The Knockout Episode 36 Recap
> The Knockout Recap
After a heartfelt appeal from Xu Zhong, Yang Jian, touched by memories of his fallen comrades from the anti-drug unit, expressed deep remorse and surrendered. As he was led away, he acknowledged, remembering the names of those who sacrificed their lives, but felt ashamed of his own illegal actions. Meanwhile, An Xin drove a somber Meng Dehai to the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection for his surrender.
Meng Dehai encouraged An Xin to persist in fighting against organized crime and entrusted him with the care of Meng Yu and Dou. At the commission's entrance, Meng Yu tearfully confronted An Xin, urging him to arrest her too so their family could be reunited. Meng Dehai gently reminded Meng Yu that her mother was now awake and that she had a greater responsibility to care for her mother and Dou, urging her to be strong.
Inside, Meng Dehai formally identified himself and affirmed that he never accepted bribes. He admitted, however, his failure to adequately supervise Yang Jian, which allowed his son-in-law to gradually slide into criminality. Meng Dehai expressed his willingness to cooperate with the investigation and accept any organizational punishment. During questioning, Ma Tao revealed that Yang Jian, upon becoming Deputy Director of the Power Supply Bureau, instructed him to establish an electrical company.
Yang Jian then facilitated Ma Tao's illicit activities, including unfair competition and illegal transactions. Ma Tao also confessed that Yang Jian and Tang Xiaolong coerced him into threatening a guesthouse waitress to place cards in the guidance team's lunchboxes, using the threat of cutting off electricity, knowing her elderly relative depended on insulin stored in a refrigerator. Separately, Zhang Biao disclosed that Yang Jian had bribed him with 100,000 yuan.
Meng Yu prepared to take her mother to Beijing for medical treatment and met An Xin at their old meeting spot to say goodbye. An Xin, seeing Meng Yu, stood hesitantly, expecting her to vent her anger. Meng Yu, however, revealed that she had understood the real reasons for their past breakup. An Xin offered her an ATM card with all his savings for emergencies, revealing the password was her birthday.
Meng Yu, touched but resolute, politely declined the money, stating she had her own funds. They shared a poignant farewell, with Meng Yu urging An Xin to remain a good police officer in Jinghai and to take care of himself. Following the arrests of Yang Jian, Ma Tao, and others, the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and the guidance team relentlessly pursued the case. Their efforts led to the apprehension of 67 individuals, including officials and criminal elements.
However, Gao Qiqiang remained untouchable, with no direct evidence linking him to the crimes. Xu Zhong decided that the investigation into the shooting of Wang Li was paramount to uncovering Gao Qiqiang's criminal involvement. A petition, collectively signed by various functional departments and residents of Qinghua District, was submitted, advocating for leniency for Meng Dehai. Xu Zhong observed Meng Dehai's strong public support but also perceived this as a subtle "eviction order," a sentiment Ji Ze shared.
They suspected a larger force was at play, working to protect their own future interests rather than merely Meng Dehai's. Indeed, Zhao Lidong had orchestrated the petition to pressure the guidance team. Zhao Lidong, viewing Gao Qiqiang as a thorn in his side, instructed Secretary Wang to find a way to either force Gao Qiqiang out of Jinghai or have him killed.
Gao Qiqiang, accompanied by Gao Qilan, Xiaochen, and Huang Yao, visited a temple to offer prayers before heading to Song's tea house for a meal. Their usual table was occupied by a Hong Kong-accented couple who reluctantly moved only after Gao Qiqiang offered to pay for their meal. Soon after Gao Qiqiang was seated, the couple returned and violently attacked him.
Gao Qiqiang was repeatedly stabbed and fell unconscious, while the assailants then targeted Xiaochen, who was in the kitchen ordering food. Xiaochen fought back but was severely injured by the masked attackers. Gao Qiqiang, regaining consciousness, desperately tried to protect Xiaochen. Huang Yao immediately called Tang Xiaohu, while Gao Qilan reached out to An Xin for help. The attackers fled when Song and his kitchen staff came to their aid. Gao Qiqiang and Xiaochen were rushed to the hospital.
An Xin arrived shortly after. Gao Qiqiang's injuries were not life-threatening, but he remained concerned for Xiaochen, waiting outside the operating room after a quick bandage. Xiaochen, having lost a significant amount of blood, required an urgent transfusion. His blood type was the rare RH-negative AB. An Xin, sharing the same rare blood type, voluntarily donated blood, saving Xiaochen's life. Tang Xiaohu and his men arrived later, expressing profound gratitude to An Xin for saving Xiaochen.
An Xin pressed Gao Qiqiang for information about the attackers, but Gao Qiqiang feigned ignorance, claiming it was merely a fight with "two brats." An Xin, however, pointed out that the meticulously planned escape route and destroyed cameras indicated a premeditated attack. He warned Gao Qiqiang that the assailants would likely return and urged him to surrender for his own safety, as the detention center could protect him.
Gao Qiqiang, dismissing the warning, redirected the conversation by asking if An Xin would donate blood to him if their situations were reversed, implying that An Xin's team lacked the courage to investigate the real masterminds. The investigation revealed no prior records for the Hong Kong-accented assailants, leading the team to suspect Jiang Tian, CEO of Shahai Group, due to his business rivalry with Gao Qiqiang and his known connections to Hong Kong underworld societies through his wife.
However, An Xin, drawing on his understanding of Gao Qiqiang, hypothesized that the attack was a "bitter trick" orchestrated by Gao Qiqiang himself. He argued that a true assassination attempt would not have prioritized attacking Xiaochen over Gao Qiqiang and that Gao Qiqiang was ruthless enough to use his non-biological son to manipulate the investigation and distract from his own crimes.
An Xin suggested that the case be handed over to the public security organs, allowing the guidance team to focus on their original investigation without interference. Meanwhile, Zhao Lidong and Jiang Tian also suspected Gao Qiqiang's involvement in the staged attack, seeing it as a ploy to force them into action. Zhao Lidong urged Jiang Tian to set aside their differences with Gao Qiqiang and unite against the guidance team.
Soon after, Jiang Tian sent a "galloping horse" root carving to Xu Zhong's home. Simultaneously, an anonymous letter surfaced, falsely accusing Xu Zhong of bribery. He Liming, Executive Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Political and Legal Committee, received the report and promptly sent officials from the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection to Xu Zhong's residence, where they discovered several gold bars hidden within the root carving. Xu Zhong received a call instructing him to return for an investigation.
Despite Ji Ze's anger at the clear setup, Xu Zhong remained calm, viewing it as a sign that their investigation had hit a nerve with the corrupt forces, prompting their desperate counterattack. He assured his team that he would cooperate with the investigation and that he would soon return, urging them to continue their work with faith in his innocence.
