Episode Summary
In this episode, Nie Xi and Old Du successfully rescue Lin Yiliang during a daring nighttime raid, but they are forced to kill an agent to escape. The failure causes chaos for Gu Zhengwen, who faces pressure from his boss Mao Renfeng and his rival Duan Tuizhi. Wu Shi realizes Nie Xi's involvement and arranges for the rescued Lin Yiliang to be smuggled out of Taiwan with crucial intelligence about a planned bombing of Shanghai.
Spoiler Alert
The Great Escape
The Perfect Distraction
The team finally has a plan. Zhu Feng did the legwork and found where they're holding Lin Yiliang. Now it's up to Nie Xi and Old Du to figure out the "how." They bring Cai Xiaoqian in on the plan, and he gets his people ready.
Their main obstacle is a guy named Yu Xiaonan. He's Gu Zhengwen's most effective agent. He also has a major soft spot for a singer named A-Ling. He never misses her shows. The team decides to use this. They'll make their move tonight, while Yu Xiaonan is busy being a fan.
Nie Xi has to build himself an alibi. He can't just disappear. So he makes a point of using the phone in his dorm's lobby. He even walks back to his room with Li Qing, who just got off work. It's all very public. Then, once the coast is clear, he slips out his window to join the mission.
The Breakout
Old Du heads to the dance hall first. He needs to confirm their target is distracted. Sure enough, Yu Xiaonan is there, right on schedule. That's the green light. Old Du leaves to go save Lin Yiliang.
He meets up with Nie Xi on the way. They get to the holding location together. The guards are completely useless. They're just sitting around playing cards. Nie Xi and Old Du sneak right past them. They get to Lin Yiliang's room without anyone noticing a thing.
Things Get Messy
The Chase Is On
Just as they're making their move, Gu Zhengwen calls looking for Yu Xiaonan. The agent on duty lies. He says Yu Xiaonan is out on patrol. Gu Zhengwen wants him to call back immediately. This forces the agent to call the dance hall and have the owner track Yu Xiaonan down.
Yu Xiaonan gets the message and rushes back. He arrives just in time to see someone driving away with Lin Yiliang. He immediately jumps in his car and starts the chase.
A Deadly Confrontation
Cai Xiaoqian and his people get Lin Yiliang to the agreed-upon meeting spot. Old Du and Nie Xi are already there waiting. They help the injured Lin Yiliang into their car. Once Cai Xiaoqian sees the transfer is complete, his team peels off.
Nie Xi is about to drive away. But another agent, A-Bei, suddenly appears. He gets the drop on Nie Xi and holds a gun on him. The situation looks bad. Nie Xi tells Old Du to just shoot. He yells that if he doesn't, none of them will make it out alive. Old Du takes the shot. He kills A-Bei, and they speed away.
The Fallout
Gu Zhengwen's Terrible, No Good Day
Yu Xiaonan has to report his failure to Gu Zhengwen. Gu is furious, but he tells him to lock the story down. He can't let Duan Tuizhi and his Second Bureau find out and gloat.
Later, Duan Tuizhi shows up anyway. He talks to Mao Renfeng and demands that the three agencies manage Lin Yiliang jointly. This forces Gu Zhengwen to admit the prisoner is gone. Duan is livid. Mao Renfeng, in a classic move, flips the script. He accuses Duan of creating the security lapse that allowed the Communists to rescue Lin in the first place.
To make things even worse, Yu Xiaonan reports that his agent, A-Bei, was killed during the escape. Gu Zhengwen loses it and basically tells Yu Xiaonan that this whole mess is his fault.
A New Infiltration Plan
Gu Zhengwen isn't one to just accept defeat. He already has a new plan. He's going to send one of his own men, Weng Lianwang, to infiltrate the Taiwan Work Committee. He gives Weng a new identity, Zhuang Achen, and some Communist Party documents to study. Weng is terrified he'll fail. Gu tells him to use a contact named Chen Fabin at the Sanrong Trading Company to get his foot in the door. He promises Weng a big promotion if he pulls it off.
Covering Tracks and Planning Ahead
Wu Shi Figures It Out
Nie Xi sneaks back into his dorm room late at night. He's still using the window. He accidentally knocks over a pot and makes a racket. Li Qing hears the noise from her room and gets up to investigate. The suspicion is definitely growing there.
Later, Wu Shi invites Nie Xi over for dinner. His son, Wu Jiancheng, notices a small bloodstain on Nie Xi's collar. That's all it takes. Wu Shi puts it all together. He knows Nie Xi was part of the rescue. He's angry that Nie Xi took such a huge risk.
Nie Xi explains why he did it. Lin Yiliang's brother once saved Wu Shi's life. He felt he owed him. He even admits he wrote a will before the mission. This just makes Wu Shi angrier, and he threatens to have Nie Xi transferred.
One Last Mission
Old Du successfully moved Lin Yiliang to Chen Baocang's house. Wu Shi goes there to see them. He sees how badly Lin Yiliang has been beaten. They need to get him out of Taiwan. Chen Baocang says he can get a special pass and a full set of fake documents.
Wu Shi has another idea. He wants Lin Yiliang to carry something back to the mainland with him. It's a top-secret plan for the bombing of Shanghai.
The Walls Close In
Li Qing's Suspicions
Li Qing is now actively tailing Nie Xi. She sees him following Wu Shi's car but loses them in traffic. She reports this directly to Gu Zhengwen. Gu is now certain that Nie Xi and Wu Shi were both involved in the rescue. He just doesn't have any hard evidence to prove it.
Yu Xiaonan is also working an angle. He bribed Wu Shi's driver, Xiao Qian, for information. But Xiao Qian is getting annoyed and isn't giving him much.
The Final Leg
Chen Baocang gets all the documents ready. He goes to Wu Shi's house at night, using the excuse that he's delivering some jade. He tells Wu Shi that Lin Yiliang can be sent out the very next day. Wu Shi gives him the roll of film containing the bombing plans.
The final escape plan is simple. Lin Yiliang poses as Chen Baocang's driver. They approach a checkpoint, and their documents work. They drive right through.
