Original subtitles

=Sword Rose=

=Episode 27=

This Zhou Hongcai

knows Cripple...

Cripple feared his identity would get out.

So he killed Zhou Hongcai.

(Hi, Xiaochu.)

(I'm Ai Xin, from the Anti-abduction Office.)

(We really need to thank your fiancé, Wen Xu.)

(To find you,)

(he carried your photo)

(and traveled to over a dozen cities.)

(He was even in Linshan just a few days ago.)

(I saw that photo.)

(You were dancing in it.)

(You looked beautiful.)

(He must really love you.)

(Wen Xu has been to more than a dozen cities)

(in search of you.)

(Why)

(don't you want to see him?)

(I...)

(don't want him to know what happened.)

(Some things change, and there's no going back.)

(What's gone is gone.)

(I just want him to remember)

(the best time we had together,)

(and me at my best.)

(Alright then.)

(We'll respect your decision.)

(Stop by Tuanyuan Restaurant if you'd like.)

(There should still be photos Wen Xu took of you.)

(Missing Person, Zhang Xiaochu)

Welcome.

What would you like?

(Missing Person, Zhang Xiaochu)

Hold on.

You can't take that.

Why are you taking this?

Are you...

Wait a sec.

You're Zhang Xiaochu?

You're really Zhang Xiaochu?

Someone's been

looking for you.

Tall guy,

hair down to here.

Mr. Wen.

His last name is Wen.

You know him, right?

No, no! Don't go!

Let me call him!

I can help you reach him!

Please don't go!

(Wen Xu, Zhang Xiaochu is at the restaurant. Come quick!)

Wu.

Welcome.

Ms. Fang.

You didn't have to

bring a gift.

I've wanted to visit,

but I was busy.

Congrats on the baby girl!

This is for Qian.

How thoughtful of you.

And this.

Mr. Ye told me to get

the candied chestnuts from South Street.

Mr. Ye doesn't even know

I love the candied chestnuts from that exact shop.

You must've waited in line forever.

That place is always packed.

Not too long.

Madam.

I'll bring the little one.

Come on.

Sweetie, come here.

Mommy wants to introduce you to someone, okay?

Come say hi to Uncle Wu.

Say "Uncle."

Hello, Qian.

Uncle...

Hi, there!

Say "Uncle."

She's just a little shy.

It's okay.

Daddy...

Look at this kid.

He's your uncle,

look closely.

When I told you to say "Daddy," you didn't say it,

and now you're calling your uncle

Daddy?

He's your uncle,

not Daddy.

Not Daddy.

Ms. Fang, I feel like

this kid and I have a connection.

How about...

I become her godfather?

You're really taking advantage of this visit, huh?

Isn't this all too sudden?

Hey, how's that taking advantage?

Want me as your goddad?

Yeah?

Look.

I got this

for you.

Do you like it?

I do.

It really is a pretty doll, isn't it?

So, how about a thank-you?

Thank you, Uncle.

Say "Goddad".

It's settled then!

I will come to visit you often!

You should hurry up and find a girlfriend.

What goddad nonsense?

Come on now.

I got a goddaughter.

Who needs a girlfriend?

(Tuanyuan Restaurant)

Hey!

Where's your owner?

What's going on?

Something wrong?

My kid

ate a bowl of noodles here,

and he's had diarrhea.

You owe me an explanation!

Well...

Are you sure

your kid didn't eat

anything else that was spoiled?

He ate at your place and went straight home.

That was all!

The doctor said

it was food poisoning!

Now explain yourselves.

Um...

Please hear me out.

Well,

we've run this place for years now,

and this has never happened before.

Are you...

Fine.

Still denying it?

I only brought my kid here

to have your food because I felt pity

for your family!

Here's the doctor's note.

Three thousand yuan.

Medical bills and lost wages.

You need to pay me.

Sir, please,

you can't just accuse us like that.

How do you know your kid

didn't eat anything else?

We have no way of knowing that.

Young lady...

Meiyu!

It's true, though.

Let's all just calm down and talk.

Okay?

Alright.

Okay.

There's no reasoning with you.

I won't argue anymore.

