Tientsin Mystic Episode 8 Recap
> Tientsin Mystic Recap
Late in the evening, Supervisor Hu Haijiang arrived at the police station with a pot of Guiqi black chicken soup, claiming to visit Young Master Ding Mao. Ding Mao was secretly poring over the stolen ledger from the opium den. Startled by Supervisor Hu's voice, Ding Mao quickly closed the book. He glanced at the clock, wondering why Uncle Hu was there so late. After tasting the soup, they sat down to chat.
Supervisor Hu commented on Ding Mao's tired appearance, noting he hadn't been eating properly and was constantly at the police office instead of home. He urged Ding Mao to take care of himself, but Ding Mao insisted he couldn't rest until he uncovered the truth about his father's death. Ding Mao confided that many things remained unclear, causing him much anxiety.
He recalled the Xue Yuanyuan case, specifically a detail that the person who took her child was lame and had a persistent cough. These characteristics reminded him of his late father, Ding Yiqiu. Ding Mao hesitantly asked Supervisor Hu if his father had ever considered marrying another wife or had any romantic entanglements outside of their family.
Supervisor Hu dismissed these notions as "rubbish," asserting that Chairman Ding Yiqiu was wholly dedicated to the Chamber of Commerce for Grain Transportation's growth and to worrying about Ding Mao, leaving no time or inclination for such thoughts. Supervisor Hu then offered Ding Mao his last cigarette, knowing Ding Mao occasionally smoked when stressed.
As Ding Mao lit the cigarette, unbeknownst to him, it contained a substance that, combined with the soup, was part of a sinister plan by Supervisor Hu. Supervisor Hu spoke of his deep admiration for Chairman Ding Yiqiu, highlighting the Chamber of Commerce's current prominence in Tianjin, thanks to Ding Yiqiu's efforts for the Hai River and the entire city. Supervisor Hu added that if Ding Yiqiu had any selfish desires, it was for Ding Mao.
Soon after, Ding Mao, feeling increasingly tired, drifted off to sleep. Supervisor Hu woke him, reminding him it was past midnight and urging him to go home. Ding Mao, however, insisted he had an important prisoner to interrogate and, after a warning from Supervisor Hu not to tarnish the Chamber of Commerce's reputation, told him to leave first. When Ding Mao finally went to the interrogation cell, he was stunned to find Manager Wang drowned, completely soaked.
Captain Fu was furious, demanding an explanation for how a prisoner could drown in a police station with no source of water, and angrily blamed Ding Mao for letting him investigate the case. Ding Mao maintained that an autopsy confirmed Manager Wang had drowned due to water in her lungs, suggesting foul play to silence her. Captain Fu, however, angrily retorted that people were already circulating rumors of a "River Demon" in the police station.
Meanwhile, Guo Deyou was at home, soaking in a medicinal bath. His Master, Senior Tientsin Mystic, sternly reprimanded him for venturing into the opium den, particularly given Guo Deyou's fragile health and extreme sensitivity to smoke. Guo Deyou apologized, attributing his actions to being "forced by the situation" and blaming Ding Mao for leading him into trouble. Senior Tientsin Mystic warned him about the dangers of opium and his delicate constitution.
Just then, an officer arrived, requesting Guo Deyou's help to "retrieve a corpse" from the police station, specifically asking for him by name, as the deceased had drowned in a cell. Upon arriving at the police station cell, Guo Deyou detected an unusual scent that Ding Mao couldn't identify. Ding Mao explained that the room was a sealed chamber, with only he possessing the key, making him the prime suspect.
Guo Deyou jokingly accused Ding Mao, emphasizing that anyone investigating the case would immediately suspect him given the circumstances. Ding Mao defended himself with an alibi, stating that Supervisor Hu was with him in the main hall until just after midnight, a fact the guards could corroborate. Ding Mao remembered the exact time Supervisor Hu left because the clock chimed twelve times as he saw him out, after which he discovered Manager Wang's body.
Guo Deyou meticulously searched Ding Mao's office, finally finding clues in the ashtray. Ding Mao admitted to occasionally smoking when upset and reiterated that Supervisor Hu left at precisely midnight. Based on his observations, Guo Deyou declared that he knew the killer's identity and their method. However, he warned Ding Mao that the situation was complex and that uncovering the truth might require Ding Mao to make a significant sacrifice by falsely admitting guilt.
