Episode Summary
In 1993, an event exposing Unit 731 is shut down in Tokyo. Back in 1941, Ishii Shiro forces Kojima to film the brutal beheading of Kawaguchi Satoshi to test his loyalty. Ishii later brags about his biological weapons. Tong Changfu fails to find his sister in the city and suspects she is in the Japanese facility. Arakawa learns of a frostbite experiment at Anda Field involving Prisoner 909. A chaotic scene with spilled apples at the gate leaves the prisoner transport truck unguarded for a split second.
Spoiler Alert
The 1993 Connection
We start in the summer of 1993. Cheng Ming is grinding away at his Japanese studies. He has one goal. He needs to gather evidence across the border. He heads to the Shinagawa Gymnasium in Tokyo. Yamabe Yukiko organized an event there to reflect on the crimes of Unit 731. It doesn't go well. Authorities step in and shut the whole thing down.
The Propaganda Machine
The clock rewinds to 1941. We are in the central auditorium. Kojima Yukio’s film about Unit 731 is playing on the big screen. It is a total lie. The footage shows a clean, positive version of the facility. The high-ranking officers love it. They clap like crazy. Kojima stands there with a stone face. This isn't the movie he wanted to make.
He steps out for a smoke and runs into Arakawa. Arakawa is grateful for Kojima's help the other day. They start talking about Tong Changfu. Arakawa asks if they are friends. Kojima admits he considers Tong a friend.
Minister Nakadome interrupts the moment. He calls them back inside. Everyone needs to listen to Ishii Shiro. Ishii asks Kojima what he thinks of the film. Kojima is honest. He says he feels nothing. That is the wrong answer. Ishii invites him onto the center stage.
A Test of Loyalty
Ishii hands Kojima a brand-new camera. It feels like a gift. It isn't. He orders Kojima to film the curtain behind him. The red cloth lifts. Kawaguchi Satoshi is there. Two guards hold him down. Kojima tries to keep it together. He clenches his jaw.
Ishii offers a sword to the officers in the front row. Nobody takes it. He offers it to Arakawa. Arakawa is too terrified to move. Finally, another man grabs the weapon. He beheads Kawaguchi right in front of everyone. The head rolls across the floor and stops at Arakawa’s feet. Ishii doesn't let Kojima look away. He forces him to film a close-up of the severed head.
The Plague Factory
Ishii isn't done with Kojima yet. He takes him to the plague bomb workshop. The room is full of explosives. Ishii starts talking numbers. The budget for one battleship in 1929 could build three Unit 731 facilities. But he thinks ships are outdated. He believes bacteria is the ultimate weapon. He claims a pot of cholera soup or some plague-infested fleas can destroy an army's supply line.
Tong Hits a Wall
Tong Changfu is following a lead from Qian Ye. Lu Zengyou takes him to Huifang Li. It’s a red-light district. Tong checks every face. None of them are Tong Yulan. The pimp gets angry. He demands money just for the look. Lu Zengyou argues back. They get beaten up and thrown out.
Tong is desperate. He has looked everywhere. Lu suggests a dark possibility. Maybe the Japanese took her. This clicks for Tong. He shifts his focus to Unit 731.
The Apple Distraction
Arakawa is a mess. The execution gives him nightmares. He wakes up and heads to the laundry room. Takahashi Akihiko intercepts him. He has a job for Arakawa. He needs to go draw something for Professor Yoshimura.
While sketching, Arakawa overhears a location: Anda Exercise Field. Ishii wants to test the plague bombs in freezing temperatures. He orders a batch of "Marutas" (prisoners) to the field. Prisoner 909 is in that group.
Things go wrong immediately. The prisoners' sleeves don't have the hidden razor blades. Arakawa realizes this and panics. He looks at 909 with pure regret. The truck reaches the South Gate. Tong Changfu is there delivering apples. He tries to ask about his sister. The guards shove him. The apples spill everywhere. The truck can't move.
The guards go to the front to deal with the mess. Arakawa spots an opening. The rear door of the truck is unlocked. Prisoner 909 is right there.
