=The Truth=
=Episode 2=
You're all here.
Zhao.
You all look so beautiful today.
You too.
Exactly.
You flatter me.
Not at all.
You look incredibly cool in this outfit.
- That chain suits you. - Little Zhao.
(Han Zhao, Ye Qian's childhood friend) Look, Ye Qian's here.
Little Qian.
Don't call me that.
I've called you that since childhood.
What should I call you?
Baby Qian?
Nice bike.
Didn't you say you weren't coming?
I changed my mind.
Not coming, huh?
No one's coming?
Alright.
No one's coming?
You're having a blast, Liu.
Qing.
Got held up by something.
Sorry, I'm late.
Liu, have a seat.
Let's continue.
Really sorry about that.
Is your racing legal here?
All paperwork's in order. Completely legal.
The police deal with illegality.
Well, after these three laps,
Little Qian will be at least fourth.
Don't believe me?
Let's bet.
Officers don't gamble.
How boring.
Just verbally, I know you're broke.
Okay, let's bet.
Qing, Liu.
This one's on me.
We'll fully compensate for all damages here.
I also apologize to you all on Liu's behalf.
However,
keeping us waiting this long?
Even for a first-time cooperation
with mutual distrust,
it's still too disrespectful.
In business,
rules matter most.
Better to lose the deal than lose trust.
Perhaps this trip
was a mistake for us.
Let's go, Liu.
Qing, wait.
We're very sincere about this cooperation.
Excuse me.
Need to take this.
Overtaking on a bend?
It's too dangerous.
You don't know Little Qian at all.
Cool!
Awesome!
You two grew up together.
You must know him well.
Since you know him so well,
why haven't you won him over yet?
He told you that?
Isn't it obvious?
Ever since he moved into our dorm,
you've visited so many times.
Even the security guard at the gate knows you.
And that ring you always wear.
It's made of plastic
with badly worn paint.
I think
he gave it to you when you played house as kids.
Am I right?
You flaunt it in front of him daily,
yet he shows zero reaction.
Two possibilities.
First,
he's completely rejected you in his heart.
Second,
he forgot about this ages ago.
Little Qian has always had someone in his heart.
And it's not me.
I hear it's trendy now for girls to pursue guys.
Why not try pursuing me instead?
For a change.
Get lost.
Okay.
Qing,
our boss, Xiang, wants a word with you.
When can we meet Mr. Bao?
What do you mean by 'the right time'?
Can you speak for Huo?
My words are Huo's words.
Qiang's side is all set.
I thought it would take more convincing.
Didn't expect that woman to agree so readily.
This time, Huo sent his woman to liaise with us.
Seems he's taking this cooperation pretty seriously.
What's the name of Huo's woman?
She is... Dan Qing.
Dan Qing?
Engrossed in painting, time flies. [*"Dan Qing" means "Painting" in Chinese]
Wealth and fame are fleeting clouds to me.
Good name.
You raced all night.
Why are you still so worked up?
Feeling down?
What's with the suspect?
I just don't get him.
He's seriously disturbed.
Do you really like her?
I do.
Han Zhao is a good girl.
If you really like her, pursue her properly.
So, won't you help me?
If you don't help me,
what if I fail?
Little Zhao told me you have
a longtime unrequited love.
Tell me about it.
Not your business.
When did you start smoking?
Give me one.
What are you here for?
What?
Your little dog bite is more telling than the suspect's.
See? Teeth bite marks.
We've got a lead on our case.
Get back before your master sees you.
Lei,
I need the cigarette butt photos
to compare bite marks.
The bite marks on all cigarette butts left at the crime scenes are very deep.
This reflects the suspect's smoking habit.
He likely doesn't hold the cigarette with his hand much while smoking.
Instead, he bites the cigarette to take breaths.
I speculate
this habit is directly related to the nature of his work.
Do you think it's possible that some people have a habit
of biting down hard on the cigarette,
taking a couple of puffs,
and taking it with their hand?
That's possible.
But that would be a specific trait,
rarely occurring.
And if that were the case,
the bite marks should be from the upper and lower incisors,
which are narrower.
But look at those photos. They're all molar marks.
It's simple.
He...
Just...
Open wide.
See?
By biting the cigarette with his molars,
it doesn't interfere with work
or let the smoke sting his eyes.
The locations of these three cases
(Chen Xiaomeng, Weigang Street, Attempted Rape) are Weigang Street,
(Li Ying, Tianpeng Street, Rape) Tianpeng Street, and Huaibei Road.
(Guo Bingbing, Huaibei Road, Rape and Murder)
They're across the city's east, west, and north areas,
tens of kilometers apart.
