In the finale of "Punishment", Zhao Pengchao's behavior was chilling. Not only did he kill his beloved Remembrance with his own hands, but he also used a pistol to force his mother, Hana, to commit suicide. As the deputy mayor of Changmoo, Hana ended her life in agony after leaving a confession. This scene shocked the audience, and it was difficult to understand why Zhao Pengchao was so ruthless.
However, when we dig deeper into Zhao Pengchao's upbringing, a complex family tragedy gradually emerges. was sent abroad since childhood, away from the care of his parents; Witnessing the divorce of his parents and the shattering of family affection; Struggling alone in a foreign country, insecure. How did these experiences shape Zhao Pengchao's character? What is the complicated relationship between him and his mother, Asian? Why did Zhao Pengchao kill his biological mother?
Zhao Pengchao's childhood experience is undoubtedly a critical period in the formation of his character. As the only son of Zhao Xiaosheng and Hana, Zhao Pengchao should have grown up happily under the care of his parents. However, fate dealt him a heavy blow.
When Zhao Pengchao was very young, his parents divorced for various reasons. This divorce caused huge psychological trauma to the young Zhao Pengchao. He witnessed the quarrels and cold wars between his parents, and felt the drastic change in the family atmosphere. The originally warm family was shattered in an instant, which was undoubtedly a devastating blow to a child.
What's even more puzzling is that after his parents divorced, Zhao Pengchao did not live with his father or mother like other children. Instead, he was sent to distant Australia. This decision was made by his father, Zhao Xiaosheng, and his mother, Hana. They claim that this is to give Zhao Pengchao a better education, but in fact, this decision stems more from their respective selfishness.
Zhao Xiaosheng is the "Emperor of the Soil" of Changwu City, who is good at business, but at the same time, he is also involved in many shady things. He was worried that Zhao Pengchao's staying by his side would become a weakness in his career, and he was also afraid that his son would be involved in his illegal activities. Asiana, on the other hand, is a strong woman who pursues a career in office, and she believes that having children will affect her political future. So, under their unanimous decision, Zhao Pengchao, who was only six years old, was sent to Australia and fostered in the home of his father's old classmate Ji Xi.
This experience of being "banished" cast a shadow on Zhao Pengchao's young mind. He didn't understand why his parents had sent him so far away, or why other children could be with their parents while he was living alone in a foreign country. This feeling of abandonment was deeply engraved in Zhao Pengchao's heart and became the root of his distorted personality in the future.
Life in Australia is not easy. Although Ji Xi and his wife tried their best to take care of Zhao Pengchao, they could not replace the care of their biological parents after all. Zhao Pengchao had to face language barriers, cultural differences, and bullying by his classmates alone. Sometimes, he would be threatened by other children with guns pointed to their heads, and the experience made him feel extremely insecure.
In such an environment, Zhao Pengchao gradually learned to hide his emotions and became cold and sensitive. He began to wonder if unconditional love really existed in the world, and he also became extremely suspicious of the word "affection". He told himself that since both parents could abandon him, there was nothing in this world to rely on.
As he grew older, Zhao Pengchao began to understand his parents' choices, but the scars in his heart never healed. He has become more mature and stable on the surface, but his heart is full of longing and resentment for family affection. This ambivalence became the main driver of his later behavior.
Zhao Pengchao's childhood trauma not only affected his character formation, but also profoundly affected his views on family, affection and interpersonal relationships. These early experiences set the stage for his later tragedy, and help us better understand why he became so ruthless.
The complex family relationships of the Zhao family are the key to understanding Zhao Pengchao's behavior. Zhao Xiaosheng, as the "soil emperor" of Changwu City, is not only in the business world, but also famous for his playboy image. His love life can be described as wonderful, he has had affairs with many women, and finally left four sons, commonly known as the "Four King Kongs".
