The True Colors of a Criminal Police Officer [1990s Crime Investigation]

Meng Siqi, a trainee police officer in 1990s China, navigates a hostile family environment as the biological daughter of the wealthy Meng family. After being lost as an infant and raised by rural adoptive parents, she was reunited with her biological family, only to be marginalized by her mother, Ye Xiuhui, and manipulated by her adopted brother, Meng Tingzhe. Meng Tingzhe, who was adopted to replace the lost daughter, has systematically steered Meng Siqi away from her academic ambitions into a police academy, ensuring she remains under the family’s control while he manages the family business. Despite this, Meng Siqi is determined to succeed in her police career, finding herself assigned to the Second Criminal Investigation Unit, a declining department overshadowed by the prestigious First Unit.

Her first major case involves the murder of Zhou Jieli, a high school teacher found strangled in her dormitory. The investigation initially points to Zhou Jieli’s husband, Zhao Guanghui, a former businessman turned taxi driver with a history of domestic violence. However, Meng Siqi possesses a unique ability: upon touching or observing crime scenes, she experiences vivid visions of the events leading up to the death. During the investigation, she witnesses a vision of a killer wearing a uniform with distinctive silver-gray buttons and another vision of emerald-green earrings being hidden inside a flashlight engraved with the character "Quan."

These visions lead Meng Siqi to suspect Mu Zhiquan, the school security guard, rather than the husband. Despite facing skepticism and hostility from her mentor, Feng Shaomin, and the rest of the team, Meng Siqi persists. She discovers the earrings hidden in the flashlight, providing concrete evidence against Mu Zhiquan. Under interrogation, Mu Zhiquan confesses to attempting to assault Zhou Jieli after drugging her, but claims he did not intend to kill her. He admits to taking the earrings as a keepsake and framing Zhao Guanghui by falsely claiming to have seen him at the scene.

However, the case takes a dramatic turn when Meng Siqi encounters Zhao Guanghui at the morgue to identify the body. She notices that the cufflinks on his shirt match the silver-gray buttons from her initial vision at the crime scene. Confronting him, Meng Siqi deduces that Zhao Guanghui was the one who actually strangled Zhou Jieli. She reveals that the ring mark on the victim’s neck corresponds to the large golden ring Zhao Guanghui was wearing. Overcome with rage and desperation, Zhao Guanghui attempts to strangle Meng Siqi but is subdued by her colleague, Zhao Leiting. Zhao Guanghui confesses to the murder, revealing that he killed his wife because he could not accept her request for divorce, which he viewed as a betrayal after his own failures and infidelities.

The resolution of the case marks a significant shift in Meng Siqi’s standing within the Second Unit. Captain Han Changlin, initially dismissive of her abilities, recognizes her sharp observational skills and intuition. Meng Siqi’s success in solving the murder, despite the initial misdirection provided by Mu Zhiquan, establishes her as a capable investigator. The case also highlights the complex dynamics within her family, as her mother attempts to use her for business arrangements, further isolating Meng Siqi from her relatives. As she continues her work, Meng Siqi remains focused on proving her worth in the police force, using her unique visions to uncover truths that others might miss.