Episode Summary
In "Abyss Dweller" Episode 3, Xie Nianci infiltrates Jin Chengwen's office for evidence of corruption, while Liang Shuo investigates the Tailong Trading Company for his friend Maple Leaf's killer, narrowly escaping a trap set by Hirata Kiko and finding a key clue. Meanwhile, Military-Statistics Bureau agent Lu Xijian is ambushed and captured by the Japanese after being forced to kill his own partner. The plotlines converge when Liang Shuo and Xie Nianci coincidentally meet at a warehouse in Pingjia Lane, where they discover a hidden cache of explosives. When a severe headache incapacitates Liang Shuo, Xie Nianci rescues him, and a fragmented memory of a symbol emerges, providing the first hint to his true identity.
Spoiler Alert
"Abyss Dweller" Episode 3 Recap: A Warehouse of Secrets
The hunt for truth intensifies as separate investigations begin to dangerously overlap. While Xie Nianci risks everything to expose a corrupt official, Liang Shuo’s quest for vengeance leads him deeper into a conspiracy. Meanwhile, a devastating ambush cripples a team of resistance agents, proving that in this city, no one is safe.
A Desperate Search for Justice
The episode opens with Xie Nianci moving like a ghost through the office of Jin Chengwen. Her mission is simple but perilous: find concrete evidence of his corruption. She meticulously sifts through drawers and files, fully aware that being discovered would mean certain death. Every rustle of paper is a gamble, as she pieces together the puzzle of his illicit activities, hoping to gather enough proof to bring him down.
A Close Call at the Trading Company
Elsewhere, Liang Shuo arrives at the Tailong Trading Company, acting on a tip from his informant, Jiang Feiman. He learns that the assassin who killed his friend, "Maple Leaf," is back in Shanghai and connected to a shipment of vital supplies. Vengeance and justice are his only goals. However, his presence is expected. The cunning Hirata Kiko has laid a trap for him in the finance office, but Liang Shuo’s sharp instincts allow him to evade it just in time. Before making his escape, he discovers a hidden letter tucked away in a drawer—a critical clue. Kiko, realizing the clue is missing, is advised by her subordinate, Chen Gengsheng, to investigate the unknown assets of a man named Yan Jiu.
The Ambush
The stakes of the shadow war are laid bare in a brutal sequence involving the Military-Statistics Bureau. Lu Xijian, a team captain codenamed "The Scholar," receives an urgent mission and heads to a residence with his subordinate, Qi Xiao-si. It’s a setup. The moment they arrive, Japanese soldiers close in. Hirata Kiko, having been alerted to their presence, gives the order to strike.
Qi Xiao-si, providing lookout, spots the trap and screams for Lu Xijian to retreat, but it’s too late. They are surrounded. Wounded and unable to escape, Qi Xiao-si makes a horrifying request: he begs his captain to kill him to prevent him from being captured and interrogated. With no other choice, Lu Xijian complies before being taken prisoner himself. When news reaches the Bureau’s veteran leader, Xie Jun'an, he shows a chilling lack of concern, underscoring the brutal realities of their fight.
Convergence at Pingjia Lane
Following a lead from vehicle dispatch records, Chen Gengsheng deduces that Liang Shuo’s next stop may be a warehouse in Pingjia Lane. Hirata Kiko immediately orders the area sealed off, promising Chen Gengsheng a promotion if his hunch pays off.
Under the cover of darkness, Liang Shuo arrives at the warehouse, searching for the mysterious supplies linked to Maple Leaf’s killer. In a twist of fate, Xie Nianci is also there, independently tracking a lead connected to Jin Chengwen's corruption. Their paths finally cross when Liang Shuo stumbles upon a hidden basement. Inside, they make a shocking discovery: the warehouse is packed to the ceiling with explosives. Just as they process the finding, Japanese soldiers begin their search, but leave after finding nothing on the main floor. Unwilling to give up, Chen Gengsheng suggests leaving behind a covert guard to keep watch.
A Fragile Alliance is Forged
The immense stress of the night, combined with the flood of questions about the explosives and the mysterious Yan Jiu, triggers one of Liang Shuo's debilitating headaches. He collapses, barely conscious, just as Xie Nianci finds him. She manages to drag him away from the warehouse and to the relative safety of a small shack in a shantytown—an area the Japanese military police tend to avoid.
Liang Shuo awakens from a nightmare to find himself in this unfamiliar but safe place, with Xie Nianci watching over him. She explains that she rescued him because he had saved her before. After their multiple chance encounters, she still doesn't know his name, a fact that haunts Liang Shuo, as he cannot remember it himself. Despite the mystery surrounding him, he chooses to trust her. While his name escapes him, a single image surfaces in his mind: a distinct symbol. Xie Nianci recognizes it as something connected to Chongqing, but admits that with her own precarious situation, she is in no position to help him investigate it further. For now, they are two strangers bound by circumstance, surrounded by enemies and secrets.
Spoilers & Key Takeaways from Episode 3:
- Xie Nianci's Investigation: She is actively searching for evidence in Jin Chengwen's office to expose his corruption.
- Liang Shuo's Clue: He successfully evades a trap set by Hirata Kiko and finds a key letter related to his investigation into Maple Leaf's death.
- A Major Loss: Military Bureau agent Lu Xijian is captured by the Japanese after being forced to kill his own subordinate to prevent his capture.
- The Explosives: Liang Shuo and Xie Nianci discover a hidden cache of explosives in a warehouse at Pingjia Lane, a location both were led to by separate investigations.
- A Glimmer of Memory: After being rescued by Xie Nianci, a memory fragment surfaces for Liang Shuo—a symbol that Xie Nianci connects to Chongqing, offering the first real clue to his forgotten identity.
