Episode Summary
Cheng Ming decides to sue the Japanese government in 1997 after facing harassment. In 1941, Tong Changfu arranges a risky escape for the survivors with help from a reluctant Kojima Yukio. Yan Bingrui reveals the truth about Unit 731's bacterial experiments to Yulan, while Takahashi discovers damning photos in Arakawa's possession.
Spoiler Alert
The Fight for Justice Gets Personal
Things are heating up in 1997. Cheng Ming is staying at the Asakusa Hotel, but his welcome is nonexistent. Someone screams his name from the street. He opens the window. A bag of trash flies in. It is nasty stuff. The harassment is escalating. Yamabe Yukiko is rattled. She wants to cancel the upcoming gathering in Kanagawa to keep everyone safe.
Cheng Ming refuses to back down. He argues that this aggression proves one thing. The opposition is terrified. They are acting out because they are losing. The meeting goes ahead as planned. Afterward, a man named Tsuchiya Koken approaches Cheng Ming. He asks a heavy question. Has Cheng Ming considered forcing the culprits to face their crimes legally? He wants Cheng Ming to sue the Japanese government. Cheng Ming tears up. He shakes Tsuchiya’s hand. This is the next step.
Trapped by the River
Back in 1941, the situation is dire. Tong Changfu and the three escapees are hiding in a wooden shack by the Songhua River. The location is terrible. Japanese patrols are swarming the area. Harbin is under strict martial law. Moving the men out seems impossible.
Tong knows they are sitting ducks. If the soldiers don't find them, the weather will kill them. The snow is getting heavier. Freezing to death is a real possibility. Tong promised to get them out. He intends to keep that word. A comment from one of the men sparks an idea. The only people moving freely right now are the Japanese. Tong remembers a Japanese acquaintance who owes him a favor. It is a long shot.
Kojima Feels the Heat
Police Chief Shan Zuoshan is on a warpath. He interrogates people about Yan Bingrui’s late-night visit to Kojima Yukio. Kojima is in a tight spot. The police suspect Yan is a radical. Even Shiozawa Ryuichi and Wei Pu get pulled in for questioning. Wei Pu gives Kojima some cold advice. The only way to clear his name is to help the police catch Yan.
Kojima is barely keeping his head above water when Tong Changfu shows up. Tong asks for help moving the Unit 731 escapees. Kojima is stunned. He knows exactly what those escapees represent. Helping them is treason. He is already a suspect. But he doesn't say no. He tells Tong to buy a newspaper every day. He will place a fake obituary for a "Tong Apple." The details in the ad will tell them when and where to meet.
Secrets and Spies
Yulan is trying to navigate the underground network. She learns the Yuehua Harmonica Society is the main hub for intelligence. But she is burned. Japanese soldiers have already flagged her. She can't go near the place. She hands a letter from Zhan Hui to Xiao Liu instead. She wants him to pass it through San Min. Xiao Liu has a better idea. He suggests a new contact he just met. Yulan agrees to let him handle it.
Yulan eventually meets this new contact. It turns out to be Yan Bingrui. He drops some horrifying intel. Unit 731 is conducting live bacterial experiments on humans. He mentions a "Special Transfer" list held by the police. That list is the smoking gun they need to prove these crimes.
History marches on in the background. It is winter, 1941. Japan attacks Pearl Harbor. The American casualties are massive. Inside Unit 731, the Youth Corps cheers for the news. It is a disturbing contrast.
The Train Station Standoff
Tong Changfu scans the papers for days. Finally, he sees it. The obituary for Tong Apple appears. The time and location are set. Yulan gives Tong a crucial heads-up. There is a military grain factory right next to the Chenggaozi train station. She warns him not to board the train this time.
Zhan Hui is nervous. He isn't sure they can trust Kojima. But they have zero options. They have to trust Tong and his contact. While they move, chaos breaks out elsewhere. Prisoners at Prison No. 7 overpower the guards. They break their chains and escape.
Tong gets the three men to the station. Kojima is waiting. Tensions rise in the offices too. Takahashi Akihiko rifles through Arakawa’s desk. He finds top-secret photos. Arakawa catches him. He tries to snatch the photos back to destroy them. Takahashi fights him off. The evidence is out in the open.
