Episode Summary
In the series finale, Tang Deyuan executes a brilliant double-cross, using the traitor Tian Xiaogui to lure Kawano into a fatal trap. Tian redeems himself by killing Kawano before being killed himself. With the war's end announced, the surviving members of the team find their places in the new world. Tang Deyuan is reunited with the son of a fallen comrade, and the friends pay a final tribute to those they lost along the way.
Spoiler Alert
The Trap Springs
The Double-Cross
The episode kicks off with a plan to finally nail the bad guys. Tang Deyuan sets a trap to lure out Xiao Tielin, with Li Zhenghao ready to grab him. To sell the whole thing, Tang Deyuan and Gao Yunhu head to the Black Pine Forest. They bring a man in a sack, pretending it's Xiao Tielin.
Kawano and his soldiers are waiting there in an ambush. Tian Xiaogui, who we thought was on our side, steps up and shoots the person in the sack. Kawano then announces that Tian Xiaogui has been his undercover agent all along.
But here's the twist. Tang Deyuan knew Tian Xiaogui had turned. He decided to use that betrayal to his advantage. The whole plan was a setup for Kawano. Fuqing had already figured out that Tian Xiaogui's contact was a doctor at a local clinic. So, they killed the doctor and put him in the sack instead. The man Tian Xiaogui shot was not Xiao Tielin; it was his own contact.
Redemption and Revenge
With his ambush revealed, Kawano tries to force Tang Deyuan to give up Xiao Tielin's real location. Just then, Tian Xiaogui grabs a gun off the ground. He shoots and kills Kawano, finally getting his revenge. He is immediately shot and killed by the surrounding Japanese soldiers.
Right on cue, Instructor Wang and his men arrive. They clash with the Japanese forces. They get backup from Da Kuo Zhi and a bunch of villagers from Songlin Town, which sends the Japanese running. Wang's soldiers chase them down and finish them off.
We then see a quick flashback. Tang Deyuan had found Tian Xiaogui after he tried to end his own life. The gun had no bullets. Tang convinced him that he could make up for his betrayal. He told him to go through with the plan to lead Kawano into their trap.
The Final Push
Turning the Traitor
With the immediate threat gone, the group takes Xiao Tielin to a mountaintop. They make him look at the homeland his side has torn apart. Instructor Wang offers him a deal. If Xiao Tielin reveals the Japanese military positions at Datuziling, he'll get to live out his days in prison. Xiao Tielin agrees and spills everything.
The resistance army immediately sends out teams to destroy the Japanese fortifications. Wan Fuqing, Gao Yunhu, and Xiao Lüzi form the first group. Their mission is to take out the enemy's defenses before the main Soviet forces launch their big attack. They sneak into Datuziling, find a Japanese airfield full of fighter planes, and radio the information back to headquarters.
The Last Battle
The story then jumps forward a bit. It's August 1945. The Soviet Union officially declares war on Japan. The resistance fighters help the Soviet army, speeding up the end of the war in the region.
During one of these final battles, Wan Fuqing is badly wounded and sent to a field hospital. While Tang Deyuan, Gao Yunhu, and Xiao Lüzi visit him, a broadcast announces Japan's unconditional surrender. The war is over. The soldiers in the hospital erupt in cheers.
Where They End Up
A New Beginning
At the hospital, Gao Yunhu runs into Tie Liang, who is delivering water. Tie Liang lost a leg to the Japanese and couldn't fight on the front lines. Gao Yunhu finds out he is the son of their fallen comrade, Lu Changshan. He immediately brings Tie Liang to meet Tang Deyuan, and they share a powerful embrace.
In September 1945, Instructor Wang leads the soldiers to Shenyang, where they officially rejoin the main army forces. Their unit is expanded and becomes part of a new, unified military, marking a new chapter for them.
Coming Home
Xiao Lüzi finally goes home to see his father, Old Donkey. It's an emotional reunion, and they both break down in tears.
The series ends with Tang Deyuan, Gao Yunhu, and Wan Fuqing standing under the large tree at Eight Pine Trees. They look at the numbers carved into the trunk, each one representing a fallen friend. Together, they salute their comrades.
