The Knockout Episode 15 Recap
> The Knockout Recap
An Xin addressed his colleagues, who were eager to solve the case of Li Shun's death, emphasizing his unique and long-standing understanding of Gao Qiqiang. He recounted how Gao Qiqiang, starting as a bullied fish dealer in 2000, quickly rose to become a project manager at Jinghai Construction Engineering Group within a year, and by 2004, the general manager, second only to the chairman, Uncle Tai, whom he called "father."
An Xin pointed out that despite numerous reports against Gao Qiqiang over the past six years, the police had never secured enough evidence or seen cases inexplicably settled out of court, preventing any substantial breakthroughs. He acknowledged the team's desire to avenge Cao Chuang's death, but warned that if Gao Qiqiang was behind Li Shun's murder, he would have meticulously covered his tracks, just as he had for years.
An Xin, feeling he had nothing to lose, declared his resolve to confront Gao Qiqiang directly, suggesting that his colleagues, who had families, should step back from such a dangerous pursuit. Meanwhile, Gao Qiqiang visited Chen Jinmo at his fish stall, feigning exhaustion and reminiscing about sleeping there in the past. He advised Chen Jinmo to lie low, expressing concern about An Xin's persistent investigation and his growing capabilities.
Chen Jinmo, confident in his meticulous cleanup of the crime scene, initially dismissed the idea of hiding. He also reminded Gao Qiqiang of An Xin's kindness to him in prison, including helping him discover his daughter and securing Huang Cuicui's insurance. Gao Qiqiang downplayed his concerns, presenting Chen Jinmo with some fine tea before leaving, though Chen Jinmo offered him candy, sensing Gao Qiqiang's stress.
Back in Mang Village, Li Youtian scolded his son, Li Hongwei, for playing games instead of attending village meetings, reminding him of the upcoming village committee elections and the need to gain support from the younger generation to become the next Chairman. Li Hongwei suggested a devious plan for revenge against Gao Qiqiang, proposing to use Li Shun's mentally unstable son, Li Qing. Li Youtian approved, recognizing Li Qing's vulnerability.
They brought Li Qing in, where Li Youtian performed a dramatic show of grief, blaming Gao Qiqiang for Li Shun's death and promising to care for Li Qing. Li Hongwei then explicitly manipulated Li Qing, telling him that since Gao Qiqiang made him lose a loved one, Li Qing should make Gao Qiqiang experience the same pain.
Gao Qisheng reported to Gao Qiqiang that An Xin was now handling Li Shun's case, expressing frustration that An Xin was like a "plaster" that couldn't be shaken off. Gao Qiqiang instructed him to spread the word that anyone who dared to take over the Mang Village construction project would be challenging the Construction Engineering Group and him personally.
He also shared insights from "The Art of War," emphasizing the strategy of leaving an escape route for a cornered enemy to prevent a desperate, last-ditch fight. Later, Li Hongwei drove Li Qing to Xiaochen's school, pointing out Gao Qiqiang's family to Li Qing as they dropped off Xiaochen. Li Hongwei stopped Li Qing from acting immediately, urging him to seek personal revenge and not involve others.
Li Xiang was summoned by Secretary Wang to meet with Zhao Lidong by the river. Zhao Lidong, now the Deputy Mayor, questioned Li Xiang about the Mang Village case, knowing Li Xiang had recused himself to avoid conflict of interest due to being Li Shun's nephew. Zhao Lidong, speaking condescendingly, implied that An Xin remained in the police force only due to An Changlin's backing, and suggested that Li Xiang, as a Criminal Police Captain, must have even stronger connections.
He pressed Li Xiang to allow the Mang Village project to resume, claiming the construction team's suspension was a fabrication by those obstructing progress, despite Li Xiang's assertion that it was due to incomplete qualifications. Li Xiang maintained his professionalism, even offering to resign if he was deemed unsuitable. Zhao Lidong dismissed Li Xiang's integrity, stating his master (Cao Chuang) was more "sensible," and ordered him to call the Construction Committee to approve the project's resumption.
