Episode Summary
Zhu Feng, a new communist courier, arrives in Taiwan and establishes her cover. She makes contact with Wu Shi's operative, Nie Xi, after seeing a coded newspaper ad. Wu Shi has critical military plans to send. During their rendezvous, they are nearly exposed by a suspicious colleague, but Zhu Feng's quick thinking saves the meeting. She successfully receives the intel, but they are now under surveillance.
Spoiler Alert
A New Player Enters the Game
Meet Zhu Feng
The episode kicks off by reminding us of the mess in Taiwan. After the last agent was killed, the Communist cell there went dark. They have no way to send or receive messages. So, the organization sends in a new courier. Her name is Zhu Feng. She arrives under a cover story, moving in with her adopted daughter A-Ju and son-in-law Wang Changcheng.
Zhu Feng is smart. She doesn't just sit around. She notices people miss the chili oil from the mainland. So, she starts a small business making and selling it. The business does well. It gives her a good reason to be out and about. It also makes her seem like a normal, enterprising woman. She even thinks about getting her own place but decides against it. Staying with family is a better cover.
A Glimpse of the Enemy
We get a hard look at what our heroes are up against. Zhu Feng's son-in-law, Wang Changcheng, works in a military office. He sees a neighbor's name on a list of phone calls being sent to the Secrecy Bureau. He offers to deliver the list himself, probably out of curiosity.
This was a huge mistake. He gets to the Secrecy Bureau and sees exactly what they do. An agent is torturing a man from that list. The man's only crime was having a relative visit from the mainland. They also talked trash about Chiang Kai-shek. Wang Changcheng is completely shaken. He now understands the danger his mother-in-law is in.
Making Contact
The Urgent Intel
Wu Shi has a major problem. The Nationalists just got hammered in a battle. Chiang Kai-shek has drawn up a brand-new military deployment plan in response. Wu Shi needs to get that plan to the mainland, fast. But he has no courier. He and his subordinate, Nie Xi, are stuck waiting.
They finally get a radio signal. A message comes through for the "East Sea Intelligence Group." It says their new contact, codenamed "Mrs. Chen," has arrived in Taiwan. This is Zhu Feng. Wu Shi immediately photographs the military plans. He tells Nie Xi to place a coded "missing person" ad in the newspaper. This ad will tell Zhu Feng where and when to meet.
The Meetup
Zhu Feng sees the ad in the morning paper. She knows it's the signal. She grabs her side of the authenticator, a pocket watch, and heads to the meeting spot.
She meets Nie Xi first. He's not the main contact, though. For security, Wu Shi is waiting at a second location, his old apartment. Nie Xi gives Zhu Feng the new address and drives her there. On the way, he stops to buy cigarettes, just to check if they're being followed. Zhu Feng asks if he smokes. He says no, and neither does Wu Shi. He adds that Wu Shi's wife hates the smell of smoke. This little detail becomes very important.
A Very Close Call
An Unwanted Visitor
Wu Shi is waiting at the apartment. Just as he's expecting Zhu Feng, another agent named Duan Tuizhi shows up. Duan is nosy and wants to talk about work. Wu Shi can't get rid of him. The timing is terrible.
Zhu Feng knocks on the door. She opens it and sees two men inside. She doesn't panic. She improvises on the spot. Using that piece of information from Nie Xi, she pretends she's an old friend of Wu Shi's wife. She starts talking about how much his wife hates cigarette smoke. She sounds so convincing that Duan Tuizhi believes her. He finally says his goodbyes and leaves. It was an incredibly sharp move.
The Exchange
With Duan gone, Wu Shi and Zhu Feng finally connect. She gives him a letter from his superiors. He gives her the microfilm containing the new military plans. They agree on a new plan for future contact. She will visit his current home, pretending to be a friend of his wife.
The episode ends with a shot of Duan Tuizhi. He's standing at his own window, watching Zhu Feng leave the building. She walks away instead of getting back in Nie Xi's car. The final shot implies he's suspicious. They dodged one bullet, but they are definitely being watched.
