Original subtitles

Command, suspect has been spotted.

Send backup immediately.

Please send us your location.

Suspect is on Highway 7 northbound.

He's traveling southward

toward the amusement park.

Get out of the way!

You can't go in there, sir.

Sir, what are you doing?

Stop!

Get down!

-Back off! -Put that knife down!

-Let her go! -Let her go!

None of your business!

Inducing minors to do drugs...

No one can save you now.

Step aside!

Go away!

Don't you come here.

Someone help me!

Help me!

Help me!

You're up?

Your phone is inside the box.

You can call for an ambulance or the cops.

But you have to get the password first.

Look familiar to you?

The password

is the square root of the sum of all the answers

in this exercise book.

Help me!

Don't move.

One, two, three.

Don't waste your ink.

It took me five hours to get the answer.

You'll get it faster than me.

Two hours should be enough.

By the way,

you can just round up the final answer.

Good luck.

The kid's taken care of,

but he's still pressing charges for assault.

Admin, local precinct duty, or marine police.

Choose one.

You pick one for me.

Here you go.

Looks like you'd already picked one for me, Captain Yang.

Go talk to him.

You're in an elevator going down.

With each floor,

you can feel yourself

falling deeper into hypnosis.

You're on the bottom floor now.

The doors have opened.

What do you see?

"Criminal Psychology Laboratory"

My third brother.

Ask him why he made you commit murder.

I can't. He'll kill me!

It's okay. It's okay.

Tell him, "You can't control me anymore."

Tell him!

Go away! You can't force me to kill anymore.

-That's right. -I won't kill anymore!

-Louder. -I don't want to kill anymore!

-Louder! -Don't hit me! It hurts!

-Don't be afraid. -Help! Help!

-Don't be afraid of him! -It hurts!

-Fight back, man! -Don't hit me!

Fight back! Grab him!

That's right. Grab him like that!

-Help! -Don't be afraid. Grab him.

-That's right. -Help! Help me! It hurts!

Just like that.

Bro! Bro! Bro!

You're a good actor.

You wore me out, man.

If you really do have schizophrenia,

you'd see hallucinations or hear voices.

But to interact with them like that...

is impossible.

The hallucination of your brother couldn't touch you

nor could he have inflicted any pain on you.

You just made up this third brother.

By the way,

I'm not a psychologist.

And you weren't really hypnotized.

Seen enough?

Did Yang Xuewu send you?

He did.

Captain Yang talks about you all the time.

He says you're amazing.

The victim's name is Wei Mingjun.

He was a mathematics teacher at Qiwen Secondary School

and the homeroom teacher for high school year 2, class 2.

He was found dead in the school's assembly hall.

It's believed that the killer

knocked Wei out with a blunt instrument outside the school,

then transported him to the crime scene in a vehicle.

Tell me something that's not in the file.

A month before the murder,

a student of his committed suicide.

His name was Yu Guang. He wasn't doing well in school.

He was last in mathematics class.

Wei often picked Yu to answer questions in class.

If Yu got them wrong, he'd be sent to the hallway.

During last month's midterms,

Yu handed in a blank paper.

He dragged the average score of the class

to the worst of their grade.

Wei tossed an exercise book at Yu

in the middle of the classroom.

He ordered Yu to complete all the exercises that night.

Or else he shouldn't come to class the next day.

According to Yu's father,

Yu locked himself in his bedroom that night

and kept the lights on all night.

According to the surveillance footage,

at four in the morning,

Yu jumped from his window on the 17th floor.

He died instantly.

Due to pressure from the public,

the school had to censure Wei Mingjun.

They took away his bonus

and left a demerit in his file.

But that wasn't enough.

Netizens kept going after him.

According to Wei's family,

he received an endless barrage of threatening phone calls

over the past week.

Yet he chose not to call the police.

He decided to just grit his teeth,

hoping that the anger would subside over time.

That's it?

That's all we have right now.

The killer is male,

aged 25 to 35.

His height is between 1.7 and 1.85 meters.

Fairly well built.

That's it?

That's all I can gather from your info.

Thank you, Mr. Fang. See you around.

Maybe it's best that I don't see you.

Seeing you means someone else has died.

It was a load of crap!

Male. Well built.

How could he have moved a 40-year-old man if he wasn't well built?

It's not a revenge killing.

Look beyond that kid's family.

Why?

Locard's exchange principle.

Locard's exchange principle.

The perpetrator of a crime

will take something from a crime scene

and leave some traces there as well.

The best way to find these remnants

is to return to the crime scene.

The perpetrator cared more about the method

than the result.

He was seeking pleasure from his theatrics.

Most importantly...

how can someone who has to tape up his glasses

design such an elaborate ritual?

So in what range does the suspect fall into?

Male.

Aged 25 to 35.

His height is between 1.7 and 1.85 meters.

Well built.

On the show today,

we have invited Yu Guang's parents

as well as Principal Liao

to be guests on our show.

We hope that this show provides a platform for...

Thank the gods! There is justice in this world after all!