These four sons are: the eldest son Zhao Pengfei, the second son Zhao Pengyun, the third son Zhao Pengyu, and the youngest is Zhao Pengchao. Interestingly, although these four sons have the same father, they each have different mothers. Zhao Xiaosheng often joked that his sons were "the same heaven and different earth", meaning that they shared the same father but came from different mothers.
Zhao Pengchao's mother, Han Ya, is Zhao Xiaosheng's only wife who is marrying. Hana was born in the police academy and was a classmate of Zhao Xiaosheng. Back then, Hana was attracted by Zhao Xiaosheng's talent and charm, and resolutely married him. However, life after marriage is not as good as she imagined.
As time goes on, Hana gradually discovers that her husband has three illegitimate children outside. This fact is like a bolt from the blue, completely shattering Asiana's illusions about a good marriage. The smart and capable Hana couldn't stand such a betrayal and insisted on divorcing Zhao Xiaosheng.
However, divorce is not an easy task. At that time, Zhao Xiaosheng had already obtained the first pot of gold through the Qiongya No. 5 mine disaster, and the business was prosperous. He is well aware of Hana's ingenuity, and is worried that she will expose her illegal deeds after the divorce. So, Zhao Xiaosheng put forward a condition: agree to the divorce, but Zhao Pengchao must stay in the Zhao family.
Asiana faces a difficult choice. As a woman pursuing a career in the profession, she understands that having children can be a big obstacle to her political career. In the end, for the sake of her future, Hana made a heart-wrenching decision - she agreed to Zhao Xiaosheng's conditions and gave up custody of Zhao Pengchao.
However, Hana has not completely given up on caring for her son. She made a request: to send Zhao Pengchao to study abroad, away from the complicated environment of the Zhao family. This proposal coincided with Zhao Xiaosheng's thoughts. Zhao Xiaosheng wants to train an ideal successor, and he believes that the educational environment abroad is more suitable to achieve this goal.
In this way, the young Zhao Pengchao was sent to Australia and fostered in the home of Zhao Xiaosheng's old classmate Ji Xi. This decision not only changed the trajectory of Zhao Pengchao's life, but also laid the groundwork for future family tragedies.
Zhao Pengchao's three half-brothers also have their own stories. The eldest brother Zhao Pengfei was born to Zhao Xiaosheng and a singer, and his personality is bold but slightly rude. The mother of the second brother Zhao Pengyun is Zhao Xiaosheng's secretary, who is shrewd but lacks courage. The third brother Zhao Pengyu's mother is Zhao Xiaosheng's business partner, who is long-sleeved and good at dancing but has a deep heart.
The relationship between the four brothers is complex and delicate. On the surface, they seem to live in harmony, but in fact they are secretly in turmoil. Everyone covets the huge industry of the Zhao family and wants to become Zhao Xiaosheng's successor. This invisible competition has intensified over time.
Zhao Pengchao, as the youngest son, has had high hopes since he was a child. Zhao Xiaosheng believes that Zhao Pengchao, who has been baptized by foreign education, will be more capable of taking over the family business than his brothers. This preference undoubtedly exacerbated the contradictions between the brothers.
As Zhao Pengchao grew up, he gradually realized his special position in the family. He began to take advantage of this advantage and gain a firm foothold in the Zhao family step by step. However, deep down, he has never been able to escape the shadow of being abandoned by his parents, and this complex emotion drives him to constantly seek recognition and power in his family.
The complex family relationship of the Zhao family not only affected Zhao Pengchao's growth, but also laid hidden dangers for the tragedy in the future. In this environment full of intrigue, Zhao Pengchao gradually lost his trust in family affection and became more and more ruthless. The influence of this family environment provides an important background for understanding Zhao Pengchao's later behavior.
Zhao Pengchao's psychological changes are a complex and lengthy process, which is deeply affected by his upbringing and family relationships. From being sent to Australia as a child to returning to China as an adult to participate in the family business, Zhao Pengchao's inner world has undergone a huge transformation.
