief. Deng Yan and Chang Rui interrogated Li Danong, who eventually confessed that Ke Liang, Whiteboard, and Zhao were responsible for transporting the girls. Skinner and Old Yellow Dog were the receivers, and their boss was a man named Fei, who was a "cripple".
Deng Yan remembered that the person who abducted Ranran years ago was also a cripple, leaving her deep in thought. Chang Rui noticed her preoccupation, but Deng Yan, unwilling to share, secluded herself in her room. Meanwhile, Sun Wenhan helped Madam Zhang redesign her restaurant, adding a small room for homeless families looking for their missing children. Sun Wenhan suggested converting a storage room into a communal sleeping area.
Deng Yan concluded that "cripple Fei" was the mastermind behind the trafficking of women and children, suspecting a larger, more sinister objective. She requested that her superiors intensify anti-vice operations across the city to flush out their network. Acting on this, the Niupantang Police Station conducted a raid on a bathing center, where a "help" note was discovered on a client. Deng Yan immediately went to the station where the client explained that a sex worker had given him the note about half a month prior, begging him for help.
Episode 11 Recap
The Anti-abduction Office's raid on Skinner's hideout forced him to relocate the girls to an upscale villa. With clients too scared to visit, his men became idle, often gathering to play cards and drink, which greatly displeased Skinner. Chen A'mo suggested contacting some VIP clients to boost business, but Skinner, wary of a police trap, warned him not to act rashly.
Deng Yan devised a plan to use a previously arrested client, Luo Yi, as bait to apprehend Skinner and his associates. Luo Yi called Chen A'mo, who agreed to pick him up at 7 PM that evening at their usual spot. Chen A'mo arrived punctually, blindfolding Luo Yi as was their custom.
To avoid suspicion, Chang Rui and Yan Lei took turns following their vehicle, while Yang Jiajia and Deng Yan kept a close watch on Chen A'mo's movements using a tracking device. A car accident caused a traffic jam, trapping both Chen A'mo's and Yan Lei's vehicles. When the target's car made a sudden right turn, Yan Lei found himself stuck and unable to follow. He immediately called Chang Rui, who took over the pursuit.
Yang Jiajia soon identified the destination as Mangshan Villa, an upscale residential area. Deng Yan then notified the Anti-abduction Office officers to rendezvous there. Chen A'mo led Luo Yi to Villa Number 12, confiscated his phone, and escorted him to one of the girls' rooms. Deng Yan and Chang Rui swiftly arrived with their team and stormed the villa. Deng Yan and Yang Jiajia rescued the confined girls, while other officers apprehended several traffickers.
Amidst the chaos, Skinner escaped, instructing Chen A'mo to impersonate him. Chang Rui captured Chen A'mo and began an interrogation. When Yang Jiajia confirmed he was an imposter by checking fingerprints from a previously found salted duck egg, Chang Rui pressed him to reveal Skinner's whereabouts, but Chen A'mo refused to cooperate. Deng Yan had Yang Jiajia review surveillance footage of vehicles leaving the villa area around the time of the operation.
She quickly identified Skinner's vehicle and, by tracing its route, deduced his destination was the foot of Baiwushan. Deng Yan, Chang Rui, and Yang Jiajia immediately set off, contacting local police to assist. Upon arrival, they found only the abandoned car, which contained Skinner's favorite salted duck eggs, confirming his escape. Chang Rui then had Yang Jiajia issue a cooperation notice to nearby police stations.
Skinner hitched a ride to a village and used a public phone to alert his associate, Brother Fei. Fei immediately reported to his boss, Gang, who instructed Fei to handle Skinner's situation and then go into hiding. Meanwhile, Yang Jiajia uncovered Skinner's true identity: Wang Guangqing. Chang Rui was stunned by the name, recalling that his father, police chief Chang Yongjun, had drowned years ago while saving a young boy named Wang Guangqing.