Wait, calm down...

Who's the hero that got revenge for my son?

Girlie.

Here, Girlie.

Girlie.

Girlie.

Girlie.

Girlie.

Girlie.

Girlie.

Our subject today is Guo Guilan,

60 years old.

A week ago,

she was living with her son

in a two-room flat in building 7 of Fumin Estate.

She's been living here for over three decades.

However, the city included

Fumin Estate in its redevelopment plans.

When the development company came

to negotiate relocation fees with local residents,

Guilan's son kicked his mother out of their home

so that he could keep the relocation fee for himself.

This homeless old lady

had to live in her hallway for a week.

How could you leave your own mother out like this?

Regret having me now?

You can shove me back into your womb.

How can you say that?

All this for some money?

The man at the door is the victim.

Good.

Another scum eliminated.

It's useless.

You missed all the clues that were right under your nose.

What was the liquid in the water bag?

It was just water.

Well, it was a bit muddled.

The contents?

It's burning.

Were you too into the conversation to turn off the stove?

I can just add some water. It's still edible.

Your daughter? She's older than I would have expected.

I'm his wife.

No way. It's not like that.

She's 13. I adopted her.

I'll be 20 in seven years.

We'll get married then.

You don't need to add water.

Just let it simmer.

Train your husband well.

You'll enjoy the fruits of your labor in seven years.

Mr. Fang,

we have the results from the liquid content analysis.

The primary component is water.

There were also traces of calcium,

inorganic salt, glucose, hormones

as well as urea and uric acid.

The last two were from the victim's excrement.

Need me to explain it to you?

I don't get it.

You call yourself a woman?

It's amniotic fluid.

From a pregnant woman?

That's right.

The liquid contains all the contents of amniotic fluid

found in a pregnant woman.

The kid literally got shoved back into the womb.

I was worried that the rain would wash away the evidence.

A preserved flower.

Can't find the truth without paying respects to the dead.

Keep it there. Don't move.

Footprints?

Don't move the light.

We've already swept the crime scene.

How do we know it belongs to the killer?

It's the only footprint that was impressed into the ground.

This type of footprint was made

when someone stepped in water,

then rubbed his feet on the ground.

After the crime...

only three people would've stepped in water.

One, the person who called this in.

But that was a five-year-old kid.

Two, the police.

But the police are so used to this.

Even if they step on bodily fluids,

they wouldn't bother rubbing it off.

So it can only be the killer.

He put all this effort

into creating this elaborate crime scene.

Of course he would stop and look.

He wanted to come back

and revisit his achievement again and again.

He wanted to see his masterpiece one last time.

This isn't his first time.

Male.

1.7 to 1.85 meters in height.

Eighty kilograms.

Aged 25 to 35.

Well built.

Did you bring a gun?

Police!

Your foot...

I saw that it was pouring outside.

I was worried about missing any evidence.

It's fine. I'll take a crack at it.

Maybe I can still put it back together.

Forget it.

It's impossible.

Why did you bring me into the case?

You have supernatural crime-fighting powers.

I'm driving, man.

I think that we can combine the water bag

and the Wei Mingjun cases into one.

Do you remember Li Yi's disappearance from a few years ago?

There are some similarities.

Let him have it. I got plenty of fucking money!

Take the money and kill the fucker!

The killer intentionally chose

victims widely despised by the public.

He's a vigilante hero.

Do you really want to arrest someone like that?

A vigilante...

Playing with your fishes again?

Have you finished your homework?

Why did you stay out so late on someone else's case?

I am a policeman.

You just like that lady.

Can't we just have a normal conversation?

I'm telling you,

that lady may look nice, but she's really something.

You can't handle her.

You watch too many crappy soap operas.

Where did he find that little girl?

A few years ago, a man named Li Yi raped a little girl.

Do you know that case?

It was a huge deal at the time.

It was easy to arrest Li Yi,

but it took a year to get him convicted.

The Li family bribed the victim's father,

who changed his testimony in court.

Come here.

Liao Yafan was the victim.

When Li Yi was freed,

Yafan's mother went crazy.

Yafan developed depression too.

Imagine a little girl attempting suicide twice.

That's when Fang Mu suggested taking her in.

Yafan refused at first.

But Fang Mu then told her

that he would marry her when she's grown up.

That's adorable.

No matter how I turn out, you'll take care of me anyway.

I'll take care of you.

But can you stop the husband and wife talk?

I want them all to know

that you're mine.

You killed that scumbag for me.

A month after Li Yi's release,

he went missing in front of his home.

The trail went completely cold.

There's no direct evidence,

but Fang Mu was the prime suspect.

It hit him hard.

He had to file for a transfer out of the unit.

His eyes only come alive

when he's at a crime scene.

He's like a lion

being raised to be a cat.

"Hongxing Road Flyover"

"Danger: Electricity. Strictly off-limits."

What the heck are you doing?

You can see her home from here.

Help me!

Anyone?

Please help me!

Help!

Help!

Half a month ago, a fire broke out in Fudu Huacheng.

