The Knockout Episode 20 Recap
> The Knockout Recap
An Xin and Meng Yu are on a date, but An Xin's mind is on work. He asks Meng Yu what a fugitive like Zhang Daqing's priority would be when escaping. Meng Yu, annoyed that An Xin is discussing Zhang Daqing and showing her his photo, playfully checks his forehead for a fever, during which An Xin gives her a kiss.
An Xin then clarifies that Zhang Daqing's first priority would be to secure money for his escape, and asks Meng Yu for her help. Unbeknownst to them, Li Hongwei and his brother witness their kiss. Li Hongwei, recognizing Meng Yu as the reporter he’d seen before, realizes that An Xin had used Meng Yu to set him up for his previous arrest.
Meng Yu sets up a meeting between An Xin and her father, Meng Dehai, during their morning mountain run. Meng Yu pretends to be tired and lets Meng Dehai go ahead, where he finds An Xin already waiting at a pavilion. An Xin, feigning a casual walk, reveals his true purpose: he needs Meng Dehai to use his influence to organize a widely publicized public briefing regarding Mang Village's land expropriation.
The goal is to flush out a key suspect in the recent murder case. Meng Dehai agrees to help, despite no official plan yet being released, acknowledging An Xin's connections. Meng Dehai then takes An Xin to a viewpoint overlooking Qinghua District, explaining the area's poverty and the government's plan to build a highway to alleviate hardship.
He notes the bureaucratic challenges with funding and bribes, and praises Construction Engineering Group’s comprehensive proposal, stating that Gao Qiqiang is currently the most suitable candidate for the road project. An Xin, however, insists that as a police officer, he only sees things in black and white, echoing Director Guo's stance. Meng Yu then arrives, feigning surprise at seeing An Xin, but Meng Dehai sees through their charade, remarking that they're "even" for lying to him.
Meng Yu, having overheard their conversation, insists her father uphold his promise to help An Xin. Meng Dehai agrees, leaving the two young people to continue their conversation while he climbs further. As planned, the Mang Village demolition policy briefing is held, attracting public attention. Zhang Daqing, seeing the news, disguises himself and attends, aiming to secure demolition funds. A police officer spots him in the crowd, but Zhang Daqing manages to escape amidst the throng.
After reviewing surveillance footage, An Xin notices Zhang Daqing changed his clothes, leading him to suspect an accomplice. He instructs his team to re-examine the footage for anyone wearing a red hoodie leaving the district government building around the same time. The search leads them to Shenshen Hostel, where Zhang Daqing was believed to be staying. However, upon arrival, the officers discover the hostel has been rebranded as Beisheng Hostel, is undergoing renovation, and is currently empty.
The former owner explains she sold the struggling business to a new owner after the planned university town project was cancelled. An Xin, realizing Zhang Daqing has already been moved, orders his team to withdraw. An Xin also tasks a subordinate with cross-referencing IP addresses of individuals outside the demolition zone who showed unusual interest in the policy with properties owned by Construction Engineering Group, hoping to identify those associated with Zhang Daqing.
Gao Qiqiang meets with Chen Tai, who tries to mediate the escalating conflict between Gao Qiqiang and Chengcheng. Gao Qiqiang initially feigns humility and reluctance to engage in company affairs due to rumors, but Chen Tai assures him to ignore them. Gao Qiqiang, supported by Shuting, cleverly expresses his loyalty to the Construction Engineering Group and its best interests, ultimately agreeing to Chen Tai's suggestion to reconcile with Chengcheng, on the condition she doesn't provoke him again.
Chen Tai then proposes an offshore fishing trip for the upcoming weekend, where Chengcheng can personally apologize to Gao Qiqiang. Gao Qiqiang agrees, using the opportunity to subtly assert his influence by gifting Chen Tai a new, larger tea pet, advising him on its proper placement for good fortune, signifying a shift in power. Later, An Xin meets Gao Qiqiang at a noodle shop, inquiring about Zhang Daqing and Chengcheng.
Gao Qiqiang, while enjoying his noodles, avoids direct answers but subtly hints at Chengcheng's potential plan to smuggle Zhang Daqing out of Jinghai. He points out that all land and water routes are under police surveillance or his control, suggesting the upcoming fishing trip as Chengcheng's only viable option. An Xin immediately understands the implication and leaves abruptly to prepare.
On the designated weekend, An Xin mobilizes his team, setting up roadblocks along Putian Road leading to the pier, specifically targeting a car with license plate HaiB36956. As Chen Tai's convoy heads to the pier, police, including the Narcotics Control Unit, conduct thorough inspections of their vehicles, using police dogs to search trunks, but find no irregularities.
Meanwhile, Gao Qiqiang, driving Chen Shuting, deviates from the convoy's route, instructing his driver, Lu Tao, to turn right instead of left towards the pier. A subordinate informs Chen Tai of Gao Qiqiang's unexpected detour, but Chen Tai simply orders his driver to follow. Gao Qiqiang pulls over where Tang Xiaohu and Gao Qisheng are waiting.
