Episode Summary
Wu Shi's contacts are compromised, forcing him to find a new way to send vital intelligence. After a heated argument with his daughter leads to a health scare, he is put under stricter watch by both his wife and his superiors. He cleverly manipulates a military aid plan to get himself sent to Hong Kong, but his boss assigns spies to monitor him. His attempt to leave secretly is foiled when his wife discovers his plan.
Spoiler Alert
A Botched Plan and a New Gamble
This episode throws Wu Shi right into the fire. He’s stuck, and he knows it. His contacts are disappearing, and his bosses are starting to look at him sideways. You can feel the walls closing in.
The Dead Drop Goes Cold
The episode kicks off with a botched rendezvous. Nie Xi sets up a dead drop to meet with an asset, Liu Kangfu. But Liu never shows. We learn he was snatched up by Gu Zhengwen. Wu Shi immediately writes Liu off as a traitor.This is bad news.
It gets worse. Their other contact, Xie Zhonghao, also failed to pick up a message from a different dead drop. Wu Shi is worried Xie is in danger. Nie Xi drives Wu Shi to Xie's place, and they spot a freshly replaced window pane. That’s never a good sign. It confirms their fears that something is very wrong. Wu Shi is now cut off from his organization and desperate to get critical intelligence out about troop reinforcements heading to Kinmen.
Trouble on the Homefront
Things aren't any better for Wu Shi at home. He comes home to find his daughter, Wu Xuecheng, reading "progressive" books. He confiscates them immediately. He forbids her from hanging out with her student friends. She doesn't take it well. Wu Xuecheng calls him a warlord and a coward. The fight clearly wounds him, and the stress triggers a health problem. He ends up falling down the stairs.
His wife, Wang Bikui, is fed up. She complains that he isn't taking his blood pressure medication. She even blames Nie Xi for not looking after him better. Wu Shi has to step in to defend his aide. Wang Bikui lays down the law. He must take his medicine on time, come home on time, and take her with him to any social functions. He agrees to everything. His daughter sees all this and feels a wave of guilt.
A Risky New Play
Wu Shi realizes he's in a corner. His boss, Zhou Zhirou, is getting suspicious. He needs a new plan, and he needs one fast.
The Walls Close In
Zhou Zhirou sends his man, Duan Tuizhi, to visit the "sick" Wu Shi. Duan is not there to wish him well. He casually brings up that Wu Shi’s illness seemed to start right after he passed by Xie Zhonghao’s house. This is a test. Duan also bad-mouths Gu Zhengwen, trying to see how Wu Shi will react. Wu Shi plays it cool and says he wants to let old issues lie.
The visit confirms Wu Shi's fears. Zhou Zhirou suspects him. With his contacts gone, Wu Shi decides he has to deliver the Kinmen intelligence to Hong Kong himself.He cooks up a brilliant plan. He drafts a military aid distribution proposal that he knows the Americans will love. He bets that they will specifically ask for him, forcing Zhou Zhirou to send him out of the country.
The Hong Kong Gambit
The plan works perfectly. An American military rep named Walker loves the proposal. He specifically requests Wu Shi to handle the negotiations. Zhou Zhirou is now in a tough spot. He calls Wu Shi, who has been waiting for this moment.
Zhou orders him to Hong Kong to meet with Walker. Wu Shi plays his part, at first refusing because of his poor health. Zhou offers to send a doctor with him. Then, Wu Shi brings up his other concern. He worries the secret service will target him again. Zhou insists he must go to Hong Kong the next day. Wu Shi reluctantly "agrees." It’s a masterful performance. But Zhou makes a countermove. He tells Duan Tuizhi to send men to follow Wu Shi to Hong Kong. They will be his "protection," but they are really there to watch his every move.
The episode ends with a small domestic crisis. Wu Shi can't pack his own bags because of the promise he made to his wife. He sends Nie Xi to his house with a cover story about working overtime. But the lie falls apart when Nie Xi asks for a formal military uniform. Wang Bikui gets suspicious and decides to go to the ministry herself, forcing Wu Shi to tell her the truth about his trip.
