Chapter Summaries

Zhao Qiushui proposed targeting Director Zhou to resolve the Zhao Family’s problems, while Zhou Yi and Jian Shuyue spent the night together. The chapter ended with Zhao Yongbin presenting Vice Mayor Xie Chenglin as another potential ally for the family to win over.

• Zhao Yongbin stopped his children’s argument and asked Zhao Qiushui how to handle their situation.
• Zhao Qiushui said finding “Some Jiang” mattered, but winning over Director Zhou was more important, and Zhao Xuanwen mocked her plan.
• Zhou Yi and Jian Shuyue spent the night together, and Jian Shuyue later told Reporter Tian that the experience brought pain and pleasure.
• Changtian City appointed Xie Chenglin as vice mayor, and Zhao Yongbin gave Zhao Qiushui information about his personality and interests.
• Zhao Qiushui suggested using a beautiful woman to win over Xie Chenglin, while Zhao Yongbin doubted that an ordinary beauty would attract him.

Zhou Yi reported on the 83 Major Arson Case to Vice Mayor Wen and suspected her warning about the Zhao Group might conceal something. After learning Wang Jiang had recanted, Zhou rejected Ji Fengning’s suspicion of a mole and told him to gather the investigators to retrieve evidence from Prosperity Garden.

• Xie Chenglin visited Vice Mayor Wen, then greeted Zhou Yi outside her office as Zhou arrived to report on the case.
• Zhou told Wen that the investigation had found no link between the Zhao Group and the companies seeking to acquire Heavenly Fragrance Company, and that key suspects still had alibis or refused to confess.
• Wen asked about 'Some Jiang,' and Zhou said the caller had promised to leave evidence at a secret location within days; Wen urged him to keep its arrival confidential and warned him not to act against the Zhao Group without sufficient evidence.
• Ji Fengning told Zhou that Wang Jiang had recanted, claiming Liu Guozhu had come to collect a gambling debt.
• Ji Fengning suspected a mole in the bureau, but Zhou rejected the idea and told him to gather Deputy Director Jing and the others, saying 'Some Jiang' had left evidence beneath a large tree in Prosperity Garden.

Zhou Yi used the tip about the arson evidence to stage a confidential operation and catch Jing Xianfeng passing the location to Zhao Xuanwen. The incriminating message was found inside Wu Cheng’s cigarette pack, leaving Jing Xianfeng exposed before the task force.

• Zhou Yi ordered the Special Task Force to surrender their phones and announced that the arson evidence was beneath the ninth tree to the right of Prosperity Garden’s east gate.
• Xing Zhaojia and Tan Fengjiao left to retrieve the evidence while Jing Xianfeng worried that it would implicate him and Zhao Xuanwen.
• Jing Xianfeng called Wu Cheng and disguised a coded instruction as an order to collect New Year supplies from his home.
• Zhou Yi stopped Wu Cheng from leaving with Jing Xianfeng’s cigarette pack, and Ji Fengning seized it and found the evidence location written inside.
• Zhou Yi confronted Jing Xianfeng as the task force members saw the incriminating message and Wu Cheng trembled.

Zhou Yi exposed Deputy Director Jing Xianfeng as Zhao Xuanwen’s informant, then ordered Zhao Xuanwen’s arrest. As powerful figures across Changtian City and the Province mobilized against him, Zhou Yi faced the gathering pressure without concern.

• Jing Xianfeng asked why Zhou Yi had suspected him, and Zhou Yi said Some Jiang had revealed that the bureau’s mole had the surname Jing.
• Xing Zhaojia and Tan Fengjiao returned from Prosperity Garden with no evidence, after which Zhou Yi sent Ji Fengning to bring Zhao Xuanwen in for questioning.
• Old Immortal told Zhao Xuanwen that Jing Xianfeng had been caught and Some Jiang had tipped Zhou Yi off, prompting Zhao Xuanwen to suspect Zhao Qiushui and Zhao Xuanwu.
• Zhao Yongbin warned Zhao Xuanwen to stay calm and sent Zhao Xuanwu to prepare the killer, witnesses, evidence, and statements for Zhou Yi.
• Zhao Xuanwen was taken away, while officials and influential families began making calls and arranging deals to pressure Zhou Yi.
• Zhou Yi left the Public Security Bureau, looked at the storm clouds, and smiled defiantly.

