Episode Summary
Following the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Kinmen, a guilt-ridden Wu Shi vows to obtain more critical intelligence. His resolve is tested when Chiang Kai-shek hires two Japanese military advisors, the very enemy who killed Wu Shi's son, and assigns Wu Shi to be their translator. After a period of intense moral conflict and a reunion with an old anti-Japanese war comrade, Chen Baocang, Wu Shi accepts the horrifying assignment. He realizes it's a unique opportunity to infiltrate the highest levels of command and fulfill his mission.
Spoiler Alert
The Aftermath of a Disaster
This episode kicks off in the shadow of a huge loss. The People's Liberation Army just got hammered at the Battle of Kinmen. We learn they sent nine thousand soldiers, and nearly half were casualties. It’s a brutal defeat.
A Hollow Victory
Back in the Nationalist camp, they're throwing a party. Chiang Kai-shek himself shows up to hand out awards. He gives medals to both Hu Lian, the commander who won the battle, and our guy, Wu Shi. Chiang is laying the praise on thick for Wu Shi.
But Wu Shi is falling apart inside. He is wrecked with guilt. He knows that if his intelligence report had gotten out just one hour sooner, the entire battle might have gone the other way. He makes a quiet vow to himself. He has to get his hands on even more critical intelligence.
At the party after the ceremony, everyone is congratulating Hu Lian. But even Hu Lian admits to Wu Shi that it was a tough fight. He says the PLA soldiers fought to the death, and his own forces took heavy losses, too.
The Hunt for a Leak
While the party is going on, the counter-intelligence chief, Gu Zhengwen, is losing his mind. He’s been analyzing photos taken of Wu Shi at a previous cocktail party, looking for any proof of espionage. He finds nothing.
He’s furious when he learns that Nie Xi spent the whole party distracting the photographer. The photographer even missed key moments because he had to use the restroom. Gu Zhengwen is absolutely convinced Wu Shi passed intelligence. He just has no solid evidence to prove it.
A New, Unwelcome Alliance
Chiang's Big Idea
Chiang Kai-shek has a new plan. He wants to consolidate all his military power in the southwest to fight the PLA. If he wins there, he thinks it will create a strong position to support Taiwan and eventually retake the mainland.
To do this, he’s bringing in outside help. He has hired two senior Japanese military advisors. Their names are Tomita Naoaki and Arakawa Kunimitsu, but they're using Chinese aliases. These are the same Japanese who were the enemy just a few years ago.
A Painful New Job for Wu Shi
Here’s the gut punch. The Japanese advisors have read Wu Shi’s strategic plans and admire them. So, Chiang Kai-shek decides Wu Shi will be their personal translator. He orders his subordinate, Zhou Zhirou, to make it happen.
Zhou knows this is a terrible idea. Wu Shi’s own son, Wu Jingcheng, was killed in a Japanese bombing. The man despises the Japanese. But Chiang’s secretary is assigned to help "persuade" Wu Shi. It's not a request.
Wu Shi is cornered. Zhou and the secretary pressure him relentlessly, talking about the "bigger picture" and invoking Chiang's authority. Wu Shi refuses over and over. He will not translate for Japanese war criminals. But they wear him down.
A Man Torn Apart
Old Friends and Old Wounds
The news about the Japanese advisors spreads. At a gathering, one commander, Yin, is bragging about it. Another officer, Chen Baocang, can’t stand it and calls him out. Wu Shi immediately steps in to defend Chen. He reminds everyone that Chen Baocang lost an eye fighting the Japanese during the war. He forces the blowhard Commander Yin to apologize.
It turns out Wu Shi and Chen Baocang are old comrades. They went to military academy together and fought side-by-side. They haven't seen each other in four years and agree to catch up.
The Final Decision
Wu Shi is a wreck. He goes drinking and tells Nie Xi what's happening. He doesn't know how to face his wife, Wang Bikui, with this news. How can he tell her he's working for the people who murdered their son?
He goes home and finds his wife fixing a toy with their other son, Wu Jiancheng. Wu Shi takes over, but later falls asleep in his study. He has a horrifying nightmare of his dead son, Wu Jingcheng, standing before him covered in blood.
His wife wakes up later and can't find him. She panics and calls Nie Xi. Nie Xi rushes to the Ministry of Defense. He finds Wu Shi working late, drafting strategic plans. Nie Xi tells him he shouldn't do it. He shouldn't be the translator.
But Wu Shi has made a decision. He tells Nie Xi he's going to do it. He sees it now. This horrible, insulting job is actually an opportunity. It will get him closer to the core of the Nationalist military command. It's the perfect way to get the intelligence he needs.
