Episode Summary
In this episode, Gu Zhengwen closes in on Chen Zemin's family to use them as leverage. Wu Shi and Chen Baocang execute a brilliant plan to steal the Zhoushan defense maps. Li Qing finally learns the truth about her brother's death and resigns from her job, hinting at a new allegiance.
Spoiler Alert
The Walls Close In
The episode kicks off with Chen Zemin in custody. He’s not talking. Gu Zhengwen, the lead interrogator, decides to get creative. He goes through Chen’s suitcase. Everything is neat. The patches on the clothes are sewn with care. Gu figures a woman did the sewing. Weng Lianwang then remembers something. Chen always brought back pineapples from his trips to Pingtung.
The pieces click into place for Gu. He confronts Chen in his cell. He tells him he knows his wife is in Pingtung. Chen gives him nothing. So Gu lays down a threat. He’s sending Weng to Pingtung. He promises Chen will be reunited with his wife in three days. It’s a chilling promise.
A High-Stakes Heist
Wu Shi has a major problem. He needs the latest defense plans for Zhoushan. His usual contact, Li Minyuan, is stuck there. Li's boss had a stroke, so he can't leave for the New Year holiday. Wu Shi had planned to get the intel from him during a party. Nie Xi suggests another route. The Southeast Military and Political Affairs Office manages Zhoushan. The info must be there.
Wu Shi goes to see his ally, Chen Baocang. They talk strategy. Chen Baocang knows that the head of defense, Chen Cheng, keeps Zhoushan under tight lock and key. Even high-ranking officials can’t get access. Wu Shi decides he has to get the plans himself. He needs Chen Baocang's help to pull it off.
Here’s their plan.
First, Wu Shi reports the stroke victim's illness to a top general, Zhou Zhirou. Zhou wants the news contained. He doesn't want to spook the troops in Zhoushan. Wu Shi then suggests sending an "inspection team" to Zhoushan. He frames it as a way to boost morale. Zhou thinks it’s a solid idea.
At the same time, Chen Baocang goes to another general, Gu Zhutong, to complain about his current post. This makes him look available and eager for a new assignment. The plan works perfectly. The top brass decides to send Chen Baocang to lead the inspection team to Zhoushan. He’s in.
Getting the Blueprints
Chen Baocang arrives in Zhoushan and gets a tour of the command post from Li Minyuan. He starts looking over the defense layouts. Back in Taipei, Wu Shi makes his move. He calls Li Minyuan at the command post. He keeps him on the phone with pointless small talk, just stalling for time.
With Li Minyuan distracted, Chen Baocang acts fast. He sends his own aide on a fake errand to get a roster. Now he’s alone. He quickly starts drawing the military defense map.
Suddenly, the phone line between Wu Shi and Li disconnects. Li Minyuan heads back to the command post. He finds Chen Baocang still working and tells him to get some rest. But Chen has an excuse ready. He claims he needs to finish allocating supplies. This gives him more time to stay and memorize the rest of the defense schematics. Later that night, safely in his quarters, he draws out the remaining parts of the map from memory.
A Devastating Truth
The city is getting ready for the Chinese New Year. Wu Shi sees Li Qing wandering the streets alone. He asks Nie Xi what’s going on with her, but Nie Xi has no idea.
Later, Wu Shi is in the archives looking for a file. He asks an assistant for sealing tape. Li Qing is the one who brings it to him. She sees the file he’s reading. It belongs to her brother, Lin Feng.
The documents lay it all out. The file officially confirms the KMT murdered her brother. It even contains a letter Lin Feng wrote to her. Learning the real reason for her brother's death completely shatters her. Wu Shi gently advises her to go back to the mainland. He tells her that her brother’s memorial is buried in their hometown.
Li Qing, holding back tears, seals her brother's file. As she walks out, she stops at the door. She turns and thanks Wu Shi. The gesture is small but powerful. Soon after, Gu Zhengwen offers Li Qing a job at the Secrecy Bureau. In response, she submits her resignation to the Ministry of National Defense. Her path is changing.
Loose Ends
While all this is happening, a few other things are in motion. Cai Xiaoqian is lured into a trap with false information. An agent plants a note saying the captured Chen Zemin has malaria and is recovering in a village. Cai immediately sends men to check it out, walking right into the misdirection.
The episode closes with Chen Baocang’s return from Zhoushan. He doesn’t waste a second. He immediately finds Wu Shi and hands over the complete defense map. Mission accomplished.
