Episode Summary
The Nationalists suffer major military defeats, prompting Chiang Kai-shek to personally head to the front. He publicly clears Wu Shi of suspicion, putting him back in a position of trust. We learn that Nie Xi's marriage has fallen apart because he left his family on the mainland. His colleague, Li Qing, makes repeated advances toward him. Wu Shi's friend, Chen Baocang, resigns in disgust over Wu Shi's apparent collaboration with Japanese advisors. The episode ends with Wu Shi waiting for a new contact to pass Chiang Kai-shek's latest war plans to the communists.
Spoiler Alert
The Walls Are Closing In
The episode kicks off with good news for our guys. Liu Bocheng's army is steamrolling the Nationalists in the southwest. Wu Shi sees the battle reports and is secretly thrilled. He wants to grab a drink with Nie Xi to celebrate. But they can't do it at home or the office. It's just too dangerous.
A Dangerous Game of Radio Roulette
The paranoia is getting thick. A clerk named Lu Zhenhua is supposed to be on duty, but she wants to see a play. Her roommate, Li Qing, offers to cover the shift for her. This puts Li Qing right in the middle of the action.
Later, Nie Xi is in his office fiddling with a radio. He's trying to find a signal, but it's not working. Li Qing walks in to file some documents. Nie Xi gets jumpy and worries she heard something. She says she didn't hear a thing.
That night, we see multiple people trying to listen in. Zhu Feng wakes up to tune into a broadcast. Her landlord, Wang Changcheng, hears it clearly from his room. At the same time, Nie Xi is still in his own place, trying to find that same elusive signal.
Li Qing Makes Her Move
Li Qing is definitely making a play for Nie Xi. After work, she claims she's scared to walk home alone in the dark. She asks for a ride in his car. Nie Xi agrees. Then she invites him to dinner. He politely turns her down.
She doesn't give up, though. She runs off and comes back with two bowls of noodles. She hands one to Nie Xi in the car. Later, Lu Zhenhua spots Nie Xi dropping Li Qing off at the dorms. She teases Li Qing about it. Lu Zhenhua also drops a key piece of information. She says Nie Xi and his wife do not get along.
Shifting Alliances and Broken Trust
The political situation is getting messy. The Nationalist general Song Xilian gets routed by the communists. This leaves a huge gap in the defenses of eastern Sichuan. Chiang Kai-shek is panicking.
Wu Shi is Back in the Game
Chiang Ching-kuo reports to his father, Chiang Kai-shek. He says the investigation into Wu Shi came up empty. They found no proof that he's a communist spy. Chiang Kai-shek isn't interested in the details. He just wants a new strategy to stop the bleeding.
An advisor, Yan Xishan, tells Chiang Kai-shek he should go to Chongqing himself. His presence might calm everyone down. Chiang Kai-shek thinks it over and agrees. He'll leave the next day. Then, in a public meeting, he praises Wu Shi for his work. This move officially clears Wu Shi of all suspicion.
The next day, there's a small bit of office drama. Lu Zhenhua almost loses an important letter meant for her boss, Section Chief Zhao. Nie Xi finds it and returns it. Zhao tears into Lu Zhenhua for the mistake. She punishes her with filing duty in the basement. Li Qing tries to step in and share the blame, but Zhao just yells at her, too. Nie Xi speaks up and defends Li Qing. This finally gets Zhao to back off. Li Qing thanks Nie Xi and, you guessed it, asks him to dinner again. He turns her down again.
A Marriage on the Rocks
We finally get the full story on Nie Xi's personal life. Wu Shi's wife, Wang Bikui, invites Nie Xi's wife, Gao Xiumei, over for dinner. She tries to apologize for how much Wu Shi and Nie Xi have been working.
Gao Xiumei isn't having it. She reveals that she and Nie Xi are separated. He came to Taiwan without her permission. He left their child behind in Fuzhou. She says she is done with the marriage. Wang Bikui tries to talk her into going back to Nie Xi, but Gao Xiumei's mind is made up. After she leaves, Wang Bikui tells Wu Shi what happened. Wu Shi feels incredibly guilty about the whole situation.
A Friend's Disappointing Farewell
Things get even worse for Wu Shi. His friend, Chen Baocang, finds him at a farewell dinner. Chen is resigning his post. He's going to Tainan to train new recruits. He tells Wu Shi he's deeply disappointed in him. He heard Wu Shi has been acting as a translator for Japanese military advisors.
Wu Shi can't explain that he's undercover. He just has to stand there and take the criticism.
The next day, Wu Shi and Nie Xi go to see Chen Baocang off. Chen sees that some of his new recruits are just kids. He immediately sends them home. Wu Shi stays in the car. He sends Nie Xi to give Chen some donkey meat sandwiches, a food from their hometown. The gesture clearly moves Chen.
With his name cleared and a new crisis brewing, Wu Shi has his next mission. Chiang Kai-shek has a new battle plan for the southwest. Wu Shi just needs to wait for a new contact to arrive. Then he can pass the intel to the communists.
