Chapter Summaries

Zhou Yi demanded that No. 2 High School submit a disciplinary proposal within three days, then helped public security officers arrest Gangzi and his thugs as they tried to abduct Shen Mo. He made Shen Mo promise to stay away from crime, while Yang Mei arranged for footage of Zhou Yi’s rescue to be leaked.

• Zhou Yi left the school meeting after insisting that Principal Sun’s school submit its proposed disciplinary action within three days, and the school staff discussed his arrest of Xie Zhaolong.
• Gangzi and his thugs waited outside No. 2 High School to seize Shen Mo and film him, but Liu Zhi and public security officers arrested them.
• Zhou Yi brought Shen Mo to the car and made an agreement with him to protect him in return for his promise not to turn to crime.
• Yang Mei told Cao Wenxing to keep a backup of the footage of Zhou Yi rescuing the student and make sure it was leaked by accident.

Yang Mei tried to enlist Cao Wenxing’s help in forcing Principal Sun Qifa out, but Cao planned to use the bullying footage for his own advancement. Meanwhile, Gangzi confessed to Liu Zhi and was disowned by Cai Xiaobo, who then ingratiated himself with Zhou Yi.

• Yang Mei gave Cao Wenxing an envelope and hinted that the school’s failure to stop a student’s bullying could drive Sun Qifa from his post.
• Cao Wenxing planned to use the footage in a police publicity campaign and saw it as a chance to become editor-in-chief.
• Liu Zhi beat Gangzi until he confessed that the camera, memory card, and backup files were in his room and that he had not uploaded anything online.
• Gangzi spotted Cai Xiaobo in the corridor, but Cai denied knowing him and warned him to stop acting familiar.
• Cai Xiaobo visited Zhou Yi, checked on his injured arm, lit his cigarette, and refilled his cup.

Zhou Yi’s deputies competed to win his favor as he arranged help for Shen Mo and planned to expose Tao Guozheng. Shao Mingbao took Shen Mo home and threatened his abusive father into promising to stop beating him.

• Cai Xiaobo and Shao Mingbao visited Zhou Yi and praised his bravery and leadership.
• Yang Liu brought Shen Mo to Zhou Yi and explained that he was afraid to go home because his father beat him.
• Shao Mingbao volunteered to take Shen Mo home, while Cai Xiaobo agreed to investigate Second Middle School.
• Zhou Yi resolved to expose Tao Guozheng for corruption and learned that Director Luo had arranged a dinner meeting for seven that evening.
• Shao Mingbao threatened Shen Yaqing not to hurt Shen Mo again, then told Shen Mo his father was ready to apologize.

Zhou Yi decided to build influence gradually while using allies and low-level criminals to advance his plans in Dongji County. At a bureau dinner, he agreed to help arrange an apology to Shen Mo and was set up on a blind date before a hostile man recognized him and backed down.

• Zhou Yi resolved to recruit potential allies, guide Cai Xiaobo and Shao Mingbao, and wait for the right opportunity to deal with Tao Guozheng.
• Director Li and Song Chengquan separately asked Zhou Yi to help arrange apologies to Shen Mo from girls whose bullying had contributed to his suicide attempt.
• Zhang Liping offered to introduce Zhou Yi to his friend's twenty-three-year-old daughter, and Zhou Yi reluctantly agreed to meet her.
• At the Jade Gold Restaurant, Zhou Yi ran into Jiang Xinting, who introduced him to her arrogant acquaintance, Brother Xie.
• Brother Xie grabbed Zhou Yi by the collar, but a companion recognized Zhou Yi as a captain and warned him, prompting Brother Xie to apologize and smooth Zhou Yi's shirt.
• Zhou Yi patted Brother Xie's cheeks and said he had liked his defiant attitude, leaving Jiang Xinting and her friends stunned.

Zhou Yi protected Jiang Xinting from Xie Yongming and reaffirmed their new sibling bond, while Zhang Liping warned him about the officials behind Shen Mo’s case. Tao Guozheng investigated Zhou Yi’s background and waited to see how he would respond to the case review.

• Xie Yongming apologized to Zhou Yi and backed down after Zhou Yi warned him that Jiang Xinting was his sister.
• Huang Guifa stayed behind to seek Zhou Yi’s favor, then told the others that Zhou Yi had connections in Capital City.
• Jiang Xinting introduced Zhou Yi to her friends as her younger brother, and the two agreed to keep in touch.
• Zhang Liping asked Zhou Yi what he intended to do about Tao Guozheng, Zhu Xiangmin, and Jin Min, and Zhou Yi said he would ensure Shen Mo’s bullies were punished.
• Tao Guozheng studied Zhou Yi’s personnel file and resolved to wait for Zhou Yi’s response before deciding how to act.

