Honoring courage in the line of duty

Beginning in the early 1990s, a small city immersed in the excitement of Spring Festival is shaken by a horrific event — four masked gunmen invade a mine with a well-planned scheme to steal over 1 million yuan ($136,395) in cash. During the clash with security personnel, they fatally shoot nine individuals, including a young boy who unintentionally follows his father back to the mine's factory.

Qin, the protagonist, a recent graduate from a police academy, unexpectedly finds himself among the first group of police officers to arrive at the scene, along with two colleagues. The brave officers risk their lives to enter the factory, not sure whether the ruthless criminals are still inside as the force lacked technical support at that time.

Demonstrating his sharp wit and keen observation skills, Qin, despite being a novice at the time, uncovers crucial clues and apprehends the criminals. This marks the beginning of his decades-long pursuit of solving increasingly complex cases, from capturing a serial robber responsible for 11 deaths across multiple cities to unraveling a series of brutal rape and murder cases.

Spanning 35 years, the show also reflects China's progress in criminal investigation technology, transitioning from relying on visual evidence and extensive police investigations into all households related to the case to utilizing DNA analysis and surveillance cameras for swift case resolution.

"We made authenticity our top priority, promoting natural dialogue. In conference scenes, I told the actors not to worry about memorizing lines. Stuttering or repeating words is fine; it reflects real meetings, especially when police officers are working all night and getting only a few hours of sleep," Hui reveals about the behind-the-scenes stories.