Ding Mao, understanding the gravity of the "bet," accepted, acknowledging that its outcome would ultimately affect the future of the Chamber of Commerce for Grain Transportation. Following this, Guo Deyou visited Xiao Lanlan at the newspaper office, where she had been researching historical floods in Tianjin. She discovered that 21 years prior, after a severe flood, an evil organization called the Demonic Cult emerged in Qiming Village, a disaster-stricken area in the western suburbs.
This cult was notorious for kidnapping children, and while details were sealed, it was known that the government had deployed troops to suppress them. Xiao Lanlan then revealed that the three key figures involved in besieging and suppressing the Demonic Cult were Commander-in-Chief Ding Yiqiu (Ding Mao's father), Deputy Commander-in-Chief Hu Haijiang, and a believer in brotherhood, Guo Chun (Guo Deyou's Master).
Ding Mao recognized the Black Tortoise statue, identical to the one found with his father's body, and realized the need to question Guo Chun about this past event. In return for her information, Guo Deyou promised Xiao Lanlan an exclusive story that would shock the entire city of Tianjin. The next morning, Supervisor Hu Haijiang, after reading a newspaper article detailing Ding Mao's "confession" to Manager Wang's murder and subsequent imprisonment, became agitated.
He rushed to the police station and frantically pleaded with Captain Fu to make an exception for Ding Mao, claiming he was innocent. Captain Fu, however, stated that Ding Mao had voluntarily confessed to using excessive force, which led to Manager Wang's death, and that the incident had already been reported to higher authorities, leaving him powerless to intervene. Seeing that appeals to emotion were fruitless, Supervisor Hu confessed that he was the one who had killed Manager Wang.
Supervisor Hu recounted his plan: he had prepared the murder tools before bringing the soup to Ding Mao late that night. The soup contained a drug that, when combined with a specific cigarette (also containing a drug trigger), would render Ding Mao unconscious at precisely midnight. Supervisor Hu had carefully timed the dosage so that the chimes of the clock would make Ding Mao believe he had only momentarily dozed off, thus obscuring the time he was truly incapacitated.
Once Ding Mao was unconscious, Supervisor Hu stole his keys, entered Manager Wang's cell, choked her, and then drowned her using a pig bladder, making it appear as if she had drowned herself. Captain Fu demanded to know Supervisor Hu's motive. Hu claimed a personal feud with Manager Wang but refused to elaborate.
He then leveraged the immense influence of the Chamber of Commerce for Grain Transportation, threatening to expose the police station and escalate the matter if Ding Mao was not released immediately, putting Captain Fu in a difficult position. Returning to the Dragon King Temple, Guo Deyou found his Master, Senior Tientsin Mystic, gone, leaving only his pipe behind, suggesting an abrupt departure.
Guo Deyou explained his deductions to a devastated Ding Mao, clarifying that the sour smell in the cell was white vinegar, used to neutralize the pungent odor of a pig bladder, a tool familiar to Corpse Retrieval teams for underwater breathing. He pointed out the undisturbed dust in the office, except for the clock, indicating it had been tampered with. The oily residue on the glass near the clock, combined with water, also implicated the killer.
Guo Deyou further explained that the drug used on Ding Mao was a two-part concoction – one in the soup, one in the cigarette – a formula known primarily in military circles as an anesthetic, suggesting the killer had military experience. He linked this to Xiao Lanlan's discovery about the Demonic Cult and the three individuals involved in its suppression, noting that Hu Haijiang, as a deputy commander, would have knowledge of such military-grade drugs.
Guo Deyou admitted these were still inferences but reminded Ding Mao that he had chosen to "roll the dice." Ding Mao, realizing Supervisor Hu's betrayal, was heartbroken. Guo Deyou reflected on his Master's words about the Chamber of Commerce's "loyalty" and grew increasingly concerned about Senior Tientsin Mystic's disappearance, suspecting a deeper connection to the Demonic Cult, a truth that might be more painful than the initial mysteries.
In a remembered conversation, Senior Tientsin Mystic had dismissed Guo Deyou's questions about the Black Tortoise statue and investigations, telling him to focus on his own duties as such matters were "not your concern."