Episode Summary
As Japan prepares to invade Hong Kong, He Xian scrambles to exchange currency to fund a secret medical shipment for the resistance. The attack on Pearl Harbor causes a financial panic, leading his peers to accuse him of war profiteering. When his bank is bombed, He Xian risks his life to save the customer ledgers. While other bankers gouge desperate citizens, He Xian liquidates his family assets to pay back his poor depositors in full. He refuses to evacuate the falling city, waiting for one final, mysterious client.
Spoiler Alert
War Games and Currency Crises
The Japanese military is making moves. Yazaki Kanji has a chat with Sawa Eisaku. Their plan is simple but nasty. They want to swap out Hong Kong for Macau as their main hub. They figure if they control Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, Macau becomes a lonely island. The Portuguese troops there are weak. Taking it over would be a walk in the park. But first, they need to crush Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, Boss Lin and Ma Wanqi are trying to move some medicine. It’s a crucial shipment. Just as they are about to ship it, a Portuguese merchant named Rodrigues hits the brakes. He changes the deal. He wants US Dollars, not Hong Kong Dollars. Ma Wanqi is stuck. He calls He Xian for help. He Xian almost says no. Then he hears the medicine is for soldiers on the front lines. He agrees to help and keep it quiet.
There is also some serious drama in the underworld. The Dahao gang finds the body of Fifth Master at the docks. Huang Sanhe loses it. He finds out Huang Gongjie skipped town on a boat. He puts out a kill order. No live captures. If anyone sees Huang Gongjie, they are to chop him down on sight.
The Hustle Backfires
He Xian spends his night running between banks. He needs cash. Lu Xiuyuan and others pitch in. By morning, Manager Chen from Hengfengyu brings a pile of HKD. They are still short by six thousand US dollars. Time is running out. He Xian goes straight to the top. He visits Qiao Renyu (Joe) at HSBC.
Luck is on his side. Joe’s sister, Qiao Yinwan, is playing the piano on the balcony. She introduces them. Joe already likes He Xian because he saved some boat people earlier. He agrees to the exchange.
Then the news drops. Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Panic hits the streets instantly. Everyone knows if Japan fights America, Hong Kong is toast. The currency is going to crash. The other bank owners turn on He Xian. They think he used insider info to scam them for dollars before the crash. Even Joe starts to doubt his motives.
Bombs and Ledgers
He Xian can’t explain himself without exposing the medicine shipment. Japanese planes start bombing the streets. He Xian remembers the cash is sitting in Huilong Bank. He runs toward the explosions. A bomb hits the bank directly. The building turns into rubble. Manager Chen gets killed. It’s a mess.
The shop assistant, Ah Quan, survives. He Xian tells him to grab the cash box and run. Then He Xian does something crazy. He runs back into the collapsing building. He isn't grabbing gold. He drags out the heavy account ledgers. The building collapses right behind him. Lu Xiuyuan watches this from a distance. He assumes He Xian is just a greedy banker saving his own skin.
Ma Wanqi and Boss Lin find Rodrigues. They tell him the bank is gone. But they promise to pay him every cent, even if they go bankrupt. They demand he keep the medicine safe from the Japanese.
Integrity in the Ruins
He Xian goes home to a hostile reception. His dad, He Chengxi, is ready to use family discipline on him. He thinks his son is a traitor. He Xian finally explains. The dollars were for the country. The ledger he saved wasn't for him. It contains the records of poor people who trusted the He family with their life savings. He refuses to let that money disappear.
His dad realizes the truth. He hands over his own retirement savings. He Xian’s wife, Guo Qiwen, steps up too. She agrees to sell their assets. She is ready to suffer with him. The father gives a solid speech. Business can stop. The bank can close. But a man’s conscience must stay clean.
The next morning is bleak. Crowds surround the banks. Nobody is paying out. Lu Xiuyuan tells people they have to pay a 20% fee to get their own money. He Xian sets up a table in front of his ruined bank. He announces full repayment for fifteen days. Lu mocks him. Ah Quan wants to fight, but He Xian stops him. He takes the heat and does the work.
The Long Wait
It is Christmas Eve, 1941. Hong Kong is dark and out of power. The city is about to fall. He Xian has paid off almost everyone. His dad tells him to flee to Macau. He Xian refuses to leave yet. There is one massive deposit left. The owner is anonymous. He only knows the face and the amount. The deadline is tomorrow. The guy hasn't shown up. He Xian is anxious.
Joe finally gets home late. He brings an apple pie for his sister. They sit in the dark and talk about the past. It’s a quiet moment before the end.
