Episode Summary
Xu Tongsheng joins the fire investigation unit, while journalist Sun Ling is attacked by a hitman hired by Han Pei. A hostage situation ensues, resolved by Xu Tongsheng and Shen Ye. Han Pei seemingly dies in a car explosion, but his twin brother raises suspicion. Xu Tongsheng wants to reopen his parents' death case, connecting it to the current events.
Spoiler Alert
The series kicks off with Xu Tongsheng achieving his dream of joining the fire investigation unit of the Beixun City Fire Department. His first act after receiving his acceptance letter? Visiting his parents' graves. Meanwhile, Sun Ling, a journalist, is frantically compiling evidence of her husband's murder. She tries calling Xu Tongsheng, but before he can answer, a hitman breaks into her home, demanding she delete all video evidence.
The call finally connects, but Sun Ling is under the assassin's control. She cryptically addresses Xu Tongsheng as "doctor" and then claims she dialed the wrong number. Xu Tongsheng immediately senses something is wrong, suspecting Sun Ling is in danger. The hitman, acting on orders from the powerful Han Pei, is furious about Sun Ling's accusations and brutally cuts off one of her fingers.
Shen Ye, Deputy Captain of the Bixi District Criminal Investigation Unit, responds to a report and arrives at the Xinghe residential complex. After deploying his team, Shen Ye and his assistant, Huang Qi, attempt to pick the lock to Sun Ling's apartment. However, the cunning assassin anticipates this move. Before Shen Ye can talk him down, the hitman detonates a hidden bomb in the complex, revealing he's also planted one on Sun Ling. Shen Ye is forced to retreat and regroup.
The killer becomes increasingly agitated. Seizing an opportunity, Sun Ling headbutts him and throws her computer out the window. Shen Ye immediately orders its retrieval for data recovery. A police sniper gets a clear view when the window opens again, but the assassin grabs the gas line, making a long-range shot impossible. With the timer on the bomb ticking down to five minutes, Xu Tongsheng arrives, claiming he can save the hostage. He proposes increasing the gas pressure until it exceeds the explosion threshold. Shen Ye is hesitant, deeming it too risky, but with time running out, he agrees.
As the gas pressure rises, the hitman's reactions slow. The sniper takes the shot, killing him instantly, and the hostage is rushed to the hospital. After the chaos, Shen Ye questions Xu Tongsheng, who reveals he was the one who reported the incident.
Meanwhile, on the highway, Han Pei, the CEO of Han's Group, speeds recklessly. His anxious younger brother, Han Jun, vows to retrieve their mother's ashes, expressing his displeasure at Han Pei's decision to bury her with Han Kun. Han Pei dismisses his brother's concerns, implying that Han Jun, a pro bono lawyer, is naive about the complexities of their situation.
Back at the Bixi police station, Shen Ye presents Sun Ling's computer evidence to Captain Wu Yong. He asserts that the assassin, Chen Guang, is the culprit behind the "216" fire case and that Sun Ling's husband, Wei Kang, had desperately preserved evidence of Han Pei hiring the killer. Wu Yong submits the arrest warrant application to the prosecutor's office. After Shen Ye leaves, Wu Yong immediately informs Han Pei. Minutes later, the warrant is approved, and Shen Ye's team moves in. Han Pei sets his car on fire and deliberately crashes into a roadblock, causing a massive explosion. Han Jun manages to escape the vehicle before collapsing on the roadside.
Xu Tongsheng is awarded a second-class merit and is transferred to the fire investigation unit under Captain Zhao Zhiyuan. He's eager to reopen the investigation into his parents' deaths, but Zhao Zhiyuan forbids him from accessing the archives. Xu Tongsheng points out similarities between Wei Kang's case and his parents', but Zhao Zhiyuan remains unyielding.
Captain Peng informs Zhao Zhiyuan about an accident in the Chenxing Road tunnel involving Han Pei's car, requesting support. Xu Tongsheng overhears and rushes to the scene, collecting evidence before fire investigators Mao Mao and Jiang Li arrive. Shen Ye is puzzled by the two separate teams. Xu Tongsheng, after a quick assessment, leaves, stating only that "human factors cannot be ruled out."
Back at the fire investigation unit, Xu Tongsheng presents his analysis to Zhao Zhiyuan, arguing for a joint investigation with his parents' case. Zhao Zhiyuan immediately rejects the request. Wu Yong calls, inquiring about the car fire and subtly probing about Xu Tongsheng, but Zhao Zhiyuan reveals little.
At the Bixi District morgue, forensic doctor Jin Chun wakes up from a nap on a corpse bed. A colleague brings in Han Pei's body. Jin Chun, hearing that the deceased was a twin, becomes immediately alert.
