Original subtitles

[Under the Skin Ⅱ]

[Episode 16]

Captain Cheng.

[Beijiang Criminal Investigation Team]

I checked the public surveillance cameras

near Min Xue's rescue station.

There was nothing unusual about

the people who entered and left.

However,

last week, Min Shengmei

actually went to see Min Xue.

Why did she go to see Min Xue?

I don't know.

The surveillance footage only showed

that she went there with gifts.

Min Xue accepted them.

There's no other information besides that.

Have you checked on Min Shengmei's recent situation?

Yes, I have.

She hasn't had a job since getting out of prison,

and hasn't remarried.

But

in the past two years,

[Beijiang Criminal Investigation Team]

she has nearly a hundred records

[Reservation Record]

of booking high-end hotel rooms.

Go check the hotel surveillance footage

to see if there are any clues.

Okay.

Jiang Feng's special energy boost.

Please enjoy.

Thanks.

If you had some eye drops,

that would be even better.

You actually have some?

Let me put them in for you.

No, no need.

I'll do it myself.

Alright.

Here.

How is it?

I found it.

On the 29th at 8:17 PM,

Min Shengmei brought a girl

to check in at the front desk.

In... Room 1018.

But after they went upstairs,

they entered

Room 1016 instead.

Shortly after,

Min Shengmei came out alone

and walked into Room 1018 next door,

leaving the girl alone

in Room 1016.

One hour and 42 minutes later,

the girl walked out of 1016

and entered 1018.

Then they both left together.

Do you have the information of the tenant of 1016?

Yes.

[Basic information: Guo Zhengjian]

Guo Zhengjian, 55 years old,

CEO of a private enterprise.

He was once sued for molesting

an underage girl,

but the case was dropped

because the victim withdrew the charges.

Confirm Min Shengmei

as a major suspect.

[Beijiang Branch, Beijiang City Public Security Bureau]

Over here.

Coming.

Coming.

Officer Du.

Min Shengmei.

You're suspected of organizing prostitution.

Please come with us.

This is our summoning warrant.

[Beijiang City Public Security Bureau Summoning Warrant]

We've found out

that on the 29th,

you took a girl

to the Wenhao Hotel.

What for?

Silence is meaningless.

We found

several of your clients

in your WeChat chat history.

Guo Zhengjian,

Chu Zhigang,

and Meng Weizhou.

Do I need to continue with the others?

What else can I say?

It's just as you think.

They're all the same as Zhang Bin.

But I'm just an employee.

Working for whom?

Min Xue.

Do you have any evidence?

What evidence do you need?

Let me tell you,

there are no eternal enemies,

only eternal interests.

Min Xue has never been

a simple person.

When I first adopted her,

I felt that

although she had a young face,

the ideas in her head

were definitely not

those of someone her age.

At first,

I doubted her age.

But later, because I was

soft-hearted,

I trusted her.

Sure enough, right?

I still feel that

she doesn't look like she's 24 or 25.

So how old

do you think she is?

At least five years older than she claims,

around 30.

So she used her experiences

to create a story

and established that charity home.

She never really

intended to do any good.

She was just

using these girls to make money.

That's why she found me.

Xue.

You're here.

After all these years,

you're the person I've wronged the most.

I really didn't have the face to see you.

I didn't expect you'd still remember me,

let alone allow me to come.

Is this your new residence?

Do you need me to do anything?

Just say the word,

I'll do anything.

Look, I've brought you

so many nice things.

Daughter, let me sweep.

Don't tire yourself out.

Mom.

After getting out,

you've become so useless?

You actually called me...

Does this mean you're willing to forgive me?

I knew

you still had a place for your mother in your heart.

Don't flatter yourself.

You sent me to that pervert

so you could

lead a good life.

How dare you call yourself a mother?

Then why did you call me here?

I don't want to dirty your yard.

Well,

I found you a way

to make money.

You?

So how did you divide the work?

That's what makes her so good.

She never lets me

contact her first.

She always contacts me.

She changes her number after each job.

The girls are hers.

The clients are hers too.

I'm only responsible for taking them there.

If something goes wrong,

she quickly disappears.

Since you're well aware of this,

why do you still work with her?

Greed, of course.

I still wanted to get something for nothing.

Min Xue.

The girl you personally saved

has never been a simple person.

Surprised?

Although Min Xue is a suspect,

there's one thing I can't understand.