During his years in Australia, Zhao Pengchao showed a strong desire for family affection. Whenever he saw his classmates interacting with their parents intimately, he would show envy in his eyes. In Ji Xi's family, although he was properly cared for, the family affection that blood was thicker than water could never be satisfied. Zhao Pengchao would often stand in front of the window, looking at the direction of his distant hometown, fantasizing that his parents would suddenly appear in front of him.
However, over time, this desire for affection gradually turns into suspicion and distrust. Zhao Pengchao began to question his parents' decision, not understanding why they had sent him to such a distant place. Whenever he receives a gift from his parents, he is no longer ecstatic as he was when he was a child, but treats him coldly, and even sometimes throws the gift in the trash.
This suspicion and distrust of family affection has deepened in Zhao Pengchao's growth process. He began to build a psychological line of defense, trying to protect himself from being harmed. At school, Zhao Pengchao became taciturn and rarely made friends with people. He put all his energy into his studies, trying to prove his worth by excelling in his grades.
However, deep down, Zhao Pengchao still longs for the approval and love of his parents. This ambivalent state of mind causes his behavior to become extreme. Sometimes, he will behave unusually well-behaved and try to be a "good boy"; Sometimes, he will deliberately do something out of the ordinary to try to get the attention of his parents.
As he grew older, Zhao Pengchao's inferiority complex increased day by day. He began to realize that he was different from other classmates, not only because he was a foreigner, but also because he was an "outcast" child. This inferiority complex drives him to constantly pursue success, hoping to fill the emptiness in his heart through excellent performance.
At the same time, Zhao Pengchao also began to show his conceited side. He began to flaunt his family's background, using his father's influence to run amok at school. This behavior seems to be a kind of compensation for the inferiority complex, gaining the respect and fear of others by showing one's "privilege".
The desire and resentment of maternal love are the most complex parts of Zhao Pengchao's psychological changes. On the one hand, he longs for his mother's love and hopes to be gently embraced by his mother like other children; On the other hand, he has a deep resentment towards his mother, believing that she abandoned him. This contradictory emotion was constantly intertwined in Zhao Pengchao's growth and became an important factor influencing his behavior.
In the last years of Australia, Zhao Pengchao began to be exposed to some illegal activities. Using his ingenuity and family background, he gradually built a small underground network. These activities not only brought him financial benefits, but also made him feel the taste of power. Zhao Pengchao began to believe that only by mastering power can he truly control his own destiny.
By the time Zhao finally returned to China, he had grown into a calm, shrewd young man with a heart full of contradictions. His attitude towards his family is complex and subtle: to his father, Zhao Xiaosheng, he shows respect and obedience, but his heart is full of doubts and challenges; To his mother Hana, he is polite and distant on the surface, but his heart is full of complex emotions.
After returning to China, Zhao Pengchao quickly integrated into the family's power struggle. He used the knowledge and skills he had learned abroad to quickly make his mark in the family business. However, his success did not bring peace of mind. On the contrary, as his status in the family continues to rise, the inner contradictions and unrest become more and more intense.
Zhao Pengchao began to show a ruthless side. He does not hesitate to use the people around him to achieve his own ends, including his half-brothers. In the family's power struggle, Zhao Pengchao showed amazing skill and determination, but these behaviors also made him more and more distant from sincere interpersonal relationships.
In the end, Zhao Pengchao's psychological changes led to the tragedy. His actions not only ruined his own life, but also brought disaster to the entire family. From a child who longs for affection to a ruthless adult, Zhao Pengchao's psychological changes reflect the profound impact of a complex family environment on a person's growth.
Zhao Pengchao's criminal behavior is a series of carefully planned and step-by-step escalation processes, gradually developing from small economic crimes to major criminal cases. This process not only reflects his personal moral degradation, but also exposes the many illegal behaviors of the entire Zhao family in business operations.