Zhou Yi waited as Dongji County officials blocked the investigation into Shen Mo’s abuse, then sent Xie Zhaolong back to detention for seven days with a casual charge. In Anping, city officials praised footage of Zhou Yi rescuing a suicidal person and ordered the Municipal Public Security Bureau to address the school violence at Dongji Second Middle School.

• Song Chengquan’s bureau refused to open a case against Tao Manru, Zhu Lili, and Meng Yao, while Cai Xiaobo’s evidence gathering stalled and the school took no action.
• Xie Zhaolong left detention to a showy welcome, but Zhou Yi confronted him, took his sunglasses, and ordered him detained for seven more days for provocation and disturbance.
• Xie Zhaolong slapped Xie Yongming, returned to the detention center, and asked Wu Shicong to let him back inside.
• Tao Guozheng, Jin Min, and Zhu Xiangmin agreed to wait and gamble that Zhou Yi was bluffing, while Zhou Yi gave the city two more days to act.
• At a publicity meeting, Duan Chunyu called Zhou Yi’s rescue of a suicidal person a textbook operation, and the attendees praised the footage.
• Ding Zhenqian directed Du Jiang to ensure the Dongji County bureau properly handled the school violence case, citing Zhou Yi’s promise to Shen Mo.

Zhou Xiaofan sought Jian Shuyue and Tian Tian’s help arranging an interview with Zhou Yi after they watched footage of his rescue of a suicidal girl. Meanwhile, Cai Xiaobo and Shao Mingbao moved to raid the Golden Coast Bathhouse, only to find Zhu Jianping had already arrested Li Xiugui and others.

• Tian Tian and Jian Shuyue recognized Zhou Yi in Zhou Xiaofan’s draft and learned she wanted to interview him about his rescue of a suicidal girl.
• Jian Shuyue and Tian Tian watched Zhou Yi’s rescue video, while Bai Haoxuan and Xu Heng lamented that he had shown off again.
• Cai Xiaobo told Shao Mingbao that Li Xiugui had been visiting the Golden Coast Bathhouse, and Shao agreed to raid it.
• Shao Mingbao led officers from the Second Squad to the bathhouse, where they found Zhu Jianping escorting Li Xiugui and several others away.
• Shao Mingbao confronted Zhu Jianping for arresting people on his turf, and Zhu said he was easing the commander’s burdens.

Zhu Jianping’s attempt to win favor by arresting Li Xiugui backfired when Jiang Song was caught too, while Zhou Yi used the arrests and a county bureau meeting to pressure the officials opposing him. Shen Mo withdrew his criminal reconsideration request after his father accepted a bribe, but Zhou Yi shifted his focus to Tao Guozheng, who was soon reported for corruption.

• Zhu Jianping arranged Li Xiugui’s arrest, but the operation also caught Jiang Song, and Shao Mingbao reported the incident to Zhou Yi, who ordered the arrests to proceed without special treatment.
• Jin Min and other officials concluded that Zhou Yi was retaliating, and at a bureau leadership meeting Lei Ming praised Zhou Yi while directing Song Chengquan to reopen the investigation into the school violence case.
• Tao Guozheng, Jin Min, and Zhu Xiangmin pooled one hundred thousand yuan to persuade Shen Yaqing to settle the case, and Shen Mo learned that his father had accepted the money and a promised job.
• Shen Mo disowned Shen Yaqing and withdrew his request for criminal reconsideration, while Zhou Yi chose not to retaliate against Shen Yaqing and resolved to target Tao Guozheng instead.
• On Army Day, Zhao Dahai, Jiang Yixiang, and Liu Fuxing filed a real-name report accusing Tao Guozheng of taking bribes and selling government posts.

After Xie Zhaolong left detention, he misread Zhou Yi’s ambition and used a fabricated “Seed Plan” story to mislead Fu Yu and Zeng Xuehua, while Zhou Yi’s handling of Tao Guozheng changed how colleagues treated him. Zhou Yi faced a media interview at the County Public Security Bureau, where he spotted two impostors among the reporters.

• Zhou Yi told Xie Zhaolong he wanted to replace Fu Pingjiang or Yan Xiangyu, then warned him that he knew Xie had considered killing him.
• Xie Zhaolong told Fu Yu and Zeng Xuehua that Tao Guozheng had offended him and invented a story about Zhou Yi being part of the Seed Plan.
• Fu Pingjiang dismissed the Seed Plan story, suspected Zhou Yi had powerful backing, and told Fu Yu to get acquainted with him.
• Xie Bingkun reprimanded Xie Zhaolong over his past harassment of two women, and Xie smashed his wineglass after the call.
• Zhou Yi arrived at work to find his colleagues unusually deferential, then noticed two impostors among the reporters interviewing him.

During an interview about his capture of a wanted fugitive, Zhou Yi parried reporter Lin Fang’s hostile questions with quick answers and humor. He ended by crediting his good fortune and wishing his fellow officers safety, drawing thunderous applause.