A resident named Hou Yongmei was trapped in her home.

When fire services arrived,

they were being blocked by a white Jinbei van

with the license plate A3589E.

It took them nearly an hour

to find the owner, Wu Zhaoguang, who was drunk,

to move the van.

They'd already missed the critical rescue window.

The fire blazed out of control.

I didn't mean it, I swear.

Call for help.

-This is 119. -Help me.

What's your location?

Fudu Huacheng, block H, ninth floor, 933.

Hurry.

-What's the cause of the fire? -Please hurry!

I didn't mean it.

You have less than five minutes.

I really didn't mean it!

Let's go. Move it!

-Move! -Hurry up!

This place again?

Break the gate down!

Last night,

almost the same thing happened

to Wu Zhaoguang,

the owner of A3589E.

This van again?

Don't you have parking regulations? Why is this van here again?

Where's the owner?

Did you find anything

in the victim's van?

It was wiped clean.

Fang Mu!

Fang Mu.

Why did he get called here?

Clearly, he wants to use this case

to wipe his ass clean of his old case.

Definitely a local.

He's lived here for over a decade.

That's why he knows the areas around the crime scenes so well.

So any migrant worker from outside the city

can be ruled out as a suspect.

He doesn't act in rural areas.

He intentionally picked densely populated areas.

Each of the victims

has been in the spotlight of controversial news stories.

And each of them died

in an elaborate, theatrical manner.

In the mind of this maniac,

this is a game.

It's not over yet.

He's going to put on another mind-blowing murder show.

The killer targets

those involved in controversial incidents from the news.

He picks public places for his crimes...

to make them as sensational as possible.

His methods are going to escalate.

The killer is male. He lives on a flexible schedule.

He's probably well groomed

and puts a lot of thought into his wardrobe.

Probably acts like a real gentleman with girls.

He hasn't reached the climax he's looking for just yet.

96001?

The end of the chain is rusted.

It's been kept in a humid environment.

We've analyzed the handwriting.

It's Wei Mingjun's,

from the afternoon before he died.

Fang Mu. Let's go.

What was your number at the police academy?

X01339.

I was X99348.

It's got to be a coincidence.

XCXJ09718425.

That's the file number of Liao Yafan's

rape case.

The numbers on the headlights...

96001.

That was my student number in high school.

He's after me.

He knows all about me.

He's leaving clues behind...

so I can find him.

An hour ago,

a popular online message board

saw a poll posted by

the Light of the City.

"How do you feel about the cruel lawyer

who framed Qi Yuan?"

It drew 100,000 responses immediately.

Two months ago,

67-year-old Mrs. Hu

was on the 208 bus.

When she got off the bus at the terminus, she was knocked down.

University student Qi Yuan used her own phone

to call emergency services for her.

A week later,

Mrs. Hu's son, Xiong, called Qi Yuan,

demanding that she pay Mrs. Hu's medical fees,

which amounted to 130,000 yuan.

Earlier this month,

the He Ping District Civil Court ruled that

Qi Yuan must bear 40 percent of the responsibility.

She had to compensate Mrs. Hu

with 52,000 yuan.

Qi Yuan,

if you faced the same situation again, would you still lend a helping hand?

I wouldn't.

Here comes Hu's attorney, Ren Chuan.

Counselor, when you were defending Mrs. Hu,

were you worried that you'd put a Good Samaritan in trouble?

A Good Samaritan?

In this day and age,

does such a thing even exist anymore?

Look at this face.

Arrogant.

Pompous.

Killing an elite lawyer that represents society's most powerful

is much more satisfying than killing an old lady.

If I were the killer...

I would've picked him too.

What's happening now?

Netizens are posting polls on various message boards.

It's all over microblogs, friend circles, and social media accounts.

Perfect.

Put Ren Chuan in protective custody.

We'll use him as bait.

I'm a lawyer!

I can sue you all!

I demand protection!

I'll leave you to it.

Do we know each other?

I know you from TV.

-Take a sip. -I'm on duty.

Sorry.

Please understand. Waiting for death is unbearable.

You won't die. You're surrounded by cops.

That's good.

I don't get it.

Why is this maniac targeting me?

The verdict

came from the sentencing committee.

What can a little lawyer like me do?

Let me put it this way.

This year, a reputable legal publication

published an article.

It's called "Judicial Activities Cannot Be Bound by Public Opinion."

The courts gather judges every day

and teach them not to be swayed by public opinion.

They should go against it when it's necessary.

The Qi Yuan case came at the height of that debate.

It triggered a huge public backlash.

So they made an example out of her.

What have I done to piss him off?

The judge and the old lady are doing just fine,

but I'm fighting for my life.

That's enough.

What am I supposed to do?

Should I go on TV?

Should I cry in front of the cameras too?

Work with us.

Form two teams.

Take turns watching Ren around the clock.

Fang Mu.

You're in charge of team A.

I would rather kill myself

before I let him get to me.

I'll fight that bastard to the death.

I miss my mother...

-Do you understand my pain? -Mr. Fang.

