The Justice Episode 15 Recap
> The Justice Recap
Cheng Yizhi, concerned for Zhou Wenquan's safety, visited him with investment contracts from Longying Private Bank and the pharmaceutical factory. He instructed Zhou Wenquan to organize all his accounts and expedite the debt settlement with Longying Private Bank. Cheng Yizhi promised to secure new investments from other institutions, leaving Zhou Wenquan puzzled about the sudden urgency. Without time for elaborate explanations, Cheng Yizhi simply urged him to follow his instructions.
Shortly after, Wu Lizi rushed to inform Cheng Yizhi that Huang Ruhong had been shot in an assassination attempt. Cheng Yizhi immediately left to investigate. Huang's subordinates were clamoring for revenge, but Liao Lan intervened to calm them. She insisted that Huang Ruhong's injuries were not severe and he only needed a few days of rest.
Liao Lan sternly warned them against leaking any information, emphasizing that Huang had been very busy, even purchasing large amounts of grain and oil to help the poor celebrate the Spring Festival when the attack occurred. She was furious with the men for failing to protect him, saying that the bullet had just barely missed a vital spot.
Wu Lizi tried to comfort Liao Lan and offered to find some skilled Belorussian bodyguards, known for their marksmanship and quick reflexes, to enhance Huang Ruhong's protection. Liao Lan, still seething, agreed to try them out. When Cheng Yizhi and Wu Lizi visited Huang Ruhong, they learned that General Luo Rengu was behind the attack. Leizi loudly demanded retaliation, but Huang Ruhong cautioned against rash actions.
Cheng Yizhi expressed confusion, finding it hard to believe General Luo Rengu would resort to such violence, especially given the good reputation of his Yizhong Company. Leizi, however, curtly told Cheng Yizhi to stop prying. Cheng Yizhi, offended, made to leave, prompting Huang Ruhong to dismiss Leizi and then disclose the full extent of the situation to Cheng Yizhi.
Huang Ruhong confessed that he had been deeply involved in the smuggling and sale of opium, a business he had intentionally kept hidden from Cheng Yizhi. Cheng Yizhi, who detested opium, accused Huang Ruhong of abandoning his conscience for profit. He revealed Huang Ruhong’s true motive behind investing in Zhou Wenquan's factory: to gain control over Zhou Wenquan. If Zhou Wenquan failed to repay the investment, he would be at Huang Ruhong's mercy and forced to produce drugs.
Huang Ruhong did not deny Cheng Yizhi's accusations, explaining that without the immense profits from illegal businesses, his "empire" would not exist. He argued that "illegal gold and silver are two sides of the same coin" and that Cheng Yizhi’s ability to operate in "white silver" was due to the "illegal gold." Suppressing his indignation, Cheng Yizhi advised Huang Ruhong to reconcile with Luo Rengu, warning that otherwise, a bloody conflict was inevitable.
Recognizing Luo Rengu's determination to see Huang Ruhong perish, Cheng Yizhi offered to mediate. He then declared his intention to leave Longying Private Bank. Huang Ruhong, unwilling to lose him, pleaded with Cheng Yizhi to stay, even promising to abandon all illegal businesses if Cheng Yizhi returned alive from mediating with Luo Rengu. Cheng Yizhi, however, remained skeptical of this surprising promise.
Later that evening, Cheng Yizhi presented Wu Lizi with a pearl necklace from Heart-shaped Face, a congratulatory gift from their colleagues after her father's vindication. As he carefully fastened it around her neck, Cheng Yizhi pondered telling her the truth about the dangers he faced, fearing he might not return. He asked if her birthday wish was to vindicate her father and noted that everyone wishes for their dreams to come true, especially one so important.
Ultimately, he chose to remain silent. Early the next morning, Cheng Yizhi sought out Leizi to uncover the true nature of the dispute between Huang Ruhong and Luo Rengu. Leizi casually explained that Luo Rengu's Yizhong Company had ordered goods from Fengdebao Firm, but the Northern Expedition prevented the merchant ships from docking. Huang Ruhong had offered a full refund, which Luo Rengu refused, leading to his violent attack on Huang. Cheng Yizhi pressed Leizi for Yizhong Company's order list.
The document listed 140 cameras, a quantity that baffled Cheng Yizhi; he couldn't imagine General Luo Rengu risking his life over mere cameras. Walking down the street, a series of gunshots in the distance brought a chilling realization: the "cameras" were code for weapons. This discovery terrified Cheng Yizhi, making him realize the true, dangerous nature of the cargo. He then instructed Heart-shaped Face to discreetly investigate all of General Luo Rengu's properties.
Meanwhile, Wu Lizi and Charlie meticulously planned her entry into the Smoking Regulating Department to get information from Zhou Guangxian. Charlie waited outside as a lookout, giving her keys to the main gate and the documents room, and instructing her to enter during a one-minute guard change at 8:30 PM and exit precisely at 9:00 PM when he would set off fireworks as a signal.
