Episode Summary
In this episode, a failed rescue attempt leads to Zhou Sihai's death, but not before he passes on final intelligence to Li Heng. Jia Yunying mistakenly blames Li Heng, creating a deep rift between them. Li Heng then has to rescue her from an interrogation using a bizarre mahjong excuse. The episode concludes with Li Heng and Jia Yunwu arriving at a tense, armed standoff at a local casino.
Spoiler Alert
A Lonely Mission
We open with Li Heng watching over a comatose Zhou Sihai. He has the list of sleeper agents. The problem is, he has no way to get it to his organization. All his contacts are gone.
This triggers a flashback. We see Zhou Sihai giving Li Heng his mission. He was brutally honest about it. He told Li Heng this would be a long and lonely job. There would be no backup. There would be no partners. He had to be ready for the worst. Zhou stressed that no matter what happened, Li Heng could never lose his faith. He gave Li Heng the codename "Wildfire." The name comes from an old saying about how a single spark can start a prairie fire. It’s a symbol of endless hope.
The Ambush Goes Wrong
Later that night, Jia Yunwu decides to move Zhou Sihai. It’s a trap, and everyone walks right into it. A team of guerrilla fighters ambushes the convoy, trying to rescue Zhou. But Jia Yunwu was ready for them. He had set a counter-ambush. The rescue team gets torn apart.
Only one fighter manages to escape, wounded. Li Heng pretends to chase him down. He fires two shots but intentionally misses. He lets the guy get away. It's a huge risk.
A Final Goodbye
Li Heng quickly realizes Zhou Sihai wasn't even in the car. He races back to the hospital. He uses the excuse of more questioning to get into the room. This is his last chance to talk to his mentor. Zhou Sihai is fading fast. He uses his last breath to pass on one final piece of intelligence to Li Heng. Then he coughs up blood and dies.
Just then, Jia Yunying bursts in. She sees the scene and assumes the worst. She thinks Li Heng tortured Zhou to death. She is furious and heartbroken. The next day, she and Yu Tong hold a quiet memorial for Zhou. They find a pine tree to serve as his grave.
Internal Affairs
Shen Yihe calls an emergency meeting. He says the Communist activity in the region is getting out of hand. He declares their number one priority is to find any traitors in their own ranks.
After the meeting, Jia Yunwu pulls Li Heng aside. He wants to know why that one guerrilla fighter got away. Li Heng gets defensive. He points out that nobody even told him about the ambush plan. Now they want to blame him for the failure. Jia Yunwu backs off for the moment, but you can tell he's still suspicious.
The Mahjong Rescue
Things get worse for Jia Yunying. The Military Intelligence department suspects she leaked the information about the convoy. They send an agent named Tang Meng to bring her in. Her brother, Jia Yunwu, is about to lose it. But Li Heng steps in and says he'll handle the situation.
Jia Yunying is being questioned by a man named Lu Wenlu. He’s being polite, but he’s pushing her hard about Zhou Sihai. She does a good job of deflecting his questions. Suddenly, Li Heng shows up outside with his guys, Ah Kui and Xiao Liu. They set up a mahjong table right on the street. Li Heng barges in and says they need a fourth player. He just grabs Jia Yunying and leaves. Lu Wenlu knows Li Heng is a wild card, so he doesn't stop him.
Jia Yunying isn't grateful for the rescue. She immediately confronts Li Heng. She asks him point-blank if he killed Zhou Sihai. Li Heng can't tell her the truth. So he lets her believe the lie. He admits his actions led to Zhou's death. That’s all Jia Yunying needs to hear. The trust between them is completely shattered.
A Standoff at the Casino
The episode ends with a whole new mess. Over at the Deqing casino, a guy named Wang Xiaofei gets shot down by Lu Shufen. While he's sulking, a drunk named Yang Deng starts a massive fight. In the chaos, Yang Deng shoots and kills a manager. This makes Wang Xiaofei snap. He has his men beat Yang Deng and lock him up.
Jia Yunwu hears about it but doesn't really care. But then Shen Yihe gives him a direct order to go sort it out. Shen Yihe gives the same order to Li Heng. Li Heng arrives at the casino to a tense scene. Jia Yunwu's men and Wang Xiaofei's men are in a full-blown standoff, with guns pointed at each other.
