Episode Summary
Ye Yin bullies Yi Aida, who secretly wants her old job back. Gu Yangshan blackmails Xian Biyun into helping him copy Director Shen's office key during a salon visit. While everyone is at a hospital for a check-up, Gu Yangshan breaks into the office and finds intel. At the hospital, Xian Biyun sees Yi Aida swap her medical records to hide a stomach condition. Finally, Gu Yangshan realizes Director Shen has likely already cracked the main cipher but is hiding it.
Spoiler Alert
The Office Politics Are Getting Nasty
Ye Yin's Power Trip
So, Ye Yin is really on a power trip. She transferred Yi Aida to work directly under her. Now she's making Yi Aida's life a living hell. She's being petty and difficult about everything. Yi Aida just wants to go back to her old code-breaking job. But Ye Yin shot that down immediately. She flat-out refuses the request.
Suspicions and Sneaky Moves
Joseph Needham finds an excuse to be in Liang Jingyuan's office. He's supposedly just dropping off files. He asks about Yi Aida. He mentions she was vomiting earlier and wonders if her stomach is bothering her. He has no idea that A'mu is hiding nearby. A'mu heard every single word.
Later, Director Shen rushes back to the office. His clothes are a mess. He lies and says he overslept. But anyone can see he just hurried back from somewhere else. After he leaves, Ding Yi complains about A'mu. He says the guy walks around without making a sound. He's worried A'mu overheard his conversation with Yi Aida.
Charlie tries his own sneaky move. He takes one of Director Shen's books and asks for an autograph. He pretends to admire the handwriting. He's really trying to find out where the book came from. But a colleague interrupts them before he can get any answers.
A Desperate Plan Takes Shape
The Blackmail
Ding Yi finds Xian Biyun alone. He tells her that Yi Aida has stomach problems. He also mentions she wants her old code-breaking job back. Then he drops a bomb. He says there's an "operation" happening at the hospital this afternoon. This immediately makes Xian Biyun think it's about White Night.
She tries to rush to the hospital. But Gu Yangshan stops her. He needs her help getting a copy of Director Shen's office key. Xian Biyun says no at first. So he pulls out the heavy artillery. He brings up the name Lin Changying. Then he shows her a newspaper clipping about a riot. It's straight-up blackmail. Xian Biyun has no choice but to agree.
The Salon Heist
It turns out Xian Biyun has been helping Ye Yin with stock tips. Ye Yin has made a good amount of money. The two of them meet up at a hair salon. The owner is actually Old Owl in disguise. He thanks Xian Biyun for helping him make money on stocks, too.
While Ye Yin is getting her hair washed, they make their move. Xian Biyun and Old Owl quickly exchange intelligence. Xian Biyun also manages to make an impression of Director Shen's office key from Ye Yin's bag. That night, she gives the key mold to Gu Yangshan. Ding Yi sees this and is curious about their deal. He just wishes everyone could get along without all the secrets.
The Hospital Operation
A Change of Plans
The next day, there's a last-minute change. The physical check-up for the staff is now at the Army Hospital. This forces Xian Biyun to scramble. Director Shen was supposed to get a ride with her. But then she sees Yi Aida riding away on a bicycle. Without a second thought, Xian Biyun follows her.
While everyone is gone for their check-ups, Gu Yangshan makes his move. He uses the new key to sneak into Director Shen's office. He successfully photographs some important intelligence.
Secrets in the Medical Files
At the hospital, Xian Biyun sits right next to Yi Aida. Yi Aida thanks her. She says the medicine Xian Biyun gave her a few days ago really helped. She also talks about a book she read. The book was about female independence and how to have a good relationship with your husband. This makes Xian Biyun even more certain. She thinks Yi Aida is the person she's been looking for.
A doctor tells Yi Aida she has some stomach problems. After the appointment, Yi Aida secretly swaps her medical report with a different one. Xian Biyun sees the whole thing.
The Big Reveal About Director Shen
A lot of people at the institute have stomach issues. It's from the stress and bad eating habits. Even Director Shen (whose full name we learn is Shen Qingshan) randomly falls asleep during his own check-up. But among all the people with health problems, Yi Aida is the only one trying to hide it.
Gu Yangshan has been watching Shen Qingshan closely. He realizes something is very wrong. During the recent code-breaking sessions, Shen had the ability to solve the ciphers. But every time, he would stop just short of the final answer. Gu Yangshan now suspects the truth. He thinks Shen has already cracked the Xige cipher. But for some reason, he isn't reporting it. Instead, he's turning in wrong answers every day.