Episode Summary
In this episode, Li Heng orchestrates a complex plan to rescue key personnel while creating a foolproof alibi. He pretends to be drunk while his allies execute a chase and decoy operation. He successfully saves Wu Dafei and the others from Jia Yunwu's trap, leaving Jia furious and discredited. Meanwhile, personal relationships deepen as Wu Shiren saves Jia Yunying from a shakedown and Li Heng overhears his wife's earnest concern for his safety.
Spoiler Alert
The Trap Is Sprung
The episode kicks off at night. All the players are moving their pieces across the board. Wu Dafei is the bait. He's pretending to defect to the Communists. He walks into the New Xianlin Ballroom with a case, sits down, and waits for his contact.
You know who's watching? Sisi. She's sitting nearby, taking it all in. She makes a quick call to her bosses at the Central Statistics Bureau agency. She tells them the trap is set and asks for her next move.
Meanwhile, Shen Yihe is having dinner with Li Heng at a restaurant close by. Li Heng suggests they invite Jia Yunwu to join them. Shen Yihe shuts that down immediately.
A Shaky Meetup
Back in the ballroom, a man in plain clothes approaches Wu Dafei. This is supposed to be the contact. But the guy seems more interested in the dancers on stage. Wu Dafei has to nudge him just to get him to pass over a note.
Central Statistics Bureau agents are hiding in plain sight. They're watching Wu Dafei's every move. They don't act yet. Wu Dafei gets up with his case. As he leaves, he whispers to a nearby agent. The meeting spot has been changed at the last minute.
The Great Rickshaw Escape
A Communist Party member is disguised as a rickshaw driver. He picks up Wu Dafei and they take off at full speed. This sets off a massive chase. Agents from both the Central Statistics Bureau and the rival Juntong agency are on their tail. Tang Meng even sets up a roadblock ahead.
The rickshaw driver is good. He makes a sharp turn into a narrow alley. He uses a street barrier to block the cars chasing them. Then he pulls a classic misdirection. He uses a scarecrow to create a decoy, drawing the agents away.
Li Heng's Big Night Out
While all this is happening, Li Heng is putting on a show. He starts chugging wine straight from the pot at the restaurant. He pretends to be completely wasted. He loudly declares he's punishing himself for a mistake he made earlier in the day. He even says Shen Yihe can dock his pay if he messes up again.
He uses his "drunkenness" to complain about his life. He moans about how hard it is to understand women after getting married. He complains about all the petty household drama. Qingtian and his crew from the Deqing Society show up right on cue. They start doing toasts, and the whole table gets loud. Li Heng then pretends he's about to be sick from all the alcohol. He stumbles away from the table and makes his exit.
The Rescue Operation
Jia Yunwu is smart enough to realize the scarecrow is just a decoy. But it doesn't matter. His surveillance team still manages to track Wu Dafei to his real location. A firefight breaks out in the streets. The gunshots attract Li Heng, who was waiting nearby for his moment.
Wu Dafei is dragged into an abandoned house. He's interrogated by Yu Tong. Wu Dafei finally breaks. He confesses that Jia Yunwu forced him to fake the defection to the Communists. Just as three of Jia's agents are about to storm the house, Li Heng appears. He takes them out silently. Then he knocks on the door and tells Yu Tong and the other core members to get out immediately.
Cleaning Up the Mess
Jia Yunwu gets a report that he's lost contact with his men. He leads a team to the scene himself. He finds his agents dead. The safe house is completely empty. He is absolutely furious. He orders a city-wide manhunt.
Securing the Alibi
Li Heng needs to make sure his alibi is solid. He goes back to his old trick. He stumbles into the New Xianlin Ballroom, pretending to be drunk and causing a scene. The dancer, Sisi, sees right through his act. She knows he's faking it, but she doesn't call him out. Shen Yihe gets word of the disturbance and comes to get him. She drags the "blackout drunk" Li Heng home.
Shifting Loyalties and Close Calls
There were a few other things going on tonight. Wu Shiren shows up at the Jia house with flowers for Jia Yunying. The servant tells him she already went out after dinner.
Turns out, Jia Yunying was stopped on the street by Central Statistics Bureau agents. They're searching for illegal goods and demand to look in her suitcase. Just in the nick of time, Wu Shiren shows up. He uses his wits to talk the agents down and gets her out of the jam.
Trouble at Home
Later, Qingtian helps Li Heng get home. Li Heng's wife, Lu Shufen, is waiting. She sends her injured husband to his room. Then she pulls Qingtian aside for a private chat. Qingtian admits he was helping Li Heng with something important. He promises her the Deqing Society won't get dragged into it.
Lu Shufen has always treated Qingtian like a brother. She trusts him. But she's also Li Heng's wife, and she hates seeing him come home hurt. She tells Qingtian not to hide things from her anymore. Li Heng is hiding in the shadows and overhears their entire conversation. He's clearly moved by his wife's concern.
The Fallout
Wu Shiren walks Jia Yunying home and tries confessing his feelings for her again. She's still hesitant and doesn't give him an answer.
The biggest loser of the night is Jia Yunwu. His operation was a total failure. He couldn't find the leak. He has now completely lost Shen Yihe's trust. Even his own ally, Yang Deng, is starting to get fed up with him. The infighting between the Juntong and Central Statistics Bureau agencies is about to get much, much worse.
