Sword Rose Episode 13 Recap
> Sword Rose Recap
Lu Sheng was arrested by the Anti-abduction Office after Chen A'mo confessed that Lu Sheng had raped Zheng Weiwei. Lu Sheng had previously opened a small company that went bankrupt, and after marrying Cai Ning, he built his current business using her family's assets. His wife, Cai Ning, accompanied by a lawyer, went to the office to inquire about his arrest, adamantly claiming he was innocent and accusing the police of making a mistake.
The police informed her that Lu Sheng was suspected of rape, assuring her they would investigate thoroughly and would release him if he was innocent, but warned her that she would be notified of further developments. Deng Yan requested a warrant for Lu Sheng's arrest. Han Liang, a superior officer, approved the arrest, citing Chen A'mo's testimony and corroborating objective evidence of Lu Sheng's unlawful confinement and rape of Zheng Weiwei.
He instructed the team, including Deng Yan, to continue investigating to gather more conclusive evidence to ensure a solid case. Three days later, Chang Rui was released. While his colleagues offered support, Chang Rui announced his decision to resign, stating that his time in custody had made him realize he was not cut out to be a good police officer. He wished them success in creating a world free from abductions.
Chang Rui visited his father Chang Yongjun's grave, where a bouquet of carnations, left by Skinner on the Qingming Festival, lay. Deng Yan also came to pay respects. Chang Rui expressed bitterness, recalling his father as a "bad dad" who was always working and rarely came home, showing him little care. He resented that his father had sacrificed his life saving "human filth." He felt compelled to follow in his father's footsteps, constantly living in his shadow.
Deng Yan acknowledged Chang Rui's pain but urged him not to give up, reminding him that Skinner was still uncooperative and many children remained missing. She emphasized the significant time and effort required to train anti-abduction officers and the urgency of their work, where every moment counted for families losing children. Deng Yan then stated that if he no longer cared, she would not stop him, wishing him well in finding a job he enjoyed.
She confessed to Chang Rui that she had never expected to be so disappointed in him or to hear him say such things. Later, Chang Rui reconsidered after a conversation with Luoluo. She assured him he was a good policeman because he had caught many bad guys and had also saved her.
When Chang Rui expressed concern about having 'helped bad people' in the past, Luoluo told him he was too young then to understand what he was doing, adding that when one saves someone, one doesn't always know if they are good or bad. Chang Rui then sought out Deng Yan, expressing his desire to remain with the Anti-abduction Office. Deng Yan was greatly relieved. She took Chang Rui to apologize to Xiao Wenjin.
Chang Rui humbly admitted his mistake, stating that as a police officer, he should obey orders and not act on personal emotions, especially not by yelling at the chief. Xiao Wenjin acknowledged his apology, remarking that he sounded like Chang Yongjun's son, and then tasked them with finding a way to deal with Skinner (Wang Guangqing) and the boss behind him. Xiao Wenjin welcomed Chang Rui back to the team.
During the interrogation, Chang Rui confronted Skinner, revealing that he was Chang Yongjun's son, the man who had saved Skinner's life years ago. Skinner was visibly shocked and wondered if Chang Yongjun would regret saving him if he saw what he had become. Chang Rui asserted that his father would never regret it, even if given ten or twenty more chances, because saving lives was his duty as a police officer.
Chang Rui pointed out that Skinner left flowers at his father's grave every year, indicating a lingering conscience. He pressed Skinner, stating that even without his confession, they had enough evidence for a conviction. Chang Rui admitted to losing control and hitting Skinner during the arrest because he couldn't accept that his father had died saving someone who became a disgrace.
He reiterated that his father was a good police officer, even if not a perfect father, and urged Skinner to cooperate so that his father's sacrifice would hold meaning. Skinner, seemingly affected by Chang Rui's words, confessed his involvement in Zheng Weiwei's kidnapping. He explained that a man named Mr. Li, whose real name was Lu Sheng, developed an interest in Zheng Weiwei, an adult college student. Skinner enlisted Whiteboard to communicate with Zheng Weiwei online, learning her habits.
They then kidnapped her on her way to a tutoring job. When Zheng Weiwei proved defiant, they drugged her, and Lu Sheng then sexually assaulted her. Lu Sheng was pleased with the outcome, as were Cripple and Fei, and Skinner received 100,000 yuan. Deng Yan concluded that this was an organized trafficking and kidnapping operation, and the substantial payment suggested much greater profits were involved.
