Chapter Summaries

Yangcheng’s anti-organized crime campaign continued to dismantle criminal gangs, while Ma Erli’s daughter set out to petition for justice over her father’s death. At a provincial meeting, officials praised Yangcheng and Dongji’s results and debated a documentary that focused heavily on Zhou Yi.

• Sima Yanan admired Zhou Yi’s abilities, while Shan Wenxu warned that she needed to treat him as more than a subordinate.
• Ma Erli’s daughter left home with his urn, portrait, and possible evidence to seek justice for his death.
• Yangcheng’s campaign expanded, dismantling fourteen criminal gangs and apprehending 108 members between late May and early September.
• Deng Yadong presented Yangcheng’s and Dongji’s anti-organized crime results at the Liaodong Provincial Party Standing Committee meeting.
• Provincial officials praised Zhou Yi and discussed the documentary about his work, and Jian Wanyan said it overemphasized individual heroism.
• Deng Yadong openly disagreed with Jian Wanyan’s assessment of the documentary.

After the documentary showcased the criminals Zhou Yi had brought down, his supporters celebrated his reputation online while he reflected on the risks of public praise. On September 13, Zhou Yi joined a provincial task force to investigate the Kunning Group, beginning the decisive campaign against Liaoyang Xie.

• Deng Yadong praised Zhou Yi’s achievements while explaining why the documentary could not hide his role, pleasing Secretary Jian.
• Jian Shuyue and Tian Tian watched the documentary, discussed its edited interviews, and playfully teased each other.
• Online users turned the criminals’ confessions into memes and praised Zhou Yi, while Zhou Yi considered the usefulness and dangers of his growing fan forum.
• On September 13, the provincial public security department summoned Zhou Yi to Liaoyang.
• Deng Yadong announced the September 13 Special Task Force to investigate the Kunning Group’s suspected organized-crime offenses, and Zhou Yi recognized that the decisive battle against Liaoyang Xie had begun.

Zhou Yi joined the Special Task Force investigating Yao Changjiang’s disappearance and teamed up with An Xin and Gao Lei. The three reviewed the case and agreed to question those involved again as they sought new leads.

• Deng Yadong formed a fifteen-member Special Task Force to investigate major cases in Liaodong Province.
• Zhou Yi asked Liu Ming to assign him the Yao Changjiang Disappearance Case, and An Xin and Gao Lei joined his team.
• Zhou Yi, An Xin, and Gao Lei reviewed how Yao Changjiang had opposed Kunning Group’s takeover of the Hongqi Machinery Plant before vanishing in August 2003.
• The investigators noted that Yao Changjiang’s wife and daughter had reported his disappearance and that a neighbor had seen him enter a black Santana with a long-haired woman inside.
• Zhou Yi proposed questioning everyone involved again and digging deeper for leads, then asked An Xin and Gao Lei for their views.

Zhou Yi questioned Fu Lihong and Yao Beibei about Yao Changjiang’s disappearance, provoking signs of panic and exposing their connection to people linked to the case. He left determined to find evidence, while Yao Beibei insisted the police had none and Xie Bingkun felt an ominous twitch in his eye.

• Zhou Yi, Gao Lei, and An Xin went to Fu Lihong’s home to investigate Yao Changjiang’s disappearance without warning the family beforehand.
• Fu Lihong gave the wrong date for her report and became visibly nervous when Zhou Yi asked about her neighbor Jiang Fuxing.
• Yao Beibei denied that her family was close to Jiang Fuxing, then froze when Zhou Yi asked whether she knew her ex-boyfriend, Xie Zhaolong.
• Yao Beibei refused to answer further questions and ordered the police to leave, so Zhou Yi warned that their next meeting would be at the Provincial Public Security Department.
• After the police left, Yao Beibei told Fu Lihong that they had no evidence, while Zhou Yi told his team to find some.
• Xie Bingkun basked in the afternoon sun at his villa and suddenly felt his right eyelid twitch.

