Episode Summary
The episode centers on a chaotic and tragic escape attempt from a Japanese labor camp during the Autumn Festival. Tang Deyuan's plan, coordinated with his friend Xiao Tielin, goes horribly wrong when Xiao Tielin betrays the larger group, rescuing only Tang Deyuan. This leads to the massacre of many laborers. A small group led by Wan Fuqing is chased to a cliff, where they choose to jump rather than be recaptured. Wan Fuqing survives and eventually reunites with his comrade Gao Yunhu, while a guilt-ridden Tang Deyuan is returned home.
Spoiler Alert
The "Friend" with the Getaway Truck
So, it's the Japanese Autumn Festival at the labor camp. The soldiers are celebrating, drinking, and getting loud. Xiao Tielin shows up with a truck full of supplies. He's acting friendly with the Japanese major, but he has a secret agenda. He's there to bust out his "good brother" Tang Deyuan.
Inside, Tang Deyuan is rallying the other laborers. He tells them the grim truth. The giant pit they've been digging isn't for construction. The Japanese plan to bury them all alive in it. This lights a fire under everyone. It's escape now or die for sure.
The plan kicks off when two drunk guards stumble into the laborers' quarters. Tang Deyuan and Wan Fuqing lead the charge, and they kill the guards quietly. They need the uniforms.
A Doomed Plan
Things start moving fast. Li Zhenghao and Wan Fuqing put on the dead guards' uniforms and take their posts. This gives Tang Deyuan the opening he needs. He sneaks over to the fuel depot, takes out the guard, and lobs two grenades. The explosion is massive. It's the perfect diversion. As the Japanese soldiers run toward the fire, the laborers are supposed to make their move.
Xiao Tielin is waiting outside the camp with his truck, just as he promised. Tang Deyuan meets him and begs him to take everyone. He wants to save all the laborers, not just himself.
But Xiao Tielin panics. He doesn't want to be responsible for a mass escape. He pretends to agree, but then he knocks Tang Deyuan unconscious. He throws his friend in the truck and drives off alone.
Wan Fuqing sees the truck leaving. He doesn't see the unconscious Tang Deyuan inside. He just sees the truck speeding away without them. The other laborers run out from their hiding spots, thinking this is their ride. The Japanese guards see the crowd of men and open fire. It's a total slaughter.
The Cliff
Wan Fuqing and Li Zhenghao manage to lead a small group of survivors into the nearby woods. The Japanese are right behind them. During the chase, Li Zhenghao is shot. He tells Wan Fuqing to leave him and save the others.
The chase ends at the edge of a cliff. Trapped, Wan Fuqing makes a decision. He would rather jump than be captured again. He and the rest of the laborers leap off the cliff. Two men lose their nerve at the last second and surrender. The Japanese soldiers kill them on the spot.
Back at the camp, the Japanese commander, Fujimoto, gives a chilling order. He tells his men to bury all the remaining laborers alive.
Aftermath and Reunions
Tang Deyuan wakes up in the back of the truck. He realizes Xiao Tielin betrayed everyone and left them to die. He completely loses it, screaming at the man who was supposed to be his friend. Xiao Tielin just drives him home. When Tang Deyuan sees his aging mother from a distance, he collapses to his knees.
Miraculously, Wan Fuqing survives the fall from the cliff. He travels through the snow and finally makes it to Songlin Town. In a teahouse, he finds Gao Yunhu, another one of his comrades. They are both shocked and overjoyed to see each other alive.
Wan Fuqing tells Gao Yunhu everything that happened at the camp. He breaks down, having starved for so long and witnessed so much horror. He doesn't know if Tang Deyuan made it out alive, but Gao Yunhu tries to give him hope.
