The Justice Episode 11 Recap
> The Justice Recap
Professor Lu expressed his disappointment to Cheng Yizhi regarding Huang Ruhong's election as a Huadong (Chinese Director) of the French Concession Public Concessions Bureau, especially after learning that Huang Ruhong's first act was to open a new opium den on Bixun Road, disregarding the welfare of the Chinese people.
Cheng Yizhi, who was unaware of the opium den, defended Huang Ruhong's capabilities in commerce, citing the ongoing construction of Wande Garden on Rue Amiral Bayle as an initiative to benefit common people and small vendors.
Professor Lu, however, warned Cheng Yizhi that the true purpose of Wande Garden might not align with his expectations and urged him not to be led astray by Huang Ruhong in the pursuit of wealth and fame, reminding him that true dignity comes from using capital to benefit society. Later, Cheng Yizhi read a stack of letters from Wu Zhifu to Professor Lu.
In one letter, Wu Zhifu recounted a phone call with his daughter, Wu Lizi, who was upset he missed her speech. She playfully threatened to revoke his fatherly title and call him "brother." Wu Zhifu was particularly struck by Wu Lizi's sharp critique of the financial sector, which she viewed as inherently exploitative.
This conversation, he wrote, reminded him of his discussions with Professor Lu about providing loans to rural areas, a venture that might not yield profit but would greatly benefit the people, affirming his belief that finance should serve the populace. Cheng Yizhi found himself smiling at Wu Lizi's rebellious yet earnest spirit as described in the letters.
Meanwhile, Leizi's efforts to trace the source of the Rejuvenation Agent proved futile; his investigations into various gangs, Nanyang bars, and foreign brothels yielded no results. Unable to report a lead, he was ordered to fabricate evidence to frame Cheng Yizhi. Huang Ruhong then tasked Cheng Yizhi with falsifying the account books for an opium den on Bixun Road, to conceal its exorbitant profits due to his new position as a director of the General Chamber of Commerce.
This assignment deeply unsettled Cheng Yizhi, reinforcing Professor Lu's earlier warnings. He later learned that Jin Yishan had suffered a stroke, and seeing Jin Yishan being helped back to his home from the hospital filled Cheng Yizhi with guilt. Commander Liao's health deteriorated rapidly, prompting Huang Ruhong and Liao Lan to rush to his hospital bed.
Leizi took the opportunity to inform Huang Ruhong that the person most deeply implicated with the Rejuvenation Agent was Pang Feng, also known as Heart-shaped Face, Cheng Yizhi's trusted assistant manager at Longying Private Bank. Leizi voiced his concern about the extensive implications of this discovery.
As Huang Ruhong absorbed this unsettling news, Commander Liao, in his final moments, asked Liao Lan to put on his military uniform, lamented his inability to protect her, and uttered Huang Ruhong's name before succumbing to his illness. A lavish funeral was held, attended by many prominent figures in Shanghai. At the funeral, Wu Lizi overheard Leizi openly disparaging Commander Liao, implying his hospital care was only due to Huang Ruhong's influence, and boasting about Huang Ruhong's power.
Wu Lizi sharply retorted, accusing Leizi of having a "stinky mouth." Searching for Cheng Yizhi during the vigil, Wu Lizi later found him at Fuxiang Hall. Leizi had earlier mockingly told her that Cheng Yizhi was there with Huang Ruhong, describing the place as Huang Ruhong's "other residence" where women were "gorgeous and charming." He also taunted Wu Lizi, suggesting her "fake bar-hostess tricks" couldn't satisfy Cheng Yizhi.
At Fuxiang Hall, Huang Ruhong, who was meeting Luzhu, confronted Cheng Yizhi about the Rejuvenation Agent, revealing it was opium-derived, highly addictive, and responsible for numerous deaths. He stated that credible intelligence linked Longying Private Bank's Jing'an Branch, specifically Heart-shaped Face, to the illicit substance. Cheng Yizhi vehemently denied any involvement, expressing his profound hatred for opium and his disbelief that Heart-shaped Face, whom he considered neither an addict nor an evil person, could be involved.
He suspected a setup, but Huang Ruhong stressed that public perception would link him and the bank to the scandal, given his new role as a director. Cheng Yizhi, taking full responsibility, requested ten days to thoroughly investigate and clear Heart-shaped Face's name, to which Huang Ruhong assented. Cheng Yizhi immediately confronted Heart-shaped Face (Pang Feng), discovering multiple vials of Rejuvenation Agent in a drawer.