Gao Qiqiang confronts Lu Tao, revealing he knew Lu Tao was Chengcheng's mole and that the "dead" bugging device he found earlier was a ploy. Demonstrating his sharp senses, Gao Qiqiang states that he noticed his car was significantly heavier, specifically 75 kg, leading him to realize someone was hidden inside. Tang Xiaohu then extracts a surprised Zhang Daqing from a large box in the trunk, stunning Lu Tao. Tang Xiaohu extracts Zhang Daqing from the trunk.
Zhang Daqing confesses that Chengcheng instructed him to hide in Gao Qiqiang’s car, believing it to be an undetectable method. When questioned by Gao Qiqiang, Zhang Daqing tearfully admits to killing Zhang Xiaoqing during a drunken card game. He claims Zhang Xiaoqing became enraged after losing, repeatedly assaulting him, leading Zhang Daqing to strike back once, fatally.
An Xin, who is listening to the entire exchange via Gao Qiqiang's open phone line, interjects to clarify that Zhang Xiaoqing was strangled, implying Zhang Daqing's initial account is incomplete. An Xin then presses Zhang Daqing for details about hiding the body in a Construction Engineering Group vehicle. Zhang Daqing claims ignorance, stating that after the incident, he sought help from Li Youtian, who then brought him to Chengcheng.
Chengcheng reportedly assured him she would handle everything and instructed him to go into hiding, implying she orchestrated the cover-up. An Xin dismisses this as unoriginal and, after confirming Chengcheng's direct involvement in ordering Zhang Daqing and his own role in Zhang Xiaoqing's death, assures Gao Qiqiang's safety.
Aware that An Xin is still listening, Gao Qiqiang derides Zhang Daqing for his lack of backbone and, with a knowing gesture, offers Zhang Daqing a job with Gao Qisheng after his release. Shortly after, at the pier, Chengcheng is apprehended by the police. After Chengcheng's arrest, An Xin introduces Captain Yang Jian of the Narcotics Control Unit to Gao Qiqiang, acknowledging his crucial role in the successful operation.
Yang Jian then requests Gao Qiqiang’s assistance in tracking the source of a new "colorful Magu" drug that has appeared in Jinghai's bars and nightclubs, specifically mentioning Platinum Palace, which Gao Qiqiang owns. Gao Qiqiang emphatically denies any drug involvement in his establishment, citing his parental responsibilities and awareness of drug harms, but promises to investigate. During this conversation, Gao Qisheng appears visibly agitated.
Gao Qiqiang then playfully contrasts Yang Jian's polite request with An Xin's more direct manner, before An Xin takes him to the police station. At the station, Director Guo interrogates An Xin about the arrests. An Xin confirms Zhang Daqing's confession, revealing it was recorded by Gao Qiqiang. Director Guo expresses concern that An Xin's collaboration with Gao Qiqiang, a prime suspect in the Mang Village murder, could compromise him and ruin his career.
He orders An Xin to immediately write a comprehensive report detailing every interaction with Gao Qiqiang and to delegate the interrogation of Zhang Daqing to another officer. Director Guo further questions An Xin about Meng Dehai’s intentions, asking if he also plans to collaborate with Gao Qiqiang. An Xin confirms that Secretary Meng wishes to entrust Gao Qiqiang with the highway project.
Director Guo issues a stern warning about the dangers of "using a tiger to devour the wolf," fearing that An Xin, and potentially others, might be "eaten by the tiger" themselves. He then dismisses An Xin to write his report. Upon realizing that Gao Qiqiang masterminded Chengcheng's downfall, Chen Tai confronts him. Gao Qiqiang expresses his apologies for the trouble, but then launches into a deeply emotional account of his past.
He describes his father as an abusive drunkard who, despite dying in a work-related car accident alongside his mother, left the family with only 500 yuan in compensation for a work-related injury. Gao Qiqiang recounts how he used that meager sum to raise his younger siblings, feeling utterly devoid of dignity until Chen Tai gifted him Platinum Palace six years prior.
He asserts that his actions against Chengcheng were born out of necessity for the Construction Engineering Group's welfare, not personal vendetta against Chen Tai, echoing Chen Tai's own philosophy about loyalty to the group. Despite Chen Tai’s regret over losing Chengcheng, whom he considered talented, Gao Qiqiang dismisses it, stating that if she is truly talented, she will find a way to "stand on her own feet" as he did.
Meanwhile, at the police station, Zhang Daqing recants his earlier confession, now claiming sole responsibility for Zhang Xiaoqing's death, stating he acted alone in moving the body, throwing it into a truck. He attributes his previous statement to being scared by Gao Qiqiang and merely "talking nonsense," and feigns memory loss regarding how he met Lu Tao.
Lu Tao, when interrogated, similarly remains tight-lipped, only providing his basic personal details and refusing to disclose who ordered him or how he came to work for Gao Qiqiang. An Xin then confronts Chengcheng, who, instead of confessing, recounts a cryptic story about two brothers. In her tale, an elder brother, a gambler, accidentally kills his younger, belligerent brother during a drunken brawl.
A helper, upon realizing the younger brother is dead, decides to make the corpse "more useful," likening it to using rat poison for its intended purpose. An Xin cuts off her evasive narrative, demanding a direct confession about how she assisted in transferring Zhang Xiaoqing's body. Chengcheng cunningly avoids the question, asserting her story was not specifically about Zhang Daqing and broadly hinting that "many people" could use "rat poison to poison rats," suggesting Meng Dehai could also be implicated.
