The Knockout Episode 33 Recap
> The Knockout Recap
After dinner, as Yang Jian escorted An Xin out, Yang Jian questioned An Xin's true purpose for visiting. An Xin spoke frankly, he told Yang Jian that Xu Zhong and Ji Ze were committed to resolving serious issues, stating unequivocally, "Gao Qiqiang is doomed," and urged Yang Jian to "think about it carefully." Yang Jian, admitting that few others would discuss such matters with him, proposed they have a drink sometime.
An Xin agreed, provided Yang Jian was willing to listen. Immediately after leaving, An Xin called An Changlin. An Changlin confirmed that the guidance team's mission was not just to investigate Gao Qiqiang but to eradicate the deep-rooted corruption enabling organized crime in Jinghai. He revealed he had been secretly collecting evidence against Yang Jian and Gao Qiqiang for years. An Changlin instructed An Xin to obtain the files for the "228 shooting case" from Director Qin.
An Xin met with Director Qin, who assured him of full cooperation, having already spoken with An Changlin. Qin warned An Xin about the formidable enemies he faced in Jinghai and advised him to protect himself, offering his support. Reviewing the 228 case file, An Xin asked about its status.
Director Qin explained that it remained unsolved, recalling a tall, slim, and friendly young officer named Lu Han, who was in charge of the case but had disappeared while conducting interviews. Lu Han's car was found, but he vanished without a trace, and the case was eventually closed as a missing person, never officially investigated. Qin expressed little hope for Lu Han’s survival. Years earlier, in 2014, An Xin had been transferred to the propaganda section.
Lu Han, then a young officer, visited An Xin, frustrated that his police work felt like a mere "decoration" due to constant interference from the Qiangsheng Group and the Power Supply Bureau. He lamented An Xin's absence from the Criminal Police Unit, believing An Xin would have "chased it to the end." Lu Han challenged An Xin, asking if the "old An Xin" would have persisted.
An Xin deflected, citing his current role in propaganda, to which Lu Han responded with disappointment, telling An Xin to "just give up on yourself here." In the present, Fang Ning and Sun Xu interrogated Zhang Biao about Lu Han's disappearance. Zhang Biao grew agitated, demanding to see An Xin and asserting that An Xin shared responsibility for Lu Han's fate. He explained that Lu Han, who revered An Xin, had imitated his master's qualities, including his "stubbornness."
Zhang Biao recounted that after An Xin’s transfer, Lu Han became isolated. When no one else would touch the complicated 228 armed robbery case, Lu Han volunteered. Despite Zhang Biao's reservations about Lu Han's suitability due to the case's sensitive nature and involvement of many influential individuals, he eventually assigned it to him, instructing him to stick to standard procedures and report directly, explicitly telling him "not to do anything else."
Lu Han’s investigation led him to suspect Bai Xiaochen, Gao Qiqiang’s son, after matching evidence from the crime scene to Bai Xiaochen’s motorcycle. He visited Gao Qiqiang, who, acting friendly, offered tea and noted the familiar setup from An Xin’s previous visits, inquiring about An Xin's well-being. Gao Qiqiang dismissed "rumors" linking him to the 228 case or the Power Supply Bureau.
However, Chen Shuting, Gao Qiqiang's wife, intervened, stating that Bai Xiaochen's motorcycle had been at Thai's Auto Repair for a week prior to the incident. Lu Han immediately went to Thai's Auto Repair, where the mechanic claimed the motorcycle arrived late on the night of the 26th. Lu Han discovered the motorcycle was completely dismantled, its tires removed, making it impossible to compare tire marks. Adding to his suspicion, the repair shop's surveillance cameras had coincidentally been broken that night.
Convinced of Bai Xiaochen's culpability, Lu Han requested to arrest him. Zhang Biao denied the request, citing the principle of "innocent until proven guilty" and accusing Lu Han of being too stubborn, which often led to his cases being rejected by the procuratorate. An Xin later questioned Zhang Biao if he had been protecting his subordinate. Zhang Biao admitted that captains want to protect their team, but he couldn't stop Lu Han because Lu Han "didn't believe in me."
An Xin suggested that Zhang Biao secretly wished Lu Han would bring Bai Xiaochen in. Zhang Biao acknowledged Lu Han's resemblance to An Xin, expressing a bittersweet satisfaction that someone like Lu Han was in the team, unlike himself. He asserted that neither he nor Lu Han were wrong in their principles as police officers, but lamented that "not everyone can be protected," adding that An Xin "will never understand."
Zhang Biao continued his account: despite the setback, Lu Han, unwilling to give up, legally summoned Bai Xiaochen. After 24 hours of interrogation, no information was obtained, and Bai Xiaochen was released. Bai Xiaochen then defiantly rode his motorcycle repeatedly around the Municipal Bureau building. Lu Han subsequently went to Lishui County to interview the victim, Wang Li, who had resigned from the Power Supply Bureau and returned to his hometown.