Zhao's criminal career can be traced back to his time studying in Australia. At first, he took advantage of his father's connections and began to engage in some small-scale smuggling activities. He skillfully used his student status as a cover to smuggle some rare animal products and high-end luxury goods into the country. Although these acts were small in scale, they laid the foundation for his future criminal activities.
After returning to China, Zhao Pengchao quickly integrated into the family business and began to participate in economic crimes on a larger scale. He first ventured into the money laundering business. Taking advantage of the Zhao family's extensive business network at home and abroad, Zhao Pengchao designed a complex capital circulation system to launder the Zhao family's funds obtained through illegal means. He has successfully converted a large amount of black money into legal assets by setting up shell companies, fake trade, and offshore finance.
As Zhao Pengchao's position in the family became more and more consolidated, his criminal behavior became more daring. He began to dabble in illegal activities in the real estate sector. During a major urban renewal project, Zhao Pengchao bribed local officials to acquire a large amount of land at a low price. He forcibly evicted the indigenous people, ignored their legitimate rights and interests, and even hired underworld forces to intimidate and threaten those who refused to relocate.
The incident attracted widespread attention from society, but Zhao Pengchao, with his family's influence and control over the local government, successfully suppressed public opinion and avoided legal sanctions. This "victory" made Zhao Pengchao even more unscrupulous, and he began to extend his tentacles to more areas.
In terms of mineral resource development, Zhao Pengchao's behavior is particularly bad. He bought several coal mines, completely ignoring safety regulations in order to maximize profits. Zhao Pengchao bribed safety inspectors, falsified safety inspection reports, and forced workers to work in extremely dangerous conditions. Eventually, a major mining disaster occurred, killing dozens of miners. However, Zhao Pengchao once again used his family's influence to successfully shift the blame to a few grassroots managers.
As the crime continued to escalate, Zhao Pengchao began to venture into more dangerous areas. He took advantage of his family's business network in Southeast Asia and became involved in the international drug trade. Zhao Pengchao skillfully concealed the drugs in normal trade goods, and transported large quantities of drugs into China by sea and air. This behavior not only brought great harm to the society, but also accumulated huge illegal profits for the Zhao family.
However, Zhao Pengchao ended up in a seemingly simple case. During a business negotiation, he had a serious disagreement with a partner. The partner threatened to expose the Zhao family's illegal acts. Zhao Pengchao, in a fit of rage, killed the partner with his own hands.
This murder case became the last straw that crushed Zhao Pengchao. Although he tried to use his family's power to cover up the truth, the case attracted great attention from the central government. A special investigation team was sent to Changwu City to begin a comprehensive investigation into the Zhao family's violations.
As the investigation deepened, Zhao Pengchao's various criminal acts in the past gradually surfaced. From the early smuggling activities, to the later money laundering, forced demolition, mining disaster liability, to the international drug trade, Zhao Pengchao's crimes are too numerous to mention. Eventually, Zhao Pengchao was arrested by the police and faced a number of serious charges.
During the interrogation, Zhao Pengchao's arrogant attitude aroused strong public disgust. He refused to plead guilty, insisting that everything he did was for the good of his family. However, the evidence was conclusive, and Zhao Pengchao was eventually sentenced to death by the court.
Zhao Pengchao's case not only led to his personal destruction, but also brought ruin to the entire Zhao family. The Zhao family's property was fully investigated, and a large number of assets were seized. Zhao Xiaosheng was also sentenced to a heavy sentence for harboring. The once prominent Zhao family collapsed.
Zhao Pengchao's criminal behavior, from the initial small-scale smuggling to the final murder, reflects the process of moral decay in the face of money and power. His case has also become an important case in China's anti-corruption struggle, triggering in-depth thinking on power supervision and the construction of the rule of law.
The fall of the Zhao family was a storm that swept through the city of Changwu, destroying not only the once-prominent family, but also the city's political and economic landscape. At the center of this storm was Zhao Pengchao's criminal behavior, but its impact went far beyond the scope of the individual, eventually leading to the collapse of the entire Zhao family.