The suspect is a mobile criminal.
The interval between crimes is about 15 days.
Biting cigarette butts with molars is common among heavy manual laborers.
A renovation worker fits the suspect's profile perfectly.
And coincidentally,
all three scenes are surrounded by renovation sites.
Combined with the suspect's shabby clothing
(Yunxi City Map) and poor economic status,
we can first hypothesize
that the suspect works at a nearby site.
His stint ends in around two weeks.
He chose these three locations
because he happened to be working nearby.
The expensive cigarettes were likely given by his employer.
And the cheap ones must be his own purchase.
Following this reasoning,
there are quite a few trades involved in renovation.
Carpenters, masons, painters, electricians, and plumbers.
That's a lot of people to investigate.
We conducted field investigations on this.
Plumbers and electricians kick up a lot of dust while working.
They generally don't smoke on the job.
Nor do they smoke by biting the cigarette butt.
Ruled out.
Painters wear masks when spraying paint
to prevent inhaling harmful fumes.
Ruled out.
Carpenters make up a large portion of renovation work.
They work longer terms.
And wood dust is fine,
hard to clean off completely.
But no wood shavings were found on any of the three victims.
Ruled out too.
Masons
require both hands for their work
and likely work short-term.
And they're exposed to a lot of dust.
This matches the victims' description of the suspect's characteristics.
Ye Qian, here's what you do.
Notify everyone
to focus on all residences around the crime scenes,
both completed renovations and those currently underway,
to check the renovation crews.
Prioritize investigating them
to find any leads.
Got it.
(Welcome to Yehai Building Materials Mall)
(Buffet Restaurant)
(Meidu Concept Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd.)
Chief Xu,
there are two renovation companies that fit the criteria.
Both are leading companies in the city.
Each has over a hundred employees.
If we DNA test everyone,
it could easily alert the suspect.
I suggest we investigate covertly
to avoid tipping him off.
As for suspects linked to the fishpond,
there are about sixty.
Any with prior records among them?
Yes.
Three have theft records.
Two with sexual assault records.
And they both
are masons.
One is Jiang Lianhong.
The other is Wang En'tai.
Wang En'tai
had a work injury a month ago.
His leg is in a cast.
He can be ruled out.
Have you located Jiang Lianhong?
We've sent people on it.
Ouch. It's me.
Qian.
Why are you here?
You don't know your own strength.
I shouldn't have come to you.
Got news?
No news.
I've been trying to find her
for almost ten years.
Maybe I was mistaken.
Won't know unless we try, right?
I have a friend
who works at this taxi company.
I've done you another big favor.
Next time you cook,
count me in?
Get lost.
A hobble for livestock.
I felt
I'd seen it somewhere before.
It took me a while to remember.
As a kid, I found something similar in my hometown pigpen.
Chief Xu.
Proceed.
Most people have never even seen this thing.
Let alone bought it.
Only manufacturers, vets,
or vet assistants would have access.
Little Qian and I
searched the whole city to buy this thing.
Chief Xu, the ligature mark's photo.
A perfect match.
According to the seller,
snares of this pattern
were sold to two farms in the city back then.
One is in the Taohua Village in the west,
and the other is in Niulangang in the south.
Both farms have
more than 60 people.
We need to screen them all
to find the key lead.
Sure about these measurements?
No problem. Sofas are usually 900,
and coffee tables 600.
They'll fit here fine.
Police.
Take the client to see other rooms.
Okay, come with me.
Where's Jiang Lianhong?
H-He left.
He left?
Yes.
Today was the last day for the masonry work.
So he left after finishing.
I'm the manager.
You can talk to me.
Where did he go?
Can you reach him?
H-He probably went home.
Reach him now. Call him.
Alright.
Where did I put my bag?
I-I need to grab my phone.
Hello?
T-That's impossible.
Okay.
I-I'll be right back.
Which brick is loose?
They want to see you.
Jiang Lianhong, right?
Police. We have some questions for you.
W-What's this about?
What's that in your hand?
N-Nothing.
Why does the bag smell so strongly of fish?
I don't know.
Take him away.
I... Wait.
Brother.
Move.
Wait. Brother.
Name?
Jiang Lianhong.
Address?
Niulangang, South Suburbs.
Age?
39.
Jiang Lianhong,
I have a few questions for you.
You only need to answer yes or no.
Starting last September,
you leased a fishpond in Group 3, Xiaojiang Village, Niulangang, correct?
Answer yes or no.
Yes.
Over the past few years,
you also assisted the local vet in treating livestock, right?
Yeah.