Among those that were in your high school class,

149 of them are still in the city.

Among your academy classmates, 110 still live here.

Thanks.

I'm going out for a bit.

Where... where are you going?

What's going to happen to me while you're gone?

Who will protect me?

The Light of the City wants me to find him.

You know him?

I don't, but I will soon.

Then why do you have to go see him?

There are all these cops here. Arrest the man!

You guys have guns! You can kill him.

Just execute him on the spot. Darn the trial!

-Look, Ren Chuan. -You have to kill him!

-Listen to me. -I'm going mad here!

Listen.

I won't be long.

Guys, I've told you many times. You've got to be careful with that.

That's how you do it.

-Long time no see. -Long time no see, Fang Mu.

What would you like, man?

What the heck are you doing here?

What!

Oh my...

Where the hell have you been?

"Yayuan Hotel"

"Jiang Ya"

We're closed.

What are you doing here?

Why can't I be here?

I've already finished my homework.

I'm asking you why you're in here.

Why can't I be here?

I bought the plants and the fishes for the tank from here.

I come here all the time.

You know the owner?

I do.

You know,

the owner has a much better temperament than you.

Jiang Ya.

Boss!

Keep it down.

There's someone sleeping upstairs.

Who?

Sleeping Beauty.

That's poisonous!

Don't be afraid, Erbao.

What's wrong with you? Why are you so mean?

You're crazy.

Hello.

The killer's real target is Mrs. Hu.

One team upstairs and the other downstairs.

Yang Xuewu's in charge.

Everyone else, get in your cars.

-What's going on? -Don't worry, Chief.

We've evacuated the neighborhood.

Get that camera to the crime scene!

This is what happened. At seven tonight,

Mrs. Hu's son, Xiong Kun,

came home after drinking with friends.

The light from his phone revealed to him a long rope on the floor.

The end of the rope is attached to their rice wine jar.

He opened the jar

and found a device inside that looks like a detonator.

-That's when he called the cops. -Hand the phone to the chief.

-Chief! -That's about it.

Something seems off to me.

He targeted Ren Chuan with that poll,

and now he wants to kill someone else?

This goes against his MO.

That's just your guess!

What you have is baseless speculation,

and we have a real situation unfolding here.

Which one should I believe?

Mr. Fang,

are we overestimating this guy?

Keep the phone up. I can't see!

Yang.

How's Ren Chuan doing?

He's just sleeping.

I beg the government. Please save me!

Keep everyone else out.

Please save me!

Whatever you need to do, help me!

I admit it! I extorted that girl!

Help me!

It's done.

Don't worry, ma'am. It's all over.

Don't go in yet.

Let me see what's in those Coke bottles.

Can I open this?

Sure. It's safe now.

It's filled with gasoline.

-How powerful is it? -Not that powerful at all.

That amount would've just started a fire, right? Not an explosion.

That's right.

Just as you'd guessed.

He ramped up his methods for something more sensational.

The problem is that he hasn't done that.

He has a ritualistic tendency.

Do you think he would repeat himself like this?

But nothing's happened to Ren Chuan.

Ren Chuan!

He's gone! Split up!

Attention, all units.

Log on to the City Daybreak forum.

The Light of the City is active again.

"Morning Light Forum You're the light of the city today."

His computer is always connected.

We can only narrow down his vicinity at the moment.

Got it. The signal is from Zaoyang Road.

Zaoyang Road. Hurry!

I'm the closest to it.

Hang on.

What are you looking at?

Wait in the car. Don't go anywhere.

What are you doing?

I'll be right here. I'll wait for you.

Lock onto my phone's location. I'm going in.

That's right.

Follow him, quickly...

Police!

Don't move!

Police!

Get me bomb disposal.

The Light of the City is watching the poll closely.

Once it hits 100,000 participants,

he detonates the bomb.

Careful.

The Light of the City is watching.

If you cut the power or the connection, he'll detonate the bomb.

Internet security, lock onto Light of the City's address!

His IP address is encrypted. We need time to crack it.

Send in fire services and the EOD team.

The EOD team is on their way.

They will arrive in 10 minutes.

Fang Mu,

we're not going to make it at this rate.

Get yourself to safety and lock down the site. Now!

Lock it down. Hurry!

Open the door!

Why the hell are you here? Go!

Mi Nan!

"If you claim to represent justice, don't drag innocents into this"

Stop voting! Please!

"If you claim to represent justice, don't drag innocents into this"

It's stopped, Mi Nan.

How did he get to you?

When you left, I saw all the cops leaving.

I thought they were leaving me as bait,

so I ran.

Then I ran into an officer.

He said he'd move me somewhere.

"The connection was cut off. Two minutes remaining"

Evacuate immediately!

Everyone moves back behind the cordon line.

It's going too fast!

Where the hell is bomb disposal?

-Fang Mu. -Where the hell are they!

It'll be too fucking late!

They're not going to make it. Fang Mu!

-We're here. We're right here. -No, no, no.

We're not going to make it!