I'll take this somewhere else.

Hey, wait...

Wait...

Go ahead, eat!

Eat your food!

We're leaving.

Alright, fine. It's on the house!

Free of charge!

Meiyu,

did the kid actually have noodles here?

Now I remember.

That bowl of noodles yesterday

was made by you, Madam Zhang.

I made it?

I made him a bowl of noodles?

I cooked it for him?

I... I...

Go check on it!

This...

I just remembered something.

Liu, after you left yesterday,

that kid showed up.

I made him a bowl of noodles.

I...

added a bit more vegetables.

Put in some salt.

The kid doesn't eat spicy food.

I didn't add chili.

And since I thought he liked sweets,

I added just a little bit of sugar.

As for the rest...

This...

This isn't sugar.

This is cleaning powder.

Cleaning powder?

What is the cleaning powder doing here?

I used it to clean the kitchen yesterday.

I forgot to put it away.

This...

It was my fault.

It was my mistake.

It's on me!

No, no.

You're not the only one to blame. I should've...

I should've tasted it before adding it in.

Yeah, it didn't even look like sugar.

This is on me too.

My eyesight got worse.

Go find the family.

You need to apologize.

Yes, of course.

Go now.

Alright.

Take it easy.

Is it this way?

Yes, take your time.

(Tuanyuan Restaurant)

We truly

understand your situation.

But rules and regulations

must be followed.

Given her condition now,

she's considered not fully capable of managing on her own.

She is no longer fit to run the restaurant.

Look,

you may close for now.

Understood.

We'll get going then.

Have a nice day.

Let's check on the other shop.

What now?

We just have to tell the truth.

You explain it to her.

Madam Zhang.

They mean to say

we should let the restaurant

temporarily close for now.

Xiaoxing,

am I sick?

Madam Zhang,

don't overthink it.

You're just

a little too tired lately.

While the shop is closed,

you can take a good rest and recover...

Xiaoxing.

That day when you took me to the hospital...

Now that I think about it,

that doctor

asked me a bunch of strange questions.

Lately, I've been...

I keep...

getting all confused.

Do I have Alzheimer's?

Madam Zhang...

It's just...

You've got some common age-related conditions.

That's completely normal for older folks.

Xiaoxing.

You have to tell me the truth.

Madam Zhang, you've just been too tired lately.

Even we young ones

forget stuff all the time.

Exactly.

I lost my keys at the restaurant a few days ago.

Right?

Yep.

I left my phone at Bring Lost Children Home.

See?

We just haven't had enough rest.

Didn't I misplace my bag too?

(Missing Person, Lin Ran)

(Missing Person, Lin Ran)

(Linshan City Police Bureau)

(Linshan City People's Reception Office)

Excuse me.

Here to see someone?

Hi, how can I get to the Anti-abduction Office?

The Anti-abduction Office?

These folks work there.

Sir!

Police officer!

Hello.

My daughter was taken by bad people.

What's your daughter's name?

Tong Xiaoling.

Can you tell us what happened?

Officer,

our Xiaoling went overseas.

Can you go abroad to look for her?

And how did you know she was taken overseas?

I...

We...

Okay, Sir, Madam,

no need to panic.

Let's talk in the reception room.

Come on.

Feng, grab the bag, please.

I got it, Sir.

Thank you.

Tong Xiaoling, 19 years old.

From Lianxiang Town.

She used to work

as a waitress at a restaurant in Linshan City.

About a month ago,

she told her parents she wanted to make big money overseas.

They never heard from her again.

A few days ago,

her mom received

a text from an unknown number.

It just said, "Mom, help me."

The parents feared she might be in danger,

so they called the police.

Tong Xiaoling

was sent to work in Qinmang

through an agency called Mixin International Labor Company.

She went with nine other girls.

None of them can be reached now.

So we suspect

this is part of

a cross-border scam operation.

Recently,

these labor scams

targeting overseas jobs

have been popping up all across the country.

It's had a terrible impact.

HQ asked

the provincial department to form a task force.

I'll be the team lead.

Han Liang will be the deputy lead.

You'll take full charge of operations.

We need full cooperation from you.

