The Knockout Episode 14 Recap
> The Knockout Recap
On the anniversary of Cao Chuang’s death, Li Xiang invited An Xin to visit his grave. An Xin brought flowers for the first time, reflecting his complex feelings about his late master, acknowledging that while Cao Chuang might not have been a good policeman, he was a good teacher. Li Xiang, however, questioned An Xin’s intentions, immediately finding and destroying a hidden recording device in the flowers.
He admonished An Xin for his "childish" attempts to gather evidence and warned him against further investigation, stating that An Xin couldn't fight against those involved. Li Xiang argued that pursuing the case would only tarnish Cao Chuang’s reputation, ruin the city bureau’s name, and erode public trust in the police.
He asserted that it would ultimately change nothing, as he himself had arrived at the scene six years ago to find Xu Jiang already dead and Cao Chuang taking his last breath, with no witnesses or testimony to corroborate any alternative story, and that their collective contributions to Jinghai's public security shouldn't be erased by one or two mistakes.
An Xin pressed for the truth, revealing his persistent efforts to reopen the case, despite his applications being repeatedly rejected for lack of evidence over the past six years. Li Xiang, admitting he regretted his actions every day for the past six years, still refused to disclose the full truth, mockingly telling An Xin to stop "fiddling around like a loser" and daring him to "come and arrest me" if he truly represented justice.
Enraged, An Xin punched Li Xiang, who retorted with a threat to have him fired from the force. As they parted ways, An Xin revealed he had secretly recorded Li Xiang’s confession on another device, capturing the details of the scene. Gao Qiqiang prepared for a crucial meeting with Li Youtian, the Chairman of the Mang Village Committee. Chen Shuting meticulously helped him choose a formal yet understated outfit, advising him to avoid confrontation and to control his temper.
She also cautioned Gao Qisheng, who was driving, against drinking. Gao Qiqiang, Gao Qisheng, and Tang Xiaohu waited until nearly ten o’clock for Li Youtian, his son Li Hongwei, and other villagers to arrive, who blamed their tardiness on an emergency village meeting. Gao Qiqiang greeted them cordially and inquired about the Mang Village resort project. Li Hongwei abruptly declared the project "turned down."
Li Youtian then spun a tale of "rumors" about a government plan to consolidate Mang Village and neighboring areas for a new development zone and a highway, which he claimed would bring immense wealth to the villagers. He insisted that the villagers were unwilling to let Construction Engineering Group intervene and "share the cake." Gao Qiqiang saw through this fabricated excuse, and Gao Qisheng supported his brother, pointing out that such large-scale government plans would take years to materialize.
He criticized Li Youtian for relying on mere "hope" and demonstrated a superior understanding of investment. Li Hongwei aggressively retorted, belittling Gao Qisheng's education and Gao Qiqiang’s past as a fish seller, which escalated into a heated argument with Tang Xiaohu. Gao Qiqiang’s pre-arranged men swiftly surrounded Li Youtian’s group, bringing the confrontation to a head. Gao Qiqiang declared that if Construction Engineering Group could not undertake the Mang Village resort project, no one else would.
In a final act of defiance, Li Hongwei overturned the dinner table as they left. Enraged, Gao Qiqiang instructed Tang Xiaohu to contact Chen Jinmo, stating his desire to "eat fish." Chen Jinmo arrived at Gao Qiqiang’s villa with his daughter, Huang Yao. Gao Qiqiang had Huang Yao play with his son, Bai Xiaochen, while he discussed the Mang Village project with Chen Jinmo.
Gao Qiqiang explained his strategy: he needed the project to falter under Li Youtian’s leadership so that Construction Engineering Group could then step in and secure the collaboration, rather than resorting to direct violence. Upstairs, Huang Yao accidentally broke Bai Xiaochen’s music box, causing Bai Xiaochen to throw a tantrum. To appease Chen Jinmo, Gao Qiqiang forced Bai Xiaochen to apologize to Huang Yao and give her the broken music box.
However, outside, Huang Yao discarded the gift, revealing her own resentment, but Chen Jinmo picked it up and persuaded her to keep it as a gesture from "Uncle Gao." Later, Chen Shuting confronted Gao Qiqiang for upsetting Bai Xiaochen, emphasizing the importance of their son’s feelings. Gao Qiqiang apologized to Bai Xiaochen and promised him a new, better music box to make amends.
Following Gao Qiqiang’s instructions, Chen Jinmo, using a fake ID, began working as a day laborer at Li Youtian’s construction site in Mang Village. He befriended Li Shun, a fellow worker from Mang Village with a sick son, showing kindness by sharing his food. Later, Chen Jinmo intentionally pushed Li Shun off a scaffold, leading to his death. The Construction Committee was immediately informed of the safety incident and ordered Li Youtian to halt all work.
Li Youtian, suspecting Gao Qiqiang orchestrated the incident, vowed to fight him to the end. When Li Xiang and An Xin arrived to investigate, Li Youtian unequivocally accused Gao Qiqiang. Recognizing that the deceased, Li Shun, was his own third uncle, Li Xiang recused himself from the case due to a conflict of interest and assigned An Xin as the lead investigator. An Xin, noting the act was characteristic of Gao Qiqiang, accepted the responsibility.
An Xin then met with Li Youtian to gather more information, where Li Hongwei vehemently demanded severe punishment for Gao Qiqiang. Li Youtian had also requested Li Xiang's father to be present during the meeting. An Xin probed Li Youtian, suggesting he consider transferring the project to Gao Qiqiang. Li Youtian adamantly refused, explaining that such a concession would only embolden Gao Qiqiang to exploit them further, vowing that Mang Village would never surrender to Gao Qiqiang.
Afterward, An Xin explained to a puzzled Li Xiang that he deliberately escalated the conflict to provoke Gao Qiqiang into revealing his true nature. Li Xiang expressed concern that Li Youtian might be swayed by money to alter witness testimonies, but An Xin, asserting his control over the case, remained unconcerned. A case analysis meeting was held where Li Xiang formally announced the formation of Task Force 922 to investigate the Mang Village incident.
Due to his familial relationship with the victim, Li Shun, Li Xiang recused himself and appointed An Xin as the task force leader with full authority.
Members of Zhang Biao’s team expressed strong disagreement, arguing that they had already gathered significant evidence, including a list of Gao Qiqiang’s known associates from Old Factory Street such as Tang Xiaolong (who was in prison), Tang Xiaohu, Gao Qisheng, Wang Qiang, Yang Darui, Zhang Tao, and Wei Yong, and were better prepared to lead the case.
An Xin firmly rejected their attempts to take over, asserting that he had known and understood Gao Qiqiang longer and better than anyone else. He recounted Gao Qiqiang’s rapid transformation from a bullied fish seller in 2000 to a powerful project manager within Construction Engineering Group in just one year, after he and his brother opened the Qiangsheng PHS store and turned his bullies into friends, emphasizing that Gao Qiqiang was far from a simple man.