Fang Mu, Fang Mu.

Please go tell my mother.

Tell her I'm not as bad as the netizens say I am.

It's too late.

Now, go.

Get out, Fang Mu!

Forget that sign!

Mi Nan!

Go, Mi Nan!

Go!

It's meaningless now.

Mi Nan!

Mi Nan!

Is anyone there?

Mi Nan! Mi Nan! Mi Nan!

Fire services!

Coming.

Fang Mu.

Come in.

Erbao. Time to sleep.

Close your eyes.

Come up here.

How have you been?

I'm well.

Sorry for the tight space.

Have a seat.

She's...

your wife?

Please sit.

Here's some water.

How long has she been like this?

Three years.

She's already recovered quite well.

What happened?

There was a tumor.

She needed an operation.

She hasn't been conscious

since she entered that operating room.

A medical accident?

The hospital won't take responsibility.

They just said she needed to stay for further observation.

After a while, we couldn't afford it anymore.

You're good to your wife.

I believe that she'll wake up someday.

And Erbao?

Is he...

your...

One night, my wife saw some kid

looking for food by the trash bin.

She decided to adopt him

and named him Erbao.

You didn't come here at this hour...

just to hear my sob story, did you?

Of course not.

It's been 10 years since we graduated.

The class asked me to get everyone together.

I was just a transient student.

No one would remember me.

What are you talking about?

Don't you remember? We played basketball together.

That wasn't me.

I've never stepped onto a basketball court.

It's fine. I was practically invisible.

And you shined like a star.

Grades. Sports. Brawls.

Even in having fun.

You excelled in everything.

The entire time we were in high school...

you were our role model.

I applied to the police academy too.

I passed the test.

But I failed the physical.

Why did you want to be a cop?

Because of you.

You did everything I didn't dare do.

I wanted to be you.

You want to be me?

Look at my life now.

This isn't you.

You deserve to be more than the regular Joe you are now.

I remember your reason for becoming a cop.

The police is a beacon of light, shining upon the city.

No matter how many dark corners it reaches,

its nature will never be changed.

What else do you want to know?

I got it!

I got a new lead.

I found a right handprint on a computer fragment from the scene,

but it looks a bit unusual.

What happened?

A pipe exploded.

Where's Jiang Ya? Where's Erbao?

They've gone to the hospital.

Don't move. We're going home soon.

Fang Mu.

Don't move! Don't move.

Read that.

It's true that I neglected Erbao...

Second-degree burns.

The skin on his palms has completely burned off.

A cut on his left hand caused by a sharp object,

damaging the artery

and leaving a scar five centimeters long.

Erbao took a scalding heating rod

and threw it in the fish tank.

All the fishes died.

He reached in to retrieve the fishes,

and the water burned both his arms.

How could you do that to a child?

It was an accident.

Did you find out that

Erbao touched your laptop? Was that why?

I don't know what you're talking about.

I'm going to get a search warrant...

and we'll see how clean your trail is.

He's wiped everything clean.

There's no trace at all in the shop.

Keep looking.

Sure.

Jiang Ya ran a café behind Normal University in 2004.

He married university student Wei Wei in 2007.

After the wedding, he turned the café into a tropical fish shop.

In 2009, Wei Wei got sick and fell into a coma.

Jiang Ya has been taking care of her ever since.

No criminal record whatsoever.

It's clear as day.

He's a total match with Light of the City's profile.

Well built.

Well groomed.

Mild-mannered. Owns his own business. Lives alone.

He matches the murderer's profile.

You're going by speculation here.

There's no solid evidence.

Why me?

You've disappointed me all these years.

Don't act like we're fucking pals.

You don't know shit about me.

-Do you care to bet? -On what?

That we're the same person.

I've never killed anyone.

They may have made mistakes,

but they didn't deserve to die.

If you were affected by their actions,

would you still be so nonchalant?

What if they hurt...

Liao Yafan?

There are loopholes in the law,

and that's where the strong devour the weak.

When people do bad things,

sometimes the law can't punish them.

Are you talking about yourself?

Don't worry.

I'll get you sooner or later.

"Sooner or later."

People love to say that when they're desperate.

They delude themselves.

They think there's still hope.

The truth is,

how much time do people really have?

I'm still young.

And I'm patient.

Then let's bet.

Will your laws get me first,

or will you turn into another Light of the City first?

You're on.

You know...

when Li Yi went missing...

I was at the scene too.

Let him go!

Let him go!

I saw everything.

I need some time off.

Keep an eye on Jiang Ya.

Eat your fruits every day.

Don't eat so much pizza.

At 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. every day,

call me on video chat.

Also...

you're not allowed to go to that fish store anymore.

-Why? -Just because.

Don't go there anymore.

Take the long way around to and from school.

Do you understand?

I'll do everything you ask,

but I have one condition.

What is it?

When you're out on an investigation...

take Mi Nan with you.

When you run into danger,

she's the only one who will look out for you.

Whatever you're investigating, I'm tagging along.

If you take a statement,

at least two police officers must be present.

