Episode Summary
This episode sees Bai Chongxi make a strategic gamble, turning a refugee crisis into an opportunity to build his city while navigating a fragile political alliance. The arrival of Zhou Enlai solidifies this new cooperation, but the final scene reveals that their every move is being watched by hidden enemies.
Spoiler Alert
Despair and a Glimmer of Hope
An Artist's Crisis
The episode kicks off with a heavy heart-to-heart. Xia Yan finds his friend, the writer Hong Shen, completely broken. Hong Shen has lost all faith in the Nationalist party. He feels everything he's worked for, all his scripts and art, has been turned to ash by the war. He feels powerless and doesn't see a way to serve his country anymore. It's a tough scene to watch. You can really feel his despair.
A Call to Keep Fighting
Xia Yan refuses to let him give up, though. He reminds Hong Shen that the spirit of the Chinese people is still strong. He tells him that so many people still deeply love their country. He pushes Hong Shen to keep creating, to keep writing. Xia Yan's words hit home. But seeing his friend in so much pain clearly affects him, too.
Guilin's Crossroads
A City Under Siege
The focus then shifts to Guilin. The situation is bad. Japanese planes are bombing the city center. Bai Chongxi sees the attack unfold and can only shake his head. He knows more innocent people are dying, and there's little he can do to stop the bombs.
When he gets back to his military office, he walks right into an argument. His subordinate, Xue Boling, is chewing out the local police. The problem is the massive number of refugees pouring into Guilin. With them comes a rise in crime. We're talking theft and street fights. The police want a simple solution. They want to issue an order and ban any more outsiders from entering the city.
An Unconventional Strategy
Xue Boling thinks that's a terrible idea. He argues that Bai Chongxi has been trying to build Guilin into a provincial capital. The city's biggest weakness is its small population, only about fifty or sixty thousand people. Xue Boling sees this flood of refugees not as a problem, but as a huge opportunity to grow the city's numbers.
Bai Chongxi overhears this and is seriously impressed. He agrees completely. He's watched cities like Nanjing, Changsha, and Wuhan get destroyed. He's sick of it. Guilin is still relatively stable. He realizes this is their chance to attract talented people who are fleeing the war. They can keep these people and use their skills to help Guilin develop.
He also makes a sharp political calculation. For now, Chiang Kai-shek has to maintain the appearance of a united front against Japan. This gives Bai Chongxi the political cover he needs to protect the refugees and build up his city without getting into too much trouble.
A Tense Alliance Forms
A Risky New Office
Bai Chongxi then makes a bold move. He approves the establishment of an Eighth Route Army office right there in Guilin. Xue Boling gets nervous. He's worried about how Chiang Kai-shek will react to this.
But Bai Chongxi is calm about it. He tells Xue Boling not to worry. It's just an office. They aren't giving them any military equipment or supplies. As long as the top leadership allows it for the sake of the alliance, the people below can't really complain. He also gives Xue Boling a little reminder of who's in charge.
A Donation and a Spy
We learn the Salvation Dailynewspaper needs money to start publishing again. Zhou Enlai has already authorized Xia Yan to go to Hong Kong and fundraise. Then, Zhou Enlai himself arrives in Guilin for a meeting with Bai Chongxi.
During their talk, Zhou brings up the newspaper's financial troubles. Bai Chongxi immediately offers up several hundred silver dollars to help out. He's surprisingly generous. He even invites Zhou to stay for dinner and watch some local opera.
The episode ends as Bai Chongxi sees Zhou Enlai off. As they stand by the car, Li Kenong spots something. There's a man in a building across the street, secretly taking photos of them. Li Kenong's instincts kick in. He knows this person is trouble and can't be allowed to get away.
