Episode Summary
Li Heng plays all sides to protect the evacuation plan, which goes haywire. Jia Yunying's secret escape mission ends with a firefight, a city-wide manhunt, and her bringing a wounded comrade home, forcing her to finally reveal her identity to her shocked father just as the enemy arrives at their door.
Spoiler Alert
The Arrest List Drama
Li Heng Plays Politics
So, the episode opens with Jia Yunwu calling out Li Heng. He's not happy about the changes to the big arrest list. Li Heng doesn't even blink. He just pulls out a new version of the list. This one has Jia Zhong and Jia Yunying on it. He reads their names out loud in front of everyone. You can see Jia Yunwu's blood boil. He's now got a serious problem with Tang Meng.
Right on cue, Shen Yihe and Lu Wenlu walk in. Li Heng uses the moment perfectly. He tells Lu Wenlu that arresting the relatives of top officers is a terrible idea. He says it will cause a revolt in their own ranks. He suggests they be more strategic. And it works. Lu Wenlu agrees and orders some of the sensitive names to be removed.
Jia Yunwu vs. Tang Meng
After the meeting, Jia Yunwu gets in Tang Meng's face. He tells him to come after him if he has a problem, but to leave his family alone. Tang Meng doesn't back down. He says it's a military investigation. He claims Jia Zhong is a valid person of interest.
While this is happening, Deng Xilin speaks up to defend Jia Zhong. Jia Zhong is grateful for the support. Wu Shiren sees an opening. He pulls Jia Zhong aside and tries to sell him on a peaceful liberation for the city. He argues that avoiding bloodshed is the only way to truly help the people.
The Evacuation Plan
Li Heng's Secret Mission
The arrest list is finally locked in. Lu Wenlu and Shen Yihe both take a copy for safekeeping. Once the room clears out, Shen Yihe has a private word with Li Heng. She pushes him to contact his "client." She makes it clear that business has to go on, no matter what the political climate is.
Li Heng goes straight to a bookstore for a secret meeting with Yu Tong. He delivers the bad news. The Secret Service is closing in on them. They need to get out, now. He hands Yu Tong a list of key people who must be evacuated.
Jia Yunying's Close Call
Yu Tong bolts to the hospital to find Jia Yunying. He tells her she needs to send a telegram immediately. Their comrades in the surrounding areas must evacuate and destroy their radios. But Jia Yunying is worried about a new special envoy who just arrived. She decides she has to personally escort him out of Chengdu.
That night, she's in her study sending the emergency signal. Instead of destroying the radio, though, she hides it in a planter outside. Just as she finishes, her father, Jia Zhong, walks out. She lies, saying there's an emergency at the hospital, and rushes off.
A Night of Chaos
The Checkpoint Escape
This is where everything goes sideways. Before the big city-wide roundup starts, Tang Meng has all the captured underground party members executed. Cold.
Meanwhile, Jia Yunying picks up the special envoy and drives toward the city limits. They get stopped at a checkpoint. Her first move is to play the part of a rich merchant and offer a bribe. It fails. The guards recognize her. Just as it looks like they're caught, Wu Shiren shows up out of nowhere and starts shooting. At the same time, Li Heng, who was hiding in the shadows, takes out the other military police. They create enough chaos for Jia Yunying and the envoy to escape. The envoy gets out of the city safely.
City-Wide Manhunt
Shen Yihe gets the news about the escape and is furious. She orders a full-scale manhunt across the entire city. Jia Yunwu leads a team to raid a known liaison point. They shoot and kill two underground members right there. Sisi also gets word of what's happening. She quickly gets her own people moving. The whole of Chengdu becomes a hunting ground as night falls.
The Aftermath and a Shocking Reveal
A Father's Suspicions
On the ride back, Wu Shiren has a serious talk with Jia Yunying. He tells her she needs to be much more careful. He stresses that in their line of work, survival comes first. He promises to do whatever he can to help her.
Back at the Jia residence, Jia Zhong sits down with his daughter. He asks her directly what she thinks about Wu Shiren. You can tell he's trying to play matchmaker.
Jia Zhong Learns the Truth
Li Heng goes with Jia Yunwu's squad to search Yu Tong's wonton shop. Thankfully, Yu Tong isn't there. He's nearby, though, and gets spotted by agents. He tries to fight back but takes a bullet to the stomach.
Jia Yunying finds him. She makes a massive gamble and brings the wounded Yu Tong back to her house. Of course, her father Jia Zhong walks in on them. He sees the blood and helps her clean the trail leading to the door. Then he asks the big question: who is this man? That's it. The secret is out. He is stunned to realize his own daughter is a Communist.
Even with a serious injury, Yu Tong pleads his case to Jia Zhong. He begs him to use his military power to help make the liberation of Chengdu a peaceful one. At that exact moment, Sisi and her team have tracked Yu Tong by following the blood. She notifies Tang Meng, who brings a search party right to the Jia family's front gate. Jia Zhong remains calm under pressure. He tells his daughter to hide Yu Tong. Then, he puts on his uniform to go face the soldiers at his door.