She has

suffered the same pain herself,

why would she become an accomplice?

This can be explained in criminal psychology.

It's called victim-perpetrator transformation.

It refers to

a phenomenon where, in rare cases, after being harmed,

due to psychological trauma

and other influencing factors,

a victim

becomes a perpetrator.

In pyramid schemes and telecom fraud,

there were many such examples before.

People who were originally scammed

ended up joining the scammer's team

to scam others.

They could recoup their losses this way.

Captain Cheng.

Captain Cheng.

Why don't we

call Min Xue over

and hear what she has to say?

Alright.

[Inquiry Room]

[Door 01]

[Door 01]

This was the first time

I've met her in so many years,

and it was also the only time.

She came uninvited.

Why are you here?

I... I...

I saw you

on TV.

I wanted to come see you.

You've done well for yourself, huh?

All these years,

I've actually felt

quite guilty towards you.

So I came this time

to see

if you could forgive me.

Look,

I've brought you

so many nice things.

Let mommy help you,

don't tire yourself out, my girl.

You're not welcome here.

Take your things and get out.

Seriously, look at you.

After all these years, your temper hasn't changed a bit.

I paid good money for all of those

expensive and high-quality nutritional supplements.

Besides, these children of yours have all suffered.

They're growing and need these.

You didn't drug these, did you?

How could I?

I came here with sincerity.

This rescue station of yours

has been advertising

for sponsors, hasn't it?

Why does everything

that comes out of your mouth

sound so unpleasant?

They're called benefactors.

Right, right, right. Benefactors.

The reason I came this time

is to introduce

benefactors to your place.

Are you really that kind-hearted?

We've been mother and daughter for so many years.

This is called resource sharing.

Think about it.

I have benefactors,

you have girls.

If you trust me

and hand over the girls to me,

we can do business together.

We'll split the profits 50-50.

Could I possibly earn a dime more than you?

Of course not.

The benefactors you're talking about

wouldn't happen to be

people like Zhang Bin, right?

Isn't that exactly what this

charity home of yours does?

We're in the same line of work.

Let's stop beating around the bush.

Who's in the same line of work as you?

We don't do that here.

Looks like you still need further rehabilitation.

Someone has already figured out

the details of your operations here.

I advise you not to provoke people you shouldn't.

Take this.

If you don't believe me, just try it.

Think it over.

Other than that,

we never had any other

meeting or contact.

Who are those people Min Shengmei mentioned?

I don't know.

They should be

all perverts like Zhang Bin.

What about the things she brought?

Where did they end up?

They were all distributed to everyone.

The rescue station is struggling to operate.

It's not often we get

supplies delivered to our door.

Might as well take them if they're free.

Why would Min Shengmei think

that you and she were in the same line of work?

She even invited you to collaborate

with her on your first meeting.

It's normal that you don't understand.

I only realized

how difficult it is to raise funds

after running this shelter.

Instead, there are

a lot of scumbags

who covet these girls

and want to take advantage of them for free.

I...

When I was young,

I was once abused.

This kind of thing

is too perverse.

So I'd never sell their bodies

for money.

Never.

Du.

Are you suspecting me?

Escort her out of the room first.

It doesn't matter if

she's lying or telling the truth.

Money doesn't lie.

Have Li Han investigate

Min Xue and Min Shengmei's online financial transactions.

We'll check offline to see

if they have hidden funds from unknown sources.

Nothing on the first floor.

[Wall of Honor]

Nothing on the third floor.

Nothing in the rooms either.

Captain Lei

would have believed me.

I've already said I didn't hide any money.

Nothing.

Jiang Feng.

Is this yours?

No.

Where did it come from?

I don't know.

Someone is framing me.

Who's framing you?

Min Xue.

Why would she frame you?

She was the one who

lied about her age to deceive me back then.

This must be her doing.

[Beijiang City Public Security Bureau, Beijiang Branch]

Captain Cheng.

Mr. Shen is treating everyone to drinks.

Why is he treating us for no reason?

I don't know either.

Everyone has one.

Captain Cheng,

I've checked all

the registered beneficiaries

at Min Xue's rescue station.

They all denied

that Min Xue took them out

or forced them into prostitution.

Moreover,

Wei Xianzhong was already

listed as a donor two years ago.

The donation amount gradually decreased until the incident,

which is consistent with his bankrupt financial situation.

