Crime Hunt

Core plot: A 24‑year‑old cold case sparks a triple-layered conspiracy.

Connection Between Past and Present Crimes

The "CH Reagent Case":
Twenty-four years ago, the biochemical crime syndicate developed the lethal CH‑3 reagent, and mastermind Ding Qiao fled abroad. During the initial investigation, then‑police captain Sun Yongan (the father of present-day Sun Zhengyang) was severely wounded by his partner Chu Jianghe, who then disappeared—marking the incident as a taboo in Haizhou police history.

Current serial killings:
After Ding Qiao is captured and brought back to China, a wave of murders strikes Haizhou: key witnesses die mysteriously before the police can reach them. Captain Sun Zhengyang (Liu Yitong) realizes the CH‑3 reagent has reemerged, and his new partner Chu Bai (Zhang Xiaoqian)—the son of Chu Jianghe—becomes a prime suspect.

Trust Erosion and Identity Reversal

Partner suspecting partner:
Chu Bai conceals crucial personal details and thwarts Sun's investigation. In a pivotal scene, Sun breaks into Chu’s apartment and discovers Chu has his father’s badge and a bloodied report. Chu confronts Sun at gunpoint: “You don’t understand the real truth from back then!”

Layers of deception revealed:
Director Gao Ping (Wang Jinsong) orchestrates events from behind the scenes, manipulating Sun’s mistrust to bait Jiang Zuo into revealing himself. It is later uncovered that Chu Bai is actually an undercover agent, and his father Chu Jianghe shot Sun Yongan to stop him—who was under the influence of the CH‑3 reagent—sacrificing himself to halt further tragedy.

The Ultimate Conspiracy
Jiang Zuo (Hou Tianlai), posing as a philanthropist, is revealed to be the head of the biochemical empire behind CH‑3, intended to manipulate the city's core. In the culminating showdown, Sun Zhengyang and Chu Bai destroy the CH‑3 lab. Yet at the site of the explosion, a secret recording of Gao Ping speaking with Jiang Zuo is discovered—hinting at a far-reaching power network that remains intact.

Characters & Performances

Liu Yitong as Sun Zhengyang:
Haunted by his father’s paralysis, she becomes obsessive and extraordinarily insightful. A standout long-take scene shows her breaking down in a basement, pounding the walls—a vivid portrayal of PTSD.

Zhang Xiaoqian as Chu Bai:
Balancing a dual identity, he morphs from detached to courageous undercover operative. In the standout confrontation where he aims a gun at Sun, his hands are steady despite tears—hailed as 2025’s most emotionally wrenching moment.

Wang Jinsong as Gao Ping:
A cunning strategist hidden behind a genial facade. His office fish tank is a metaphor for his “petting evil.” The ending’s audio “the game has just begun” hints at future storylines.

Production Highlights

Localized biochemical crime depiction:
The CH‑3 murders integrate forensic science, such as special effects showing transparent cardiac muscle—based on real toxin cases. A forensic consultant praised the series as “70% medically accurate.”

Rainy dock fight choreography:
In a climactic rain-soaked dock fight, Sun and Jiang Zuo battle while bound by steel cables under a crane, with metal clashes replacing dialogue—a metaphor for fate and entanglement.

Innovative narrative structure:
Each episode begins with flashbacks to the 1999 crime scene—shell casings falling, the CH‑3 reagent’s blue glow—echoing the protagonists’ slowly recovered memories.

Social impact and real-world parallels

Power corruption metaphor:
Jiang Zuo’s biotech empire infiltrating political and judicial circles reflects real-world vaccine scandals. Writer Yue Shunming cited inspiration from multiple vaccine scandals; the line “Pure white coats hide the darkest blood” sparked widespread debate.

True-crime style breakthrough:
Breaking away from episodic police dramas, this series focuses on an interwoven cold case, earning praise as “the most realistic web crime drama since The Long Night.”

Veteran-newbie actor dynamics:
The two-minute “smile with a blade hidden” dialogue between Wang Jinsong and Hou Tianlai at a charity gala became a viral clip on Douyin, topping search trends.

Memorable Lines
Sun Zhengyang: “To solve the case you need evidence—but to find the truth you must risk your life!”
Chu Bai: “My father’s gun was aimed at yours. Now mine is aimed at you—this damned cycle, I’ll break it with my own hands!”

Crime Hunt fuses biochemical crime with a core of human redemption, excavating the faint light of justice through multi-generational grudges and fractured partnerships. Its rank‑turning plot twists and cinematic quality set a new standard for 2025 crime streaming dramas.