Episode Summary
Luo Han is sidelined as the Station Chief gets a major promotion. The Chief sets a trap for Ding Yi, planning to use his faked blindness to expose Communists. The plan backfires when the Concession police, tipped off by the Japanese, raid the Chaosheng Theater. To make the act believable, the Station Chief suggests actually blinding Ding Yi. Ding Yi overhears this, assumes Gu Yangshan betrayed him, and escapes. Now, Ding Yi is a fugitive, the Japanese and the Station Chief are both hunting him, and Gu Yangshan must ally with a reluctant Xian Biyun to find him first.
Spoiler Alert
The Station Chief's Power Play
A Promotion and a Grudge
Luo Han gets a personal commendation from Boss Dai. You'd think he would be happy. He is not. The same telegram that praised him also carried bigger news. The Station Chief is the new head of the Shanghai station. Luo Han got a pat on the back. The Station Chief got the real prize. You can tell Luo Han is furious about it.
The military command has a new mission. Gu Yangshan and Ding Yi are supposed to work together. Luo Han points out a problem. Ding Yi is scheduled to leave for Hong Kong tonight. The Station Chief doesn't seem worried at all. He knows the Japanese will never let Ding Yi actually leave. His real goal is to use this whole mess to find the Communists in their ranks.
The Trap Is Set
Ding Yi goes shopping for Hong Yu. He buys her a bunch of bracelets. This is a callback to when she melted her own gold earrings to save him. He wants to repay her with nice things now that he has money.
Then things go wrong. Gu Yangshan and Ding Yi see the Chaosheng Theater. It's completely surrounded by the Concession police. The police claim they found opium inside. These cops are part of the international settlement. They don't fear Ding Yi. They also don't care about his connections to the Japanese.
Speaking of the Japanese, Takeda is one step ahead. He guesses Ding Yi will call him for help. He tells his men to say he is not available. Takeda also mentions a doctor will be sent to treat Ding Yi's eyes. This is getting weird.
Everything Falls Apart
The Theater Raid
Ding Yi does not want to leave Shanghai now. Gu Yangshan tells him he has to go. He says leaving is the only way to keep the people at the theater safe. Gu Yangshan promises he will find a way to get the actors out of jail. This is the only way to get Ding Yi to even consider leaving.
Luo Han's job here is finished. He has to go back to Chongqing for his debriefing. He says a very tense goodbye to the Station Chief. He asks him directly if he really plans to just let Gu Yangshan and Ding Yi fail.
The sun goes down. Ding Yi is getting extremely antsy. Gu Yangshan gives him instructions for a meeting with the Station Chief. He tells Ding Yi that no matter what the Chief says, he must leave tonight. When the Station Chief arrives, Ding Yi quickly hides inside a large cabinet. He plans to wait until they've negotiated a deal.
A Horrifying Suggestion
Ye Yin confronts Xian Biyun. She thinks Xian Biyun leaked password information to the Communists. The Japanese are now getting suspicious. Xian Biyun denies everything. She says she only works for whoever pays her. Ye Yin needs something to give the Japanese. She invites Xian Biyun to a party tomorrow. Xian Biyun turns her down flat. Her casino has British, French, and American clients. They all run like hell at the first sign of the Japanese. She refuses to get involved.
Gu Yangshan needs the Station Chief's help with the police. It turns out the head of the Concession police is the Station Chief's brother-in-law. The Station Chief agrees to get the actors released. But he absolutely refuses to let Ding Yi leave Shanghai. He threatens Gu Yangshan. He says that if Boss Dai finds out, not even Gu Yangshan's powerful father can save him.
Then the Station Chief suggests something awful. He wants to make Ding Yi's blindness act more convincing. He proposes they actually blind him for real. Ding Yi hears every word from inside the cabinet. He kicks the cabinet door open in a rage. He immediately jumps out of a window to escape. It's clear he thinks Gu Yangshan was part of this plan.
The Aftermath
Alliances and Betrayals
Xian Biyun gets back to the Chaosheng Theater. She finds her life's work sealed off by the police. Everyone is gone. Only Er Gouzi is there to tell her what happened. The police came and arrested the entire troupe. Xian Biyun instantly understands Ye Yin's earlier visit. She calls Ye Yin, but gets no answer.
Meanwhile, there is a gunshot from Joseph Needham's room. The Japanese show up right away. Luckily, Gu Yangshan was there first. He faked the scene to protect the theater troupe from the Japanese. Gu Yangshan is now completely determined to get Ding Yi out of the city. He says he doesn't want Ding Yi to suffer the same fate as his Uncle Gu.
The Japanese go straight to the Concession police. They offer a huge pile of gold bars. All the police have to do is find Ding Yi. The police see the gold and immediately agree.
Ding Yi on the Run
Xian Biyun calls Ye Yin again. This time, she has a new offer. She agrees to go to the party with her. But she has one condition. She wants a meeting with Takeda's boss.
The Station Chief also calls his brother-in-law. He tells the police chief to help him find Ding Yi.
At the same time, Ding Yi is alone on the streets. He sees a newspaper. The Japanese have issued an arrest warrant for Hong Yu. Just then, Gu Yangshan finds Xian Biyun. He asks for her help to find Ding Yi before the Japanese can. She can tell something terrible must have happened to make Ding Yi run. She is clearly struggling with what to do next.