Yes, Sir.

This case involves overseas activities.

So it's going to be a bit tricky to investigate.

The provincial department

got in touch with the Ministry of Public Security.

They contacted the liaison officer Zou Yuhuai

stationed in Qinmang.

He'll assist the investigation.

And even though

we've only had one report here in Linshan,

there must be

a lot more victims.

So,

we have to move fast.

We need to find leads as soon as possible.

- Yes. - Yes.

Hey, listen.

Don't get greedy.

A hundred thousand in agency fees?

Give a discount if you have to.

It's easy money anyway.

We're not even making our real money from that.

I gave a discount.

What do you mean I didn't?

Gang, all the money we make ends up with you.

If I don't take some agency fee,

how do I get by?

I've already put your cut into an offshore account.

What's the problem?

You don't trust me?

It's not that I don't trust you.

Money in hand is peace of mind.

I've got nothing in hand,

and I haven't even seen it.

Let's make

a few more big deals.

Then, I'll show you

everything there is to see.

The numbers in your bank account

will definitely make you happy.

Alright.

I'll be waiting to see those numbers.

Those ten we sent last time

were a pretty good batch.

Hurry up.

Keep recruiting.

Aren't I already looking?

I have to pick carefully.

Careful about what?

Right now, speed is what matters most.

It's that urgent?

Did you hear something?

Enough.

Don't be paranoid.

Well,

I want to

make enough

and take you abroad.

I'll do whatever you say, Gang.

Sure, let's leave it at that for now.

Hi, we're from the Anti-abduction Office.

First door on the left.

Got it, thanks.

Come, this way.

Officer,

you don't have to bother with us.

We'll figure something out.

It's fine.

This is the police department's guesthouse.

No charge.

Stay here and rest.

No, we can't.

You're going out of your way to find our daughter.

We can't stay here for free.

Don't worry.

This is all standard procedure.

Searching for your daughter

is our duty.

As for the basics,

we've already got a pretty clear picture.

So please,

just stay here and rest.

If there's any update,

I'll let you know right away.

We'll be back to work then.

If you run into any problems,

contact me anytime.

Get some good rest.

Honey.

This doesn't look good, you know.

I'm just as confused.

Madam Zhang.

You should eat something.

I already did.

You haven't eaten all day.

When did you eat?

Come on, have some.

I already ate.

I made this for you.

Please eat.

What did you eat?

You haven't had anything today.

I'm stuffed, honestly.

You eat. Once you finish, just go home, alright?

Meiyu.

The place is closed.

Why haven't you gone home?

Madam Zhang insisted on coming.

She won't leave until after midnight.

She says she has to wait for Ranran.

Her condition's been getting worse lately.

Sometimes

she doesn't even recognize me.

Xiaoxing's been really busy lately too.

So I'm the only one looking after her here.

But...

What is it?

Something wrong?

My pet shop shut down.

I still owe some money.

And now the restaurant is closed too.

So...

I don't have any income anymore.

A friend of mine

introduced me to a company.

They asked me to go for an interview tomorrow.

As long as I have time,

I'll come to look after Madam Zhang.

Don't worry.

You go first.

Yanyan's here.

Look.

Isn't it pretty?

It's really pretty.

It even transforms.

There, it changed.

You're so clever with your hands, Madam Zhang.

Here you go, Madam Zhang.

While the noodles are warm,

go ahead and eat this bowl.

Once you finish, I'll take you home.

We eat, and then we go home.

Yes.

Alright.

Have you eaten?

Yes, I have.

Then I'll eat too.

I'll watch you eat.

Tasty?

Tasty.

You made it?

Meiyu made it.

Tasty.

Want some water?

No?

Are you done?

You made this?

Not me.

Meiyu made it.

Tasty.

Tasty.

Manager Wang.

(Mixin International Labor Company)

All the documents are ready.

Everything's here.

Alright, once it's done,

just head this way.

Hi, are you here for immigration or overseas job recruitment?

Recruitment.

Please fill this out.

Okay, thank you.

Zhang.

Ms. Zhen.

Send me the final list of candidates

we confirmed.

Got it.