Zhou Yi questioned Jiang Fuxing about seeing Yao Changjiang get into a black Santana, then explained how his suspicions connected Yao Beibei to Xie Zhaolong and made Fu Lihong a focus of the investigation. The chapter ended with Zhou Yi asking An Xin to explain why they wanted to investigate the trio’s properties.

• Director Zhou pounded on Jiang Fuxing’s door, and Jiang let the officers in and repeated that he had seen Yao Changjiang enter a black Santana with a woman.
• Zhou Yi returned to the case investigation center and asked Liu Ming to monitor Fu Lihong, Yao Beibei, and Jiang Fuxing and identify their properties.
• Zhou Yi explained that his investigation began by treating everyone connected to the disappearance as a potential suspect and linking Yao Beibei to Xie Zhaolong.
• Zhou Yi said Fu Lihong had reacted nervously to Jiang Fuxing’s name and confirmed that Yao Beibei had dated Xie Zhaolong.
• Deputy Procurator-General Ma asked why Zhou Yi wanted the trio’s properties investigated, and Zhou Yi invited An Xin to answer.

Zhou Yi and the investigators found Yao Changjiang’s remains buried in Jiang Fuxing’s farmhouse pigsty, strengthening the case against those suspected of conspiring to kill him. Meanwhile, Luo Qinghua urged Jian Wanyan to ease the investigation into Xie Bingkun, but Jian’s response was interrupted by a phone call.

• An Xin and Gao Lei argued that Yao Changjiang had been buried on property connected to the suspects, and Zhou Yi proposed that Xie Bingkun had paid Yao Beibei, Fu Lihong, and others to help murder him.
• The investigators found that Jiang Fuxing owned a suburban farmhouse, and An Xin and Zhou Lei noticed his panic when Zhou Yi mentioned searching the pigsty.
• Jiang Fuxing tried to stop the investigators from searching the pigsty, and they restrained him before uncovering a skeleton there.
• Zhou Yi reflected that solving the case and securing justice would help him earn the authority needed to pursue his work.
• Luo Qinghua urged Jian Wanyan to ease the investigation into Xie Bingkun, but Jian hesitated because the investigation had stalled and Xie had influential connections.
• Jian Wanyan’s phone rang before he answered Luo Qinghua.

Jian Wanyan learned that Zhou Yi’s task force had solved the Yao Changjiang murder, giving him grounds to continue investigating Xie Bingkun. Zhou Yi confronted Yao Beibei in the interrogation room, where she revealed she had been waiting to see him again.

• Jian Wanyan told Luo Qinghua that Xie Bingkun’s case still needed investigating, and Luo learned the task force had found Yao Changjiang’s remains and detained suspects.
• Luo Qinghua and Jian Wanyan credited Zhou Yi with turning the investigation in Jian’s favor.
• Xie Bingkun learned of the breakthrough, feared Zhou Yi’s continued pursuit, and asked his housekeeper how Li Ruoyun had been spending her time.
• A forensic examination confirmed the remains belonged to Yao Changjiang, and Zhou Yi went to question Yao Beibei after her accomplices refused to cooperate.
• Yao Beibei asked Zhou Yi whether he had come to keep his promise, then said she had been waiting to see him again.

Zhou Yi broke Yao Beibei's psychological defenses, leading her to confess to Yao Changjiang's murder and provide evidence against the Kunning Group. The provincial authorities arrested Xie Gang, and Jian Wanyan decided Zhou Yi should take on a more challenging post.

• Yao Beibei taunted Zhou Yi and the investigators, but Zhou calmly confronted her with details of her father's murder until she broke down.
• Yao Beibei confessed that she, Fu Lihong, and Jiang Fuxing had conspired to murder Yao Changjiang, and she provided video evidence tying Xie Gang to the plot.
• The Liaodong Provincial Public Security Department sent its Criminal Investigation Corps to Kunning Group headquarters and arrested Xie Gang.
• Jian Wanyan praised Zhou Yi's work and decided to recommend him for a more challenging position.