Around that time, Yang Jian had become the Deputy Director of the Power Supply Bureau. Fearing Lu Han might act impulsively, Zhang Biao temporarily suspended him. It was then that Lu Han disappeared, last seen at a highway toll station near the provincial border, heading towards Lishui County. Zhang Biao further explained that Lu Han's mother suffered from severe hearing loss and was completely deaf before his disappearance, with no other family members to care for her.
Zhang Biao admitted he avoided her, eventually writing her a note claiming Lu Han was on a crucial, long-term assignment out of the province and wouldn't return for many years. He didn't know if she believed it but continued to visit her with gifts. Zhang Biao then encouraged An Xin to "be brave and march forward." Xu Zhong reviewed the 228 case files, identifying Wang Li as a critical witness.
He instructed An Xin to go to Lishui County to find Wang Li. The reopening of the 228 shooting case caused a stir. Gao Qiqiang, learning that An Xin was personally leading the investigation with "an imperial sword," warned Bai Xiaochen to "be careful outside" and "not talk rubbish." Bai Xiaochen, however, dismissed the warning, confident that Gao Qiqiang would handle it.
Meanwhile, Wang Tao called Yang Jian, informing him about the reopened case and advising him to take Meng Yu and their child away. Yang Jian, at the hospital with his mother-in-law, abruptly ended the call. Zhao Lidong, informed by Secretary Wang, remarked that contemplating "someone" (implying the situation surrounding the 228 case) gave him a headache, describing it as an "illness" no doctor could cure.
An Xin and Sun Xu located Wang Li in Lishui County, witnessing his wife angrily throwing him out of their home for being unemployed. They approached him, but Wang Li was reluctant to cooperate, explaining that he had "lost" once before and didn't want to risk losing everything by speaking out now, valuing merely being alive. An Xin then revealed that Lu Han, the officer who had investigated Wang Li's case, had disappeared while pursuing the truth.
This revelation prompted Wang Li to agree to speak, but he first requested a beer. Wang Li began his story seven years prior, in 2014, when Zhao Lidong transferred him from Lishui County to the Jinghai Power Supply Bureau, making him widely regarded as Zhao Lidong's favored protégé for the Deputy Director position. Zhao Lidong encouraged Wang Li to compete for the role against Yang Jian, vaguely alluding to someone causing "huge debts" within the bureau.
Wang Li initially expressed hesitation, feeling Yang Jian, with his experience, was a strong contender. But Zhao Lidong reassured him, saying, "You're in my team. What are you afraid of?" Wang Li recounted that Yang Jian remained outwardly polite. Later, Wang Li was invited to tea by Yang Jian's "backer," who turned out to be Gao Qiqiang. Gao Qiqiang offered him two large boxes of money, proposing friendship, but Wang Li rejected such expensive "friends."
Gao Qiqiang then suggested Wang Li take the money and leave Jinghai. Wang Li explained his life and work ties were now in Jinghai, so Gao Qiqiang softened his offer: stay in the company but withdraw from the Deputy Director election. Wang Li realized that Gao Qiqiang was the "troublemaker" Zhao Lidong had mentioned.
Gao Qiqiang admitted he was trying to "cut this chain," hinting at the "deep waters" of Jinghai, and mentioned the grim fate of Tan Siyan, advising Wang Li to leave Jinghai. Wang Li, a technician, insisted he only wanted to do his job. Gao Qiqiang pressed him to choose between accepting the money and friendship, or becoming an enemy. Wang Li refused the money.
Frightened by the encounter and the mention of Tan Siyan, Wang Li informed Secretary Wang, Zhao Lidong's assistant, about Gao Qiqiang's offer. The next day, Secretary Wang invited Wang Li to a dinner where Zhao Lidong intended to "teach Gao Qiqiang a lesson." At the dinner, fellow businessmen flattered Gao Qiqiang, addressing him as "President Gao." Zhao Lidong arrived late, pointedly complaining about the lack of an escort, despite Secretary Wang's apologies.
Zhao Lidong then publicly humiliated Gao Qiqiang by ordering him to fetch apple cider vinegar for Wang Li. Gao Qiqiang, visibly enraged, went outside to curse his subordinates, knowing Zhao Lidong could hear him. Zhao Lidong then mockingly advised Gao Qiqiang to manage his subordinates strictly to prevent them from "relying on their master's power and bullying others," a clear dig at Gao Qiqiang's influence. Following this humiliating dinner, Gao Qiqiang fell silent.
Later, Wang Li won the Deputy Director election, securing two more votes than Yang Jian. Secretary Wang informed him that his official appointment was expected by the end of the next month. However, on February 28, while on his way to work, Wang Li was accosted by a person on a motorcycle who fired a warning shot and ordered him to "get out of Jinghai."
When interrogated by the police, including the Director of Public Security, Wang Li, despite eyewitness accounts of a shooting, only claimed he had been robbed. Overwhelmed by fear, he then requested to resign.
