Spoiler Alert
Homeland Guardian Episode 12: The Mastermind Revealed
The episode kicks off with an emergency call for Unit 3. Ho Ho-fai's wife, Choi Cheuk-yan, has had her shop completely trashed and vandalized. Ho Ho-fai rushes to the scene to find the store in ruins, but is relieved to see that his wife and son, Hin Hin, are unharmed. He returns home to be with his family, solemnly swearing to bring the culprits to justice. Choi Cheuk-yan is deeply worried; she tells her husband that they only returned to the country so their son could receive treatment for his illness. Now that Ho Ho-fai is being targeted by criminals, she feels helpless to protect their child. The next day, however, Hin Hin sweetly tells his parents that he hasn't had any nightmares since coming back and loves spending time with his father.
Meanwhile, the police investigation uncovers that a woman has been regularly wiring money to a man named Ah Ken. Intercepted text messages reveal a meeting location, and the police are certain this woman must be the elusive Anna. Tipped off by Ah Ken that he's on the police radar, Anna panics. She immediately disposes of her phone's SIM card and contacts Wai Chi-ling from Quantum News, telling her to proceed with their original plan. The police set a trap at the meeting point, but neither Anna nor Ah Ken shows up. Instead, a colleague spots Wai Chi-ling acting nervously nearby, raising suspicion. Sensing a connection, Ho Ho-fai privately asks his contact, Lam Wai-yin, to keep a close watch on Wai Chi-ling.
Lam Wai-yin soon provides Ho Ho-fai with photos of the people Wai Chi-ling has been meeting, confirming his suspicions. The individuals are all employees of various finance bureaus. The police move in and arrest one of them, who confesses that Wai Chi-ling would occasionally instruct them to transfer money as a "cooperation fee," though the account details themselves raised no red flags.
In a couple of lighter moments, Shiu Tsz-chun is seen patiently mediating a dispute between two drivers after a minor collision. Ho Ho-fai, trying to be a good father, cooks a special meal for his son. Hin Hin enthusiastically enjoys the food, but Choi Cheuk-yan criticizes it for being too greasy. Their son wisely chides her, saying she should learn to praise people so they have room to improve, just like his dad.
The investigation takes a major turn when Shiu Tsz-chun discovers a new lead: the receiving account may be connected to something called the "Blue List." Chan Yiu-yeung follows this thread and finds that Wai Chi-ling had the finance bureau transfer funds into an account belonging to a Ms. Kwan. They learn that Ms. Kwan's ex-husband is none other than Councilor Keung. The money was then funneled through another account belonging to Wai Chi-ling's housekeeper. The team realizes they've uncovered a scheme to secretly funnel money to people connected to the Financial Secretary, with Wai Chi-ling acting as the operation's mastermind.
Ms. Kwan is brought in for questioning about the large sum of money that appeared in a company set up by her housekeeper, but she feigns ignorance. Chan Yiu-yeung patiently explains the gravity of the situation, causing her to waver. Just as the net tightens, Wai Chi-ling receives a notice about the police investigation and rushes to a café to secretly meet Anna. The police have the café surrounded, lying in wait. However, the sharp-witted Anna senses that something is off as soon as she arrives. She makes an excuse to go to the restroom, quickly changes her appearance, and slips away.
At the same time, Lam Wai-yin continues to tail Wai Chi-ling and sees her meeting a man. Wai Chi-ling seems to have intentionally exposed her own location, appearing hopeful that she and the man can leave together. Photos sent back by Lam Wai-yin reveal the man is Councilor Keung. The two are promptly brought to the police station for questioning. They both stubbornly insist they are in a legitimate romantic relationship and deny any knowledge of the financial transfers.
The police bring Ms. Kwan back in, and she immediately recognizes Wai Chi-ling. The final pieces fall into place when Chan Yiu-yeung reveals a devastating truth: the "severance pay" she received from her divorce was actually money laundered by Councilor Keung through a criminal syndicate. Chan expresses sympathy for her, noting how she was abandoned after marrying the councilor right after graduation. The revelation shatters Ms. Kwan, who finally confesses. She admits that the money was part of a deal she made with Councilor Keung to split the funds. What she didn't know was that the councilor had lied to Wai Chi-ling, intending to swindle her out of the money as well.
Hearing this, Wai Chi-ling finally sees Councilor Keung's true colors. With her own deception exposed, she confesses everything. In a final, shocking twist, she reveals that she has already contacted all of her investment firms with a single directive: to short the entire market when it opens the next day.