The prelude to the fall of the Zhao family began with the murder of Zhao Pengchao. When the case came to the attention of the central government, a joint investigation team composed of the Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Supreme Procuratorate was stationed in Changwu City. The establishment of this investigation team marks that the Zhao family is about to face unprecedented challenges.
The investigation team first conducted a comprehensive investigation into Zhao Pengchao's personal criminal behavior. They soon discovered that Zhao Pengchao's criminal network was all over the country and abroad. From smuggling in Australia, to money laundering, forced evictions, mining disaster liability, and international drug trafficking, every investigation reveals the tip of the iceberg of the Zhao family's crimes.
As the investigation deepened, the illegal acts of other members of the Zhao family gradually surfaced. As the head of the family, although Zhao Xiaosheng was not directly involved in criminal activities, he shielded and connived at the illegal acts of family members for a long time, and even used his political influence to seek improper benefits for the family. Other members of the Zhao family, including Zhao Pengchao's siblings, were also involved in the family's illegal activities to varying degrees.
The work of the investigation team set off a chain reaction. The first is the rapid collapse of the Zhao family's network of contacts in political circles. Those officials who used to have a close relationship with the Zhao family, in order to clear up the relationship, took the initiative to provide information to the investigation team. This information further revealed the Zhao family's illegal behavior, and also brought out more people involved in the case.
What followed was that the Zhao family's business empire began to crumble. The investigation team seized a number of companies of the Zhao family and froze a large amount of assets. The Zhao family's business partners have drawn a line with it, leading to the suspension of many cooperation projects. The once brilliant Zhao enterprise fell into a serious business crisis in just a few months.
In the process of the collapse of the Zhao family, the most striking thing was the fall of Zhao Xiaosheng. As the secretary of the municipal party committee of Changwu City, Zhao Xiaosheng's downfall shook the political arena of the entire province. After he was detained in shuanggui, the investigation team searched his home for a large amount of cash and valuables, which were evidence of the bribes he had received over the years. Zhao's downfall not only marked the end of the Zhao family's political influence, but also became an important case in the nation's anti-corruption struggle.
As the investigation progressed, the Zhao family's crimes were widely reported in the media, causing a strong response from the society. Those who had been oppressed and hurt by the Zhao family stood up one after another to expose the various bad deeds of the Zhao family. For example, the complaints of residents who lost their homes in forced evictions and family members who lost loved ones in mining disasters have highlighted the Zhao family's crimes.
The final stage of the fall of the Zhao family was the proceeding of the judicial process. Zhao Pengchao was sentenced to death for multiple felonies, while Zhao Xiaosheng was sentenced to life imprisonment. Other members of the Zhao family were also punished to varying degrees according to their respective crimes. For a time, the Zhao family was reduced from a prominent family in Changwu City to a prisoner, and this drastic reversal shocked the entire society.
The fall of the Zhao family had a profound impact on the city of Changwu. The first is the reshaping of the political ecology, most of the officials related to the Zhao family have been purged, and a new batch of cadres have been promoted. The second is the change in the economic pattern, and the reshuffling of many industries controlled by the Zhao family has created development opportunities for other enterprises. In addition, this case has also promoted the anti-corruption work and the construction of the rule of law in Changwu City, making the operation of power more standardized and transparent.
However, the fall of the Zhao family also brought some negative effects to Changwu City. In the short term, due to the collapse of Zhao's enterprise, a large number of employees lost their jobs. Some small and medium-sized enterprises that were attached to the Zhao family also went bankrupt, which brought a certain impact to the local economy. In addition, the exposure of the Zhao family case has also damaged the image of Changwu City to a certain extent and affected foreign investment.
The fall of the Zhao family is a complex social event, which is not only a family tragedy, but also a reshuffle of the entire social system. It reveals the enormous harm that the combination of power and money can bring, while also demonstrating the power of the rule of law. The case has become an important milestone in China's anti-corruption history, and its repercussions will last for a long time.