And starting this March,
a villager helped you become a mason at Meidu Concept Decoration Company?
Yes.
The cases on Weigang Street, Tianpeng Street,
and Huaibei Road
were all your doing, right?
No.
I didn't do it.
You've got the wrong person.
If you didn't do it, why did you run?
I-I got into a fight at the hospital.
I fought with a doctor.
I thought it was about that.
Chief Xu.
How's it going?
He's denying it.
I heard the murder weapon wasn't found.
What about the DNA results?
Ziwu said they'll be out soon.
Hurry them up.
Okay, I'm on it.
Seen this girl before?
Yes.
Looks just like her.
She's obviously trouble.
Hanging out with a bunch of punks.
Completely thuggish.
My hands are definitely swollen.
Rub them later.
Got it. I'll rub them later.
What're you looking at?
I'm talking to you.
And her?
I've seen her too.
You have no idea.
Her mother was awful.
Why isn't the bus here yet?
Well? Did you remember all you learned today?
It's 200 yuan a lesson.
You better study hard.
If you don't get into a good high school,
you won't get into a good college.
Can't you see?
So many graduates from good schools
can't even find jobs these days.
If you don't get into a good college,
you'll starve later.
It's coming.
You country bumpkin.
Stop pushing.
Trying to cop a feel, are you?
I'll call the cops on you.
Chief Xu,
it's been confirmed. Two days ago,
Jiang Lianhong did have a fight with a doctor at City Hospital.
Jiang Lianhong's dad has uremia.
Whenever he has dialysis,
Jiang Lianhong accompanies him.
According to nurses at City Hospital,
Jiang Lianhong often conflicts with doctors over minor issues
and picks on them.
It happened two days ago.
The doctor told him to wait outside
for his own turn.
And he attacked the doctor.
Quite the temper.
Well,
check Jiang Lianhong's dad's medical records at the City Hospital.
See if there's any overlap in timing with these three cases.
If there is, it means he had no time to commit the crimes.
Get it checked out.
Okay, I'm on it.
I'm a laborer, so?
I was dirty, so?
So I couldn't ride the bus?
She dressed neatly and put on airs.
Her heart's filthy.
Those words from her.
I was embarrassed for that kid.
Seen her?
I haven't seen this one.
You sitting here
means we've got evidence linking you to the crimes.
Confess now.
I really haven't seen her.
Did you think incense ash would kill sperm
and destroy evidence?
What era do you think this is?
Who believes in that kind of nonsense anymore?
You know what DNA is?
Your DNA was found at all three crime scenes.
The match results are coming any moment.
Let's see what excuses you'll have left.
I...
Let's talk about this.
Nothing to talk about.
22 years ago,
your rape case confession stated
you denied it at first
and later admitted it.
Why?
Locked up for two years.
The village pointed fingers.
Now you're tied to rape-murder cases.
What will they think of you now?
Jiang Lianhong,
your attitude now is just like it was 22 years ago.
Your statements and the evidence don't match up.
I admit to the case 22 years ago.
But not to these three cases.
I raped someone before,
so you pin these three on me too?
I didn't do it.
Then tell me.
When you were staring at Chen Xiaomeng
that day in the square,
what were you thinking?
I've been out for some time.
I haven't even touched a woman's hand.
Looking isn't illegal, is it?
Jiang Lianhong,
we're offering you a deal to confess.
Turning it down?
Fine.
Take a look at this.
The ligature mark.
Remember it?
Think carefully.
Seems Jiang Lianhong knows
this is the ligature mark left by a hobble.
Why aren't the DNA results out yet?
I'll push them again.
He won't give in until he's cornered.
I did it.
Chief Xu,
the results are in.
After I got out,
the whole village called me a rapist.
And my dad got uremia.
To this day,
no matchmaker has ever come to my home.
When I saw these girls, I-I couldn't help it.
Which ones?
These three.
Why kill Guo Bingbing?
She saw my face.
How did you commit these three crimes?
I've confessed everything I should.
Sentence me however you want.
I have nothing more to say.
Nothing more to say?
Rape,
molestation,
and murder.
These are still kids in school.
What is human life to you?
What do you take the law for?
Jiang Lianhong,
what exactly are you hiding?
Confess.
(Zhang Ziwu: The DNA results are in)
Captain Leng,
Jiang Lianhong's sample doesn't match the ones from the scenes.
But the Y-chromosome match is exceptionally high
with paternal lineage.
The real suspect should be a male of the Jiang family.
Reach him now. Call him.
Alright.
Where did I put my bag?
I-I need to grab my phone.
Why are you lying?
I'm not lying.
