Episode Summary
The Deqing Society purges its internal traitors, with Lu Shufen choosing mercy to unite the group. An Mi steals a corruption ledger from Shen Yihe, which Li Heng uses to incite conflict between their enemies. However, Shufen ignores orders and attempts to assassinate Shen Yihe alone. The attempt fails, walking her and Li Heng straight into a trap set by Shen.
Spoiler Alert
The Deqing Society Cleans House
We start this episode with some serious cleanup. The joint operation between the Deqing Society and the underground party hit the Advance Team hard. It turns out that Ma San’s "betrayal" was a total fabrication. Li Heng and Lu Shufen cooked up that scheme to flush out the real moles. It worked. They caught several senior members red-handed.
You might expect a bloodbath here. I certainly did. But Shufen takes the high road. She views the Deqing Society members as family. She decides to forgive the traitors. She wants to unite everyone for the communist cause instead of holding grudges. It’s a risky move, but she is stepping up as a leader.
New Orders and Old Grudges
Lu Wenlu is absolutely furious about Li Heng’s actions. He knows Li Heng played him. But he has a problem. The Advance Team is a black ops assassination squad. He can’t exactly call the police or arrest Li Heng publicly. He has to swallow his anger. He kills off the witnesses and starts rebuilding his squad.
That night, things get political. Jia Yunying meets Li Heng with urgent news. Chiang Kai-shek is making moves. He summoned Deng Xilin for a "meeting," which is code for house arrest. The organization needs to act fast. They have to escort Deng to Peng County to meet Division Commander Qi. This is crucial for the peaceful liberation of Chengdu.
Breaking and Entering
Shen Yihe is losing it. He calls an emergency meeting and demands a fight to the death in West Sichuan. Most of the room pledges loyalty. Li Heng and An Mi just sit there. They aren't buying what he's selling.
Later that night, An Mi proves she has nerves of steel. She breaks into Shen Yihe’s bedroom. She isn't just snooping. She finds a secret ledger in his file cabinet. It gets tense when Shen comes back to the room. An Mi hides behind the door. She has to hold her breath while he walks around. He leaves eventually, and she slips out. That scene nearly gave me a heart attack.
The Art of Manipulation
Li Heng is playing a dangerous game with multiple pieces. First, he deals with Qingtian. The guy is injured and wants to quit. Li Heng won't let him. He gives Qingtian a specific job: watch Lu Shufen. He knows she is a loose cannon right now.
Next, Li Heng faces Shen Yihe. Shen screams at him for attacking the Advance Team. Li Heng stays cool. He claims it was self-defense against Wang Xiaofei. Shen buys it, mostly, but warns him to watch his step.
Then comes the masterstroke. An Mi hands the stolen ledger to Li Heng. It proves Shen has been embezzling money for years. Li Heng gives An Mi some ammo in return. He tells her Shen Yihe was the one who killed Lu Kaide. They use this info to manipulate Lu Wenlu. An Mi convinces Lu Wenlu that Shen Yihe ordered the hit on his team. Now the bad guys are ready to tear each other apart.
Shufen Goes Rogue
We knew this was coming. Shufen can't let her father's death go. She invites Qingyun to dinner. She chats about the old days to lower his guard. Then she drugs his food. The poor guy passes out cold. When Li Heng gets back, all he finds is a letter.
Shufen tracks Shen Yihe to a theater. She thinks she has the element of surprise. She pulls a knife and goes for the kill.
It’s a trap.
Shen Yihe turns around with a smug smile. He knew she was coming. Agents swarm out and tackle her. Shen drags her to an interrogation room. He sets up a table with wine and food, then calls Li Heng. He lays it out simply. Assassinating an official is a death sentence. He implies Li Heng is an accomplice. He tells them he’s going to make them both "disappear" in a respectable way.