As the Kunning Group faced a sweeping investigation, Xie Bingkun disguised himself and went to Li Ruoyun’s villa to kill her before fleeing the country. Li Ruoyun contacted Zhou Yi with their agreed code, and he realized the plan to arrest Xie Bingkun was finally in motion.

• Xie Bingkun prepared to flee as investigators closed in on the Kunning Group, and movers removed two cabinets from the Tianfang Building.
• Disguised as a maintenance worker, Xie Bingkun entered Li Ruoyun’s villa with his bodyguards and confronted her about her betrayal.
• Li Ruoyun admitted she had helped Zhou Yi but denied involvement in the Yao Changjiang Disappearance Case, then taunted Xie Bingkun about his abuse and her relationship with Zhou Yi.
• Xie Bingkun strangled Li Ruoyun as she smiled through her tears.
• Zhou Yi received a message from Li Ruoyun, verified it with their code, and recognized that the arrest plan was underway.

Li Ruoyun and Zhou Yi were caught in Xie Bingkun’s armed standoff after the police arrived at the villa. Xie and his accomplices began edging toward an escape vehicle with Li as a hostage, while Zhou Yi and Li exchanged a subtle signal.

• Li Ruoyun begged Xie Bingkun to spare her son Congcong, but Xie refused to release her and Zheng Qiaorong and the bodyguards stayed loyal to him.
• Zhou Yi arrived at the villa with Director Zhou and a squad of police officers, surprising Xie Bingkun, who had expected Zhou Yi alone.
• Bao seized Li Ruoyun as a hostage, while Sheng fired at the police and demanded that they let the group escape in a truck.
• Xie Bingkun called Zhou Yi and threatened to kill Li unless the police cleared a path; Deputy Director Liu told Zhou Yi to agree and stall for the SWAT Officers Corps.
• Xie Bingkun, Bao, and Sheng edged toward the entrance with Li Ruoyun, and she and Zhou Yi exchanged a slight blink when their eyes met.

Li Ruoyun’s plan lured Xie Bingkun into an attempted attack, allowing Zhou Yi and the police to catch him in the act despite his political status. After Xie realized that Li had outmaneuvered him, Secretary Jian invited Zhou Yi home for dinner and a drink.

• A-Bao turned on Xie Bingkun and disarmed him while Zhou Yi and Chen Zhong shot A-Sheng, leaving him unable to fight back.
• The police arrested Xie Bingkun and A-Bao, and Xie realized that Zheng Qiaorong had helped Li Ruoyun deceive him.
• Zhou Yi told Li Ruoyun that her plan had been too risky, and she explained that she had used herself as bait to ensure Xie would act in front of the police.
• The Special Task Force learned that Xie had been caught red-handed, giving authorities grounds to impose criminal measures without prior approval.
• Secretary Jian called Zhou Yi and invited him home for dinner and a drink.

Zhou Yi’s work against Xie Bingkun’s criminal network brought him nationwide fame, and he traveled to Liaodong Normal University to give a youth legal education lecture. There, Ma Xiaoli watched him with her father’s ashes and photograph, ready to challenge him over her father’s death.

• At dinner, Secretary Jian and the Secretary’s Wife doted on Zhou Yi, and Jian Wanyan asked what he planned to do after nearly a year serving in Yangcheng.
• The Standing Committee approved Xie Bingkun’s arrest, and investigators uncovered further crimes and began probing officials accused of protecting criminal forces.
• News coverage made Zhou Yi famous nationwide, prompting Shi Hang to arrange for him to replace the scheduled legal educator on “Safeguarding Youth.”
• Zhou Yi agreed to travel to Liaodong, partly because he would see his girlfriend, and appeared as the program’s legal educator at Liaodong Normal University on October 12.
• Zhou Yi told the audience he had spent two lifetimes thinking about the subject, while Ma Xiaoli watched with her father’s ashes and photograph, intent on seeking justice.