Tang Guohua, Lai Jiale, and Fang Rong confessed to the Heavenly Fragrance Tower arson, presenting a complete chain of evidence that Zhou Yi suspected had been fabricated to protect the Zhao Family. After city leaders pressured him to close the case quickly, Wen Wan invited him to her office and asked what he really thought.

• Tang Guohua turned himself in and confessed to ordering Lai Jiale and Fang Rong to set the fire, which killed nine people and injured more than twenty.
• Lai Jiale and Fang Rong also confessed, while phone records, witness testimony, and physical evidence appeared to support their accounts.
• Ji Fengning and Director Zhou doubted the three men's confessions, and Zhou Yi recognized that the Zhao Family had prepared a thorough effort to take the blame and shield its protectors.
• At a Municipal Party Standing Committee meeting, leaders praised Zhou Yi and pressed him to finish the arson case soon; he said the investigation was nearing a conclusion but still had unanswered questions.
• Wen Wan invited Zhou Yi to her office and asked what he honestly thought about the arson case.

Zhou Yi told Wen Wan he would continue checking inconsistencies in the arson case, then attended a dinner where Zhao Yongbin challenged him about the investigation. As Zhao received an alarming phone call, Zhou Yi said the call was the explanation Zhao had wanted.

• Zhou Yi explained to Wen Wan why Wang Jiang and Jing Xianfeng's retracted statements still needed investigation, and promised to report any progress.
• Wen Wan asked whether Some Jiang had appeared and invited Zhou Yi to a dinner arranged by Wang Haidong.
• At the Wanxing Restaurant, Zhao Yongbin and Zhao Qiushui joined Wang Haidong, Qian Fei, Wen Wan, Xie Chenglin, and Zhou Yi; Zhao Qiushui slipped Zhou Yi a note beneath the table.
• Zhao Yongbin questioned Zhou Yi about when the arson case would be resolved and accused him of arresting the wrong person.
• Zhao Yongbin answered a phone call, then angrily asked Zhou Yi what he was doing; Zhou Yi replied that the call was the explanation Zhao wanted.

Zhou Yi revealed that evidence had led police to arrest Zhao Xuanwen, Jiang Xin, Zheng Shunda, and Liu Xidong in the 83 Major Arson Case. Video footage of Jiang Xin’s recorded confession left him ready to implicate the others as he accepted his fate.

• Zhou Yi told Wang Haidong and Wen Wan that the Criminal Investigation Detachment had arrested Zhao Xuanwen, Jiang Xin, Zheng Shunda, and Liu Xidong as suspects in the 83 Major Arson Case.
• Zhao Yongbin challenged Zhou Yi over his son’s arrest, but Zhou Yi refused to reveal details and told him to leave.
• Zhou Yi reported to Wang Haidong and Wen Wan that “Some Jiang” had provided evidence, then Xing Zhaojia showed them a video capturing Jiang Xin admitting that Zhao Xuanwen ordered the fire and Huang Yu’s murder.
• Jiang Xin recognized the video as footage secretly recorded by Shanshan and realized it also captured his phone conversation with Zheng Shunda.
• After Ji Fengning showed him the video in the interrogation room, Jiang Xin stopped denying his involvement and began to confess.

Zhao Yongbin sought powerful allies after Zhou Yi obtained video evidence linking Zhao Xuanwen to the arson, while Zhao Qiushui began planning her own escape and approached Qiu Guoguo about working together. Zhou Yi revealed how he forced Wei Shanshan to disclose the hidden video and prepared to pursue the case against Zhao Xuanwen.

• Zhao Yongbin learned that Zhou Yi had given the police a recording linking Jiang Xin and Zhao Xuanwen to the arson, then called on a hidden patron for help.
• Zhao Yongbin asked Zhao Qiushui to invite Xie Chenglin to dinner, but Xie Chenglin declined because he was busy.
• Zhao Qiushui decided to protect herself from the Zhao Group's crisis and asked Qiu Guoguo whether they could work together, revealing that she knew Qiu Guoguo's identity was false.
• Zhou Yi explained that he had pressured Wei Shanshan into revealing where she hid the video disc connecting the 730 Dormitory Tragedy to the 83 Major Arson Case.
• Zhou Yi resolved to pursue Zhao Xuanwen unless Zhao Yongbin could get him removed as Public Security Director.