She instructed Yan Lei to investigate Lu Sheng's company's business transactions during the period of Zheng Weiwei's kidnapping. Zheng Weiwei visited her alma mater, Linshan University. She stopped in the exhibition hall, where her award-winning work was prominently displayed, a sight that brought her considerable distress. Meanwhile, Deng Yan's cousin, Ye Xiuming, who had been stationed in Shencheng for their company Dingshun Group (which his wife, Cai Ning, Lu Sheng's wife, fully managed), returned to Linshan.
They had been married for years without children. Deng Yan's parents attended a family dinner with Ye Xiuming, as Deng Yan was too busy with work. Deng Yan's mother expressed concern about Ye Xiuming and his wife living apart for so long and suggested they consider adopting a child.
Ye Xiuming revealed that Dingshun Group was facing severe financial difficulties in Shencheng; a 5 million yuan prepayment made by Cai Ning to Lu Sheng for Dendrobium candidum from Qinmang Country in Southeast Asia had been lost in a shipwreck, making the funds irrecoverable through legal channels overseas. He was furious, blaming his associate, Deputy General Manager Wu Bin, for connecting them to this deal.
Ye Xiuming's wife, Cai Ning, confronted him, accusing him of being a hands-off boss who only cared about money and always dumped responsibilities on others. Wu Bin offered to provide a feasible solution within a month, but Ye Xiuming demanded the funds be recovered within two weeks, or Wu Bin would resign. Later, Deng Yan consulted Xiao Wenjin about the connection between Lu Sheng's case and her cousin's company, Dingshun Group, and whether she should recuse herself.
Xiao Wenjin advised her to continue investigating and that she could recuse herself if a direct conflict of interest was found. Skinner further confessed that his boss was Cripple, whom he had never met directly. All orders came through Fei, who acted as an intermediary. Skinner explained that after the police raid on Mangshan Villa, Fei picked him up and took him to Hongxi City, after which he lost contact with Fei.
Deng Yan recognized Fei as a crucial link and had Yang Jiajia trace Fei's escape route through surveillance footage. Shortly after, Deng Yan received a frantic call from Zheng Weiwei's mother, who had discovered a positive pregnancy test and a note from Zheng Weiwei stating, "Mom, I'm sorry. I'm leaving. Just pretend I was never your daughter." Zheng Weiwei's mother pleaded for help finding her. Deng Yan located Zheng Weiwei, who was about to take an overdose of sleeping pills.
Deng Yan stopped her, reminding her that her article had brought hope to many and urging her not to give up on her own life. Deng Yan then showed Zheng Weiwei a video call from Pingjiao, who had found her biological parents. Pingjiao shared her happiness, reminded Zheng Weiwei of their past conversation about hyacinths as symbols of rebirth, and urged Zheng Weiwei to live bravely and strong, emphasizing how Zheng Weiwei had saved her life.
Zheng Weiwei broke down crying into Deng Yan's shoulder. Later, Deng Yan and Chang Rui re-interrogated Lu Sheng, who adamantly denied the charges and claimed he was being framed. Deng Yan then presented the results of a non-invasive prenatal paternity test, revealing that Zheng Weiwei's unborn child was his. Lu Sheng was stunned into silence. Yang Jiajia successfully identified Fei as Fei Yan.
She tracked his movements and found that after dropping Skinner in Hongxi City, Fei Yan had flown to Qinmang Country. Although Fei Yan's contact number was only used to communicate with Skinner, Yang Jiajia discovered that his car frequently traveled within Linshan City, with the most frequent destination being the Tianhai Lucky Entertainment Center. Meanwhile, Zheng Weiwei met Pingjiao at a restaurant.
As news of human traffickers being caught played on a nearby television, a male customer made derogatory comments about trafficked women, implying they were to blame for their misfortunes. His girlfriend, enraged, fiercely reprimanded him. Pingjiao, unable to tolerate his behavior, bravely confronted the man, calling him "sick" and splashing water on him. The man threatened them, but Pingjiao and Zheng Weiwei stood their ground, stating they were recording the interaction and would call the police.
Shamed, the man left, and other customers applauded Pingjiao. Separately, Qian, the landlord, informed Madam Zhang that he needed to raise her shop's rent. He stated that a friend offered 50,000 yuan per year and he would offer her 48,000 yuan. Madam Zhang attempted to haggle, explaining that the past year had been difficult for their business and appealing to their long-standing relationship.
Qian insisted on the 48,000 yuan, stating that if she did not agree to the new terms, she would have two weeks to vacate the premises. Yan Lei's investigation into Lu Sheng's company operations revealed that during the period of Zheng Weiwei's kidnapping, Lu Sheng's company had signed a significant contract with Dingshun Group, the company owned by Deng Yan's cousin, Ye Xiuming, and his wife, Cai Ning. Later, Deng Yan met with Cai Ning, who directly inquired about how Lu Sheng's case might impact Dingshun Group.
