Sword Rose Episode 21 Recap
> Sword Rose Recap
After abducting a three-year-old girl named Smiley and hiding her in a large woven bag, Zhou Hongcai was traveling toward Linshan when he spotted a police checkpoint. To evade capture, he feigned a wrong address, had his driver turn back, and got off the vehicle. Meanwhile, Linshan police, aware that Smiley had a congenital heart condition requiring surgery within eight hours, set up checkpoints.
Officers Chang Rui and Yan Lei were on duty when a silver van sped past their post. They gave chase and forced the van to stop, only to discover the driver was merely transporting pirated discs and had panicked out of fear. After Zhou Hongcai was spotted on surveillance at the Qingyang Street bus stop, Deng Yan, director of the Anti-abduction Office, immediately contacted Chang Rui with the suspect's location.
With Zhou Hongcai confirmed to have entered the city, Deng Yan sought approval from Director Xiao Wenjin for a citywide manhunt. At the Anti-abduction Office, Yan Lei and Luo Xiaoxing joined Lawyer Sun Wenhan to review numerous tips from netizens, meticulously checking for any suspicious older men with children, though some early leads were dismissed as the children appeared happy and not coerced. Zhou Hongcai continued his journey into the city via public bus.
When the bus's on-board news broadcast a wanted notice for Smiley's abduction that identified him as the suspect, he received a call from Zhen Ni. She told him she no longer wanted the child, claiming he had brought her a "sick kid." Enraged, Zhou Hongcai abandoned the woven bag containing Smiley on the bus and swiftly boarded another one.
With only an hour remaining before Smiley's critical surgery window closed, the bus driver discovered the bag and the little girl inside upon reaching the terminal and immediately reported it to the Anti-abduction Office. Deng Yan received the report and dispatched Chang Rui to rush Smiley to Linshan Hospital within thirty minutes. Concurrently, a woman known as Man Jie, having seen the news, suspected the child was the one Zhen Ni had arranged for.
She called Zhen Ni and told her to abandon the plan, explaining that she and her husband were already overwhelmed with their three children. Chang Rui raced to the hospital, arriving just ten minutes before the scheduled surgery. Doctors, including the lead surgeon and anesthesiologist from Jiushan, had traveled to Linshan People's Hospital to perform the operation. Chang Rui watched with relief as Smiley was wheeled into the operating room.
The surgery was a success, and Smiley was expected to be moved to a regular room the next day. Meanwhile, Sun Xiaoguang diligently collected discarded bottles and saved his breakfast money to help raise funds for Qi Defu's back treatment. His father, Sun Wenhan, admonished him for handling dirty items, urging him to focus on his studies and maintain good hygiene. The police continued their search for Zhou Hongcai.
Yang Jiajia tracked the bus routes, noting that Zhou Hongcai had gotten off his second bus at Shengxi Street before his trail was lost in a greenbelt. Deng Yan dispatched Yan Lei to search the surrounding area. Zhou Hongcai, heavily disguised, went to a snack street. Spotting police conducting inspections, he ducked into the Tuanyuan Restaurant, where he saw the walls covered in missing person notices. The owner, Madam Zhang, assumed he was also searching for a lost child.
Zhou Hongcai fabricated a story about his son being abducted twenty years ago. When Madam Zhang offered to make a poster for him, he claimed to have left the photo at his guesthouse. She then showed him a poster of her own missing daughter, Lin Ran, who disappeared at eight years old, and Zhou Hongcai instantly recognized her.
Madam Zhang mentioned that Lin Ran's childhood friend, Deng Yan, was now the director at the Anti-abduction Office and was helping her search. Seizing the opportunity, Zhou Hongcai offered to help look for Lin Ran and asked for a copy of her photo. Grateful, Madam Zhang gave him the photo and a free bowl of noodles. After eating, Zhou Hongcai called Liu Gang for help.
Liu Gang, who had just seen the wanted notice, tried to hang up, but Zhou Hongcai threatened to turn himself in and expose Liu Gang's involvement, revealing his new leverage: Deng Yan's personal connection to Lin Ran. Infuriated, Liu Gang called Zhen Ni, ordering her never to contact Zhou Hongcai again and to ensure the kidnapper never learned of their connection. Captain Han brought Feng Junjie, a top graduate from the Police Academy, to join the Anti-abduction Office.
As Ai Xin was showing the newcomer around, a tip came in about a possible sighting of Zhou Hongcai. Deng Yan dispatched Chang Rui to investigate, sending Ai Xin and Feng Junjie along to familiarize the rookie with fieldwork. Meanwhile, Zhou Hongcai arrived at the Tianhai Lucky entertainment center and demanded to see the owner, Liu Gang. In his office, Liu Gang threatened Zhou Hongcai, who defiantly insisted they were "on the same boat" and refused to leave.
As Liu Gang threatened to kill him, Yan Lei's investigation determined that Zhou Hongcai's last known location was very close to Tianhai Lucky. Deng Yan instructed Yang Jiajia to retrieve the establishment's surveillance footage. At Tuanyuan Restaurant, Madam Zhang saw Zhou Hongcai's wanted notice on television and recognized him. Spotting him walking past her restaurant, she rushed out to confront him.
At a busy intersection, she became disoriented, thought she saw Zhou Hongcai get into a taxi, and impulsively ran into the street against a red light, nearly being struck by a truck. Luo Xiaoxing arrived just in time to pull her to safety. Confused and unsure why she had run out, Madam Zhang was gently guided back to her restaurant.
Fearing exposure, Liu Gang suspected an associate, Cripple, had given Zhou Hongcai his number and considered killing Zhou Hongcai to silence him. He received a call from a police insider confirming that a doctored surveillance video had been provided to the investigators. To create a diversion, Liu Gang decided to frame Deng Yan, instructing a subordinate to hide bribe money in her home. Shortly after, Yang Jiajia reviewed the footage from Tianhai Lucky but found no trace of Zhou Hongcai.
Liu Gang tried to get rid of Zhou Hongcai with money and liquor, but he stubbornly refused to leave. Simultaneously, the Discipline Inspection Commission received an anonymous letter accusing Deng Yan of accepting bribes and she was immediately suspended from her duties, leaving Director Xiao Wenjin stunned.
