Episode Summary
Cheng Ming secures a Unit 731 relic from a Japanese woman in 1992. In the past, San Min and his group narrowly escape the city after a run-in with Kawaguchi, who later poisons bank staff to steal money. Meanwhile, Ishii Shiro returns to the unit as the frequency of human experiments increases, and Tong Changfu bets everything in a gambling den to find his sister.
Spoiler Alert
The Relic Hunter
We start in the summer of 1992. Cheng Ming is scouring the antique market and strikes gold. He finds a historical artifact from the Ishii Unit. The seller wants six hundred for it. Cheng Ming tries to haggle, but the guy won't budge. Cheng Ming is short on cash. He runs back to the museum to borrow money, but the director is sick and asleep. He doesn't have the heart to wake him.
Cheng Ming scrapes together what he has and runs back to the market. He is too late. The stall owner already sold the item to an elderly woman. Her name is Yamabe Yukiko. She finds out Cheng Ming works for the 731 Crime Exhibition Hall. She didn't buy it for a private collection. She hands it over to him for free. She wants the evidence preserved.
The Morning Escape
Back in the war timeline, the prison break cuts it way too close. The guard shift change happens late. By the time San Min drags Zhao Taining to safety, the sun is coming up. Lu Zengyou is behind the wheel of the getaway car. They are about to speed off when they run into a nightmare scenario. It is Kawaguchi Satoshi.
The group freezes. But Kawaguchi doesn't care about them. He just wants directions to the Manchurian Central Bank. He ignores them and moves on. The group drives out of the city to the Songhua River. They link up with the Anti-Japanese United Army. Yulan wants to leave with the soldiers. San Min shuts that down. He tells her the resistance needs people with "bones" who can endure, not just hot-blooded fighters. He gives her a hand-copied version of On Protracted War and tells her to memorize it.
Monsters at the Top
We get a flashback to 1933. General Ishii stands before his top brass. He urinates into a filtration machine. He turns the tap and drinks the purified water. It is a disgusting power move to prove his technology works.
Jump to the summer of 1941. We see why Kawaguchi asked for directions. He locks down the Manchurian Central Bank. He claims it is a health inspection. He forces the staff to drink a "preventative" liquid. It is poison. Everyone dies within moments. Kawaguchi loots the cash counters. He looks at the bodies and starts laughing and barking like a mad dog.
The Artist and the Butcher
Ishii Shiro returns to the Unit 731 base. The whole camp turns out to welcome him. Arakawa Ryohei sees the general and panics. He remembers Ishii's crimes against children. That night, Arakawa wakes up sweating from a nightmare. Captain Oda knocks on his door. Ishii wants to see him.
The meeting is tense. Ishii praises Arakawa's art style. He asks the boy to paint Chinese landscapes. Arakawa tries to bring up the prisoners, specifically "Number 909." Ishii ignores the question completely. He dismisses Arakawa and sends him back to bed.
The Sheep and the Wolves
The news reports the death of the thirteen bank staff. But the headline story is the official renaming of the outfit to "Unit 731." Takahashi Akihiko whispers to Arakawa that Kawaguchi is the one who hit the bank.
The horror grinds on. New "Maruta"—human test subjects—arrive at the camp. Narita Kazuo notes the pace is accelerating. Shipments used to come every two weeks. Now they come every two days. He notes there is no "leader" prisoner in this batch. He explains the logic coldly. If you slaughter the sheep fast enough, you don't need a head sheep to manage the flock.
The High Stakes Gamble
The Japanese retreat from the Pianlianzi area. Chang Gen's mother begs for her son's release, but the soldiers ignore her. In the city, Tong Changfu heads to White Tiger Hall. He meets up with Lu Zengyou. The Japanese control all legitimate business now. The locals have turned to gambling dens like this one to survive.
Tong wants to find his missing sister. He tries to bribe a thug named Black Ba Ye to get a meeting with the boss, Qian Ye. The bribe is too small. Qian Ye arrives at the hall. Lu Zengyou takes a massive risk and shouts to get the boss's attention.
Qian Ye offers a deal. He won't promise to find the sister. But he gives Tong a seat at the table. If Tong wins the next bet, Qian Ye will help. Tong has no idea how to play. He bets every cent he has on "Zhang Jiuguan," the Monkey Spirit. Lu Zengyou is terrified. If they lose, the money is gone forever. Tong is naive. He thought he could get his principal back even if he lost.