Zhou Yi sought new leads to secure Zhao Xuanwen’s conviction while investigating possible corruption around the Zhao family. As Zhao Yongbin planned to eliminate Zhou Yi, Zhou received an unexpected promotion to deputy secretary of the Municipal Political and Legal Affairs Commission.

• Jiang Xin, Zheng Shunda, and Liu Xidong confessed that Zhao Xuanwen had ordered them to commit arson and murder, but Zhao Xuanwen stayed silent and Ji Fengning lacked direct evidence against him.
• Zhou Yi spoke with Zhao Qiushui, who admitted she was using him to remove Zhao Xuanwen and warned him not to delay.
• Zhou Yi ordered Ji Fengning to secretly investigate Zhao Xuanwen’s companies, Zhao Yongbin’s connections, the earlier suspects, and bodyguard Kim Nam-joo, prompting Ji to suspect there was a mole in the Public Security Bureau.
• Zhou Yi planned to pressure Zhao Yongbin from several directions, while Zhao Yongbin concluded that he needed to get rid of Zhou Yi.
• Chang Baili, Wang Haidong, and Qian Fei told Zhou Yi that he had been appointed deputy secretary of the Municipal Political and Legal Affairs Commission with full division-level rank, and Zhou accepted the promotion while privately resenting their involvement.

After Zhao Yongbin reshuffled the Public Security Bureau and Zhou Yi’s colleagues, Zhou Yi realized the promotions and his enforced leave were part of a calculated effort to sideline him. Zhao Qiushui tested Xie Chenglin, then told Zhou Yi she knew where Kim Nam-joo was, prompting him to send Chen Zhong to help arrest her.

• Zhao Yongbin promoted Zhou Yi to deputy secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, reassigned key officers, and arranged for Wang Haidong to become Public Security Director while giving Zhou Yi time off.
• Zhao Qiushui invited Xie Chenglin to dinner and probed his intentions, then politely declined his suggestion to visit Qiushui Garden with him.
• Zhao Qiushui called Zhou Yi and teased him before offering Kim Nam-joo’s location in exchange for the dinner he had promised her.
• Zhou Yi summoned his driver and bodyguard, Chen Zhong, and sent him to help Liao Wensong and the others arrest Kim Nam-joo.

At a banquet hosted by Zhao Yongbin, Zhao Qiushui and the officials believed the case against Zhao Xuanwen would quietly end, while Xie Chenglin resolved to pursue Zhao Qiushui. The mood shifted when Wang Haidong learned that Some Jiang had posted evidence of Jiang Xin’s crimes online, leaving the Public Security Bureau facing a fast-growing wave of public outrage.

• Zhao Yongbin hosted Chang Baili, Wang Haidong, Xie Chenglin, Zhang Xinli, and Zhao Rou at a banquet to display his connections and confidence that Zhao Xuanwen’s case would settle quietly.
• Zhao Xuanwen touched Zhao Rou’s thigh, while Zhao Qiushui declined Xie Chenglin’s advances and Xie privately resolved to conquer her.
• Wang Haidong received an urgent call from Chen Bin and hurried from the banquet to the Public Security Bureau.
• Wang Haidong and the bureau leadership watched a censored video of Jiang Xin committing a crime and speaking with Zheng Shunda, which Some Jiang had posted online with an exposé.
• The officials realized the post was spreading rapidly and feared public outrage over the contrast between the wrongful punishment of one Zhao father and son and the impunity of the other.

Zhou Yi used public-opinion pressure to expose questions surrounding Zhao Xuanwen’s release, prompting Changtian’s leaders to debate how to answer the controversy. He ended the chapter by challenging senior officials to confront whether their account of the case was truly the truth.

