Episode Summary
Jia Yunying sends a risky coded message, leading to a raid on her contact station. During the chaos, a comrade named Chen Miao is captured, but Jia Yunying recovers a lost codebook. At the hospital, Chen Miao sacrifices himself to protect Jia Yunying's identity, leading to a furious confrontation between her and a guilt-ridden Li Heng. The episode ends with Jia Yunwu growing suspicious of his sister and Li Heng haunted by a nightmare of her killing him.
Spoiler Alert
Deals and Betrayals
Shady Business and Old Friends
The episode kicks off with Lu Kaide. He's still not buying the story about his intercepted cargo. Wang Xiaofei tries to smooth things over. He explains that the West Mountain area is a chaotic mess of different groups. Even if they knew who did it, getting them to admit it would be impossible. He hands Lu Kaide a fancy teapot to sweeten the deal.
Over at a restaurant, Li Heng and Zhang Yunhu are having a meal. A special jar of aged wine arrives at their table. Li Heng immediately knows who sent it. Lu Shufen walks in with a smile. The three of them share drinks and seem to be getting along just fine.
A Love Triangle Gets Complicated
We also check in with Shen Yihe. He's a regular at the Lanxin Theater. He's there to see the main star, Qiu He. He's clearly into her, but she doesn't give him the time of day.
Here's why. Qiu He and Zhang Yunhu are secretly in love. Zhang Yunhu wants to make a name for himself in the gangs. He plans to marry her properly once he's successful. But Qiu He doesn't care about fame or fortune. She just wants to be with him. This really gets to Zhang Yunhu. He promises that after he gets his men settled, he'll take her and they'll run away together.
The Raid and the Codebook
A Dangerous Message
Jia Yunying takes a huge risk. She sends a coded message to her organization. She reports that her meeting with the commander didn't happen. But she says her father, Jia Zhong, still wants to meet and discuss a peaceful liberation for Chengdu.
This was a bad move. The Sichuan Investigation Office detects the signal. They pinpoint her location almost instantly. Jia Yunwu wastes no time. He leads a team to raid the contact station that very night.
A Scramble for a Secret
During the chaos, a man named Chen Miao tries to escape. He drops a critical codebook in his hurry. Jia Yunying sees this and knows she has to get it back. She doubles back to find it.
She runs right into Li Heng. Just then, Da Kui and Xiao Liu show up. Their footsteps get closer to the curtain where Jia Yunying is hiding. Suddenly, a gunshot rings out from outside. Everyone runs to the sound. They find Chen Miao on the ground. He's been shot and is unconscious.
While everyone is distracted by Chen Miao, Jia Yunying grabs the codebook. She quickly hides it in an office drawer. Jia Yunwu orders his men to rush Chen Miao to the hospital. He tells Jia Yunying to do everything she can to save him. He stresses that this man is extremely important.
Aftermath at the Hospital
A Grim Conversation
In the hospital hallway, Jia Yunwu talks to Li Heng. He says their organization is in trouble. They have enemies on the outside and traitors on the inside. He uses a metaphor. He asks Li Heng if you should patch a hole in a boat first or catch the person who made it. Li Heng says you should do both at once. Jia Yunwu disagrees. He thinks the only option is to row for the opposite shore as fast as you can.
A Tragic Choice
The surgery is a success. Jia Yunying saves Chen Miao's life. Jia Yunwu rushes in and demands to know when he'll wake up. His sister just gives him a cold stare. Li Heng offers to stay and guard the room for Jia Yunwu.
Jia Yunying fakes a stomach ache. Li Heng leaves to get her some food. While he's gone, she sends Da Kui and Xiao Liu away. She slips into the room and signals for Chen Miao to escape through the back door.
But Chen Miao knows what will happen. If he escapes, Jia Yunying will immediately become the prime suspect. To protect her identity, he makes a decision. He jumps out of the window to his death.
Li Heng rushes back to the room. It's too late. Chen Miao is dead. Jia Yunying is filled with grief and rage. She yells at Li Heng. She says his hands are covered in blood. She promises that one day, he and his people will pay for this.
The Fallout
Taking the Blame
The next day, there's a meeting. Li Heng takes full responsibility for the prisoner's death. He asks to be punished. Shen Yihe argues that it was just a suicide. He says the top priority is finding the missing codebook.
After the meeting, one of Jia Yunwu's men pulls him aside. The subordinate reports that Jia Yunying has been acting strangely. Jia Yunwu admits he's noticed it too. He tells the man to keep this information strictly confidential.
A Haunting Nightmare
Li Heng is a mess. Jia Yunying's words have completely shaken him. He sits alone in his car, just staring into space. He thinks about telling her the truth about who he really is.
Then he has a nightmare. In the dream, he tries to explain everything to her. She doesn't even let him speak. She just pulls out a gun and shoots him. The shock of it wakes him up.