Zhou Yi delivered a talk at a university about balancing law and human sentiment, using cases to explain why feelings cannot replace legal principles even as legal professionals strive for fairness. After the audience applauded, he answered a student’s question about his legal knowledge by crediting his beautiful, intelligent girlfriend who studied law.

• Zhou Yi opened his speech by explaining how law and human sentiment were meant to coexist in balance.
• Zhou Yi cited a man who was punished for defending his sister and a student’s fatal accident to show how legal outcomes could conflict with public sympathy.
• Zhou Yi argued that absolute balance was impossible, but legal professionals still had a duty to pursue fairness and justice.
• The audience applauded Zhou Yi’s speech, and the event moved into a question-and-answer session.
• Zhou Yi told a student that his legal knowledge came from having a beautiful and intelligent girlfriend who studied law, prompting laughter.

Zhou Yi faced Ma Xiaoli’s public challenge over his decision to order police to shoot her father, Ma Erli, during a rescue operation. He defended the decision with the facts of Ma Erli’s crimes, leaving Ma Xiaoli asking whether her father could have been given even one chance.

• Zhou Yi joked that the College Entrance Examination practice-question book had changed his life, then kindly recommended Law and Society to a student.
• Ma Xiaoli challenged Zhou Yi about ordering police to shoot her father during the operation in Changxing Village.
• A university teacher took Ma Xiaoli’s microphone, but Zhou Yi asked for it to be returned and agreed to answer her questions.
• Zhou Yi said he balanced law enforcement with justice and conscience, then revealed that Ma Erli had bought three women and buried the first two after torturing them.
• Zhou Yi explained that Ma Erli had attacked the surviving victim with a kitchen knife despite police warnings, and asked Ma Xiaoli whether her father had given his victims a chance.

Ma Xiaoli’s challenge to Director Zhou faltered until Gu Shenhong stepped in to defend her, but Zhou deftly countered his arguments. As Gu struggled to respond, Xia Mingyue raised a question about Zhou’s approach to procedural and substantive justice.

• Ma Xiaoli lowered the urn and photograph after she could not answer Zhou’s question, and Gao Shengxue ordered her removed from the stage.
• Gu Shenhong took the microphone and criticized Zhou for denying Ma Erli a chance after condemning Ma Erli for doing the same to his victims.
• Zhou argued that Ma Erli’s actions were a crime and said his decision to order the shooting had been based on the circumstances of the rescue.
• Gu challenged Zhou’s use of the victims’ suffering in response to Ma Xiaoli, but Zhou countered that he had not prevented her from asserting her rights.
• Xia Mingyue joined the debate and asked Zhou why he seemed to favor substantive justice over procedural justice.

Zhou Yi defended his decision to shoot Ma Erli, rebutting Xia Mingyue’s accusation that he had failed to follow due process. He admitted his emotions affected him but said the law and his uniform had guided his actions, and the auditorium applauded as he prepared to continue.

• Xia Mingyue challenged Zhou Yi, arguing he should have tried negotiation, another method of restraint, or a shot to Ma Erli’s arm before killing him.
• Zhou Yi described the armed mob, injured officers, and danger to the hostage, then cited Article Nine of the police weapons regulations to defend his decision.
• Xia Mingyue asked whether Zhou Yi could claim his personal feelings had not influenced his order to fire, and he admitted that they had.
• Zhou Yi explained that although he felt anger at horrific crimes, the law and his uniform required him to respect due process, and he declared his conscience clear.
• Zhang Le cheered, the auditorium applauded, and Professor Gu Mingde praised Zhou Yi’s speech.

Director Zhou’s lecture at Liaodong Normal University humiliated Ma Xiaoli, Gu Shenhong, and Xia Mingyue, then went viral online. After returning to Yangcheng, Zhou Yi learned that Sima Yanan was offering him a choice of senior posts, leaving him delighted by the prospect of a promotion.

