The Knockout Episode 8 Recap
> The Knockout Recap
Upon returning home with groceries, Gao Qisheng was dismayed to find the handgun he had secretly assembled on the table. Gao Qiqiang, enraged, forced his brother to kneel before their parents' memorial and demanded he destroy the weapon. Gao Qisheng admitted he made it for self-protection and offered to craft another for his brother, highlighting Gao Qiqiang's role in supporting their family since their youth. Gao Qiqiang, however, was furious and told him to stop meddling in his affairs.
He took the gun and declared he would decide when and if it would be used. Meanwhile, Xu Jiang contacted Gao Qiqiang, proposing a meeting the following day. He informed Gao Qiqiang that police were closely trailing him and asked Gao Qiqiang to devise a way to distract them. Gao Qisheng initially tried to offer a meeting place, but Gao Qiqiang vehemently stopped him from meddling.
After Gao Qiqiang struggled to find a solution himself, Gao Qisheng proposed a detailed plan: Xu Jiang should arrive at Old Factory Street at 2:30 PM. A slow-moving train would pass a railway crossing there, and Xu Jiang could drive through just before the barrier closed, using the train to block the pursuing officers. They could then meet on a ferry scheduled around 3:15 PM.
Unable to conceive a better alternative, Gao Qiqiang relayed these instructions to Xu Jiang, stressing punctuality and warning him not to be early or late. Xu Jiang, driving an imported BMW, confidently assured Gao Qiqiang he would arrive on time, jokingly offering to "show the police around" first.
The next day, as Xu Jiang’s car approached the railway crossing with police hot on his tail, the driver, following instructions, sped through the descending barrier just as the train arrived, leaving the police stranded. Gao Qiqiang, arriving by motorcycle, met Xu Jiang on the ferry. Xu Jiang revealed they were in serious trouble. He confessed to killing Bai Jiangbo, who had hired Gao Qiqiang to collect a debt.
Xu Jiang regretted sparing Bai Jiangbo's wife, Shuting, and son, Xiaochen, as the police had now found them and were bringing them back to Jinghai. Xu Jiang presented detailed information about Shuting and Xiaochen's travel route and demanded Gao Qiqiang prevent Shuting from returning to Jinghai alive. Gao Qiqiang insisted that Xu Lei's (Xu Jiang's son) death was an accident, not a murder he committed, but agreed to help.
He asked if this act would settle their differences, and Xu Jiang affirmed, promising to release Tang Xiaohu in return. Gao Qiqiang then probed about a piece of evidence he knew Xu Jiang held, but Xu Jiang evaded the question, warning him against making copies of any incriminating recordings, threatening the lives of Gao Qiqiang's family members for each copy found.
Enraged, Gao Qiqiang warned Xu Jiang not to harm his siblings, threatening to retaliate against Xu Jiang's entire family if he did. Elsewhere, An Xin and Li Xiang were escorting Shuting and Xiaochen back to Jinghai. Anticipating danger, An Xin made a strategic decision: he sent Li Xiang, Shuting, and Xiaochen back by train while he drove a separate car, acting as a decoy. An Xin then called Cao Chuang, reporting his location and expected arrival time.
He was assured that Xu Jiang and his men were under surveillance at home. This intelligence proved false. Soon after, An Xin's car was ambushed on a winding mountain road. A speeding truck rammed his vehicle, sending it tumbling down a cliff. Masked figures, Gao Qiqiang and Tang Xiaolong, emerged from the truck. They found only a battered An Xin in the car, realizing their target, Shuting, was not present. An Xin, despite his injuries, fought back.
Gao Qiqiang recognized him and, abandoning their original objective, quickly fled with Tang Xiaolong, wondering aloud why An Xin had sacrificed himself as a decoy. Tang Xiaolong, worried about Xiaohu's release, questioned if they had hit the wrong car. Li Xiang successfully brought Shuting and Xiaochen back to Jinghai by train. At the police station, An Changlin and Cao Chuang attempted to interview Shuting, but she refused to cooperate, stating she would only speak to An Xin.
She revealed that Xu Jiang had used "despicable tricks" against her husband and that his former driver could prove Xu Jiang killed her husband, adding she knew the driver's hiding place. When Cao Chuang called An Xin, he learned about the ambush and, more critically, that An Xin's service pistol had been stolen. Cao Chuang immediately dispatched a team to search the crash site, but the gun was not found.
An Changlin urged An Xin to seek medical attention, but An Xin stubbornly refused to leave until his gun was recovered, fearing it would cost him his career. Cao Chuang eventually convinced him, promising to resign himself if the gun remained lost, prompting An Xin to finally agree to go to the hospital. Meanwhile, Gao Qiqiang discovered Tang Xiaolong had secretly kept An Xin's stolen gun, which Tang Xiaolong claimed to have "picked up."