Where are we going?

The explosives and detonator used in the explosion

aren't easy to obtain in the city.

He's not going to use

a middleman and risk exposing his identity.

He definitely went somewhere he's familiar with

and bought them himself.

It's close enough to get to and be back on the same day,

and he had to stay off the highway to avoid traffic cameras.

Only one place matches the criteria.

Dajue Coal Mine in Wei County. Jiang Ya's hometown.

Do you know why I applied to the academy?

To flaunt your cool uniform with your classmates?

That's right.

I lost my father when I was young.

My mother ran a small shop.

Those thugs and lowlifes

bullied my mother because there wasn't a man around.

They took things without paying.

Every day, I wished that I would grow up sooner.

Grow strong sooner.

Become even more manly than men.

I got into the academy.

But when I went home for my first holiday with my uniform on,

I saw those thugs again.

And the dream was suddenly over.

It's more exhausting to be a good guy than a bad guy.

That's right.

That's why genuine good guys are hard to find.

Genuine good guys

have goodness in their genes.

Guys like you.

Look...

Can you not act like Jiang Ya

and talk like you know me?

You don't know shit.

I don't get it, Fang Mu.

Why do you insist on acting like an asshole?

You afraid that people will think that you're a good guy?

Because I really am an asshole.

Wait.

When did you stop calling me Mr. Fang?

When I saw through you.

Fang. Mu.

The noodles are getting cold. Eat up.

You go ahead. I'm not hungry.

It's already cold.

Just eat. Leave me alone.

It really is getting cold.

Stop being annoying!

Mr. Jiang.

Your wife was taken by the police.

Mr. Jiang.

Can I

get my pay for this month?

I'll put the money in your account tomorrow.

Thanks, boss.

Fang Mu?

Excuse me,

where's the man that I checked in with last night?

He left early this morning. He asked us not to disturb you.

When you said Jiang Ya,

I didn't know who you meant for a sec.

The people in the village

all called him Mutt.

Mutt's daddy used to work at the mine.

He was married to Mutt's mama for five, six years,

but they never had a kid.

She just couldn't get pregnant.

One winter, an opera troupe came to the village.

Once they left,

Mutt's mama finally got pregnant.

Everyone in the village started talking.

They said that Mutt's real daddy must've been an opera performer.

She's pregnant already. What were they supposed to do?

They had to raise him.

Though the kid doesn't look like his daddy at all.

But after that,

poor Mutt was slapped every three days

and got a downright beating every five days.

Even by the time Mutt started schooling,

his daddy still wouldn't give him a name.

His mama saved every penny

and placed all her hopes on her boy.

He made it through the college exams,

but his mama then went

and hung herself.

Here you are.

There's no dust on the lock

and no rust in the keyhole.

Ammonium nitrate explosives.

Male.

Dead for at least 15 years.

The stubble at the fracture

has turned beige.

A radial fracture

above the eyebrows.

Likely caused by impact with a blunt object.

That's the fatal blow.

This body...

is likely that of Jiang Ya's father, who was supposedly working in another city.

-Hello? -Our bet isn't over yet.

But it looks like...

I've won.

How could you be so sure about yourself?

How can you leave that girl by herself?

Don't you know that there are bad guys everywhere?

-I'm warning you. -Too late for that crap.

Twenty minutes.

Guess where I am.

Will you get me first,

or will you turn into another Light of the City first?

Xuewu!

Get to room 716

at the Tianfu Holiday Inn!

Hurry!

Where's the girl that was staying here?

She was taken in broad daylight, and you didn't see a thing?

-Fang... Fang Mu. -What's going on?

Jiang Ya's taken Mi Nan.

It hasn't been 20 minutes yet.

They couldn't have gone far.

He said

that I would know where to find him.

-Calm down. -Where should I go?

-Think. -Where should I go?

Where could he be?

Hey.

What's wrong?

Fang Mu!

I'm here to turn myself in.

What are you doing? Stop!

Put them down!

You are a police officer.

Even in the end, she couldn't believe it was me.

Shoot me.

You couldn't even protect your own girl.

What kind of a man are you?

Shoot me. Then you'll become the Light of the City.

Shoot me.

Shoot.

Shoot and I'll die with your secret.

It'll all be over.

Fang Mu! Don't fall for his trap!

Fang Mu! He's trying to provoke you!

If you shoot, then he wins!

Take care of my wife for me.

We have Jiang Ya in custody,

but we still don't have any incriminating evidence.

See what you can get out of his statement.

Fang Mu.

I thought we'd be alone.

Your wife's awake.

And she called the police.

Or I should say...

she's been awake all this time.

The first time I went to your place,

while we were talking...

I was just a transient student.

No one would remember me.

It was a reflex reaction out of fear.

But one has to be conscious to sense fear.

When did you wake up?

I don't know when I woke up.

It just feels like

I was in a

very, very long dream.

In my dream, a voice kept speaking to me.

I shoved the bastard who abused his mother back into the womb.

He was completely naked...

in a fetal position.