Every expense of the rescue station

is also clearly recorded

and indeed used for daily operational expenses.

They live

a pretty frugal life.

Then all the doubts have been cleared up.

We can close Wei Xianzhong's case.

[Police officers suspected of malfeasance]

[Lawyer reveals underage female sexual assault victim lied about age]

[Police officers suspected of malfeasance]

[Lawyer reveals underage female sexual assault victim lied about age]

Min Shengmei must have leaked the information,

trying to use this to stir up public opinion

and disrupt our investigation direction.

Captain Cheng,

she accused Min Xue of organizing prostitution.

Should we continue investigating?

Investigate.

Whether it's organizing prostitution

or the leak about age falsification,

as long as there are doubts,

we must investigate thoroughly.

Alright.

Li Han,

continue to crack

Min Shengmei's phone data.

You must find the members and targets

of the prostitution ring through her phone.

Okay.

Also,

make sure to verify

the ages of those providing sexual services.

Don't worry.

[2009 Outstanding Worker of the Year] [Lei Yifei]

What are you doing?

Such a temper.

Calm down.

Du Cheng,

you've really become a police officer now.

He led me down this path.

if I hadn't met him,

I'd be dead somewhere by now.

[2009 Outstanding Worker of the Year] [Lei Yifei]

The drink.

Was nice.

Was it?

If you like it,

I'll buy you more next time.

There's a rumor online

that when Min Xue was assaulted,

she was actually twenty-two years old.

Min Xue's age

was crucial in convicting Zhang Bin.

Because she was underage,

Zhang Bin was convicted of

raping a minor.

If Min Shengmei were telling the truth,

the criteria for sentencing

would be different.

If Min Shengmei were telling the truth,

it would mean that...

Captain Lei made a mistake.

But why would Min Xue lie?

Du Cheng,

I understand how you feel.

I also know that Captain Lei

means a lot to you.

But we can't let

personal feelings

prevent us from facing the truth.

Don't worry.

But I don't believe

Captain Lei would make such a big mistake.

Yan.

What's up?

Can you try to recall again

Min Shengmei's interrogation details

before she recanted?

Let me think.

During the preliminary hearing,

both of them insisted

that Min Xue showed

maturity beyond her age at home.

They both said

Min Xue was deliberately seducing Zhang Bin.

Neither of them believed

she was a minor.

When I saw

the way they were testifying,

it seemed like they were putting on an act.

So I didn't believe

it was true either.

But to be cautious, Captain Lei

decided to investigate.

However, after a thorough investigation,

no issues were found.

Later, we visited Min Xue's place of origin

and double-checked her household registration information.

Everything proved that Min Xue was indeed a minor.

So in the end, it was determined to be

the rape of a minor female.

You already know all this, don't you?

Yes.

This case was closed by Captain Lei back then.

I don't believe Captain Lei would have handled the case wrongly.

[Beijiang Branch, Beijiang City Public Security Bureau]

The municipal bureau's party committee has appointed

Deputy Captain Lu Haizhou of the Criminal Investigation Division

to be in charge of reinvestigating Min Xue's sexual assault case from back then.

Our branch is responsible for assisting with the investigation.

Your Criminal Investigation Team

should also actively cooperate.

Understood.

Back then, Captain Lei

did mention to me

that in investigating

Min Xue's age,

there were some doubts.

But after extensive

visits and investigations,

her household registration information was confirmed to be accurate.

So it was also under my recommendation

that the case was closed.

This investigation

is also following normal procedures.

I hope all of you

won't feel any psychological burden,

okay?

I understand.

[Beijiang Criminal Investigation]

We meet again.

Work comes first,

so I won't catch up on old times.

[Beijiang Criminal Investigation]

Let's get straight to it.

Recently,

the issue of Min Xue's age

has been spreading like wildfire online.

There have even been

public opinions criticizing judicial injustice.

I believe everyone is already aware of this.

The municipal bureau leaders take this very seriously.

That's why they sent me to the Beijiang Branch

to be in charge of

the entire case review.

I hope everyone can cooperate with me.

First, I'd like to hear

[Beijiang Criminal Investigation]

if anyone has any thoughts

or opinions

about this case.

Shen Yi.

I've heard that

you previously had some doubts

about Min Xue's age.

Is that correct?

Yes.

Go ahead and tell us.

This is a photo of Min Xue taken by the forensic doctor

during the Zhang Bin sexual assault case.

