Episode Summary
In this episode, the squad's New Year celebration is violently interrupted by a massive attack led by Cazorla and Andre. Their goal is to capture Dr. Shen. During the intense siege, Zhang Lan sacrifices his life to destroy the enemy's signal jammer, allowing his team to communicate. In the final, brutal fight, the squad manages to kill the enemy leaders and secure the compound, but they pay a heavy price with Zhang Lan's death.
Spoiler Alert
A Holiday Interrupted
The episode starts on a surprisingly calm note. The whole squad is in Eriniya celebrating Chinese New Year. They're all together making dumplings from scratch. It’s a nice, domestic moment.
Of course, they all tell Ling Zhengrong to stay out of it. Everyone knows he’s completely useless in the kitchen. Following tradition, they hide a single coin inside one of the dumplings for good luck.
Later, they all sit down to eat. Everyone makes a New Year's wish. Qiu Tian wishes she could be a godmother to Xiao Nianhua. Xiao Ran says he wants to take Saji and Seli on a trip to China. Then, Zhang Lan bites into his dumpling and finds the lucky coin. It feels like a good omen. It isn't.
The Siege Begins
A Calculated Assault
We cut to Andre meeting with Cazorla. He offers him a huge payment. The job is to attack the squad's compound. The main goal is to capture Dr. Shen alive.
Jack is also there, ready to join the attack. He doesn't care about the mission. He just wants revenge on Ling Zhengrong for his son's death. He's perfectly fine with it being a suicide mission.
Back at the compound, the calm is shattered. Ling Zhengrong and Qiu Tian are writing festive couplets when the alarm blares. Cazorla and a huge force of mercenaries are at their gate.
Holding the Line
The squad scrambles to their defensive positions. Yan Su tries to shut the main gate, but a truck rams into it. The impact throws him back, and he's injured. Lei Peng manages to drag him back inside the house just in time.
The mercenaries swarm the yard. They just unload their weapons on the house. The squad is seriously outnumbered. It looks bad. Zheng Yunxiao has a sniper bead on Andre. But Andre is sitting inside a car with bulletproof glass. The shot is impossible.
After the first wave of attacks, the squad is surprisingly okay. They haven't taken any casualties. The enemy, on the other hand, has lost a lot of men. The shooting stops for a moment. Andre gets on a loudspeaker. He shouts that he only wants Dr. Shen.
Dr. Shen, hearing this, offers to surrender. He thinks it will keep everyone else safe. Ling Zhengrong immediately shuts that down. His one job is to protect Dr. Shen. He's not letting him walk out that door.
A Desperate Plan
Taking Out the Jammer
With negotiations failed, Cazorla tries a new tactic. He activates a device that jams all of the squad's signals. No communication. Then, he starts firing rocket-propelled grenades at the house.
Jack has his own focus. He's found a sniper position and is hunting for Ling Zhengrong. Ling Zhengrong spots Jack's approximate location, but he can't warn anyone because the comms are down.
Zhang Lan is with Chen Hansheng when he spots the vehicle with the jamming equipment. He comes up with a risky plan. He's going to use a remote-controlled device to blow up the car. The problem is, the wireless controls are useless with the jammer active. He has to use a wired controller. The wire isn't long enough for him to stay in cover.
He knows the risk. He has to get incredibly close to the target. He makes a run for it, gets the device in place, and successfully detonates it. The car explodes.
A Hero Falls
The good news is that their communications are instantly restored. The bad news is that Zhang Lan is completely exposed while running back to the house. Jack sees his chance. He takes the shot and hits Zhang Lan.
Chen Hansheng runs out into the open, bullets flying everywhere. He grabs Zhang Lan and drags him back inside. Cheng Yong and Dr. Shen immediately begin emergency first aid, but it looks grim.
The Final Stand
Everyone Fights
With comms back online, Ling Zhengrong confirms Jack’s position. He returns fire and hits him, but Jack is only wounded. Just then, Cazorla and his men breach the house. The fight moves indoors, and it's brutal. The squad struggles to hold them back.
This is when Cheng Yong steps up. We learn he was also a soldier. He joins the fight and proves he can handle himself. At a critical moment, he kills Andre, saving Chen Hansheng's life.
Qiu Tian ends up in a hand-to-hand fight with Cazorla. It's vicious. She finally gets the upper hand and kills him with a knife to the neck. At the same time, Ling Zhengrong locates the wounded Jack. He finishes the job and kills him.
A Heavy Price for Victory
The attack is over. The remaining mercenaries are neutralized. Andre, Cazorla, and Jack are all dead. The squad defended their ground and protected Dr. Shen. They won.
But the victory feels hollow. Zhang Lan dies from his gunshot wound.
The mission is complete. The episode ends as the surviving members of the squad escort the body of their fallen comrade home.