Overwhelmed by the irony that his father, a dedicated officer, had died saving a future human trafficker, he called his father a "big fool." Following this revelation, an arrest warrant was issued for Wang Guangqing. Facing a dead end, Skinner called Brother Fei for help. Fei picked him up, hid him in the trunk, and headed back to the city. Before reaching a police checkpoint, Fei had Skinner get out of the car and meet him later.
The police searched the car, which was filled with storage boxes, but found nothing and let Fei proceed. Fei later picked Skinner up and took him to a secluded house deep in the woods. Fei provided Skinner with new identification and cash, arranging for him to leave by boat the following Wednesday. Skinner complained the money was insufficient to "buy his life" and demanded 100,000 yuan. When Fei refused, Skinner threatened to expose their entire operation.
Enraged, Fei severely beat Skinner and left, warning him to take the escape route provided and never return. Having arranged Skinner's escape, Fei booked a flight to flee the country himself. At the hospital, Zheng Weiwei regained consciousness but was overwhelmed by despair. She feigned thirst to send her mother away and attempted to commit suicide by cutting her wrist. Deng Yan and Yang Jiajia arrived just in time to stop her.
As Deng Yan comforted her, her mother returned, tearfully apologizing for not protecting her and promising to never pressure her again. Shortly after, Deng Yan and Yang Jiajia received a call from a shelter about a rescued girl, Pingjiao, whose parents had refused to pick her up. At the shelter, Pingjiao tearfully recounted her painful upbringing. Her parents, desperate for a son, had nicknamed her "Zhaodi" ("beckoning a brother"), forbade her from attending school, and beat her frequently.
She had run away from their abuse, only to be captured by traffickers. Deng Yan promised not to send her back and decided to investigate her family. Deng Yan and Chang Rui accompanied Pingjiao to her home, but her parents rejected her, calling her an "embarrassment." Her younger brother called her a "stray." Confronted by the police, the father, Lv Guoping, confessed that Pingjiao was adopted.
Pingjiao then accused them of buying her, and her parents admitted they had purchased her from a man known as "the cripple." The adoptive parents were taken to the station for questioning. A DNA test confirmed Pingjiao was not their biological child. Yang Jiajia cross-referenced her DNA in a database and found a match: a child named Bai Xiujing, reported missing in 1998 from a village on Mangshan's north slope.
Deng Yan escorted Pingjiao, now knowing her real name, to meet her birth family. Her father, Bai Shengquan, was overcome with joy and wept as he embraced her. However, Pingjiao was heartbroken to see that her mother, driven mad with grief since her daughter's abduction, was now mentally unstable and did not recognize her.
Episode 12 Recap
Following the successful rescue, Pingjiao was reunited with her birth mother, Bai Xiujing. She was heartbroken to find her mother in a distraught and confused state, a consequence of her abduction years ago. Though Bai Xiujing's memory was impaired, she recognized Pingjiao, and they shared a tearful, emotional embrace, moving everyone present. Witnessing this, Yang Jiajia expressed her deep hatred for human traffickers and vowed to help more abducted children reunite with their families.
Meanwhile, the fugitive Wang Guangqing, also known as Qingpi, went to a small village shop to buy his favorite salted duck eggs. The shop owner recognized him from a wanted poster and alerted the police. Xiao Wenjin organized a joint operation between the Anti-abduction Office and the Criminal Police Unit to apprehend him, ordering that he must not escape again. Fearing Chang Rui would act impulsively, Xiao Wenjin had told him to rest at home.
However, Chang Rui learned of the operation to track Wang Guangqing in an urban village near Hongxi City and immediately drove there. Deng Yan and Yin Jiansheng's team arrived in the village and set up a perimeter. Deng Yan deduced that Wang Guangqing would attempt to contact his superior, a man known as Cripple, so they decided to stake out the area.
