Episode Summary
In the final moments of a military exercise, Wu Si orchestrates a daring plan from behind enemy lines to secure victory for his team. The celebration is short-lived as the unit is immediately thrust into a real battle with armed militants. During the fight, Wu Si is critically injured by a rocket explosion, while Zong Qing is exposed to HIV after being cut by an infected militant's knife. Meanwhile, Tang Xin, completely unaware of the tragic turn of events, happily announces her engagement to Wu Si and begins planning their future together.
Spoiler Alert
Rose and Gun Episode 29: A Pyrrhic Victory
The military exercise is down to the wire. With time running out, Zong Qing leads a night raid on a Blue Army camp, only to find it completely deserted. The pressure mounts on the special forces team; if they don't capture the Blue Army's commander by noon the next day, the entire exercise will be a failure. Their drone searches turn up nothing, and a sense of urgency grips the soldiers.
Meanwhile, Wu Si, who was captured earlier, is being held with his hands tied. In a clever ruse, he fakes a medical emergency, claiming he needs to take his medication. A Blue Army soldier, not wanting any real harm to come to anyone in an exercise, lets his guard down to help. Wu Si seizes the opportunity, overpowering the guard and managing to send his location to Zong Qing's team.
With Wu Si's intel, the special forces quickly locate the new enemy camp. As Zong Qing's unit launches an external assault to create chaos, Wu Si, now disguised as a Blue Army soldier, navigates the confusion inside the camp. He successfully locates and captures the Blue Army commander, securing a last-minute victory for the Red Army.
On the civilian front, Tang Xin is celebrating her birthday with her parents when she receives a call. Han Yuhang, in his persistent effort to win her over, has purchased a full set of new photography equipment for her company. Her parents express their concern, worried about how Wu Si might react to such a lavish gift from another man. Later, Han Yuhang visits Tang Xin, telling her his family's corporation has been restructured and is now clean of its past criminal dealings. When Tang Xin inquires about his father, Han Changzhou, and his brother, Han Yutian, he lies, claiming they have stepped back from the business. As a colleague shares wedding candy, Tang Xin is lost in thought, eagerly awaiting Wu Si's return so they can get married.
The post-exercise calm is shattered when the unit receives an urgent command: armed militants have infiltrated the area, and all troops are to switch to live combat. Wu Si leads his team to encircle the militants. Caught by surprise, the militants are quickly overwhelmed. But as Wu Si's team storms their camp, a lone militant fires a rocket. The explosion critically injures Wu Si and several of his men. In the ensuing chaos, Zong Qing manages to capture a fleeing militant, but during the struggle, he is cut by the man's knife. He later learns the devastating news that the militant is HIV-positive. Another soldier, Cheng Yuan, is also badly wounded in the blast; doctors save his life, but shrapnel near his optic nerve will cause him to gradually lose his sight.
Unaware of the tragedy, Tang Xin joyfully tells her father about her engagement, moving him to tears. Happiness seems to be on the horizon for everyone. News of Tang Xin and Wu Si's impending wedding spreads among friends and colleagues, and a friend, President Tian, even offers to plan their engagement party. Zong Qing, hiding his own terrible injury, waits for Lan Yangyang at the hospital after her surgery, a tender moment shared between them.
However, shadows still linger. Han Yuhang discovers that his father and brother have not retired but have instead traveled to Luoman, seemingly to continue their illicit activities. And as Wu Si returns to base, the joy of his engagement is overshadowed by the life-altering injuries he and his comrades have sustained.