I wanted to get away.

I needed to get away from that voice.

By the time I left his place,

the fire had already lit up his eyebrows.

Why are you ignoring me?

If you don't want to listen,

then I'll stop talking.

Thank you for everything you've done for me.

But...

you've changed, Jiang Ya.

I'm terrified by what you've become.

Listen.

They're all afraid.

They're all scared of the Light of the City.

There's something we're curious about.

Jiang Ya...

when did you become the Light of the City?

Mutt.

Mutt.

Mutt!

Mutt!

Mutt!

Was it when you saw your mother's corpse?

Was it when you picked up that ax

and swung it at your father?

He's not...

He...

Detective Fang...

you're just telling me a story, right?

Stories will always just be stories.

Just like dreams.

They're just bullshit from someone's delusions.

Just like the words from a comatose woman's dream...

they can't possibly be admissible in court.

Right?

You've always been an elitist.

You don't understand why other people love this city.

This city gave him a new lease on life.

It gave him the woman he loves and the feeling of stability.

That's why he wants the best for this city.

He wants everyone to be equals.

He wants everyone to treat each other kindly.

To achieve that...

a little house cleaning had to be done.

Right?

At first...

he thought that his idol was going to do it.

But he found out later

that this so-called idol was just like everyone else.

Cowardly. Selfish.

He's not fit to carry this name.

The Light of the City would rather turn himself off...

before kneeling before unjust laws.

In the past, he placed his hope on others.

Now he's doing it for himself.

I guarantee...

that you will see

an even more pure Light of the City from now on.

And I'm going to put out that light.

Did I say that I wanted to turn myself in?

I was just joking.

Punish me.

I've turned off the cameras in the interrogation room.

I'll get the evidence out of him!

Our opponent isn't Jiang Ya.

It's the hearts and minds of this city.

We're the police.

If even the police won't follow the law,

then who will?

How much longer can we hold Jiang Ya for?

His sentence for obstructing police work is 10 days.

Today is the last day.

Let him out for now. He's not going to run.

Fang Mu.

We don't have any new evidence in Yafan's case.

The DNA test

on the body you found in Luoyang

confirms that it's Jiang Ya's father.

But the statute of limitations has expired on the case.

I've filed a request with the Supreme Procuratorate to reopen it.

Fang Mu.

Can you hear me?

We have a motive, but no evidence.

We'll find them.

We're all working on it.

It's useless.

He's too cautious.

Fang Mu. You're a cop.

Don't get yourself caught up like this.

I am...

a cop.

Hello?

I'm standing on a rooftop right now.

One more step, then I'll be on the pavement.

Say it.

Say that you want me dead.

One sentence and you'll get your justice.

You don't want to say it?

This is your only chance to kill me.

You'll do whatever I ask you to do?

Your wish is my command.

Go ahead.

Then listen carefully.

Stand right there. Don't jump.

You know you've reached the end of the road.

If you commit another murder, you won't get away clean.

You want me

to be your final sacrifice.

You're recording this.

If I ask you to jump...

the recording will be uploaded to the Internet.

You'll be able to destroy a cop...

and the law can't do anything about it.

You want to sacrifice your life...

so that the Light of the City...

will become a legend.

Stay alive.

I don't just want your life.

I'm going to use a cop's methods...

to obliterate you.

Thief!

Help!

He's taken my bag! My bag!

Stop him!

Are you blind?

I'm sorry.

-Police. -So what if you're police?

This is police brutality!

-Pay up, now! -Let me go!

-No way! -Let me go!

I'll sue you!

Think you're hot shit?

Police brutality!

How could you just beat him up?

A cop... a cop is beating me up!

This cop is beating me.

-I'm trying to catch a thief. -Get him on camera!

He's in the way of police duty!

-Pay up, now! -Upload the video!

"Today's hot topic: Detective hits car and beats up driver"

"Netizen comments"

"Sculpting in Time"

What would you like to drink, sir?

Coffee. No sugar, no cream.

Right away, sir.

Why'd you call me out so urgently?

You set up that accident.

-You could tell? -Yeah.

It was easy to see that the burly guy was acting.

Is he an informant of yours?

Ren Chuan and Yafan died under my watch.

I have to end this.

I'm waiting for him to get me.

I'm worried that he won't show up.

You want to kill him that badly?

Who doesn't?

Don't you?

Do you know why Jiang Ya became like this?

Li Yi's disappearance...

that was your doing.

Listen. I drank a bit too much that night,

and I wanted to teach that bastard a lesson.

But I know I didn't beat him to death.

I have nothing to do with his disappearance.

Nothing at all.

You weren't alone that night.

Jiang Ya was there too.

He thought you were me.

He wanted to finish my work, so he killed Li Yi.

Here's your coffee, sir.

Thanks.

He's been watching me since then,

waiting for me to strike again.

He watched me turn into a mediocre middle-aged man.

As for him...

his thirst for killing became insatiable.

So he took it into his own hands.

You're saying that...

I turned him into the Light of the City.

We did.