• Director Zhou rebuked Ma Xiaoli, Gu Shenhong, and Xia Mingyue during his lecture, and the audience applauded his closing remarks.
• Director Zhou left Liaodong Normal University after the lecture, and clips of his speech spread widely online.
• Xia Mingyue posted a suggestive comment about Director Zhou and continued writing an erotic story about him.
• Director Zhou returned to Yangcheng the next morning and went to Sima Yanan’s office after she summoned him.
• Sima Yanan asked Zhou Yi which of two senior government and public security positions he preferred, and he realized he was being offered a promotion.

Zhou Yi chose the conventional next step of becoming secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission while remaining Public Security Director, then helped Shan Wenxu and Sima Yanan discuss plans for Nanshan New City. A month later, the Qingyuan City Organization Department announced Zhou Yi’s appointment to the Municipal Party Standing Committee and as secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission and Public Security Director.

• Shan Wenxu suggested Zhou Yi take on both the Vice Mayor and Political and Legal Affairs Commission secretary roles, but Zhou Yi chose the conventional combination of Commission secretary and Public Security Director.
• Shan Wenxu brought Zhou Yi into a discussion with Sima Yanan about attracting residents and businesses to Nanshan New City.
• Zhou Yi suggested moving No. 3 Middle School and the Municipal People's Hospital to the new district, and said the Municipal Government and Municipal Party Committee buildings could move there too.
• Shan Wenxu left to have the preparatory team assess Zhou Yi’s proposals, while Sima Yanan kept Zhou Yi to discuss her own plans.
• On November 20, the Qingyuan City Organization Department appointed Zhou Yi a Municipal Party Standing Committee Member, secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, and Public Security Director.

Zhou Yi took up his new post as Yangcheng’s Political and Legal Affairs Commission Secretary and reflected on the broader responsibilities it brought. He returned to the Public Security Bureau to hand over leadership to Bian Ji, who promised to keep consulting him.

• Zhang Yongming praised Zhou Yi’s achievements and announced his appointment at a meeting of leading officials, where Zhou thanked the leaders and pledged to fulfill his duties.
• Sima Yanan, Shan Wenxu, and other officials congratulated Zhou Yi and escorted him to his new office in the Municipal Party Committee building.
• Zhou Yi considered his expanded duties, including maintaining stability, supervising political and legal agencies, and combating organized crime.
• Lu Yao, Gu Qiqi, Du Juan, and other Political Work Office staff watched Zhou Yi arrive at the bureau and spoke wistfully about his departure.
• Zhou Yi told the Public Security Bureau leadership team that Bian Ji would take charge of day-to-day work and asked them to support the Political Commissar.
• Bian Ji assured Zhou Yi that he would consult him promptly, reflecting on how much he valued Zhou’s leadership.

Zhou Yi handed over leadership responsibilities at the Public Security Bureau while reassuring its officers that he would still oversee them. He arranged to take Jian Shuyue to his cousin’s wedding, prompting both families to consider meeting, while Jian Wanyan received an unexpected request from Minister Xiao Xiangqian.

• Zhou Yi confirmed personnel recommendations at the bureau’s Party committee meeting and received an emotional farewell from officers as he toured its departments.
• Zhou Yi promised his mother, Guo Dongmei, that he and Jian Shuyue would attend Guo Siwei’s wedding with his parents.
• Zhou Yi mistakenly told Jian Shuyue’s mother, Mu Yalan, that he was taking his wife home, then spoke with Jian Shuyue and agreed to attend the wedding.
• Mu Yalan considered arranging a meeting between the two families, while Guo Dongmei and Old Zhou discussed Zhou Yi’s future with excitement.
• Jian Wanyan received a call from Minister Xiao Xiangqian, who asked to borrow Zhou Yi.