Li Xiang reluctantly agreed, showing his contempt for the Mayor's actions. Gao Qiqiang visited Uncle Tai, offering him rare "old dried mandarin peel" tea. He mentioned plans to take Chen Shuting and Xiaochen to Hong Kong during the summer, but Uncle Tai suspected he was trying to flee due to the Mang Village incident.
Gao Qiqiang reassured him that the murder had nothing to do with their group and then detailed his ambitious plan: he had learned that Qinghua District intended to merge Mang Village and surrounding towns into a new development zone, a project big enough for ten years of development. He explained that by "removing the troublemaker" in Mang Village, they could secure uncontested control over the lucrative future development.
Uncle Tai subtly expressed his approval of Gao Qiqiang's strategy and the quality of the tea. An Xin and his assistant, Lu, arrived in Mang Village for their investigation. They first went to Li Qing's house, finding it locked. Li Youtian soon appeared with Li Qing, claiming he had instructed Li Qing to get a phone to avoid such delays.
An Xin noticed Li Qing's hand tremors, relating it to his own past injury and reassuring Li Qing it was a treatable problem. Li Youtian tried to steer the conversation to the village committee, but the discussion continued at Li Qing's home. During the discussion, Li Qing became agitated, accusing the police of complicity with Gao Qiqiang, who he believed had hired someone to kill his father. An Xin calmly questioned who "everyone" was, trying to de-escalate the situation.
Li Youtian quickly intervened, giving Li Qing medication to calm him down, and took him away. An Xin and Lu then visited the Mang Village construction site, where they were met with hostility from villagers, some of whom told them to ask the village about the construction's resumption, indicating that construction had indeed restarted. An Xin deduced that Li Youtian was deliberately stirring up anti-police sentiment to involve more villagers.
Suspecting the killer was related to Gao Qiqiang, An Xin instructed Lu to check the construction site for any identifying information of the perpetrator. To establish trust with Li Qing, An Xin decided they would return to his house and cook for him. Later, at Li Qing's house, An Xin and Lu prepared a meal. Their cooking, however, was clearly unappetizing. Li Qing, inheriting his father's culinary skills, took over the kitchen and prepared two delicious dishes.
An Xin praised his cooking, suggesting he become a chef and offering to help him find a job at a restaurant across from the Public Security Bureau, promising police protection if anyone bullied him. Li Qing initially resisted but eventually agreed, especially after An Xin suggested it would honor his father's spirit.
During the meal, Li Qing shared a crucial detail: his father used to talk about a man on the construction site who often chatted with him and smelled strongly of fish. An Xin, drawing on his knowledge of Gao Qiqiang's past as a fish dealer, immediately recognized the significance of this clue. He drew a sketch of the man.
He then instructed Lu to monitor Li Qing through the local police station to prevent him from causing trouble, while An Xin himself would investigate the man with the "smelly odor." Later, Lu confessed he had initially mistook the old fishing nets, which Li Qing carried in a plastic bag, for weapons. Unaware of this development, Li Youtian later found out about An Xin's visit and Li Qing's interest in becoming a chef.
Enraged, he confiscated Li Qing's medication, vehemently telling him that An Xin was lying, and that Gao Qiqiang had bribed the police. He reaffirmed that Li Qing's father's revenge must be sought, trying to reignite Li Qing's anger. Meanwhile, Lu reported that the ID found at the construction site was forged, and they were investigating several fake ID operations in the city.
Lu apologized to An Xin for the earlier argument at the meeting about Gao Qiqiang, but An Xin dismissed it, saying Zhang Biao would have inevitably caused a scene anyway. An Xin playfully teased Lu for being more talkative than he perceived himself to be. They continued to study the sketch of the man with the fishy smell.