This one

is a current photo of Min Xue.

Based on these two photos,

I've drawn

the skull structures

corresponding to Min Xue at these two ages,

as well as the facial feature proportions.

A person's skull and facial proportions

generally stabilize

by the age of eighteen

and change very little thereafter.

However, when I compared

Min Xue's developmental stages at these two ages,

I discovered that

they completely overlapped.

This strongly suggests

that Min Xue

was already an adult

at the time of the sexual assault.

If she had been a minor,

her skull

and facial proportions

would have shown significant developmental changes.

It wouldn't be possible

for them to overlap completely like this.

No wonder people online are saying

that Min Xue was

already 22 years old when she was assaulted.

If she were

22 years old back then,

she should be 30 now.

Her appearance

doesn't look like that age.

If Min Xue were already an adult

at the time of the sexual assault,

then her current age

should be over 28.

This one

is what Min Xue should

actually look like now.

Therefore, I deduce

that the current Min Xue

has likely undergone cosmetic procedures

to maintain her publicly claimed age

of around 25 years old.

Report complete.

Based on the current online

public opinion questioning Min Xue's age,

combined with Shen Yi's analysis just now,

we can conclude that

the investigation process of Zhang Bin's sexual assault case

is indeed questionable.

At the same time, we cannot rule out

the possibility that Comrade Lei Yifei

may have engaged in

dereliction of duty

during the handling of the case.

And then?

If the investigation ultimately reveals

that Captain Lei did mishandle the case back then,

what do you plan to do?

Before I came here,

the city bureau specifically instructed me

to strictly review the case handling procedures.

Once it's determined to be a wrongful conviction,

even if it's been a long time,

we must inform the entire bureau,

revoke Comrade Lei Yifei's

commendation and merit received,

and strictly investigate

the responsibilities at all levels.

This is to give the public

a satisfactory answer.

Do you have any other questions?

Although I wasn't

directly involved in this case back then,

I believe

Captain Lei couldn't have handled the case wrongly.

So do you have a problem

with the case review now?

Can you cooperate?

No problem.

I'll cooperate.

Alright then.

However,

at the time of the investigation,

most of the people present here

were colleagues with

Comrade Lei Yifei.

We need to avoid any conflict of interest.

So for this investigation,

Shen Yi will assist me.

I've already spoken to

Director Zhang about this.

She agrees with my approach.

Du Cheng is most familiar with

Captain Lei's work habits.

I hope he can help

organize some key information.

Captain Lei values evidence the most when handling cases.

He would record all the information

of every case

in his work notes.

Where are those work notes now?

They should be at his home.

Feng.

Put it in the refrigerated high-speed centrifuge.

Okay.

Come in.

Dr. He.

Sorry to bother you.

Captain Lu, Shen Yi.

What can I do for you?

It's about Min Xue's case.

We'd like to get some information from you.

I've reviewed the case files.

You performed a bone age assessment

for her at the time.

Could you help me recall

the circumstances back then?

When I was examining her

during the examination,

I discovered that her development

was significantly advanced.

I had just started working at that time

and I was afraid of being scolded for my carelessness.

Therefore,

I specifically went back to school

to consult my teacher.

Teacher,

I have a question

that I'd like to ask you about.

Go ahead.

Could you take a look at this?

I just performed

a bone age assessment on this child.

The results show

that her bone age is much older

than the age in her records.

Do you think I can

write a definitive conclusion in the report?

Based on her height data,

this child is considered short.

For individuals with precocious development,

there's indeed a possibility

of premature epiphyseal closure.

So the phenomenon you mentioned

is possible.

Later, my mentor also said that

a single bone age assessment

cannot be used as the sole basis for judgment.

You need additional cross-referencing evidence to corroborate.

Usually, when welfare institutions adopt children of this age,

they are quite cautious.

They must verify with the police station,

and the police station will investigate the child's background

in advance.

They're unlikely to make mistakes.

So I didn't insist any further.

I understand.

Du Cheng,

why are you here?

Du Cheng.

Sister-in-law.

And this is...?

This is a colleague from the city bureau,

Comrade Lu Haizhou.

Hello, Sister-in-law.

Hello.

There's something...

Regarding Captain Lei.

I...

It's alright, come in and talk.

Come in, come in.

Please don't mind the mess.

Please, have a seat.

Sorry for the intrusion.

My child, Ting,

has always had issues with her father.