• Zuo Qin introduced reporters Lin Fang and Zhou Xiaofan to Zhou Yi before the interview began.
• Lin Fang asked whether Zhou Yi would have preferred working in Heping Township or the county seat, and Zhou Yi explained that Heping Township was his hometown.
• Zhou Yi challenged Lin Fang with a hypothetical question, then pointed out the contradiction when she refused to answer it.
• Lin Fang asked whether Zhou Yi had feared facing fugitive Lü Wenhui, and Zhou Yi joked that he had feared accidentally beating him to death.
• Lin Fang suggested Zhou Yi had caught Lü Wenhui through luck, and Zhou Yi agreed before praising other officers and wishing them luck and safety.

Zhou Yi defended his mother and her actions during the school bullying incident, then ended Lin Fang’s hostile interview. After a friendly interview, Zhou Xiaofan asked her two friends whether they believed in love at first sight.

• Zhou Yi answered Lin Fang’s questions about love and police work, earning applause from the conference room.
• Zhou Yi explained that the school should bear civil liability and defended the victim’s homeroom teacher, who had warned the bullies, reported the situation, and called the police.
• Lin Fang accused Zhou Yi of defending the teacher because she was his mother, and Zhou Yi rebuked her and ended the interview.
• Lin Fang left the conference room, where the others applauded, and slipped and fell outside.
• Zhou Xiaofan conducted a friendly interview, then took her two friends outside and asked whether they believed in love at first sight.

Zhou Xiaofan admitted she had fallen for Zhou Yi and arranged to have dinner with him, while Zhou Yi reflected on his political enemies and his need for a powerful patron. Director Lei then summoned Zhou Yi to go to the county government offices, as Jian Shuyue and Tian Tian visited Zhou Yi’s mother before leaving Dongji County.

• Zhou Xiaofan gushed about Zhou Yi, revealed they had exchanged numbers, and told Jian Shuyue and Tian Tian they would have dinner on Saturday.
• Zhou Yi overheard Zhu Jianping praising his performance against reporter Lin Fang and returned to his office to consider who had encouraged her to target him.
• Zhou Yi thought about using Xie Zhaolong to bring down Tao Guozheng, resolved to cut ties with Xie Zhaolong, and sought a powerful political patron.
• Director Lei called Zhou Yi and told him to come downstairs so they could go to the county government offices.
• Jian Shuyue and Tian Tian visited Guo Dongmei and Old Zhou, who privately considered them both suitable daughters-in-law for Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi met County Magistrate Yan Xiangyu, who questioned his ties to Xie Zhaolong and his intentions. Zhou Yi described Dongji County’s public security problems in detail, leaving Yan impressed but still wondering why Zhou trusted him.

• Lei Ming brought Zhou Yi to the county government offices, where Section Chief Qiu Ze led Zhou to meet Yan Xiangyu alone.
• Yan Xiangyu made Zhou wait before questioning him about his plans, his view of Xie Zhaolong, and their relationship.
• Zhou said he had played along with Xie while waiting for the right moment, then saluted to affirm his loyalty.
• Yan asked about Dongji’s public security, and Zhou identified organized crime, officials shielding criminals, and the entertainment industry as major problems.
• Yan was surprised by Zhou’s knowledge and openness but wondered how Zhou knew he was not one of the officials protecting organized crime.

Zhou Yi said goodbye to Jian Shuyue and Tian Tian as they left Dongji, while Yan Xiangyu and Lei Ming began preparing a crackdown on organized crime with Zhou Yi and Zhang Liping’s help. After the women drove away, a white van suddenly sped toward Zhou Yi.

• Yan Xiangyu and Lei Ming agreed that Zhou Yi and Zhang Liping could be trusted and decided to target Zeng Xuehua first in the planned crackdown.
• Zhou Yi hurried to the department store to meet Jian Shuyue and Tian Tian before they left Dongji.
• Zhou Yi embraced Jian Shuyue and Tian Tian, then watched them drive away in Bai Haoxuan’s BMW.
• A white van suddenly drove against traffic and hurtled toward Zhou Yi.

After a white van nearly killed him, Zhou Yi fought its occupants and discovered they had abducted a tied-up girl. When he recognized their leader, Zeng Yuqiang, from his previous life, Zhou Yi beat him in the street while backup and police converged.

• Zhou Yi dodged the van, dragged Zeng Yuqiang from it, knocked out Wang Tao, and trapped Jin Liu’s leg in the door.
• Big Lin held the captive girl at knifepoint and called for reinforcements, while Zhou Yi called for backup and kept Zeng Yuqiang down.
• Zeng Yuqiang identified himself as Third Son Zeng, and Zhou Yi recognized him as a notorious abuser he had hated since his previous life.
• Zhou Yi beat Zeng Yuqiang as Wang Tao woke and hesitated over whether to intervene.
• Three vans carrying reinforcements arrived as police sirens approached.

