Episode Summary
A cholera outbreak forces a lockdown at the hospital. A British refugee is killed trying to contact the consulate. He Xian faces humiliation from his father for accepting food from collaborators, but later finds redemption after his son falls ill and is treated by Ke Lin. The Portuguese government surrenders more control to the Japanese, while resistance members plot new supply routes.
Spoiler Alert
Cholera Hits the Streets
Things are getting grim in Macau. Ke Lin discovers multiple patients showing strange symptoms at Kiang Wu Hospital. He confirms it is cholera. He doesn't waste a second. He locks down the entire hospital and designates it as an isolation zone. No regular patients are getting in. Qiao Yinwan sees Ke Lin’s team working the streets and jumps in to help.
A Failed Escape
Mary is desperate to get out of Macau. She sends James to the British consulate with a secret note. It’s a suicide mission. "Rotten Gambler" Rong and Huang Gongjie spot James acting suspicious near the building. They move in. James realizes he is caught. He gets shot, but he manages to throw the note inside the consulate gates with his last bit of strength. The British consul gets the message. It doesn't help James, though. Huang Gongjie executes him right there on the street.
Chaos in the Slums
"Rotten Gambler" Rong tracks Mary down to the refugee slums. Yang Chang hides her just in time. He Xian sees the thugs approaching and pulls a risky move. He "accidentally" bumps into "Rotten Gambler" Rong. A bag of rice falls and bursts open. Starving refugees swarm the pile immediately. The chaos blocks the path.
Qiao Yinwan signals Yang Chang to run. He sneaks Mary out the back. "Rotten Gambler" Rong is furious. He puts a gun to He Xian's head. Huang Gongjie steps in and stops the violence. He has a different use for He Xian. He invites him to dinner instead.
Hard Truths for the British
Back at the hideout, Yang Chang is furious at Mary. Her reckless plan almost got everyone killed. Mary argues that they are starving to death. The British group starts fighting among themselves. Some still think the Empire is coming to save them. Mary shuts that down. She tells them the Empire abandoned them. She points out that Yang Chang is the only one keeping them alive. She admits the British should be ashamed compared to his courage.
Yang Chang cools down. He realizes they need professional help. He decides they need to find the Communist underground. He thinks Kiang Wu Hospital is their best bet for a contact.
The Traitor's Rice
Huang Gongjie tries to recruit He Xian. He knows He Xian has business connections. He offers him a cut of the profits if he helps sell 2,000 catties of grain. He Xian doesn't say yes, but he doesn't say no. He lets "Rotten Gambler" Rong drive him home with groceries.
This goes over poorly at home. Neighbors see the food. A man named Qiang Ge knocks the supplies to the ground. He calls them traitor scraps from the Japanese. He Xian’s father, He Chengxi, is humiliated. He slaps his son across the face. He says the He family would rather starve than eat food from collaborators.
A Father's Breaking Point
The situation gets worse. He Xian’s son, Zai Zai, collapses with a high fever. He Xian and his wife rush him to hospitals. They get rejected everywhere. Some places only take cholera patients. Others demand money they don't have. They run into Qiao Yinwan again. She gets them to Ke Lin.
It isn't cholera. It’s pneumonia made worse by malnutrition. The kid will survive. He Xian breaks down in the living room. He feels like he failed his father, his wife, and his son. Ke Lin sits with him. He tells He Xian that his integrity regarding the US dollars actually saved supply lines for the resistance. He isn't useless. Qiao Yinwan also apologizes for judging him earlier.
The Noose Tightens
The Portuguese government caves. They sign agreements handing over trade and customs control to the Japanese. Sawa Eisaku isn't happy, though. He wants total annexation. He believes the food shortage will break the city's will completely. While the politicians fold, Ke Zhengping makes a move. He asks Liang Yanming to help open a new transfer route for supplies.