• Zhou Yi prompted public intellectual Lin Fang and her supporters to question Zhao Xuanwen’s release and Zhou Yi’s rapid promotions.
• Changtian’s standing committee convened to discuss the growing public-opinion storm, with members divided over issuing a bulletin or holding a press conference.
• Wang Haidong asked Zhou Yi for his view, and Zhou Yi said either approach could work if the explanation convinced the public.
• Zhou Yi asked why Zhao Xuanwen had been released without charges, why there were two groups of arson suspects, and why Wang Jiang and Jing Xianfeng had recanted their accusations.
• Wen Wan admired Zhou Yi as he challenged the committee to examine whether its account of the case was really the truth.

At a Standing Committee meeting, Zhou Yi challenged the findings in the 83 Major Arson Case and called for the investigation to be reopened. Wen Wan and two Standing Committee members backed his proposal, shifting the discussion against Zhao Dingzhi and Wang Haidong’s position.

• Zhou Yi rejected the arson investigation’s findings and challenged Chen Bin to answer his questions about the evidence and public outrage.
• Zhao Dingzhi asked for a practical proposal, and Zhou Yi called for the case to be reopened and investigated thoroughly.
• Wang Haidong questioned whether the video had been fabricated, and Zhou Yi urged him to make that claim to the public.
• Wen Wan supported Zhou Yi’s proposal, saying the case’s unanswered questions had to be resolved for the public to trust the findings.
• Dai Jinshui and Chu Dongyu also supported a thorough investigation, turning the meeting’s discussion toward reopening the arson case.

Zhou Yi challenged the officials’ handling of Zhao Xuanwen’s release, and public anger forced Changtian authorities to hold a press briefing on the arson case. After the police announced that Tang Guohua, Lai Jiale, and Fang Rong had confessed and that the online video was genuine but its audio fabricated, reporters turned to Zhou Yi for comment.

• At a municipal meeting, Zhou Yi argued that the public would not accept Zhao Xuanwen’s release on the grounds of insufficient evidence.
• On February 8, the Changtian City Public Security Bureau issued a bulletin defending Zhao Xuanwen’s release and questioning the audio in the online video, prompting intense online criticism.
• Lin Fang posted under the username “Jiangnan Woman” that Zhou Yi had been bought off, but Zhou Yi’s supporters quickly buried her accusation with hostile replies.
• As public outrage grew, the Jiangnan Provincial Party Committee reprimanded Changtian officials and ordered them to clarify the case, so they arranged a press conference.
• At the February 13 briefing, Chen Bin announced that Tang Guohua had masterminded the arson, Lai Jiale and Fang Rong had confessed, and the video was genuine but its audio fabricated.
• After the briefing, reporters sought out Zhou Yi, and a female reporter approached him with a microphone.

At a press conference on the arson case, Zhou Yi challenged the Changtian City Public Security Bureau’s account of the evidence. Wen Li’s questions exposed a contradiction between Zhou Yi’s and Chen Bin’s statements, leaving Chen Bin to answer whether the videos were the same.

• Tian Tian asked Zhou Yi about Chen Bin’s announcement, and Zhou Yi said only that the investigation was nearing its conclusion.
• Chai Hua and Sun Daqing asked Zhou Yi about the case, and he said the truth would emerge and the culprit would face justice.
• Wen Li asked how Zhou Yi had identified Zhao Xuanwen, and he cited witness accounts and video evidence from Some Jiang.
• Wen Li asked whether that video had been examined, and Zhou Yi said forensic specialists had found no signs of fabrication.
• Wen Li asked whether the two videos were identical, and Zhou Yi directed her question to Chen Bin as reporters turned to him.

After Zhou Yi challenged the officials over the disputed video evidence at a press conference, Zhao Dingzhi and Wang Haidong confronted him, but he refused to back down. Later, Tian Tian met Wen Li and confirmed that Zhou Yi’s willingness to expose the truth was part of why she valued him as her best buddy.

• Wang Haidong ended the press conference, while Chen Bin avoided reporters’ questions about the video evidence and Zhou Yi’s answers.
• Zhou Yi told Wang Fan that he felt apprehensive about his popularity and had to stay clear-headed and remember who he was.
• Wang Haidong reported the press conference to Zhao Dingzhi, who summoned Zhou Yi and let Wang berate him for his answers.
• Zhou Yi challenged Zhao Dingzhi and Wang Haidong over Chen Bin’s claims about the video, then left the secretary’s office despite their anger.
• Tian Tian met Wen Li at the Fragrant Tea House, thanked her for asking the sensitive question, and reflected on why Zhou Yi was worth keeping as her best buddy.

