Sword Rose Episode 3 Recap
> Sword Rose 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.
