The Knockout Episode 5 Recap
> The Knockout Recap
In 2021, Xu Zhong reflected on Gao Qiqiang’s transformation, noting that he was once a law-abiding citizen who worked tirelessly. Xu Zhong believed that societal unfairness, rather than figures like Tang Xiaolong and Tang Xiaohu, was the fundamental reason why ordinary people, feeling unable to prosper through legal means, resorted to illegal methods. Gao Qiqiang, a representative of those who took such risks, later amassed illegal wealth through numerous unlawful actions, rising above the common people.
Xu Zhong pondered that with Gao Qiqiang’s intelligence, he could have contributed positively to society, but at a crossroads, he chose a different path. Back in 2000, Gao Qiqiang was at the riverbank when he accidentally urinated on an electric generator, causing Xu Lei and Yan Jin, who were attached to wires, to be electrocuted to death. Panicked, Gao Qiqiang frantically wiped away his traces and fled. He later lied, claiming Xu Lei wasn't electrofishing in the river.
Tang Xiaolong arrived at the scene and, seeing Gao Qiqiang's distress, initially thought he had been beaten. Upon checking, he discovered Xu Lei was dead and quickly took Gao Qiqiang away. Meanwhile, An Xin and Li Xiang meticulously reviewed the Huang Cuicui murder case. They hypothesized that Huang Cuicui had carried a recorder when she went on the boat to entertain guests, which ultimately led to her death.
Li Xiang found a receipt and packaging for recording equipment in Huang Cuicui’s apartment. An Xin recognized some of the women recruited by Feng Dazhuang for the boat party as escorts from the Platinum Palace nightclub. Cao Chuang’s investigation revealed that the owner of the Platinum Palace was Xu Jiang. Xu Jiang, a well-known entrepreneur in Jinghai, used an intermediary to invite Meng Dehai for a meal.
Unable to refuse, Meng Dehai consulted An Changlin, who agreed to accompany him, anticipating the dinner might be related to An Xin's previous actions. An Changlin then asked An Xin to join them, enraging An Xin. He accused An Changlin of knowing all along that Xu Jiang was the Platinum Palace’s owner but withholding the information until now, when he wanted An Xin to join a dinner with him.
An Xin defiantly stated he would arrest Xu Jiang at the dinner if he dared. An Changlin, frustrated, sarcastically offered to have himself and Meng Dehai arrested as well, before threatening An Xin with a rubber stick. At that moment, Cao Chuang rushed in to report a new case: Xu Lei and Yan Jin had been electrocuted to death in a river in the South suburb. Meng Dehai seized the opportunity to leave for the crime scene.
Coincidentally, Xu Jiang had just called Meng Dehai to cancel the dinner himself due to an urgent matter, much to Meng Dehai's relief, who then suggested rescheduling. At the river, Xu Lei’s father, Xu Jiang, arrived in a frenzy, desperate to see his son’s body. He recognized Meng Dehai and demanded to see his son's body and that they find the killer if it was murder, vowing revenge.
An Xin, recognizing Xu Jiang as the Platinum Palace owner, tried to maintain order, explaining that the bodies were disfigured from being in the water after a night of rain. He assured Xu Jiang that they would inform him of the investigation results immediately. That night, Gao Qiqiang was restless and chewed dry coffee to cope with his anxiety.
Gao Qisheng noticed his brother’s unusual behavior, reminding him of a past incident where Gao Qiqiang chewed coffee when their sister was gravely ill. He pressed Gao Qiqiang to reveal what was troubling him, but Gao Qiqiang refused to speak about it, instead turning off the TV that was reporting Xu Lei’s death as an accidental electrocution during illegal fishing. The next day, as Gao Qiqiang didn’t show up for his stall, Tang Xiaolong and Tang Xiaohu visited his home.
They gave Gao Qiqiang 30,000 yuan, the payment from Bai Jiangbo, claiming the boss gave an extra 10,000 yuan because they did a good job. Gao Qiqiang, already aware the original sum was 30,000 yuan, pressed them, and they confessed they had initially intended to keep 10,000 yuan for themselves, but with Xu Lei’s death, they became too scared.
