Episode Summary
In this episode, Nie Xi's plan to save Wu Shi with a fake confession backfires. The investigators try to trap Wu Shi into framing Chen Baocang, but he refuses. Instead, Wu Shi makes a full confession, revealing the extent of his work as a spy directly in front of a furious Chiang Kai-shek.
Spoiler Alert
Silent Honor Episode 38: The Confession
This is the episode where the house of cards finally comes down. I knew it was coming, but I wasn't ready for how it all played out. Let's get into it.
Nie Xi's Last Play
The episode opens with Nie Xi making his final moves. He gives his wife, Gao Xiumei, a boat ticket to Hong Kong. He knows he's not walking out of this alive. He burns his important files and codebooks. Then he writes a confession letter.
The letter is a calculated sacrifice. He claims he is the leader of the East Sea Group. He says he manipulated Wu Shi. He used Wu Shi's high-ranking position to gather intelligence. He even says he had Wu Shi send telegrams for him. This letter is designed to be Wu Shi’s get-out-of-jail-free card.
Gu Zhengwen gets his hands on the letter. He wants to use it to corner Wu Shi. His boss, Mao Renfeng, is worried. He thinks Wu Shi could use the letter to prove his own innocence. Gu decides to take the risk anyway.
The First Crack
Gu Zhengwen tries to play good cop with Wu Shi. He brings him blood pressure medicine and acts concerned. Wu Shi isn't buying it for a second. He just ignores him. So, Gu reads Nie Xi’s letter out loud.
Wu Shi listens to the whole thing. He asks to see Nie Xi, but Gu refuses. Gu and Mao watch him from a hidden spot. They want to see how he reacts. Wu Shi just calmly rereads the letter. He takes a sip of water and mutters something to himself. His face gives nothing away.
While this is happening, we get a small, sad scene. It's the Lantern Festival. Ye Xiangzhi brings a bowl of sweet rice balls to Nie Xi in his cell. It's from his wife. That’s how Nie Xi learns that Gao Xiumei never got on the boat to Hong Kong. She stayed for him.
The Net Tightens
The investigation into Wu Shi is going nowhere. Gu Zhengwen’s agents can't find any real evidence connecting him to the Communists. So, they need a new strategy. Mao Renfeng and Zhou Zhirou report to Chiang Ching-kuo. They suggest going after Chen Baocang instead. Chiang Ching-kuo agrees. He tells them to keep Wu Shi locked up for now.
Meanwhile, Chen Baocang has taken over the spy ring. He successfully sends a critical piece of intelligence to the mainland. Afterwards, he visits Wu Shi’s home to see the children. Wu Shi’s son, Wu Xuecheng, just breaks down crying in his arms. Chen promises he’ll get their father out soon. While there, he notices something is wrong. A valuable Tianhuang stone he once gifted Wu Shi is missing.
Gu Zhengwen uses this. He interrogates Wu Shi again. This time, he has a deal. He claims the missing stone contained secret military plans. He tells Wu Shi to testify that Chen Baocang and Nie Xi are the real spies. If he does, Wu Shi can go home.
Wu Shi sees the trap immediately. They want him to frame his friend to save himself. He's done playing their games. He looks Gu right in the eye. Then he confesses. He tells them he is the leader of the East Sea Group.
The Point of No Return
The confession sends shockwaves all the way to the top. Chiang Ching-kuo calls Chiang Kai-shek directly. The big man himself decides he wants to see this traitor in person.
Wu Shi has one condition before he spills everything. He wants to see Chen Baocang one last time. Gu agrees and brings Chen to the interrogation room.
Their meeting is intense. Chen feels responsible. He tells Wu Shi to blame everything on him. He says Wu Shi can still get out and go home to his family. But Wu Shi is past that. He only has one question. Did the intelligence get out? Chen’s reaction tells him it did. The mission was a success. They both know this is the end of the line. They talk about their old days on the battlefield. They shake hands, two soldiers facing their final moments together.
Then comes the final interrogation. Chiang Kai-shek is there, watching from the sidelines. Wu Shi holds nothing back. He admits to passing intelligence multiple times. He then stuns everyone in the room. He draws, from pure memory, the complete defensive layouts of Taiwan and Zhoushan.
Chiang Kai-shek is furious. He realizes his enemy, Mao Zedong, knew his secret plans almost as soon as he made them. Mao Renfeng screams at Wu Shi for betraying the party and the country.
Wu Shi gives his final answer. He says he never joined the Communist party. He didn't betray the country. He only betrayed a corrupt government. He says he still follows the original ideals of Sun Yat-sen: a nation that belongs to the people.
