Episode Summary
In this episode, Gu Yangshan and Ding Yi commit to a dangerous plan to trick Captain Takeda by faking an air raid siren. To protect Ding Yi, Xian Biyun organizes a heist to retrieve a special photograph. The plan nearly falls apart during a tense dinner where Takeda interrogates both Ding Yi and Xian Biyun, but they manage to secure the photo and keep Takeda engaged just as Gu Yangshan arrives to move the final pieces into place.
Spoiler Alert
A High-Stakes Lie
This episode kicks off with some much-needed backstory. We finally learn why Uncle Gu is so invested in this whole mess. He takes Ding Yi to see the Gu family's young lady. She has vowed not to be buried until the war against Japan is won. This is the fire that fuels Gu Yangshan's every move.
Uncle Gu explains his own connection. He used to be Commander Gu's personal guard. After getting injured, the commander took pity on him and set him up with a job at the shipyard. He tells Ding Yi that in this war, no one is safe, so they have to stick together. Ding Yi gets it. But first, he needs to make a stop at the Chaosheng Theater.
The Plan and the "Charm"
Ding Yi sneaks back to the theater to find Xian Biyun. He needs her help. She can't believe he's diving back in after being so terrified the night before. He lays out Gu Yangshan's wild plan for her. Ding Yi is going to tell the Japanese Captain Takeda that the Needham password has already been leaked. Then he'll try to convince Takeda to issue a fake air raid siren.
It's a plan that could easily get him killed. That's why he needs a "life-saving charm." He remembers Joseph Needham mentioning a specific photograph. If that photo is placed in a visible spot, the Japanese won't dare to touch him. Xian Biyun agrees to help but thinks they need more than just Long Er for a job this big.
Internal Affairs
Trouble at the Station
Gu Yangshan runs into his own problems. He rushes back to his station, knowing full well his boss never planned to approve the mission. He asks his colleague, Luo Han, to help him pass the military order anyway. Luo Han refuses. The plan is way too risky, and faking a military order is a serious crime.
Gu Yangshan doesn't care. He now considers Ding Yi a true comrade. He's going to protect him no matter what. Xian Biyun also has her doubts about the military intelligence agency pulling this off. She decides to contact her own party organization. They will also issue an air raid warning to make sure the plan doesn't fall apart.
Getting the Photo
The mission to get the photo is on. Long Er is sent to Needham's room. The team creates a diversion to give him time, but he has to be quick. Long Er finds the safe and is momentarily stumped by the complex lock. He manages to get it open and grabs the photo. Following Xian Biyun's instructions, he hides it on the back of a special bottle of red wine.
Dinner with Takeda
Takeda's Trap
Ding Yi's meeting with Captain Takeda is incredibly tense. Takeda presents him with a gift and then brings in a group of women. One of them is Xiao Chunlan, a famous actress from Shanghai. She saw Ding Yi at the Chaosheng Theater earlier that day.
Takeda immediately starts questioning him. Why was he at the theater? How does he know Xian Biyun? Ding Yi stammers, trying to come up with a story. The real story is that Xian Biyun found him beaten nearly to death and saved his life. He twists this into a romantic tale of how they met. Takeda, suspicious, sends for Xian Biyun to hear her side of the story.
The Photo is in Play
Luckily, when Xian Biyun arrives, her story matches the one Ding Yi just invented. Just then, Uncle Gu enters, posing as a server with the red wine. He subtly shows Xian Biyun where the photo is hidden.
At the same time, Luo Han finally decides to help Gu Yangshan. It's now 7:30 PM. Xian Biyun excuses herself to the restroom and successfully retrieves the photo. Takeda announces he has to leave for work. Ding Yi desperately tries to stall him. Right on cue, Gu Yangshan arrives. He tells Takeda that he's bought him a ticket to Hong Kong for the following night, keeping the plan in motion.