Gao Qiqiang, wanting to assert control, pretended he was fully aware of everything and took only 20,000 yuan, leaving 10,000 yuan for the brothers, making them feel complicit. Tang Xiaolong and Tang Xiaohu, impressed and intimidated, swore their loyalty to Gao Qiqiang. Soon after, Gao Qiqiang and Gao Qisheng opened the Qiangsheng PHS Store. At the grand opening, many neighbors came to congratulate them, and Gao Qiqiang promised a 40% discount to all his old neighbors.
The police investigation into Xu Lei and Yan Jin's deaths concluded they were electrocuted before drowning. Due to heavy rain, most of the evidence was washed away. The reporting villager had also been too afraid to approach the scene due to familiarity with electrofishing dangers. The team was inclined to close the case as an accidental death.
However, An Xin raised a crucial point: the forensic report noted a partial third fingerprint on the electrofishing switch, superimposed over the victims' fingerprints, indicating a third person was present after the victims touched it. Li Xiang supported An Xin’s pursuit of this lead. Cao Chuang, after some debate, agreed to continue the investigation, cautioning An Xin not to let it interfere with other cases.
Just then, Gao Qiqiang arrived at the police station to "offer a tip" regarding Huang Cuicui’s murder. He suggested Huang Cuicui’s ex-boyfriend, Chen Jinmo, a man imprisoned six years ago for robbery, might have hired someone to kill her. While discussing this, Gao Qiqiang deliberately steered the conversation to Xu Lei's case, insisting it was an accidental electrocution, not a homicide. Gao Qiqiang revealed that Chen Jinmo, also known as Mo, was still in prison.
An Xin and Li Xiang visited Chen Jinmo, who, upon hearing of Huang Cuicui's death, expressed regret that he hadn't killed her himself. He recounted how six years prior, Huang Cuicui, pregnant with his child, forced him to marry despite his poverty. To get money for their wedding, he robbed a taxi, stealing 300 yuan, which landed him a six-year sentence. While he was in prison, Huang Cuicui broke up with him, saying she couldn't wait, and aborted their child.
Chen Jinmo was enraged, blaming her for killing his child. As they left, An Xin requested a hair sample from Chen Jinmo for identification. Separately, Gao Qisheng invited his college classmate Cao Bin to a KTV to thank him for helping secure the PHS business deal. While Gao Qisheng was in the restroom, he overheard Cao Bin and two women mocking him for being poor and relying on connections.
Enraged, Gao Qisheng later ambushed Cao Bin outside the club, beating him to death and stealing his wallet to stage the scene as a robbery. Meanwhile, Xu Jiang, heartbroken and consumed by grief over Xu Lei’s death, filled a room with his son's favorite children's yogurt. His subordinates informed him that Xu Lei had recently gambled and refused to pay debts at a casino owned by someone named Bai Jiangbo.
Believing Bai Jiangbo was involved in his son’s death, Xu Jiang led his enforcers to Bai Jiangbo’s casino and trashed the place. An Xin and Li Xiang arrived at the Platinum Palace to investigate Cao Bin's robbery. Xu Jiang, returning from his rampage, confronted them, demanding they prioritize finding his son's killer. An Xin pressed him about Huang Cuicui, but Xu Jiang acted aggressively, claiming he didn’t know anyone by that name.
To resolve the escalating conflict, Bai Jiangbo sought the mediation of Uncle Tai, a respected figure in Xiawan. At the meeting, Xu Jiang, still furious, threatened to kill Bai Jiangbo. Bai Jiangbo tried to explain that Xu Lei’s death was an accident, and he had only sent people to teach Xu Lei a lesson, not kill him. Uncle Tai intervened, urging Bai Jiangbo to reveal the true culprits. Cornered, Bai Jiangbo confessed that the Tang brothers from Old Factory Street were responsible.