I sensed that

you'd done something, but I didn't say anything.

That's how we created him.

We indirectly motivated his hatred.

You wanted to bury the truth.

That's why you dragged me into this case.

You wanted to group the Li Yi case with the other murders.

Your plan is to silence him for good

when he comes for you.

Is that so wrong?

I have to be punished for him?

That makes no sense.

Is it worth it?

It is really worth it?

Give me your gun.

Fang Mu.

I am the Light of the City.

"Today, YOU are the Light of the City. Cast your vote."

"That cop isn't the Light of the City."

Sir.

We're closed for the day.

Make some room.

You're getting a new friend.

Pass the news to every precinct.

-This is a citywide manhunt. -Yes, sir!

-Chief Liu! -Chief Liu! Chief Liu!

Please give us some details about the case.

Do you think there's a need to restrict the use of firearms?

Are there safety rules in place for firearms?

Please tell us something.

A few moments ago,

Captain Yang Xuewu

was pronounced brain-dead.

We're doing all we can to capture Fang Mu.

We have no comment on other matters.

Sir! Sir!

Please help him.

I know what he's trying to do.

He chose this path for himself.

He's going to get killed!

Time to make your acquaintance again.

I'm the Light of the City.

You're trying to rile me up.

You turned yourself into the bait to get me on the hook again.

Right?

At this moment,

I'm the Light of the City.

I gave you a chance to become him.

But now, you're not even worthy of tainting that name.

No matter what you do now...

everyone will assume

that you're just some two-bit imitator.

Am I right? Mutt?

Don't...

call me...

Mutt!

That's Li Yi in the pool.

You'll be the next one to vanish.

Jiang Ya.

Just stop.

It's time for the Light of the City to disappear.

You know that I can't stop.

I started this because I idolized you.

But now I know what it feels like to be idolized.

I can't.

I can't go back to being normal anymore.

I have to show Wei Wei... and you...

and everyone...

that I'm the most powerful man in this city.

This is what I used for my first murder.

I have to admit...

I really don't want to kill you.

But there always comes a time to say goodbye.

"Trust me."

Fang Mu.

Fang Mu.

Fang Mu mailed this to us.

He wanted all of us to see it.

Including him.

Is everyone here?

Chief Liu. Xuewu. Mi Nan.

Everyone on the team.

And Jiang Ya.

By the time you see this...

I should already be dead.

An hour from now...

I'll be at the Sculpting in Time café on Hefei North Road

to meet with Yang Xuewu...

and fire a shot at him.

Taking a bullet

at such close range...

It'll hurt like hell.

Even with a bulletproof vest on.

I'm sorry, my friend.

Jiang Ya, this is a trap that Chief Liu, Xuewu, and I set for you.

When I kill Yang Xuewu in public,

the video will divert people's attention.

I know you'll be furious at me.

You'll think that I've destroyed the Light of the City's halo.

That's why you'll kill me with everything you've got.

During my investigation in Luoyang,

I found a dungeon in Jiang Ya's old home.

That's where his father was hidden.

All over the corpse,

there are all kinds of scars,

both old and new.

The last ones were probably made three, four years ago.

Then the torture stopped.

It means that he found a new target.

That target was Li Yi.

Jiang Ya kept him like a prized trophy.

He's likely somewhere in the city...

hidden in a basement.

It's probably close to his shop.

If you can find that basement...

that's where you'll find my body.

You'll find a very important clue there.

Before he kills me, I'll find a way

to take something,

like his flesh, for instance,

as evidence.

You'll find that piece of evidence inside my body.

By the way,

it is very, very important that

you perform a thorough autopsy on me,

especially on my stomach.

Jiang Ya.

Too many people have died.

Especially...

Yafan.

I'm indirectly responsible...

for the way you turned out.

That's why I hope that

I can capture you in a lawful manner

instead of using your methods.

After all...

I'm still a cop.

We solve cases and make arrests.

The court doesn't hand down judgment

to avenge the victims.

It prevents our conscience from being twisted.

It gives hope

to those in the dark

who still believe in the light.

"Light of the City Killer Arrested"

We can't deny that

the pursuit of justice gave rise to Jiang Ya.

Were his actions truly done for justice?

Or did they just twist its nature?

Every person has a different answer.

Perhaps we've all wanted to do...

what Jiang Ya has done.

But I want to tell every citizen of our city

that fighting violence with violence

and believing in violence

will only beget more brutality.

If the scales of justice have tipped off-balance,

then...

I'm willing to be the makeweight that fixes it.

Does the defendant have any last words?

I've lost.

He's truly the beacon of light shining on this city.

A preserved flower.

Can't find the truth without paying respects to the dead.

When you run into danger,

she's the only one who will look out for you.

Don't get yourself caught up like this.

Fang Mu.

Did you get him?

We got him.

How did you think of using the flower?

We got the signal!

I just forgot to change my clothes.

Can't you say something nice for once?

I have one final question,

then we can close the case for good.

Sure.

The last line in your video.

What did it mean?

Mi Nan.

That's it.