In 2002, in Xuecheng, after an ice hockey game, everyone takes a bath together to relax. However, Peng Zhaolin is still preoccupied with a case from two days earlier. In the noisy bar’s restroom, Song Ying and Huang Ying greet each other. After becoming acquainted, Song Ying invites Huang Ying to have dinner with her that evening, mentioning that someone will treat them. However, Huang Ying falls into a trap. In the Beshui Jiayuan residential complex, someone calls the police reporting the discovery of body parts. The police respond immediately. Upon seeing this, Huang Ying, Deng Ligang, and Shi Bi, the perpetrators, react by Deng Ligang returning to the house to take away tools and a large amount of cash.
Peng Zhaolin quickly gathers a clue: it appears that the upstairs and downstairs share a common sewer. As he goes upstairs, he coincidentally encounters Deng Ligang. Deng Ligang calmly responds to his questions before leaving the complex and getting into a car to depart. Peng Zhaolin arrives at apartment 402 and finds no one at home. He cautiously enters the room and indeed discovers a large amount of bloodstains and a meat grinder in the bathroom. The victim’s body parts are scattered throughout the house. Peng Zhaolin inquires about the situation across from apartment 401 and learns that they did not see anyone from across. Peng Zhaolin quickly realizes that the long-haired man who previously pretended to be from apartment 401 is the suspect.
During their escape, Deng Ligang and his group encounter a highway closure. The few people become somewhat uneasy as conflicts arise from behind the car, leading to their release. Subsequently, the police conduct a sweep of vehicles entering and exiting the highway but find nothing suspicious. The tenant information for apartment 402 is listed as Li Jianfeng. Peng Zhaolin calls this number, but the person on the other end does not believe he is a police officer. After locating Li Jianfeng, he states that he has long lost his ID card and shows no signs of suspicious behavior. Peng Zhaolin can only return to the crime scene again, where he unexpectedly finds Shi Bi’s driver’s license.
In the car fleeing Xuecheng, Shi Bi, Deng Ligang, and Song Ying each harbor their own thoughts. Shen Xia witnessed the discovery of the body parts and only prepares vegetarian meals at home, saying she hasn’t been able to eat meat for half a month. Peng Zhaolin feels the same way; he gags when he sees his wife Cheng Guo serving braised pork. The victim Huang Ying’s father is found and, upon learning of his daughter’s death, is momentarily unable to accept it. Many fingerprints are found at the scene, many of which highly match Deng Ligang’s. Additionally, Song Ying’s real name is Song Hongyu, and the clues gradually point to Deng Ligang and Song Hongyu.
Deng Ligang and his group use Li Jianfeng’s ID card to open a bank account, which contains a substantial amount of cash. They continue to withdraw money along the way, while Peng Zhaolin and others pursue them. Now, the account still has three thousand yuan left, and Deng Ligang and his group have a strong sense of anti-detection. Five minutes ago, the money in the account was involved in an incident at Liangxi, causing Peng Zhaolin severe headaches upon receiving the news. Dashun has killed another woman, dismembered her corpse, and thrown the bones into a bone hall, roadside, and even a garbage truck, showing extreme brazenness.
