Song Hongyu met Deng Ligang and Shi Bi at a bar, where she initially became their target. After spending lavishly, Deng Ligang and Shi Bi invited her for a late-night meal. When Song Hongyu regained consciousness, she found herself in a bathroom, tied up. She initially thought they were after her money, but she had been sending all her earnings home and didn’t have enough to pay off her debts. Deng Ligang made it clear that she couldn’t leave without money. Fearless, Song Hongyu threatened to kill them if given a knife. Deng Ligang untied her, but before she could make a move, he kicked her to the ground. Undeterred, Song Hongyu slashed her arm with a knife, declaring that she was unafraid of death, having already grown tired of her chaotic life. Impressed by her ruthless nature, Deng Ligang decided to recruit her.
From then on, Song Hongyu became part of their operations, luring victims back for the group to handle. Although Song Hongyu once expressed a desire to return home, Deng Ligang used her father and brother as leverage, ensuring her compliance. She settled her debts and embraced a reckless, lawless life. Zhen Zhen could tell that Song Hongyu had likely shared this story with every victim she helped ensnare.
Shi Bi handed two bottles of juice to Song Hongyu and left the bathroom. Zhen Zhen quickly began examining her surroundings, while Qiu Feng, resigned to her fate, prepared to drink the juice, believing death was inevitable. Zhen Zhen stopped her, turned on the shower, and flooded the bathroom, knowing that someone from downstairs would come to investigate. As expected, the flooding prompted someone to knock on the door, but Deng Ligang and Shi Bi refused to let anyone inside. While they were distracted, Song Hongyu also let her guard down. Zhen Zhen seized the moment to have Qiu Feng untie her ropes, then barricaded the door.
Determined to escape, Zhen Zhen focused on breaking the bathroom window. Using the showerhead, she smashed it open and urged Qiu Feng to climb out first by stepping on her. Zhen Zhen climbed through the window herself, yelling for help as Song Hongyu pounded on the locked bathroom door. Perched precariously on an air conditioning unit, Zhen Zhen realized her cries for help were unheard. She carefully moved to a neighboring apartment, where a crowd below mistakenly thought she was attempting to jump. Finally reaching the neighbor’s home, she cautiously checked if anyone was inside. Once she confirmed it was empty, Zhen Zhen grabbed a phone and called 110, reporting her kidnapping and pleading for help. She also informed the police about Qiu Feng being tied up in the bathroom next door.
At the same time, Peng Zhaolin traced the investigation to Heyuan Residential Complex. The Luancheng police informed his team about a reported kidnapping at the same location. Zhen Zhen, unable to wait passively, grabbed a jacket and shoes, trembling as she prepared to leave the apartment. However, Deng Ligang had arrived and was dealing with the building management. Once the coast was clear, Zhen Zhen fled down the stairs, but her injuries from the previous beatings slowed her down. Before she could reach the gathering crowd and call for help, Deng Ligang caught her again.