You knew who it was when you saw the photo of the ligature mark, right?
I don't know.
I don't know what you mean.
I did the rape and the murder.
It was all me.
Just arrest me. Sentence me.
The DNA results are back.
It wasn't you.
If you're locked away,
what about your dad?
Who exactly are you protecting?
Listen up, team.
Liu Yang,
check immediately
if Jiang Honghai returned home tonight.
Jiao,
keep working with the ticketing platforms.
See if Jiang Honghai booked any tickets for today.
Long-distance bus, train, or plane.
Ziwu and Long, come with me.
Let's go.
Yes.
Jiang,
when are you paying this month's rent?
Hello?
Captain Leng,
local police at Jiang Honghai's hukou location
said he hasn't returned home in six months.
Hold on.
(Yunxi International Airport Ticketing Backend System)
Captain Leng, we found it.
Jiang Honghai booked a flight to Shenzhen departing at 8:42 PM.
He's likely through security by now.
Chief Xu,
we're on the way to the airport now.
Yes.
We've contacted the officers at the airport.
They'll assist. Right.
We'll apprehend the suspect the moment he appears.
Rest assured.
Hurry.
(Sterile Room)
Captain Leng,
DNA from the cigarette butts perfectly matches Jiang Honghai.
The departure time has passed.
Jiang Honghai didn't board.
Okay, Master.
Jiang Honghai's gone.
These are criminal cases.
Jiang Honghai is suspected of rape and murder.
Have you considered the consequences?
How do you know he did it?
Listen, you better do this wall right.
I know how you guys work.
Don't worry.
Leave it to me. You can count on it.
Hurry up. Come on.
We're in a hurry.
Yes, hurry up.
Hurry up.
Don't worry, ma'am.
Hello? You're here?
I'll be right out.
I'll call the cops on you.
Bad guy!
Stay away from us.
Here.
Use this ruler to measure this wall properly.
How much?
2.5 meters.
You've got it crooked.
Move it higher up here.
(Why are you covering for him?)
Honghai treated me well.
After I got out,
he gave me money,
pulled strings to get me a job,
and even found me a place to live.
Jiang Honghai can't just vanish into thin air.
Where is he?
I really don't know.
Brief the interrogation results.
Jiang Honghai is currently missing.
But what we can confirm is
he hasn't left Yunxi City yet.
Any new leads on Jiang Lianhong?
Not yet.
He claims he doesn't know Jiang Honghai's close private contacts.
Sounds like he's playing us.
Possibly.
Captain Leng, food's here.
Everyone, let's eat.
Okay.
Whoever's hungry, dig in. Come on.
Let's make it quick.
Go on.
So, as long as we catch Jiang Honghai now,
everything will fall into place.
Right?
I'll be on it tomorrow.
As long as he's still in Yunxi,
he'll surface eventually.
Why hasn't Jiang Honghai fled?
Master.
Jiang Lianhong said
Chen Xiaomeng looks very like someone he knows.
Don't you guys think Chen Xiaomeng
looks a bit like He Jie?
Especially around the eyes and eyebrows.
(Chen Xiaomeng, He Jie, Li Ying, Guo Bingbing)
Jiang Lianhong is definitely hiding
something else.
Check again if Jiang Lianhong and Jiang Honghai contacted anyone else.
According to Jiang Lianhong's coworkers,
they often go to a restaurant on Huaibei Road after work.
Maybe that place holds some clues.
Jiao, here's the plan.
Review footage from Huaibei Road and Chen Xiaomeng's place.
See if Jiang Honghai was caught by the camera.
Ye and Long,
head to Chen Xiaomeng's place.
- Hurry. - Yes.
Thanks.
Wang Tong.
And Liu Yang.
Let's go have a chat with...
- Jiang Lianhong. - Jiang Lianhong.
Hello, Mom.
I'm downstairs.
You're coming to get me?
No need.
I'm almost there.
Chen Xiaomeng.
Are you okay?
Police. Don't run.
It's okay now. It's okay.
♪Replacing the weight of tears with that of sweat♪
♪Covering the gunshot's sound with wounds♪
♪No one is born unyielding and strong♪
♪But because someone always rushes ahead♪
♪To shield us from the storm♪
♪When every extraordinary act becomes routine♪
♪Just to polish the badge upon their shoulder♪
♪Like light surging unseen through the night♪
♪Converging into your form♪
♪Looking up♪
♪Such dazzling glory♪
♪Like hope♪
♪Reaching out its arms♪
♪Cloaked in light♪
♪Alone, they charge ahead♪
♪Traversing♪
♪The battlefield of fate♪