Gao Qiqiang immediately recognized the immense danger this posed, explaining that the gun would inevitably lead the police back to them, endangering An Xin, Tang Xiaohu, and their entire group. He vehemently ordered Tang Xiaolong to dispose of the gun immediately, throwing it as far away as possible. However, Tang Xiaolong, reluctant to part with what he saw as a valuable asset, secretly hid it.
Later, An Xin, despite being suspended and still recovering, returned to the station to report a "major clue." He declared his certainty that there was a traitor within the police force, citing Xu Jiang's precise knowledge of his decoy route and the ambush time. Meng Dehai, present at the meeting, dismissed the idea of an internal investigation, citing the delicate public security situation in Jinghai and their recent high-profile cases, which put them under municipal scrutiny.
He worried such an investigation would cause further embarrassment and referenced An Xin's lost gun incident, using it to discredit his proposal. An Xin argued that an internal review would deter the mole, but Meng Dehai ordered Li Xiang to escort An Xin back to the hospital, suspending him from duty until his gun was recovered.
Privately, Li Xiang expressed concern to An Xin about his impulsive accusation against Meng Dehai, hinting that Meng Dehai was playing it safe for an upcoming promotion. Li Xiang then cryptically suggested that other high-ranking officers, including An Changlin, also prioritized stability, implying An Changlin did not support an internal investigation either. An Xin, suspecting his uncle, confronted An Changlin that night, questioning his loyalty and whether promotion and power were more important than justice.
An Changlin, while acknowledging the importance of power for making a difference, warned An Xin that with a pending investigation by the procuratorate and the lost gun, neither he nor Meng Dehai could protect him if he continued to stir trouble. He advised An Xin that "staying in the game is more important than anything else." Worried that Shuting might expose him, Xu Jiang sought help from Uncle Tai, offering a substantial sum to mediate.
However, Uncle Tai, aware of Shuting's strong character, refused to intervene, and Xu Jiang left disappointed. Later that night, Xu Jiang summoned Gao Qiqiang to a nightclub to discuss countermeasures. Xu Jiang provided Shuting's home address and Xiaochen's school details, demanding Gao Qiqiang eliminate the mother and son. Gao Qiqiang was reluctant to take such a risk, prompting Xu Jiang to threaten to kill Gao Qiqiang's three siblings.
Enraged, Gao Qiqiang furiously retorted, but Xu Jiang was equally aggressive, smashing two wine bottles over Gao Qiqiang's head. Xu Jiang reiterated his demand for Gao Qiqiang to drive Shuting and Xiaochen out of Jinghai, promising that "Lei Lei's matter" (Xu Lei's death) and their past grievances would then be settled. Gao Qiqiang, now gravely injured and cornered, seemingly accepted the deal.
Returning home late and injured from this violent confrontation, Gao Qisheng pressed him for details, learning about Xu Jiang's demand to eliminate Shuting and Xiaochen, and the address and school provided. Gao Qisheng questioned what secret Shuting held that made Xu Jiang so desperate. Gao Qiqiang admitted he didn't know but believed Xu Jiang was cornered by the police. Gao Qisheng, realizing that Shuting was now under police protection, devised a plan to get close to her.
He went to Xiaochen’s elementary school, posing as a university graduate offering tutoring services. He approached Shuting, who was initially wary, but her interest was piqued when Gao Qisheng mentioned his connections to Tang Xiaolong and Tang Xiaohu, who had previously recommended students to him. Shuting cautiously agreed to a free trial lesson. Gao Qisheng arrived at Shuting's house for the lesson, where a female police officer thoroughly interrogated him and inspected his bag.
Gao Qisheng remained calm, presented his ID, flyers, and textbooks, and was allowed entry. Inside, he told Shuting about the feud between Gao Qiqiang and Xu Jiang. He denied Gao Qiqiang killed Xu Lei, attributing Xu Lei's death to an accidental electrocution. Gao Qisheng empathized with Shuting's difficult position, acknowledging she felt betrayed by the police due to an internal informant. He then offered his and Gao Qiqiang's help to "get rid of Xu Jiang" permanently.
Shuting, after a moment of contemplation, revealed that her family's former driver possessed crucial evidence and could "prove that he killed my husband." She also knew his current hiding place. Gao Qisheng eagerly asked for the address, and Shuting, seemingly trusting him, agreed to provide it, and even scheduled another tutoring session for the following week.
