Episode Summary
Gu Zhengwen's suspicion forces Zhang Hao to sacrifice himself to protect Wu Shi's cover. Following Zhang Hao's final instructions, Wu Shi and Nie Xi get new leads on two contacts in Keelung. Wu Shi suspects one is a traitor and devises a plan to expose them. The plan works, revealing Liu Kangfu as the mole when he is arrested after falling for the trap.
Spoiler Alert
A Botched Operation
The Penicillin Problem
This whole mess starts because of penicillin. Gu Zhengwen sees Zhang Hao trying to sell the antibiotic to Wu Shi. His mind immediately jumps to one conclusion. Wu Shi must be a communist. Gu doesn't have any real proof, though. Things get messy fast. Zhang Hao grabs Wu Shi, essentially taking him hostage to create a scene. Gu Zhengwen opens fire on Wu Shi's car. The car crashes, and Wu Shi gets injured.
Damage Control
Mao Renfeng calls Wu Shi to apologize for the chaos. He's still suspicious. He asks why Zhang Hao was pushing penicillin on him. Wu Shi gives a smooth, believable answer. To cover all bases, Mao Renfeng also calls Zhou Zhirou to check the story. Zhou Zhirou confirms everything. He says Wu Shi had permission to go to the hospital for an illness.
Wu Shi feels the danger for the first time. He was almost exposed. If he went down, he would have failed his mission. He also would have destroyed the entire intelligence network in Taiwan. Later, Zhou Zhirou goes to Chiang Ching-kuo to complain about Mao Renfeng's aggressive tactics. Chiang Ching-kuo calls Wu Shi in. He tries to smooth things over and even offers to punish Gu Zhengwen. Wu Shi tells him not to bother.
A Sacrifice and a New Lead
The Truth Comes Out
Gu Zhengwen can't shake the feeling that something is wrong. He starts to suspect Zhang Hao killed himself on purpose. He brings this theory to Mao Renfeng, who is not interested. Mao dismisses him completely.
We then learn what really happened. Zhang Hao did it to protect Wu Shi's identity. In a flashback, we see Zhang Hao shoot himself. Before he dies, he tells Wu Shi to go to Keelung and find a man named Lin Yiwei. Back in the present, Wu Shi finds Zhang Hao's new identification papers and tears them to pieces. He is clearly rattled by the sacrifice.
The Keelung Connection
Nie Xi drives Wu Shi to Keelung to find this new contact. They notice a car tailing them. Nie Xi manages to lose it after some skilled driving.
Gu Zhengwen's men find the pieces of the ID Wu Shi tore up. Gu orders them to check if Zhang Hao used Wu Shi's gun to kill himself. He decides to go to Keelung personally. Once there, he quickly finds the apartment of Xie Zhonghao, who was Zhang Hao's telegraph operator.
Nie Xi goes to a business to find Lin Yiwei. He instead meets Lin Yiliang, who is very suspicious. Nie Xi proves he's a friendly by mentioning Lin Yiliang's old Japanese name. This works. Lin Yiliang gives him a key to a safe deposit box at Huainan Bank.
The Hunt for a Traitor
Two New Contacts
Nie Xi goes to the bank and opens the box. Inside is information left by Zhang Hao. It contains details on two people. One is a cipher clerk named Liu Kangfu. The other is the telegrapher, Xie Zhonghao. Nie Xi wants to contact them right away. Wu Shi warns him to be careful. He suspects one of them is a traitor.
Gu Zhengwen's instincts were right. He sets a trap for Xie Zhonghao at his apartment. When Xie returns, Gu's men move in. Xie fights back, killing two agents before escaping through a window.
Setting the Trap
Back at Wu Shi's house, the power suddenly goes out. This gives Wu Shi an idea. He knows Liu Kangfu and Xie Zhonghao don't know each other. He tells Nie Xi to use a dead letter drop. They will send separate messages inviting both men to a meeting. The one who doesn't show up is the traitor. They need to find one of them. It's the only way to send out an urgent message about troop movements to Kinmen.
The Mole Is Exposed
Gu Zhengwen's team searches Xie's empty apartment. They find three books. Two are old and worn. The third is brand new. Gu figures the new book must be the codebook.
His men are also watching Liu Kangfu. Liu receives the letter from Nie Xi's dead drop. He reads it, burns it, and heads to a local teahouse. Gu gets the report and goes to the teahouse himself to make the arrest. Nie Xi sees the whole thing unfold from a distance and quietly leaves.
Gu Zhengwen grabs Liu Kangfu. Liu immediately panics and begs for his life. He admits he was Zhang Hao's cipher clerk. He promises to cooperate and help capture the communist contact. Nie Xi reports back to Wu Shi. The letter he left for Xie Zhonghao was never picked up. They now have their answer. Liu Kangfu is the traitor.
