Sword Rose Episode 20 Recap
> Sword Rose Recap
Deng Yan had developed a new theory regarding Cripple, the elusive leader of a trafficking ring. She believed their previous assumptions about him were incorrect and that his limp was merely a disguise. She shared her idea with Chang Rui, suggesting that Cripple might not be lame at all, and even the "lame man" she saw as a child could have been a ruse.
Deng Yan asked Chang Rui to meet her at the detention center to re-interrogate Huang Chuan, one of the arrested traffickers. During the re-interrogation, Huang Chuan admitted he had no direct contact with Cripple; their communications were always through an intermediary named Fei Yan. He revealed that he had once heard from a dog dealer that Cripple's "leg was with someone else," implying the limp was not genuine.
Following this lead, police identified the dog dealer as Zhou Hongcai, alias Wai, who had a criminal record for trafficking in 1986 and theft in 2006. After his recent release from prison, a penniless Wai contacted an old acquaintance, Liu Gang, proposing they resume their old business. Wai also brought up the abduction of a seven or eight-year-old girl in Linshan City over two decades ago, but an annoyed Liu Gang abruptly ended the call.
Meanwhile, Jenny, who owned a beauty salon, was approached by her regular client, Man. Man shared that her husband operated hotels in Qinmang Country and that while she had three sons, she deeply wished for a daughter. Seeing an opportunity, Jenny leveraged her connections to learn that Zhou Hongcai was in need of money. She called Wai, offering him 30,000 yuan to procure a two- or three-year-old girl and bring her to Linshan.
Despite the risks of a police crackdown in Linshan, Wai eagerly accepted the offer and immediately set off for Jiushan City. At Tuanyuan Restaurant, a young woman named Jiang Feifei ordered a bowl of vegetarian rice noodles, specifically requesting no scallions or cilantro and extra sesame oil. Madam Zhang, the restaurant owner, was stunned, as these were the exact eating habits of her daughter, Lin Ranran, who was abducted years ago.
Convinced that Jiang Feifei was her long-lost daughter, Madam Zhang promptly called Deng Yan. As Deng Yan rushed to the restaurant, Madam Zhang showed Jiang Feifei a childhood photo of Lin Ranran, insisting she was Ranran, which left the young woman bewildered. Upon Deng Yan’s arrival, she was also struck by the resemblance. As an overwhelmed Jiang Feifei tried to leave, Deng Yan revealed her police ID and gently explained the situation regarding Lin Ranran's abduction.
Jiang Feifei firmly stated her name and explained that she was from another province, visiting her grandmother in Linshan, and had never been separated from her parents. Despite Madam Zhang's emotional pleas, Jiang Feifei’s identity was confirmed, and she was allowed to leave. Madam Zhang was left heartbroken, and Deng Yan vowed to find the real Lin Ranran.
Later, Han Liang provided Deng Yan and Yin Jiansheng with Jiang Feifei's verified information, confirming she was indeed from Qingyan City, Xinyang Province, and was in Linshan to visit family. He advised Deng Yan to regularly check on Madam Zhang to prevent similar distressing incidents. Separately, in Jiushan, a mother was frantically searching for her three-year-old daughter, Fan Xinran, nicknamed Smiley, who had wandered off after being drawn to a small dog outside a supermarket.
Simultaneously, Zhou Hongcai boarded a long-distance bus from Jiushan to Linshan, carrying a large bag. In Linshan, Sun Wenhan, busy with work, gave his son, Xiaoguang, money for breakfast. Xiaoguang, however, had been saving the money, intending to buy a lumbar support device for his father's back pain. Noticing this, Sun Wenhan gave him extra cash, encouraging him to eat properly for his growth and upcoming school transfer.
An urgent notice arrived from the Jiushan City Police Bureau, confirming that Zhou Hongcai was transporting Fan Xinran on a long-distance bus to Linshan. Ai Xin immediately reported to Deng Yan that Fan Xinran had a congenital heart condition and only eight hours remained until her scheduled surgery. Deng Yan promptly organized teams to intercept the bus, but Zhou Hongcai evaded them by disembarking one stop early at Xingtan Road.
Chang Rui and Yan Lei, at the main bus terminal, confirmed that a passenger matching the description had gotten off the bus before its final stop. Under a bridge in Xingtan, Zhou Hongcai took a waking Fan Xinran out of his large bag and gave her some water. He then received a call from Jenny, assuring her he would deliver the girl soon.
Chang Rui deduced that because Zhou Hongcai had a ticket to Linshan, the buyer was likely in the city, and he had disembarked early only to avoid surveillance. He and Yan Lei positioned themselves on the main road into Linshan. Soon, Zhou Hongcai flagged down an unlicensed van heading towards the city. At headquarters, Han Liang suggested publicizing information about the case to leverage public assistance.
However, Deng Yan argued that doing so prematurely might alert Zhou Hongcai, causing him to abandon the child. Yin Jiansheng voiced worries about Fan Xinran's critical health and offered to take responsibility for any delay, but Deng Yan, as Director of the Anti-abduction Office, insisted that the responsibility was hers alone. Officers searching black market taxi spots in Xingtan learned that a man matching Zhou Hongcai’s description had taken a silver van towards Linshan. The information was relayed to Deng Yan, who immediately updated Chang Rui, directing him to the approaching vehicle.
