Episode Summary
Ke Lin successfully tricks Sawa Eisaku with a body swap, while He Xian rescues Xiao Yu from a mass grave. Ma Wanqi clears He Xian's reputation, rallying the merchants to support him. Mary shocks Yang Chang by staying in Macau to lead a British intel station. He Xian manipulates Huang Gongjie into moving grain to Macau, setting up a high-stakes smuggling operation to feed the starving city.
Spoiler Alert
A Clean Getaway and a Grim Discovery
Sawa Eisaku just won't let it go. He grills Ke Lin over and over, but Ke Lin stays cool. He has the evidence. The timeline works. Sawa still insists on checking the back of the truck. He throws the doors open. Nothing. The truck is clean. Sawa has to walk away empty-handed.
You might wonder how Ke Lin pulled that off. Ke Zhengping was one step ahead. He called Yang Chang an hour before the inspection. Yang Chang had a body ready in the shantytown. They swapped the cargo mid-route. Zero trace left behind.
Later that night, things get dark. He Xian and Qiao Yinwan rush to the graveyard. It is a nightmare. Bodies are piled up in a mass grave. They dig through the filth with their bare hands. They find Xiao Yu buried in the stack. She is barely breathing. They rush her to the hospital. Ke Lin works his magic and saves her life.
The Truth Comes Out
Ma Wanqi heads to the Ba Chong Tian dance hall. He has a bomb to drop on the Hong Kong and Macau merchants. He reveals the Japanese ultimatum to the government. If they sign, Macau is finished. They have four days. Ma asks for help, but money can't buy grain right now.
Then he drops the second bomb. He tells them the truth about He Xian. He explains how He Xian risked his life to protect the funds. He talks about the debt repayments. The crowd is stunned. They realized they treated a hero like a villain. Lu Xiuyuan looks like he wants the ground to swallow him up.
They follow Ma Wanqi to the Flower Tail Ferry. They find He Xian living on a leaky boat. His New Year's Eve dinner is basically hot water. He Xian sees the supplies they brought. He thinks about the horror at the graveyard. He breaks down and sobs. It is a heavy moment.
Mary's Choice
Mary is packing her bags. Yang Chang notices something is off. The British Consulate got a secret message. They want to set up an intel station in Macau. They need someone to stay behind.
The rescue operation kicks off at night. Yang Chang escorts Mary to the dock. He gives back the jewelry she pawned. He thinks this is goodbye. He goes home and looks at a photo of Mary and William. He tears William out of the picture. He keeps Mary's side. He definitely caught feelings.
But then Mary walks back through the door. She decided to stay. Yang Chang loses it. He tells her she is signing her death warrant. He thinks she is doing it for William. She shuts that down. She isn't waiting for anyone. She is the new station chief.
The Grain Hustle
He Xian, Ma Wanqi, and Ke Lin sit down to strategize. They figure out the Japanese game plan. Japan needs Macau as a free port for supplies. He Xian decides to use this. He targets Huang Gongjie for the grain.
He meets with Huang. The guy is greedy. He jacks the price up to forty million. He wants cash upfront. He wants to wait until the treaty is signed. He Xian uses simple economics to scare him. He argues that once the blockade lifts, grain prices will crash. Huang buys it. He agrees to move the rice from Zhongshan to the waters near Macau.
There is a snag, though. Ke Lin finds out the government might vote early on the treaty. That would ruin everything. Qiao Yinwan steps up and meets with Luobo. He Xian and Ma Wanqi plead their case. Luobo agrees to stall Dai Sile.
Ma Wanqi takes He Xian to meet the heavy hitters. Huang Zixia apologizes for the past misunderstandings. He pledges his brothers to help move the grain. Liang Zhong is less diplomatic. He just wants to kill the traitor Huang Gongjie.
