Episode Summary
Yulan cuts her hair to help rescue Zhao Taining, while Arakawa discovers the Japanese military poisoned the children they claimed to release. Yan Bingrui quits, accusing Kojima of ignoring the brutal truth. Kojima races to Tianli Village to save Chiyoko from a plague outbreak, only to watch her be burned alive during a ruthless "disinfection" operation.
Spoiler Alert
The Darkness Deepens in Episode 7
This episode does not pull any punches. We are deep in the mud now, and the show makes sure we feel every bit of the despair. The plot moves fast, but the emotional hits land harder.
Yulan Steps Up
Zhao Taining is stuck under house arrest at the hospital. He needs an exit strategy. San Min wants to grab a car and bust him out. But she can't do it solo. Her partner is still laid up with a bad leg.
Yulan steps into the breach. Her wounds are healing up nicely. She agrees to join the rescue mission. She knows the risks are high. To avoid catching the eye of the Japanese patrols, she chops off her hair. It’s a drastic look, but she looks fierce.
The Japanese Ranks Crumble
Wei Pu pulls Kojima Yukio out of detention. Before they leave, Kojima tries to have a human moment with Kawaguchi Satoshi. He offers him a photo of Miyazaki Maiko. Kawaguchi acts stone cold. He refuses to react. Kojima pushes back. He calls Maiko a hero for facing the plague so bravely.
Later, Kojima spots a train. It triggers a memory of Maiko and Chiyoko arriving. They were so hopeful back then. Now, that hope is dead.
We find out why Kawaguchi is so broken. Takahashi Akihiko spills the beans to Arakawa Ryohei. Kawaguchi tried to get compensation for Maiko from Sasaki. Sasaki is a monster. He refused the money. Then he fired Kawaguchi. He even framed him for the escaped lab rats.
The Horrifying Truth
Takahashi cuts his hand during the conversation and heads to the infirmary. This leaves Arakawa alone with some photos. He looks through them. He sees the children.
The realization hits him like a truck. The release of those three kids was a lie. They weren't sent home. The unit took them elsewhere and poisoned them. Arakawa confronts Shisanfu about this later. Shisanfu doesn't blink. He calls the "Marutas" experimental materials. He says they are meant to be consumed. It is chilling.
Yan Bingrui Quits
Yan Bingrui has had enough. He returns the camera equipment to Kojima. The gear works fine, but the last roll of film is missing. Yan isn't just returning gear. He is resigning.
He gives it to Kojima straight. He tells the Japanese filmmaker that he is blind. Kojima refuses to see the atrocities the Japanese are committing against the Chinese people. He is living in a fantasy world.
Missed Connections
Tong Changfu finally wakes up. Guifen's slap in the last episode did the trick. He convinces her to bribe the Japanese guard with wine. While the guard is distracted, Tong slips out the window. He needs to find Yulan and get food.
Yulan is busy making moves. She begs Lu Zengyou for help. He finally agrees to pick people up at the railway hospital the next day. Yulan leaves.
Seconds later, Tong Changfu runs in. He begs Lu to help him find his sister. Lu has no idea the short-haired woman who just left is the person Tong is looking for. They miss each other by a heartbeat. It is incredibly frustrating to watch.
The Fire at Tianli Village
Kojima gets some bad medical intel from Dr. Xue. The outbreaks are different. Tianli Village has the plague. It is incurable. Pianlianzi has anthrax.
Kojima panics. Chiyoko is at Tianli. He realizes she is a sitting duck for the infection. He drives like a maniac to the village.
Wei Pu blocks the gate. He says they are "disinfecting" the area. Kojima looks past him. He sees the fires burning inside. He begs to go in. Wei Pu refuses. Kojima doesn't care. He crashes through the blockade.
He finds Chiyoko. But he is too late. She is covered in oil. The fire takes her. He watches her burn to death. It is a nightmare ending to a bleak episode.