Heart-shaped Face, terrified, swore he had not touched opium since Cheng Yizhi forbade him and claimed he was only selling the agent for profit, having only acquired the latest batch the previous day without selling any. Cheng Yizhi was enraged, reminding Heart-shaped Face of his deep-seated hatred for opium and its destructive nature, expressing profound disappointment. After hearing Heart-shaped Face's desperate oath of innocence, Cheng Yizhi demanded to know his supplier.
Heart-shaped Face led him to "Yin," but Yin had fled. Realizing that Heart-shaped Face had been framed, Cheng Yizhi stressed the urgency of finding the true culprits, emphasizing that Huang Ruhong's new position made him a prime target. Returning home late, Cheng Yizhi was met by a suspicious Wu Lizi, who noted the "smell of perfume" on him and accused him of frequenting Fuxiang Hall. Cheng Yizhi denied this, explaining the smell was from burning paper money at the mourning.
Wu Lizi, echoing Leizi’s earlier taunts, mentioned Fuxiang Hall's reputation for its "gorgeous and charming" women and implied that Cheng Yizhi might be seeking intimacy there due to their own strained relationship. Cheng Yizhi, visibly hurt, stated he was a normal man, but his desire for her didn't mean he would seek other women, asking her to trust him.
He then reluctantly confessed that Huang Ruhong had indeed visited Fuxiang Hall for a rendezvous, urging Wu Lizi to keep this secret from Liao Lan, especially after Commander Liao's death. Realizing Cheng Yizhi had known earlier, Wu Lizi playfully but firmly ordered him to strip and wash himself thoroughly, citing a headache from the lingering perfume smell, and insisted his clothes also be cleaned.
Wu Lizi later shared the revelation about Huang Ruhong's mistress at Fuxiang Hall with Charlie, who was surprised and expressed concern for Liao Lan. Driven by her own quest for truth, Wu Lizi then sought out Mr. Jiao, her father's former colleague at Shanghai Deposit Bank. She questioned his transfer to Tianjin after her father's death and his subsequent promotion to Deputy General Manager under Zhou Guangxian, suspecting he had betrayed her father to gain Zhou Guangxian's trust.
Mr. Jiao feebly explained his transfers as bank decisions and claimed he had tried to locate her and her mother. Wu Lizi pressed him, reminding him of her father's animosity with Zhou Guangxian and accusing him directly, stating that "there must be conditions behind benefits." She pleaded with him to reveal the truth to clear her father's name. Mr. Jiao angrily rebuffed her accusations, threatening to take her directly to Zhou Guangxian if she persisted.
Heartbroken, Wu Lizi left in tears. Heart-shaped Face reported to Cheng Yizhi that his investigations showed Kaiqi Apartment, Fengsi Dancing Hall, and Glock Road Opium Den were all places where the Rejuvenation Agent was bought, not sold. Buyers indicated they discovered the drug upon arriving in Shanghai, suggesting it wasn't foreign.
Cheng Yizhi dismissed Heart-shaped Face's earlier hunch about gang involvement, explaining that gangs still dealt in traditional opium, which was suffering a price drop due to the Rejuvenation Agent, and were punishing their own members for dealing in it. Cheng Yizhi deduced that the Rejuvenation Agent might have originated as a medical substance, later illicitly exploited for profit.
He instructed Heart-shaped Face to investigate pharmacies, clinics, and hospitals for patients who had experienced symptom relief from a now-unavailable "wonder drug" and were resorting to the Rejuvenation Agent due to its perceived similarity. Following this lead, Cheng Yizhi, posing as a buyer named "Miss Zhiyun" from Linglan Parlor, met with Mr. Xue, a Rejuvenation Agent seller. During their negotiation for two five-Jin cartons, Mr. Xue mentioned the agent's rising price and scarcity, stating more stock would take four days.
Suddenly, other buyers burst in, demanding all the remaining stock. When Mr. Xue attempted to stall, they fatally stabbed him and fled with the goods. Cheng Yizhi was jolted awake by a nightmare. Wu Lizi comforted him with honey water and sang a lullaby, revealing she had lost her mother at a young age. Later, Wu Lizi confided in Charlie about Huang Ruhong's mistress, acknowledging her previous misjudgment.
She asked Charlie to discreetly investigate Cheng Yizhi, noting his recent unusual behavior and nightmares, as he wouldn't disclose details of Huang Ruhong's errands. She also requested a business card for Daisy, the casting director of the Chunqiu English Club, which was rehearsing "Northanger Abbey." Meanwhile, Cheng Yizhi was pursuing a postman who was delivering Rejuvenation Agent, but his chase was thwarted when a drug-addicted woman grabbed him, begging for money for opium, claiming it was for her pain. In a separate event, Mr. Jiao, after his confrontation with Wu Lizi, was introduced by his daughter, Yu, to Daisy, the casting director of the Chunqiu English Club.
