Episode Summary
Li Heng successfully arranges an ambush to eliminate an enemy and rescue captured allies, but the fallout puts him under scrutiny from his superior, Shen Yihe. He then gets himself assigned to a new joint intelligence committee to acquire a secret assassination list. His first attempt to save a target on that list, a journalist named Mr. Bai, fails tragically. At the same time, Qing Tian discovers that one of his men is involved in Wang Xiaofei's growing opium trafficking operation.
Spoiler Alert
An Ambush with a Purpose
The episode kicks off with a plan already in motion. Li Heng had secretly contacted a guy named Zhang Yunhu. He told him that an enemy, Zhao Jun, would be in a prisoner transport convoy. This was Zhang Yunhu's chance for revenge. Li Heng had one condition, though. He told Zhang Yunhu to make sure the patriots and students in that same convoy were kept safe. Zhang Yunhu agreed and set up an ambush.
When the convoy drove into the trap, a firefight broke out. Zhao Jun’s men were getting wiped out. He was forced to get out of the car. At first, he didn't even recognize Zhang Yunhu. By the time he did, it was too late. Zhang Yunhu shot and killed him on the spot.
With the target down, Zhang Yunhu quickly freed Huang Ye and the other prisoners. He gave them directions to a rendezvous point. Qing Tian was waiting there and got everyone away safely. Mission accomplished.
The Fallout and a New Rival
While the ambush was happening, Li Heng was at the train station. He was with Shen Yihe and Jia Yunwu. They were there to greet a delegation from Chongqing. But the person who showed up was Cao Peng, a political rival. It was an awkward welcome.
Then, news of the ambush arrived. Everyone rushed back to the bureau headquarters. The courtyard was a mess, with several bodies laid out. A survivor explained that the attackers seemed to have a personal grudge against Zhao Jun. Shen Yihe was furious. He immediately blamed Li Heng and Jia Yunwu for the failure. The two of them stuck together, though. They insisted it was all because of Zhao Jun's personal beefs. They said the priority was to find the real culprits.
Later that night, Jia Yunwu went home. He tried to patch things up with his sister and father. But he and his sister just ended up arguing again about their political beliefs. The tension in that family is thick.
A New Mission and a Dangerous Meeting
The next day, Li Heng met secretly with Yu Tong. He confirmed that Huang Ye and the others were safe. Now they needed to figure out the next steps for them. Yu Tong was a little worried. He questioned Li Heng's decision to trust Zhang Yunhu with such a risky operation. He reminded Li Heng that his position as a mole is critical. He can't afford any mistakes. Li Heng understood the concern. He promised to be more careful from now on.
The political situation is getting worse. The Kuomintang government is falling apart. Yu Tong learned from an inside source that they have created an assassination list. This list targets several progressive figures. Li Heng knew he had to get his hands on it. He decided to find a way into a high-level meeting to get the list.
His chance came pretty quickly. Shen Yihe called an emergency meeting. He announced that the Nanjing government had collapsed. The Central Statistics Bureau and the Secrecy Bureau would now be working together. He needed to send key people to a new Provincial Special Committee. Jia Yunwu made an excuse about personal matters. He recommended Li Heng for the job instead. Li Heng agreed but said he needed to bring his assistant, Yang Deng. Shen Yihe approved the request.
A Failed Rescue
At the joint committee meeting, Li Heng ran into Tang Meng from the military intelligence side. The meeting was led by a director named Zhang Jiaming. Tang Meng was bragging. He said his unit had already arrested several Communist suspects. He also announced their plan to assassinate "uncooperative" journalists, including a Mr. Bai from a local newspaper.
Li Heng suggested that all departments should share intelligence. Tang Meng just laughed at him and refused. The two got into a heated argument. Zhang Jiaming had to yell at them to shut them up.
After the meeting, Li Heng overheard Tang Meng giving orders to his men in the hallway. He knew he had to act fast. He rushed to the Xinxianlin Dance Hall. He found Mr. Bai and warned him that he was in danger. But as Li Heng was leading him out the back door, an agent disguised as a dancer attacked. She stabbed Mr. Bai in the chest with a hairpin. He died right there. With the situation blown, Li Heng had no choice but to get out of there fast.
Subplots and Side Hustles
The next day, Cao Peng called Li Heng in for a private meeting. He reminded Li Heng of his loyalty to the party. He said the main job now is to coordinate all departments to crack down on the Communists. Li Heng played along, but he was more determined than ever to get that assassination list.
Meanwhile, Wang Xiaofei was at a warehouse running his opium trafficking business. He met a homeless man named Zhang Hui who seemed unusually sharp. Wang Xiaofei decided to recruit him.
In another part of town, Qing Tian noticed one of his own men was suddenly spending a lot of money. He interrogated the man, who confessed he was involved in some illegal transport jobs. That night, Qing Tian staked out the warehouse. He watched as Wang Xiaofei directed his crew to load boxes of opium for shipment. It looks like these two worlds are about to collide.
