Episode Summary
In 1949 Fuzhou, high-ranking KMT general and communist spy Wu Shi prepares to aid the defection of a KMT division to the advancing PLA. When the PLA attacks early, Wu Shi must risk exposure to deliver new plans. He succeeds, but his actions draw suspicion from his superiors. He is "promoted" and ordered to Taiwan, a move he accepts despite warnings, believing he can continue his espionage work there. In a final trap, his family is forced to accompany him, and they arrive in Taiwan to a scene of brutal martial law.
Spoiler Alert
Alright, let's dive into the first episode. This one sets the stage in 1949, and things are messy.
A Spy in Plain Sight
The show kicks off right in the thick of it. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has just won a major campaign and is now heading south to take key cities like Fuzhou.
Our guy is Wu Shi. On the surface, he's a big deal. He's a Lieutenant General and the Deputy Director of the Fuzhou Pacification Office for the Nationalists (KMT). But here's the twist: he's actually a high-level communist spy.His whole job is to feed intelligence to his real comrades.
We get a quick look at his home life. He has a wife, Wang Bikui, a daughter, Wu Xuecheng, and a son, Wu Jiancheng. There's a nice, quiet scene where he comes home to the smell of dinner cooking. He even helps his son practice calligraphy, teaching him how to write the character for "home." It’s all very normal, which makes his double life even more intense.
The Plan Goes Sideways
Wu Shi's main mission is to help the KMT's 318th Division defect to the communists. This is the key to taking Fuzhou without a huge, bloody fight. If he pulls it off, the city's gates will swing wide open.
But the plan hits a major snag. The PLA launches its final attack on Fuzhou five days ahead of schedule. Wu Shi is caught completely off guard. He hasn't had time to pass along the final details for the 318th Division's defection. The city is now on lockdown, and KMT forces are in a panic. This is bad. The lives of 3,000 soldiers in that division, and the fate of the whole city, hang on him getting a message out.
A Risky Move
Wu Shi knows the intelligence he already sent is now useless. The KMT will be scrambling and changing all their military positions. He has to get new plans to the communists and also get to the 318th Division himself to make sure the defection still happens. This is incredibly dangerous. The KMT's secret police, the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, are everywhere.If he makes one wrong move, he's exposed.
He tells his student and fellow operative, Nie Xi, to take a tea canister packed with the new plans and get it to their contacts in the East China Bureau.Nie Xi is worried about Wu Shi going to the 318th alone, but Wu Shi insists. There's no other choice.
A Promotion or a Prison?
While Wu Shi is risking his neck, we see the other side. In Taiwan, the head of the KMT's secret service, Mao Renfeng, is reporting to Chiang Kai-shek's son, Chiang Ching-kuo.Mao is already suspicious of Wu Shi. The walls are closing in, and Wu Shi doesn't even know it yet.
Wu Shi makes it to the 318th Division's headquarters. He's in a private meeting with the commander to finalize the defection. Suddenly, his boss's secretary shows up and orders him back to the office immediately.
When he gets there, his boss, Zhu Shaoliang, has news.It's a "promotion." Chiang Kai-shek has appointed Wu Shi as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Ministry of National Defense.He's to leave for Taiwan immediately. It’s a classic move. Keep your enemies close. Zhu casually asks why Wu Shi was visiting the 318th. Wu Shi lies smoothly, saying his wife asked him to check on their evacuation plans. Zhu seems to buy it, for now.
A Warning from a Friend
Another underground communist agent, Wu Zhongxi, pays Wu Shi a visit. He tells Wu Shi not to go to Taiwan. It's a trap. He urges him to just defect with the 318th Division and stay on the mainland.
But Wu Shi refuses. He believes he can be more valuable providing intelligence from inside the KMT's new stronghold in Taiwan.It's a huge gamble. He decides to send his family to Hong Kong to keep them safe, asking Wu Zhongxi to have friends there look after them.
The Walls Close In
Things move fast. The commander of the 318th gets cold feet and runs away. But his second-in-command, Deputy Commander Wang, steps up. He completes the defection, and the PLA takes Fuzhou easily.
Wu Shi's job is done, but now he's in more danger than ever. He prepares to leave for Taiwan, and his aide Nie Xi insists on going with him. At the airport, his boss Zhu Shaoliang is waiting. And he's not alone.
Chiang Kai-shek heard that Wu Shi visited the 318th right before they defected. He's not taking any chances. He ordered that Wu Shi's family must come to Taiwan with him. Zhu's men have already picked up Wang Bikui and the children. They have no choice.
The episode ends with Wu Shi and his entire family on a plane to Taiwan. When they land, they see KMT soldiers dragging people into the streets and executing them. His family is terrified. Wu Shi just holds them close. He’s walked right into the lion's den, and he's dragged his family in with him.
