Episode Summary
Wu Shi is cleared of suspicion, but a dinner party creates a personal misunderstanding between his wife and Zhu Feng. The mole, Weng Lianwang (as Zhuang Achen), successfully engineers the capture of the Work Committee's deputy secretary, Chen Zemin. This leads to political maneuvering that saves the disgraced Gu Zhengwen, who is put back in charge and immediately tasks Weng Lianwang with targeting Wu Shi's driver, Xiao Qian.
Spoiler Alert
An Awkward Dinner Party
A Celebration Gets Complicated
The episode kicks off on a high note. Zhu Feng, Nie Xi, and Chen Baocang managed to clear Wu Shi’s name. He’s officially off the hook. To celebrate, Wang Bikui cooks a huge dinner. She even invites Zhu Feng to help out. Everyone is feeling good. Nie Xi sings a little folk song from his hometown. Wu Shi then asks his wife, Wang Bikui, to sing. She’s in a great mood and belts out her favorite tune. Wu Shi even joins in with her. It’s a genuinely sweet moment.
Then, the doorbell rings.
Duan Tuizhi shows up unannounced with his wife. Wu Xuecheng just nopes out and goes back to bed. Smart man. Duan Tuizhi immediately recognizes Zhu Feng. He says he saw her at Wu Shi’s old house. This throws Wang Bikui for a loop. She had no idea Wu Shi knew Zhu Feng before they met. The vibe at the dinner table dies instantly. Zhu Feng is caught off guard and doesn't know what to say.
Wang Bikui, surprisingly, steps in to save the day. She insists Zhu Feng was at the old house to see her, not Wu Shi. Duan Tuizhi isn't buying it. He ignores Wu Shi’s attempts to make him stay and just leaves with his wife.
Clearing the Air
After the party, Zhu Feng leaves. The tension is still thick. Wang Bikui sends Nie Xi to take out the trash. She then grills A Dou about how long they’ve lived in the new house. She’s trying to figure out the timeline of Wu Shi and Zhu Feng’s friendship. Wu Shi sees his wife is spiraling. He tries to tell her the truth, but she refuses to listen. She’s afraid of what she might hear.
Nie Xi comes back just in time. He explains everything. He was the one who took Zhu Feng to the old house. They were looking for books on telecommunications for her son-in-law, Wang Changcheng.
Wang Bikui believes him completely. She feels terrible and immediately rushes out to find Zhu Feng. She catches up to her and apologizes for the misunderstanding. Zhu Feng also apologizes for not explaining things sooner. They make up, and Wang Bikui has her driver take Zhu Feng home. One crisis averted.
A Snake in the Grass
The Setup
The Taiwan Work Committee gets a new radio from the organization. The deputy secretary, Chen Zemin, is assigned to pick it up in Keelung. He plans to take Chen Fabin with him. Chen Fabin casually mentions the trip to Zhuang Achen. This gives Zhuang an idea. He secretly puts a laxative in Chen Fabin’s food. Sure enough, Chen Fabin gets violently ill that night.
The next morning, Chen Zemin is ready to go. He learns Chen Fabin is sick. Cai Xiaoqian suggests Zhuang Achen go with him instead. Chen Zemin is hesitant. The organization hasn't finished its background check on Zhuang yet. But Cai Xiaoqian is weirdly insistent, so Chen Zemin gives in.
The Betrayal
Chen Zemin and Zhuang Achen head to Keelung. Zhuang fakes a stomach ache and slips away to tip off the secret service. Agents show up and arrest Chen Zemin on the spot. That’s when Chen Zemin finally realizes Zhuang Achen is a fake. The agents torture Chen Zemin, but he refuses to break.
We learn that Zhuang Achen’s real name is Weng Lianwang. He’s Gu Zhengwen’s man, planted inside the Committee. Mao Renfeng goes to Chiang Ching-kuo to put in a good word for Gu Zhengwen. He wants Gu to be the one to interrogate Chen Zemin. This is a problem, because Chiang Ching-kuo had already ordered Gu Zhengwen’s execution. He needs Wu Shi’s approval to reverse the order.
Chiang Ching-kuo calls Wu Shi in. He basically begs him to spare Gu Zhengwen. Wu Shi is cornered and has no choice but to agree. Nie Xi is furious when he hears the news. Wu Shi isn't surprised, though. He knows Chiang Kai-shek is pulling the strings from behind the scenes. He made his son, Chiang Ching-kuo, the head of a new political department overseeing intelligence. Wu Shi feels powerless. He decides his only move is to get the military plans for the Zhoushan Islands and send them to the mainland as fast as possible.
The Fallout
New Assignments
Chiang Ching-kuo releases Gu Zhengwen. He orders him to get Chen Zemin to talk, and fast. Meanwhile, Wu Shi starts looking for intel on the Zhoushan Islands but comes up empty. He decides to call one of his former students, Li Minyuan, who is at the Zhoushan command post. He invites him to Taiwan for a visit during the Spring Festival. He hopes to get the information directly from him.
Gu Zhengwen is back at the secret service. He praises Weng Lianwang for his work and gives him a huge cash bonus. Weng tells Gu where the Committee is hiding. But Gu decides not to raid the location just yet. Instead, he promotes Weng Lianwang. He then gives him a new target. Get close to Wu Shi’s driver, Xiao Qian.
The Next Target
Xiao Qian takes a bus to the hospital to visit his sister, who is a nurse. Weng Lianwang gets on the same bus, following him. Xiao Qian tells his sister he wants her to spend the New Year with him at the Wu residence. She wants to go back to their hometown in Zhangzhou. He promises her they’ll be able to go home soon. Weng Lianwang watches the entire exchange.
Later, Xiao Qian says goodbye to his sister and gets back on the bus. Weng Lianwang is right there. He threatens Xiao Qian. He tells him if he doesn't cooperate, his family will be brought to Taiwan. It's straight-up blackmail.
Back at headquarters, Gu Zhengwen searches Chen Zemin’s luggage. He finds nothing useful.
