Episode Summary
Kojima Yukio smuggles incriminating film out of Unit 731 but burns it after Ishii Shiro breaks him psychologically. The Japanese military cracks down on local businesses, nearly catching Yulan. An escape attempt for three refugees turns deadly when their driver is killed at a checkpoint, but resistance fighters arrive just in time to save them.
Spoiler Alert
"Man's Inhumanity to Man" Episode 15 Recap
The Past Haunts the Present
We start in the summer of 1996. Jin Chengming (Cheng Ming) is in Japan for his cross-border evidence collection. He visits Kyoto University. This is where the infamous Ishii Shiro (Ishii Shiro) once studied. Chengming finally sees a photo of the man. It’s a chilling moment. Later in the autumn, he tries to give a speech at a gymnasium. It goes poorly. Radicals chase him out. The truth is still a hard pill for some people to swallow.
Back in the main timeline, we deal with the fallout of Kawaguchi Satoshi’s (Kawaguchi Satoshi) escape. He left behind two bottles of poison. Guifen (Guifen) kept them safe. She didn't dare throw them away. Now the focus shifts to getting three people out of danger. Yulan (Yulan) suggests a driver named Lu Zengyou (Lu Zengyou). Tong Changfu (Tong Changfu) realizes this is the same guy who helped transport Zhao Taining (Zhao Taining), a resistance fighter.
Smuggling Truth in Trash
Kojima Yukio (Kojima Yukio) manages to leave Unit 731 (Unit 731) in one piece. He is smart about it. He figured out the old man collecting swill was smuggling things out. He also knew Takahashi Akihiko (Takahashi Akihiko) from the photography unit was selling supplies to that old man. So, Kojima hid film inside waste liquid bottles. Yan Bingrui (Yan Bingrui) buys the bottles back from the swill collector.
They rush to a makeshift editing room. They pull the film from the sludge and develop it. Kojima is a wreck. He says he directed and edited this footage. If it gets out, he is a traitor to his country. He can never go back to Japan. Yan tells him to breathe. He says they are in this together.
The Walls Close In
The Japanese military is cracking down hard. They raid the Yuehua Harmonica Society. They arrest the owner, Zhou Ziying (Zhou Ziying). The official charge is stealing electricity. They label him an economic criminal. It’s a flimsy excuse. Yulan almost walks right into the trap. She goes there to scout the location before delivering a letter. The Japanese catch her. Luckily, she isn't carrying the letter yet. That saves her life.
Kojima tries to flee Harbin (Harbin) with the film. He gets all the way to the train station. He is about to check his ticket. Then Minister Nakadome (Minister Nakadome) steps in. He stops Kojima cold. Ishii Shiro wants him back at Unit 731.
Broken by Words
This scene is painful to watch. Kojima is back in front of Ishii Shiro. The film is right there in his luggage. Kojima is sweating bullets. He knows a search means death. But Ishii doesn't search the bag. He uses words instead. He twists logic. He talks about patriotism and duty. He frames their horrific acts as necessary for the country.
Kojima breaks. He cries right there in the office. The pressure destroys his mental defenses. Ishii lets him go without opening the bag. But the damage is done. Kojima isn't a soldier. He can't handle the guilt and fear. He goes back to his room. In a moment of pure despair, he burns the film. The evidence turns to ash.
Blood on the Snow
Tong Changfu begs Lu Zengyou to drive the escape vehicle. It takes a lot of convincing. It’s a snowy night. Changgen’s (Changgen) mother cries as she says goodbye to her son. Lu sees three passengers and balks. He refuses to take that many. One of them offers a gold ring. Lu finally agrees.
The drive is a nightmare. They pass the starting point safely. But the final checkpoint is a disaster. Japanese soldiers stop the truck. They search it. They don't find the people hidden in the back. Instead, a soldier finds contraband drugs under a seat. They kill Lu Zengyou on the spot. They steal the drugs and leave.
The escapees are stranded. Another car is following them. They prepare to jump out and fight to the death. Then Tong hears a bird call. Gunshots ring out. The Japanese soldiers drop. Tong grabs an axe and checks outside. It’s not enemies. It’s the Anti-Japanese United Army. They are safe.
