Episode Summary
The source code for a dangerous stock market manipulation program is discovered to be hidden inside a Buddha amulet. After a series of events, the amulet falls into the hands of Tse Ting-wai, who places it in his police vehicle for protection. The antagonist, Chow Hung, orchestrates a complex diversion to steal the amulet, which he then gives to Anna, who decrypts the code. Chow Hung escalates his reign of terror by bombing a public area and kidnapping Ho Ho-fai's wife, Choi Cheuk-yan.
Spoiler Alert
Homeland Guardian Episode 23: The Amulet's Secret
The episode opens with Ho Ho-fai arriving home, apologizing to his wife for missing their child's parent-teacher conference due to work. Meanwhile, Anna is looking through Jones's tablet and finds it filled with his selfies. Chow Hung astutely observes that in every single photo, Jones is wearing a specific Buddha amulet, even in pictures where he's swimming. This triggers a memory for Chow Hung: he recalls Siva wearing the exact same amulet, claiming he had gotten it from Jones. At the time, Chow Hung dismissed it, but now he strongly suspects the amulet contains the very source code they've been looking for.
In a quieter moment, Chiu Siu-tong prepares breakfast. He tells Red Sister that he plans to save half of Kwan Wing's salary to give her a generous dowry when she gets married. Kwan Wing overhears this from another room and is moved to tears by their affection, knowing she is not their biological daughter but is loved as if she were.
The action picks up when Tse Ting-wai and his girlfriend are deliberately targeted by a thief. The assailant holds his girlfriend hostage and forces Tse Ting-wai to strip, searching for the Buddha amulet, but fails to find it. Tse Ting-wai is unaware that this was a meticulously planned robbery. Soon after, Car 3 receives an emergency call; Tse Ting-wai's father is attempting suicide after losing his life savings in the stock market. Chiu Siu-tong comforts the distraught man, telling him how much he envies his life—that his family is together and safe is what truly matters. The incident deeply affects Tse Ting-wai, who now believes the amulet is a source of protection for his family. He reverently places it inside Car 3, hoping it will keep the entire unit safe. Unseen, one of Chow Hung's men captures a photo of him holding the amulet.
Elsewhere, Chan Yiu-yeung visits the Chi Fu Group and takes Mr. Li away. He explains his connection to the case: he and Jones were classmates, and Jones was responsible for developing a backdoor program for Chi Fu Group's software. This program allows for the manipulation of stock prices to lure in investors before a massive sell-off, a method identical to a market crash years ago. Chan Yiu-yeung also reveals that he knows Anna, though they rarely meet, and that she has a mole inside his company. Anna is now desperately searching for the backdoor's source code.
Chow Hung sees the photograph of Tse Ting-wai with the amulet and confirms it's the one he's been seeking. At the same time, Ho Ho-fai reports to his team that finding the source code is their top priority. He and Shiu Tsz-chun analyze the amulet. Balong remembers that Siva had offered the amulet to Chow Hung, who refused it, leading Siva to keep it for himself. Shiu Tsz-chun remarks that the amulet looks similar to one he owns but doesn't give it a second thought.
The plan to steal the amulet is set in motion. Car 3 is dispatched on a false report. While Leung Yuen-ting and others go upstairs to investigate, Chiu Siu-tong, waiting in the vehicle, is intentionally rear-ended. The other driver speeds off before he can react. When Leung Yuen-ting returns, confirming the call was a fake, Ho Ho-fai realizes the entire sequence of events was a diversion. Surveillance footage confirms their suspicions: Chow Hung is seen taking the amulet from the car and making a defiant, taunting gesture at the camera.
With the amulet in his possession, Chow Hung hands it over to Anna, who successfully extracts and decrypts the source code. She returns to a large building, but the police, having tracked her location, enter right behind her. Because they have never seen her face, they fail to identify their target as she walks past them.
Later, Kwan Wing receives her first paycheck and buys thoughtful gifts for Chiu Siu-tong and Red Sister, touching them deeply. As Ho Ho-fai and Shiu Tsz-chun eat at a street stall, Chow Hung suddenly appears before Ho Ho-fai. As Ho reaches for his weapon, Chow Hung points to a nearby table, revealing a pre-planted bomb. He detonates it as he walks away, killing innocent civilians in the blast.
The episode concludes on a cliffhanger. Ho Ho-fai reviews surveillance footage and spots Chow Hung pacing back and forth on a street, seemingly measuring his timing. When he zooms in on the daytime footage, he makes a horrifying discovery: the location is right outside Choi Cheuk-yan's home, and the footage clearly shows Chow Hung kidnapping his wife.