Anything related

to her father,

no matter how big or small,

is irrelevant to her.

When Lei was still alive,

he was extremely busy with work.

He couldn't take care of the family or the child.

Ting wouldn't even call him dad.

For years, she's been calling him by his name.

So, what brings

you here?

Sister-in-law,

we're visiting today

about Captain Lei

and an old case he investigated before.

Did he ever mention to you

the case of Min Xue?

Lei was a disciplined man.

He never discussed

case details with us.

All those years,

we've only ever learned

about the cases he handled

from TV and newspapers.

What's the matter?

Nothing.

It's just that this old case

now has some questionable points.

Also, it's related to

-a current case. -Here’s the thing.

We're currently working on

a case

and we've run into some difficulties.

I remembered

that it's very similar to a case

Captain Lei handled back then.

So we were wondering

if we could borrow

his work notes from that time

to take a look

and get some inspiration.

Work notes?

As far as I remember,

he never left

any work notes.

No, there aren't any.

I wonder if it would be alright

for me to look through Captain Lei's belongings...

If there aren't any, that's fine.

[China Police]

These are my dad's work notes.

Ting.

This child is still

so inconsiderate even now.

After Lei passed away,

she felt that her father

had completely abandoned us.

[China Police]

I'm so sorry, Sister-in-law.

It's for work. Please understand.

We'll take our leave now.

Captain Lei is the person

I admire most in my life.

Your father

was a respectable and good police officer.

[Min Shengmei] [Family background]

[Seduce]

[Prostitution]

[Group]

It seems Captain Lei

covered several

different routes across the province back then.

[Min Xue]

Min Xue.

Before changing her surname,

[Lin Xue]

she was registered at the orphanage

under the name "Lin Xue."

In Tuyuan City.

[Suidong City Welfare Home] [Same name] [Lin Xue]

Captain Lei must have investigated all of these.

[Fengming City Welfare Home] [Similar appearance]

He had underlined all the place names.

[Mengyun Welfare Home]

We need to revisit

all the places

Captain Lei specifically mentioned.

For the things he investigated back then,

we need to rule out any discrepancies

that might have been caused

by outdated technology or systems.

Perhaps we'll make

some unexpected discoveries.

[Sweet-tongued]

[mature and sensible]

[Sweet talker and skillful]

Du Cheng, can you help me find

if Captain Lei described

any handicrafts that Lin Xue could do?

No.

I want to go to the welfare home

to find her former teacher

and learn more about this situation.

Alright, I'll go with you.

[Tuyuan City Welfare Home]

How did Lin Xue

end up here back then?

She said she was an orphan.

Her parents died in a construction

site accident when she was four.

[Caring for minors is caring for our future]

Her relatives

sent her to live with an aunt.

Later,

her aunt passed away in a traffic accident.

Her relatives were unwilling

to take her in anymore.

She had nowhere to go,

so she wandered here.

We saw her all dirty and disheveled,

looking pitiful.

We contacted her place of household registration

to verify her situation.

It was indeed true.

So we took her in.

What was her personality like?

Do you remember?

This child was very likable.

She spoke very sweetly.

She especially liked to play with the younger girls.

I always felt that

she was more mature

and sensible than other children.

Here are some photos and documents

[Caring for minors is caring for our future]

I've prepared for you.

Was this a handicraft class?

Yes.

In the nearby towns,

there are many individual craftsmen

who make these rope crafts.

It's one of the recreational activities

we provide for the children,

as well as a learning opportunity.

After all, when the children grow up,

if they can't get into college,

they'll have to face society.

This can be considered

a means of livelihood for them.

Are all the children here

good at making these?

Not really.

It's just that Lin Xue was particularly clever

and dexterous. She learned quickly.

She could not only make ordinary ones,

but also weave very complex patterns,

even small animals.

Her works

actually sold for quite a bit of money.

We all liked her.

Whenever someone came to adopt,

we would recommend her.

However,

few people are usually willing to adopt

such a grown child.

They're afraid of the unfamiliarity.

Later, she was adopted

by a divorced mother.

Has something happened to her?

We're just here to gather information.

May I ask you one more question?

Could you take a look at

this person?

Do you remember him?

Yes,

he's also a police officer, right?

I remember a few years ago,

he also came to inquire about Lin Xue's situation.

I told him all of Lin Xue's

identity information.

This information

was verified with her place

of household registration.

Thank you.