She's here about overseas work.

This is Ms. Zhen.

Hello.

Hello, Ms. Zhen.

Come with me.

Never mind, just come in with me.

Have a seat.

Here's my résumé.

Ms. Zhen.

Here's the filtered list

of qualified candidates for overseas work. Please sign here.

Ruan Meiyu, right?

Yes.

Why didn't you

list your educational background?

Let me give you a quick overview.

Our overseas recruitment program

mainly covers two regions.

Africa,

and Southeast Asia.

We're mainly hiring construction workers for Africa.

It's not really suitable for someone like you.

I suggest you take a look at

Southeast Asia.

As for Southeast Asia,

we have twelve companies hiring.

This is the list of companies.

You can take a look.

(Pangka Hotel)

Excuse me,

is this the highest-paying job for service staff?

Yes.

Pangka Hotel

is a luxury five-star hotel in Qinmang.

With more and more Chinese tourists going there,

they're in urgent need

of Chinese-speaking staff.

But from what I see,

you don't seem to have

any hotel service experience.

But I used to run a pet shop.

That counts as service too, right?

You're pretty handy too.

Looks like

luck's on your side.

Pangka Hotel is hiring just ten staff.

We already have nine.

Only one spot left.

But the agency fee is 100,000 yuan.

That's a lot.

Our agency fee is indeed

on the higher side.

But

that's the going rate for international jobs.

You actually meet the requirements quite well.

And since this company just opened,

I'll give you 90% off.

Ninety percent off?

That's...

That's still 10,000 yuan.

If you really can't come up with it right now...

I could

deduct it from your first three months' salary.

Alright, that works.

Thank you, Ms. Zhen.

Zhang.

Ms. Zhen.

Take this lady,

Ms. Ruan,

to sign the contract.

Got it.

Right this way.

Thank you.

Right this way.

(Linshan Public Security Bureau)

Regarding Tong Xiaoling's disappearance,

Chief Xiao has already briefed me on the case.

With help from the local police, I found

that Tong Xiaoling and the others left the country,

and weren't sent to work at Pameng Hotel.

Staff at Pameng Hotel told us

their official website had been hacked.

Someone used their website

to post job ads.

They know

nothing about it.

But our colleagues at the Anti-abduction Office found

those ten people's visa documents

were provided by the hotel.

Well,

the general manager of Pameng Hotel claims

he had no idea.

The local police are still investigating.

From what I know,

this hotel has ties to organized crime.

So I doubt the police

will find anything useful.

Is there another way to

investigate this?

Through other sources,

I found a prostitution ring from China

with deep connections to the hotel.

Anti-abduction Office

provided the phone

used to send the SOS text.

Does the owner have any ties to that prostitution ring?

The phone owner

said he got a girl from China

through one of their pimps.

I suspect that girl was Tong Xiaoling.

While she was forced into prostitution,

she used the client's phone

to send out the SOS message.

Can we trace that brothel

through the owner of that phone?

Based on our investigation,

that prostitution ring keeps moving

from one place to another.

Comrade Zou Yuhuai,

we'll need you to keep tracking

their hideouts as they move.

If anything new comes up,

keep us in the loop.

Understood.

Deng Yan,

has the Anti-abduction Office

found anything new?

Yes.

We've already looked into Mixin International.

All their paperwork checks out.

Nothing suspicious so far.

But we're still investigating the person

in charge of the company, Zhen Ni.

Chief Xiao, Zhen Ni might be

the breakthrough in this case.

Keep digging.

Report any leads right away.

Got it.

Sir,

I've just found something new.

Go on.

Mixin International Labor Company

just posted a new job listing.

The job is at Pangka Hotel in Qinmang.

It's a five-star hotel too.

They're hiring ten female servers.

Investigate the Immigration Administration.

Yes, Sir.

These are the visa documents provided by the hotel.

The ten girls listed here

left the country three days ago.

(A friend of mine)

referred me to a company

and said I could go for an interview tomorrow.

We all know what needs to be done next,

don't we?

Let's move.