Zhou Yi led the Public Security Management Brigade in crushing Zeng Yuqiang’s gang after they attacked him, then rescued Hou Xiaoxin from their van. Zeng Yuqiang called his younger brother, an executive deputy county magistrate, who asked why he had provoked Zhou Yi.

• Zhu Jianping and the county officers rushed to Victory Subdistrict, where they surrounded Zeng Yuqiang’s gang.
• The officers attacked the gang, and Zhou Yi fought several armed thugs despite suffering a slash to his arm.
• Zhou Yi subdued the remaining thugs, then checked on his injured officers and shared cigarettes with them.
• The police found Hou Xiaoxin bound in the gang’s van, and Zhou Yi reassured her that she was safe.
• Zeng Yuqiang called his younger brother for help, but his brother asked why he had provoked Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi’s assault case against Zeng Yuqiang became a power struggle as Zeng Xuedong tried to secure his brother’s release. The chapter ended with Zhou Yi entering the interrogation room and admitting that he had hit Zeng Yuqiang.

• Zeng Yuqiang claimed that Zhou Yi had beaten him after he nearly hit him with his car, and Zeng Xuedong ordered Zeng Xuehua to arrange his release.
• Zeng Liang pressured Zeng Xuedong to get his eldest son out, while Xie Zhaolong warned Song Chengquan not to release Zeng Yuqiang.
• Zhou Yi reported the incident to Zhang Liping, and Song Chengquan learned that Lei Ming had assigned the case to Zhang and ordered it handled strictly according to law.
• Zeng Xuedong arrived at the County Public Security Bureau and demanded to see Zeng Yuqiang, but Zhang Liping said he was being interrogated.
• Zeng Xuedong accused the detectives of torturing his brother, and Zhou Yi entered the room and declared that he was the one who had hit Zeng Yuqiang.

Zhou Yi accused Zeng Yuqiang of attempted murder and refused Deputy County Magistrate Zeng’s offer to settle the matter, insisting that Zeng Yuqiang be punished. After Zeng Yuqiang and his associates gave matching accounts that shifted blame away from him, Captain Zhou sent Cai Xiaobo on an undisclosed errand.

• Zhou Yi told Zeng Xuedong that Zeng Yuqiang and his gang had tried to run him down and attack him, while Zeng Yuqiang shouted that Zhou Yi was slandering him.
• Zhou Yi sent Zeng Xuedong out of the interrogation room and said Zeng Yuqiang had to face punishment because the girl in the van was his friend’s younger sister.
• Zeng Xuedong warned Zhou Yi that he would regret opposing him, but Zhou Yi dismissed the threat.
• Zeng Yuqiang, Wang Tao, Jin Liu, and Big Lin gave matching statements that blamed others for the van incident and the attack on Hou Xiaoxin.
• Captain Zhou summoned Cai Xiaobo, and Zhou Yi quietly gave him instructions.

Zeng Xuedong grew wary of Zhou Yi as corruption and collusion undermined the investigation into Zeng Yuqiang. After Zeng Yuqiang was released through threats and bribery, he confronted Hou Xiaoxin outside the bureau, where Zhou Yi intervened.

• Zeng Xuedong worried that Zhou Yi could disrupt the balance of power in Dongji County and resolved to prepare for a struggle.
• Zhang Liping suspected a mole in the Criminal Investigation Brigade after four suspects gave coordinated accounts, while Lu Yaohua stayed silent about taking money from Zeng Xuehua.
• Zeng Xuehua blackmailed Song Chengquan into ordering Zeng Yuqiang's release, and Song pressured Lu Yaohua to carry it out.
• Lu Yaohua released Zeng Yuqiang from the County Public Security Bureau that evening.
• Zeng Yuqiang taunted and threatened Hou Xiaoxin outside the bureau, and Zhou Yi warned him not to touch her.

Zhou Yi beat Zeng Yuqiang after he threatened Hou Xiaoxin, then led his officers to raid Happy Forest Hotel. As the raid began, the injured Zeng Yuqiang woke in alarm, remembering the computer there.

• Zhou Yi reassured Hou Xiaoxin, then beat Zeng Yuqiang when he threatened her again.
• Zeng Xuehua confronted Zhou Yi, but the officers denied seeing the beating, and the brothers left with a threat.
• Two detectives discussed Zeng Yuqiang's release and speculated about the forces behind Deputy Director Song's order.
• Brother Long grew angry about Zeng Yuqiang's release but hesitated before calling Zhou Yi.
• People at the night market celebrated Zhou Yi's actions and spotted his police cars heading toward Happy Forest Hotel.
• An underling woke Zeng Yuqiang to report the raid, and Zeng Yuqiang panicked about his computer.