在春江市中级人民法院，刑事审判大法庭隆重开庭，周士杰，piciously accused of corruption, was testifying. As Yang Ironwit, deputy chief justice, presided over the court, a woman's desperate scream echoed through the chamber - it was none other than Week's wife, Shen Hong.
Yang Ironwit and fellow judge Lin Zihe were about to deliver Week's verdict at the detention center, when inmate Wu Xijiang suddenly broke into a bloodcurdling scream. It turned out that Wu Xijiang, sentenced to death for premeditated murder over eighteen months ago, was having his appeal heard at court. Meanwhile, Lin Zihe took a leisurely stroll through his friend Zhao Qinghua's clothing store, only to receive word that Week had committed suicide. In a rush, Lin Zihe arrived at the hospital, where Yang Ironwit informed him that Week was out of danger.
Back home, Yang Ironwit was greeted by his wife, Liu Zhaocheng, but their peaceful reunion was marred by a heated argument. As Yang Ironwit grappled with fatigue and political pressures - Sun Zhi, the city party secretary, inquired about Week's condition - Yang Ironwit learned that the Party Organizational Department was coming for an inspection at the court.
Meanwhile, Lin Zihe received Week's three conditions from Shen Hong. As political intrigue and personal turmoil threatened to engulf Yang Ironwit, he would soon find himself at the epicenter of a struggle between justice and corruption, power and principle, truth and deception.
大法官影评