Zhou Yi anticipated retaliation after publicly challenging powerful officials, while allies and Lin Fang amplified scrutiny of the 83 Major Arson Case. Changtian City and influential figures suppressed the growing coverage, as Jian Wanyan condemned abuses by the provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security and questioned Li Wengui’s intentions.

• Tian Tian told Wen Li she saw only comradeship between herself and Zhou Yi, then accepted Zhou Yi’s invitation to dinner.
• Zhou Yi cooked noodles and reflected that powerful protectors had kept Zhao Xuanwen beyond the law, while he prepared for his enemies to act.
• Rumors about Zhou Yi’s defiance spread through the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, and Han Jianguo asked Wen Wan what the Province thought.
• Lin Fang and her team published a wave of articles about the arson case, but Changtian City restricted local reporting, dampened online discussion, and enlisted experts to defend the authorities.
• Jian Wanyan ordered severe action against the provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security’s abuse of power, then asked Cheng Yucai what Li Wengui was trying to do.

Zhou Yi used secretly collected videos to prompt the provincial Discipline Inspection Commission to investigate Changtian officials, while Jian Wanyan and Wei Siqi protected him from political interference. The chapter ended with Zhou Yi arriving with police officers to confront Zhao Xuanwen.

• Jian Wanyan rejected Deputy Minister Li Wengui’s proposal to restrict coverage of the Arson Case and told Wei Siqi to protect Zhou Yi.
• Wei Siqi assured Jian Wanyan that he would let Zhou Yi finish his moves and would intervene if necessary.
• Zhou Yi sent compromising videos to the provincial Discipline Inspection Commission, prompting Secretary Chu Hejun to review them.
• On February 16, provincial Discipline Inspection Commission staff entered a meeting and confronted Wang Haidong.
• Zhou Yi walked into Zhao Xuanwen’s room with several police officers.

Zhou Yi had Zhao Xuanwen arrested again as provincial authorities swept up officials tied to the Zhao family. Zhao Yongbin realized the provincial leadership had turned against him, while Zhao Qiushui rejected Xie Chenglin’s offer of protection and left the café.

• Zhou Yi had Provincial Public Security Department officers handcuff Zhao Xuanwen and search Qiushui Garden, while Zhao Xuanwen believed the evidence against his family was hidden elsewhere.
• Pang Qingfeng and Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission staff took Chen Bin, Duan Shenghua, and Tan Fengjiao away in a coordinated sweep.
• Zhao Dingzhi learned the arrests had happened without his knowledge, suspected Wei Siqi had moved against him, and found that his contact’s phone was switched off.
• Zhao Yongbin learned Zhao Xuanwen had been arrested and, after receiving Zhang Xinli’s warning, concluded that Wei Siqi was targeting his family.
• Xie Chenglin offered to take Zhao Qiushui to Capital City and protect her, but she rejected him and left the café.

Zhou Yi raided Zhao Group headquarters seeking the secret evidence hidden in Zhao Yongbin’s gold Buddha, while Wei Siqi weighed whether to move against Zhao despite political pressure. Wen Wan then reported that Zhou Yi had found enough evidence to imprison Zhao Yongbin for at least a hundred years.

• Zhao Qiushui received a call and prepared to leave her former life behind.
• Zhou Yi presented Zhao Yongbin with a search warrant and demanded the gold Buddha, causing Zhao Yongbin to realize his secret had been exposed as police stormed the building.
• Wei Siqi and provincial officials discussed whether their evidence justified taking action against Zhao Yongbin, and Wei ordered them to request approval immediately.
• Elder Sun called Wei Siqi with a pointed warning about Zhao Yongbin’s political connections and an upcoming birthday gathering.
• Wen Wan told Wei Siqi that Zhou Yi had found enough evidence to put Zhao Yongbin behind bars for at least a hundred years.