♪How can one ever see the light ignored?♪

♪How can one ever know all that you've been through♪

♪Who can truly hear a bird that sings without a sound♪

♪What shape has your sky been painted into?♪

♪Searching day after day for the person you used to be♪

♪The night stretches on♪

♪But light always returns♪

♪Who has the courage to embrace a kindness wrapped in silence?♪

♪Who can stay true for a lifetime through lies and truth?♪

♪You're facing me in the tiny corner♪

♪Brilliant starlight♪

Hello.

Hello.

Hello, officers.

We're here for Zhen Ni.

Sure, this way, please.

(Certified Overseas Labor Company)

Ms. Zhen, the officers are here to see you.

Please, have a seat.

We have a few questions.

Did this woman

go abroad through your company?

I remember her.

Her name is Tong Xiaoling.

She went to Qinmang for work.

Her family was struggling,

so I waived

about half of her agency fee.

Do you know what job

she ended up doing there?

She works as a waitress.

Including her,

all ten went through us

for visas.

They departed from the Bailianquan port.

Actually, these days,

aside from Qinmang,

a lot of Southeast Asian countries

need Chinese workers

due to a big jump in Chinese tourists.

So these ten people

went to work at the hotel there?

How are they doing?

They should be doing fine.

I haven't heard any complaints

about any of the hotels.

But to be honest,

what worries us is when someone

runs off.

Then, it's out of our hands.

Officer,

did someone go missing, right?

Do you handle Western immigration too?

Western immigration is even tougher.

It takes longer, more paperwork,

and it's harder.

I just opened this place a month ago.

I've only just figured out Southeast Asia.

So, officers, what brought you here today?

Oh, it's nothing big.

We're working on a case lately,

and we need to visit

all the labor agencies in the city.

Just routine visits

to get a better sense of what's going on in the industry.

If you ever need anything,

just let me know. I'll fully cooperate.

Great, we appreciate it.

We'll be on our way, then.

Right this way.

The man who tried to take the kid

had a bracelet on his wrist.

Ms. Zhen.

That bracelet is really pretty.

Where did you get it?

Oh, this?

It's nothing fancy.

I've worn it so long

I can't take it off.

If you like bracelets too,

I know a good place with great prices.

That's all right.

Just wanted to take a look.

Okay. If that's all,

we'll get going.

Sure.

Take care, both of you.

(Linshan City Police Bureau)

Zhen Ni admitted

that Tong Xiaoling did go abroad

through her labor agency

to work at a hotel in Qinmang.

However,

she claims to know nothing about

what happened after Tong got there.

We've looked into her company too.

All the documents are in order,

and everything is legal and compliant,

with no irregularities.

During our conversation with her,

we noticed one detail.

She was wearing a jade bracelet.

And that bracelet was made of jade.

A jade bracelet...

Wasn't the person who grabbed Kui

also wearing a bracelet?

A woman dressed as a man?

That's exactly why I paid attention to it.

But of course, lots of women wear bracelets.

We can't just assume

Zhen Ni is the trafficker because of that.

But right now, she's our biggest suspect.

Keep an eye on her.

Got it.

Oh, right.

What about that photo we found on Zhou Hongcai?

Any progress?

The tech department

has restored it.

(Dingshun Group Charity Donation for Poor Rural Schools)

Based on our earlier analysis,

the person who killed Zhou Hongcai

is very likely Cripple.

So

everyone in this photo

is a potential suspect.

That includes Ye Xiuming.

Ye Xiuming?

You think he's involved?

Isn't Dingshun Group always doing charity work?

He does donate a lot,

but he was involved

in the Kui case too.

Even though he explained it later,

I've always felt

something was off about it.

Because of my personal ties to Ye Xiuming,

I'll ask Chief Xiao to

recuse me from the case.

That's all for today. Meeting adjourned.

Hello?

Gang.

The police came to the labor agency today.

What did they want?

What did you say?

They said it was a routine visit to all overseas labor firms in the city.

Nothing specific came up.

Don't worry.

I handled it just fine.

It should be okay.

I told you

not to get greedy over that little commission money.

But you wouldn't listen.

Look at the situation now.

Don't you see how serious it is?

It's really nothing.

The cops barely asked anything and left.

