Episode Summary
Jia Yunying blames her brother for their father's death, causing a rift in the family. Li Heng investigates the murder while trying to protect his communist contact, Yu Tong. Jia Yunwu discovers Yu Tong's location and sets a trap to test Li Heng's loyalty. Yu Tong realizes the setup and commits suicide during the raid to protect Li Heng's cover. Li Heng grieves privately but continues his mission to move the arms shipment, distancing himself from Lu Shufen to keep her safe.
Spoiler Alert
The Fallout at the Jia Residence
Things get ugly immediately after the assassination. Jia Yunying stands over her father’s body. She is absolutely crushed. Her grief quickly turns into rage. She unleashes everything on her brother, Jia Yunwu. She screams at him. She claims he helped the villains. She insists their father’s death is on his hands.
Jia Yunwu takes the heat. He looks just as broken. He tells her that Jia Zhong was his father too. He claims he would have gladly taken the bullet for the old man. It is a grim scene.
On the way back, Lu Shufen starts connecting the dots. She noticed Li Heng acting strange before they left. She realizes he sensed something bad was coming. But even he did not predict Jia Zhong would be the target. Li Heng admits they were all looking in the wrong direction.
We also see Wang Xiaofei. He finished his dirty work. He heads straight to the dance hall to find Sisi. He doesn't seem too bothered by the murder he just committed.
Li Heng Plays Both Sides
Li Heng gets back to the Sichuan Investigation Office. He wastes no time. He pulls An Mi aside. He gives her a secret mission. She needs to find the real killer.
Then he goes to work on Jia Yunwu. Li Heng lays out the facts. He suggests the killer likely came from Juntong. Jia Zhong was already on their hit list. It makes sense. Yunwu gets suspicious though. He asks why Li Heng cares so much about the Jia family business. Li Heng plays the friendship card. He says he is doing it for Jia Yunying.
Shen Yihe hears the news too. He has zero sympathy. He thinks Jia Zhong died because he was too stubborn. He sends Li Heng to the funeral as his representative. He also demands Li Heng speed up the arms deal.
Li Heng goes to the funeral. He watches Jia Yunying kneeling by the altar. He warns her to watch her back. She finally realizes he was right all along. She regrets ignoring his earlier advice.
The Trap for Yu Tong
Jia Yunwu is not useless. He decodes a message from a newspaper. He finds a meeting spot used by Yu Tong. He leaks this info to Li Heng on purpose. He suggests they raid the place the next day.
Li Heng pretends to agree. But he makes his own moves. He sends the Qingtian gang to scout the area. They spot Juntong sentries. It is a dangerous setup.
Li Heng risks everything. He goes to Yulin Lane to find Yu Tong. He tells him the code is broken. He says Yu Tong needs to run immediately. But Yu Tong is sharp. He realizes the enemy leaked the info to test Li Heng. If Yu Tong runs, Li Heng gets exposed.
Yu Tong makes a hard choice. He decides to stay. He cuts off all leads that could hurt the organization. He chooses to die so Li Heng can stay undercover.
A Tragic Sacrifice
The raid happens that night. Li Heng and Jia Yunwu lead the team. They kick down the door. Yu Tong has already burned the intel. Li Heng rushes in first with two agents. Chaos breaks out. Li Heng and Yu Tong shoot the other agents.
They are alone for a second. Li Heng begs Yu Tong to surrender. He promises he can get him out. He wants to take him back to the office. But Yu Tong shakes his head. He knows death is the only way to protect the mission. He raises his gun. He takes his own life before Jia Yunwu can enter the room.
Jia Yunwu runs in. He sees the body. He yells at Li Heng for not taking the target alive. Li Heng says nothing. He walks away. He sits in his car and fights back tears. The agents search the place. They find nothing but an empty tunnel. The leads are dead.
Aftermath and New Plans
The next day, Jia Yunying reads the paper. She sees the code. She realizes what happened. Li Heng goes to the outskirts of the city. He plants a cypress tree. It is a silent tribute to his fallen comrade. He vows to finish the mission.
Work does not stop for grief. Li Heng organizes the Deqing Society. They start moving the arms. Lu Shufen wants to help. She volunteers for the operation. Li Heng shuts her down. He says it is too dangerous. He does not want her involved. She accepts it. But she watches him closely. She wonders if she will ever truly find a place in his heart.