Captain Wang of the Criminal Police Unit reported that a public phone Wang Guangqing had used to make a call was now disconnected. Despite this, Deng Yan remained convinced that Cripple, being ruthless, would not abandon an accomplice who knew so much and ordered the stakeout to continue. When Chang Rui called Yan Lei for their location, Deng Yan, wanting to keep him away, instructed Yan Lei not to disclose the details.
Wang Guangqing gathered his belongings and headed for the river dock, with Deng Yan's team tailing him. They saw a large boat approach, with people on board waving to him. Deng Yan decided to delay the arrest, hoping to capture Cripple and his entire network. However, Chang Rui suddenly appeared and confronted Wang Guangqing. A struggle ensued, and both men fell into the river.
As Deng Yan called for the water police and moved her team in, the people on the boat saw the police and quickly fled. Chang Rui subdued Wang Guangqing, dragged him ashore, and began to beat him relentlessly, fueled by the memory of his father's death while saving a young Wang Guangqing years ago. Yan Lei and Yin Jiansheng struggled to pull the enraged Chang Rui away while Deng Yan ordered Wang Guangqing's arrest.
Later, Xiao Wenjin harshly reprimanded Chang Rui for his reckless actions, which had compromised the operation and cost them their lead on Cripple. Chang Rui, distraught, retorted that his father had died for nothing and that he wanted to kill Wang Guangqing himself. Furious, Xiao Wenjin ordered the Inspection Unit to place Chang Rui in disciplinary detention. Deng Yan and Yin Jiansheng pleaded for Chang Rui, but Xiao Wenjin was resolute.
He revealed that he was a close comrade of Chang Rui's father, Chang Yongjun, and could not allow his son to break the law. Meanwhile, Yang Jiajia and Yan Lei's interrogation of Wang Guangqing proved fruitless as he feigned ignorance. Deng Yan, recognizing him as a hardened criminal, suspended the interrogation. She later suggested using Chang Rui in an emotional appeal, but Xiao Wenjin insisted Chang Rui serve his full three-day detention.
After being discharged from the hospital, Zheng Weiwei secluded herself, refusing to eat or sleep. Her concerned mother called Deng Yan, who came and read Zheng Weiwei's award-winning essay aloud, encouraging her to be brave. Zheng Weiwei finally opened up, recounting her horrific ordeal. She described how Wang Guangqing had forced her to be with a client known as Mr. Li. When she resisted and scratched Mr. Li, he ordered Wang Guangqing and another man to pull out her fingernails.
Haunted by the memory, Zheng Weiwei expressed her deep fear. Deng Yan reassured her, promising protection and sharing the story of Pingjiao's bravery to inspire her. This finally broke through Zheng Weiwei's emotional defenses. After Zheng Weiwei fell asleep, Deng Yan advised her mother to be patient and supportive.
With Wang Guangqing remaining silent, Deng Yan decided to shift the investigation's focus to Mr. Li and the other man involved in the assault, instructing Yang Jiajia to retrieve surveillance footage from the nightclub on the day of the incident. Yan Lei and Yin Jiansheng re-interrogated another accomplice, Chen A'mo, who was also uncooperative. Yin Jiansheng then informed him that his mother had been hospitalized after a serious fall. Anxious, Chen A'mo asked about her condition and medical fees.
Yin Jiansheng assured him that his mother was being cared for. Touched by their concern, Chen A'mo confessed, identifying Mr. Li as a man named Li Lusheng. Li Lusheng owed his business success to his wife's family and was completely subservient to her. Yang Jiajia and Yan Lei apprehended him at his home. During questioning, Li Lusheng denied everything.
Han Liang presented photos of both Zheng Weiwei and Chen A'mo, but Li Lusheng adamantly claimed they were colluding to frame him for money and demanded to see his lawyer. Soon after, his wife, Ms. Cai, arrived at the station with a lawyer, vehemently insisting on her husband's innocence. Deng Yan informed them that the case was still under investigation and no details could be disclosed.
