Episode Summary
Da Shun betrays Hong Yu and Ding Yi for money, leading to Hong Yu's sacrificial death. Gu Yangshan saves a grieving Ding Yi from the aftermath. At the same time, Xian Biyun is interrogated by the Japanese but cleverly uses Hong Yu's death and a secret identity to survive, only to be pushed into a new role by her enemies.
Spoiler Alert
The Betrayal
A Friend's Trap
The whole mess starts with Hong Yu's childhood friend, Da Shun. Ding Yi and Hong Yu both think he's a safe bet to help them. Hong Yu needs to get out of Shanghai, and Ding Yi trusts Da Shun to make it happen. They grew up together, so there's no reason to doubt him.
But Da Shun is tired of being poor. He sees a wanted poster for Hong Yu and decides to cash in. The price for his friend is a thousand silver dollars from the Japanese. He separately tricks both Hong Yu and Ding Yi. He gives them something to drink, they pass out, and he ties them up.
Hong Yu's Last Stand
Ding Yi wakes up first. He manages to get himself and Hong Yu free just as the Japanese are arriving. Da Shun shows up with them, pointing them right to his "friends." A firefight breaks out. Hong Yu gets shot in the leg.
She knows she's not making it out. She tells Ding Yi to escape through a window, staying behind to buy him time. It works. Ding Yi gets away. We learn later that Hong Yu didn't just surrender. She used explosives to take out herself and the Japanese soldiers with her. A brutal end.
The Fallout
A Reckoning in the Rubble
Ding Yi crawls out of the wreckage. He finds Da Shun, who is barely alive. Ding Yi is destroyed. He confronts Da Shun for the betrayal. Da Shun just says he was scared of being poor and wanted to build a life in Shanghai.
Ding Yi tells him that the Japanese didn't kill Hong Yu. He did. As Da Shun makes a final move to attack Ding Yi, a gunshot rings out. Gu Yangshan has arrived. He shoots Da Shun dead, saving Ding Yi.
Gu Yangshan's Rescue
Ding Yi is a wreck. He doesn't want to leave Hong Yu's body behind. But Gu Yangshan knows more Japanese soldiers are on their way. He does the only thing he can. He knocks Ding Yi unconscious and carries him to safety.
Xian Biyun Under Pressure
Takeda's Interrogation
While all this is happening, Xian Biyun is at a fancy party. She's there to meet Captain Takeda. He gets right to it. He accuses her of leaking a code. He's convinced she is working for either the Communists or the Nationalists.
Xian Biyun plays dumb, but Takeda has a card to play. He says Hong Yu confessed everything. Then, the Japanese bring in another captured operative, Zhao Fu. He broke under torture. He confirms that both Hong Yu and Xian Biyun are Communists.
The Ruan Qing Gambit
Xian Biyun is cornered. But hearing from Zhao Fu that Hong Yu is officially dead gives her an opening. She keeps denying everything. She says Takeda should bring Hong Yu in so they can face each other. She knows he can't.
Then she invents a mysterious cousin for Hong Yu. She calls her Ruan Qing. She says this cousin is the real person they should be looking for.
The Big Reveal
The Japanese check their records. They can't find anyone named Ruan Qing. For now, Takeda lets Xian Biyun go. He sends her to meet with Colonel Sasaki instead.
And here's the twist. "Xian Biyun" is just a stage name. Her real name is Ruan Qing. It was a secret she had only ever shared with Hong Yu. Ruan Qing was also the person who sponsored Hong Yu to join the party.
The episode ends with Colonel Sasaki asking Ruan Qing to become a "goodwill ambassador" for Shanghai's entertainment world.