Come on.

You're messing up the operation over pocket change.

You won't even know

when it's game over for you.

Your life's not worth much.

I can't protect you.

Got it?

Is it really that serious?

So what should we do now?

Get rid of the goods you have on hand.

Don't let it sit with you.

Wait for my word.

Don't stir up any more trouble.

Got it, Gang.

Well...

Madam Zhang, don't move.

No, leave it.

I just wanted to get some water.

Okay, I'll get it.

You could cut yourself.

Let me clean this up.

I got it, okay?

Go have a seat over there.

Well...

You could cut yourself.

Didn't I tell you?

If you want water or anything, just call me.

I'll get it for you.

Now I even need help getting water.

Unbelievable.

I know you just didn't want to trouble me.

But isn't it more trouble for me to clean this up?

Hey, don't get cut.

Careful, don't hurt yourself.

Madam Zhang.

Director Deng.

Yanyan.

Coming here

on a rainy day?

It's fine, I brought an umbrella.

Come, give me a hug.

Madam Zhang, you've gained weight.

I listened to you.

I've been eating more.

A lot more.

Good girl.

Sit down.

Okay.

Sit.

Hold on.

Wait a second.

Director Deng, have some water.

Thank you.

What's this, Madam Zhang?

Yanyan.

I know what illness I have.

Thank you.

All this time,

you still threw the medicine box away.

Madam Zhang.

Everyone gets sick sometimes.

The medicine makes you better.

I asked you here because

I must tell you something.

I'm just afraid...

that bit by bit,

I'll start forgetting things.

So lately,

whenever something comes to mind,

I write it down.

I've been keeping it all in this little notebook.

Look. This is about the day Ranran went missing.

All the details from that day...

I wrote them all down here.

And also

the things Ranran likes to eat.

I wrote those down too.

Look. On this day,

Ranran came first in class.

I promised to take her to the aquarium.

But then...

before the weekend came...

She...

Do you still remember...

this?

This was from

that talent show performance we did!

That's right.

Ranran wore that dress that day.

You even sewed a little flower on it.

Only she had it.

All the other kids were so jealous.

I stayed up all night embroidering that for her.

I stayed up all night.

That's exactly what she said too.

The two of you looked gorgeous

in those dresses.

These are all her things

from when she was little.

I sorted it all out.

I want you to have it.

No, Madam Zhang.

What are you saying?

No, no, Madam Zhang, look.

You should hold on to these for now.

When Ranran comes back,

you can give them to her yourself, okay?

No.

Here's what I'm thinking.

I'd like to ask you...

to help me look into a nursing home.

Wait, what?

You're doing just fine here.

Why would you move to a nursing home?

Look at the way I am now.

I pretty much need someone with me all the time.

Xiaoxing and the others

are already doing too much for me.

They have their own lives.

And you too.

I called you on a rainy day

and you still came.

Madam Zhang, please don't think like that.

I don't see you as a burden, not at all.

You've helped so many families,

so many children.

You never thought it was too much.

How could I see this

as any trouble?

Besides, I like coming here.

Please don't think that way.

Yanyan,

if I stay

at the nursing home,

I'll be able to

get proper care and treatment.

I just hope...

this forgetfulness of mine

can be slowed down a bit

so that

when Ranran comes back,

I'll still be...

in my right mind.

♪What kind of person do you want to be?♪

♪A beacon in the night, lighting the way for others♪

♪A brave soul♪

♪No matter the role I play♪

♪My heart stays true♪

♪Through it all, I became who I am♪

♪I walked my youth with nothing to regret♪

♪Bearing love's pain, I fight for the impossible♪

♪Never letting down those unwavering eyes♪

♪Go on river, just keep flowing♪

♪With steady eyes, I raise my hand♪

♪The gentle strength of navy blue, one moment etched in eternity♪

♪Once I choose this path, I won't turn back♪

♪Let time come and go as it will♪

♪There's always someone behind the spotlight♪

♪What we cherish in time stays forever new♪

♪Just like my heart♪

♪It will never rust♪

♪This heart in navy blue♪

♪Will never rust♪WEBVTT

♪Will never rust♪