Once inside, Wu Lizi located Zhou Guangxian's confinement area, only to find him assassinated, his blood still warm. Realizing the killer was likely still nearby, Wu Lizi was overcome with terror. As someone approached, she quickly hid. The person searched carefully but found nothing, then quietly left. Wu Lizi then whispered to Charlie on the phone that the killer must have heard her footsteps.
Charlie tried to calm her, assuring her that Zhou Guangxian had many enemies and no one could identify her by mere footsteps. With fireworks exploding outside, Wu Lizi seized the moment to escape and rendezvous with Charlie. Immediately after this, Cheng Yizhi, on his way home, was abducted and taken to General Luo Rengu's confidant, Sun Zongguan.
Sun Zongguan had received intelligence that Cheng Yizhi intended to retaliate against General Luo Rengu, leading Cheng Yizhi to suspect that Leizi had leaked information. Cheng Yizhi, seeing an opportunity, feigned defection. He presented himself as a disgruntled talent unappreciated by Huang Ruhong, confined to the Jing'an branch while Leizi controlled profitable ventures like casinos and opium. He claimed that Huang Ruhong had deliberately withheld major business opportunities from him, and only Luo Rengu's attack had revealed this hidden truth.
Though initially skeptical, Sun Zongguan grew intrigued when Cheng Yizhi revealed his knowledge of General Luo Rengu's order of 220,000 yuan worth of pistols, bullets, and explosives from Huang Ruhong. Cheng Yizhi further offered to ensure the safe delivery of these weapons, proposing a direct meeting with General Luo Rengu to discuss the arrangement and offer the arms as a gesture of goodwill upon his acceptance. Distraught, Wu Lizi hurried home, and Cheng Yizhi soon followed.
He proposed they go to a photo studio the next day, explicitly stating that it would be for a keepsake in case he didn't return from the dangers he faced. When Wu Lizi expressed concern about his safety, he asked her to touch the bed board, believing wood could ward off evil. The following morning, Wu Lizi carefully selected a light-colored dress (specifically a Suzhou long-staple cotton one) and a matching suit for Cheng Yizhi.
Manager Jiao then called, requesting a meeting with Wu Lizi for two days later at Yaxuan Restaurant's Meilan private room. She quickly fabricated an excuse to Cheng Yizhi, saying that her mahjong game with the madams had been rescheduled to deflect suspicion. At the photo studio, Wu Lizi clung tightly to Cheng Yizhi's arm, quietly urging him to come back alive, which deeply moved him.
Based on Heart-shaped Face's investigation, Cheng Yizhi learned that Yuebin Hotel and Sheng'an Hospital were solely owned by Luo Rengu, while Meiyuan Hotel was a regular venue for Luo's gatherings. Deciding to investigate Sheng'an Hospital personally, Cheng Yizhi asked Heart-shaped Face for the full name of a nurse he knew from Ren'an Pharmacy, Meng Shirou. Discovering a shortage of medical cotton gauze at Sheng'an Hospital, Cheng Yizhi posed as Manager Zhang from Zhang's Cotton Shop.
He approached Nurse Xu, claiming to be a friend of her former student, Meng Shirou, and offered to supply cotton gauze. Amidst the chaos of busy patients, Nurse Xu inadvertently mentioned that the hospital's morgue had been closed for renovations because its freezers were being renovated. Cheng Yizhi immediately deduced that Luo Rengu was using the morgue to hide the weapons. Wu Lizi arrived punctually for her meeting with Manager Jiao.
He presented her with an account book, explaining it was entrusted to him by Zhou Guangxian before his death. Manager Jiao began deciphering the cryptic entries: "Round 2," "Steel 38," "Steel 14," which were code names for pistols, rifles, bullets, and explosives. He revealed that Zhou Guangxian had acted as an intermediary, using Fengdebao Firm to guarantee arms deals, marking them as "Beidang 49."
Jiao then disclosed that the former owner of Fengdebao Firm was Huang Ruhong of Longying Private Bank, revealing Huang Ruhong as the mastermind behind the arms dealings and opium trade, and heavily implicating him in the death of Wu Lizi's father, Wu Zhifu. Manager Jiao further explained that Zhou Guangxian had initially been drawn into the opium trade by Huang Ruhong years ago, only later realizing that their cooperation extended to a larger arms conspiracy.
A copy of this very account book, he noted, had fallen into Wu Zhifu's hands, linking it to the unaccounted-for negatives her father possessed. Back at Meiyuan Hotel, Heart-shaped Face returned to Cheng Yizhi, confirming he had hidden a pistol in the most discreet location he could find: a restroom. Just as he reported this, Sun Zongguan called Cheng Yizhi, demanding an immediate meeting with General Luo Rengu at Edoia Junction. Heart-shaped Face expressed his worry, but Cheng Yizhi, acknowledging his concern, instructed him not to follow and to keep their actions a secret.
