Episode 1 recap: Ma Kui and Wang Xin became acquainted through a fight.
In 1978, a train rattled along the tracks, leaving behind a long trail of white steam. This was the train from Ningyang to Ha City. The train carriages were filled with bustling voices, with the sounds of chickens and dogs echoing throughout. The aisles were crowded with passengers, and even the spaces under the seats and on the luggage racks were occupied by people, as well as the poultry they carried, such as chickens, ducks, and rabbits.
Train attendant Cai Xiao Nian walked through each carriage, attending to the passengers' needs. After a day and night of travel, some passengers dozed off while others engaged in conversation. Suddenly, a chicken got startled and flew over the passengers' heads, causing them to exclaim loudly. The train carriage descended into chaos. Fortunately, the train police officer Wang Xin arrived in time to catch the chicken. Once the passengers had settled down, Cai Xiao Nian praised Wang Xin for his timely intervention.
Passenger Wang Guo Fu discovered that his bag was missing. He loudly sought help from Wang Xin. Wang Guo Fu distinctly remembered that he had tightly held onto his bag since boarding the train. However, upon waking up, he found the bag was gone. He suspected that a passenger who got off the train midway had stolen it. Upon learning that the bag only contained three pastries and half a cigarette, Wang Xin inquired about the situation with the other passengers in the carriage. None of them had seen anyone taking Wang Guo Fu's bag. Wang Xin called Cai Xiao Nian for assistance, but even Cai Xiao Nian hadn't noticed Wang Guo Fu's bag. Wang Guo Fu became frustrated and anxious.
As the train passed through a station, some passengers disembarked. Wang Xin accompanied Wang Guo Fu to get off the train first and reported the incident to the on-duty railway police. The police immediately cooperated with them to investigate suspicious individuals. Wang Guo Fu rushed towards passengers holding similar bags, attempting to snatch them. However, he realized he had made a mistake. Wang Xin repeatedly apologized to the passengers while the train was about to depart. As the passengers who intended to disembark had mostly left, Wang Xin still hadn't found any clues. He asked the attendant Yao Yu Ling to make several more announcements about the train's departure.
Yao Yu Ling broadcasted the announcements several times. Finally, a person hastily got off the train, walking with his head down while carrying something bulging in his arms. Wang Xin found him suspicious and quickly approached to inspect. The person got frightened and started running. Wang Xin chased after him relentlessly. Meanwhile, the train conductor Niu Da Li happened to get off the train for an inspection. He and Wang Xin intercepted and caught the person. They searched his arms and found Wang Guo Fu's bag. Inside the bag, Wang Guo Fu had placed a large sum of cash, which was his dowry for his fiancee. Worried that the money might be stolen again, Wang Guo Fu asked Wang Xin to help safeguard the pastry containing the money. However, Wang Xin firmly refused. So, Wang Guo Fu had no choice but to hold onto the bag and go to the front of the train to chat with Niu Da Li to pass the time.
Yao Yu Ling enthusiastically publicized Wang Xin's heroic deeds through the broadcast, and the passengers spontaneously applauded for Wang Xin.
It started pouring rain from the sky. Ningyang Railway Police Officer Chen Qi escorted Ma Kui, who was handcuffed, onto the sleeper carriage of the train. Ma Kui, wearing handcuffs, kept demanding to use the restroom. Chen Qi warned him, and Wang Xin checked Chen Qi's credentials before leaving.
Ma Kui requested to use the restroom again, and Chen Qi reluctantly accompanied him. Taking advantage of Chen Qi's distraction, Ma Kui escaped, grabbing a passenger's ID card from their head without any effort. He easily unlocked the handcuffs and made his way through the crowd to the restroom. Wang Xin and the other police officers chased after Ma Kui, who was about to escape by jumping out of the window. Wang Xin entered and caught him, leading to a struggle in the confined space. Wang Xin attempted to handcuff Ma Kui but ended up being handcuffed to the restroom pipe by Ma Kui. Wang Xin could only watch helplessly as Ma Kui escaped through the window. Due to his injuries, Wang Xin was granted half a month of rest at home.
When Wang Xin returned home in a car, he not only brought various candies for the neighborhood children but also delivered sought-after goods to the neighboring aunties. He was well-liked by everyone. Wang Xin's father, Wang Yong Ge, cooked meat for him and reminded him not to push himself too hard. Wang Xin spent half a month recuperating at home but returned to work on time. When he entered, he saw Ma Kui rummaging through the filing cabinet and immediately rushed forward to handcuff him.
The captain came to deliver a uniform to Ma Kui, and Wang Xin learned that Ma Kui was a veteran railway public security detective and was well acquainted with his father. The captain instructed Ma Kui to be Wang Xin's mentor, despite Wang Xin strongly protesting. The captain's decision was unquestionable, so Wang Xin had no choice but to comply. From the captain, he learned that ten years ago, Ma Kui had apprehended a thief on a train. The thief's two accomplices had tightly held onto Ma Kui, and when the thief jumped off the train to escape, he accidentally died. The two accomplices falsely accused Ma Kui of murder. Ma Kui was sentenced to twelve years for alleged intentional homicide and had been appealing in vain while in prison. It was only when the two accomplices committed another crime that they confessed to framing Ma Kui.
On a rainy night, Chen Qi brought Ma Kui onto the train to reconstruct the case, but Ma Kui was unaware and escaped through the window, intending to continue his appeal. When Wang Xin returned home, he told Wang Yong Ge about Ma Kui's situation. Wang Yong Ge advised Wang Xin to learn from Ma Kui and shared stories of Ma Kui's intelligence in outwitting fugitives.
Ma Kui went to the store to see his daughter, Ma Yan. He witnessed a drunk customer causing trouble and falsely accusing Ma Yan of adding water to his drink. Ma Yan immediately poured out the contents of the bottle, proving that the customer was lying. The drunk customer, embarrassed and furious, raised his hand to strike Ma Yan. Ma Kui rushed in just in time to subdue the customer, and Ma Yan suspected that the customer's wife had added water to his drink. The drunk customer left in a huff.
After work, Ma Yan returned home with Ma Kui, who bought a bottle of soy sauce from the store. Wang Su Fang, Ma Kui's wife, prepared a delicious meal but was hesitant to eat it herself. Ma Kui served the food to Wang Su Fang, showing his love and care.
Ma Kui, as an experienced working police officer, combined with his own past experiences, values Wang Xin's abilities more than anyone else. After becoming Wang Xin's mentor, through spending time together, I believe he sees his younger self in this new generation.
It is because of this that Ma Kui uses his personal experiences as an educational method to gradually shape Wang Xin into a competent police officer. From Ma Kui's perspective, he is a mentor who hopes to use this form of education to make his disciple excel and avoid repeating his own mistakes.
I believe this type of education is not only a mentor-disciple relationship but also a passing down of knowledge and skills. However, everything has two sides. With the changing times, Ma Kui and Wang Xin are inevitably from different generations.
Therefore, Ma Kui's educational approach undergoes certain changes. The mentor understands the disciple, and the disciple understands the mentor's good intentions. I apologize if my summary is a bit messy.
Lastly, I want to say that both of your acting performances are excellent.