A Lonely Hero's Journey Episode 16 Recap
> A Lonely Hero's Journey Recap
Zhou Zhenwu questioned Hu Zhiping about Ding Jiansheng's whereabouts, as Hu Zhiping stated he needed to take Ding Jiansheng for an organizational mission. Hu Zhiping declined to reveal details, citing organizational secrecy and discipline. Zhou Zhenwu expressed that Ding Jiansheng should not leave. Zhou Zhenwu initially wanted to accompany them, but Hu Zhiping refused, stating that three men traveling together would be easily exposed.
Xiao Ruotong then volunteered to join, arguing that it was necessary to ensure Ding Jiansheng was returned to Shanghai as promised after the task was completed. Hu Zhiping agreed to let her follow. He instructed Ding Jiansheng to behave on the way and cooperate with their contact when they met. After they left, someone reported to Zhou Zhenwu that two rickshaws had been following them from the safe house.
Zhou Zhenwu identified them as not their people and ordered his men to lose the followers and evacuate the safe house immediately. Hu Zhiping drove to a meeting point with Zhou Zhifei. He instructed Xiao Ruotong and Ding Jiansheng to wait in the car while he met Zhou Zhifei alone. Hu Zhiping asked for "Haidi."
Zhou Zhifei provided a master recording disc of Hu Zhiping's confession and asked if Hu Zhiping was sure he wanted to take back "Haidi" and leave him. He suggested Hu Zhiping continue working with him, mentioning the difficulty of raising a child. Hu Zhiping questioned if the disc was a copy. Zhou Zhifei assured him it was the original and that their relationship was based on trust.
Hu Zhiping destroyed the disc before leaving without giving a clear answer about continued cooperation, leaving Zhou Zhifei with a lingering sense of uncertainty. After leaving Zhou Zhifei, Hu Zhiping took Ding Jiansheng to a location and deliberately exposed him. This action prompted the long-hidden NBIS agent, code-named Hawkeye, to launch an attack. Hawkeye shot Ding Jiansheng dead with a single shot. Hu Zhiping and Xiao Ruotong quickly departed the scene. When Gu Yizhong arrived, Hawkeye had already fled.
However, the scattered sunflower seed shells on the ground indicated the sniper had been waiting for a long time. Beneath the building where the shot was fired, Gu Yizhong discovered the fragments of the disc Hu Zhiping had earlier destroyed, raising his suspicions. Hu Zhiping and Xiao Ruotong hurried back but were confronted by a furious Zhou Zhenwu at the liaison point. Zhou Zhenwu drew his gun and pointed it at Hu Zhiping.
Xiao Ruotong showed Zhou Zhenwu a note, prompting Zhou Zhenwu to declare that whoever killed Ding Jiansheng was "Cell 8." Hu Zhiping feigned innocence and displayed a cipher telegram revealing that Provincial Commissioner Yao and three other provincial leaders were scheduled to pass through the Hushuguan area soon.
He explained that this highly confidential movement required transit permits and that Ding Jiansheng owed a favor to Zhang Sanli, the butler of Zhang Beisheng, Director of the Pacification Committee's Blockade Head Office, who could arrange these permits. He claimed his urgent need to take Ding Jiansheng out was for this critical mission. He criticized Zhou Zhenwu for not understanding that organizational discipline and the secrecy of leadership movements were paramount.
Despite Hu Zhiping's detailed explanation, Zhou Zhenwu remained unconvinced and highly suspicious that Hu Zhiping was involved in Ding Jiansheng's death. Given the urgency, Zhou Zhenwu decided to immediately return to the base to report the situation to higher authorities and request instructions. He ordered Xiao Ruotong to suspend all activities and find a safe hiding place. He also announced that the rickshaw shop liaison point was compromised and would be closed down, adding a "closed" sign.
He instructed Xiao Ruotong to find lodging not too far from the shop and leave urgent messages in her old room there, which he would check periodically. He emphasized that all operations were to cease in his absence. Before meeting Hawkeye later, Xiao Ruotong discussed writing a report about her visit to Zhou Zhifei's house with Hu Zhiping, acknowledging that she might face investigation but preferred honesty.
She stated she would face it together with Zhiping, who had introduced her to the party and taught her loyalty. Meanwhile, Gu Yizhong presented the discovered disc fragments to Kondo. He pointed out that No. 90 often recorded interrogation data on discs and suggested this might be related to Ding Jiansheng's death. Zhou Zhifei was present and interrupted, expressing his displeasure with Gu Yizhong's insinuations. A firearms officer then reported that the bullet found in Ding Jiansheng was a 7.
62x54mm rifle bullet, characteristic of a highly professional sniper, possibly using a Mosin-Nagant rifle, associated with the Kuomintang side. Zhou Zhifei explained that the NBIS, under Dai Li, had acquired such rifles from the Soviets and trained assassins in Linli, noting the bullet was notched and poisoned, a style consistent with the NBIS.
Huang Xinzhai countered that the CBIS was also a significant suspect, revealing that the top CBIS assassin code-named "Hawkeye" (Feng Zhiguo), known for his thousand-meter accuracy and believed responsible for the distant killing of Wu County magistrate Guo Jingji, had infiltrated Suzhou. He suggested Ding Jiansheng's death might be connected to the Changzhou military rice smuggling case and a mole within their station, pointing out that many station personnel came from the CBIS.
Zhou Zhifei reacted angrily to the potential suspicion, vehemently denying any connection and emphasizing his loyalty and the safety of his son in Japan as proof. Huang Xinzhai then revealed another piece of intelligence: the new Director of the CBIS Jiangsu Operation Zone was code-named "Spring," and there was a saying "Where there's Hawkeye, there's Spring," suggesting Spring was also in Suzhou and possibly a woman connected to Zhou Zhifei's past with Xu Enzeng in the CBIS.
Zhou Zhifei became visibly agitated. Kondo, taking these revelations seriously, ordered Zhou Zhifei and Gu Yizhong to capture Hawkeye, Spring, and all CBIS agents within three days, assigning Gu Yizhong leadership of the case. Zhou Zhifei returned home, where Spring (Qu Xinping) was staying. He informed her that Huang Xinzhai suspected Hawkeye killed Ding Jiansheng and that Kondo was becoming suspicious. He urged her to leave Suzhou immediately, as the city was under lockdown with only one exit.
He stated that Hawkeye could not be allowed to live because Kondo's suspicions about him, combined with the potential link to Spring, would expose Zhou Zhifei and endanger him, potentially nullifying even Mr. Li's protection. He brutally told her that only the dead are truly safe. Spring was shocked by his ruthlessness and objected to sacrificing Hawkeye, the CBIS's best assassin, stating Mr. Xu would not forgive him.
Zhou Zhifei worried that Kondo would have his house monitored following Huang Xinzhai's hints. Spring, acknowledging the danger, agreed to leave. Zhou Zhifei instructed his housekeeper to keep an eye on "Miss Weng" (Spring) and ensure she stayed away from windows. The housekeeper commented on the prevalence of skilled female agents and hinted at a past connection between Zhou Zhifei and Spring. Spring met with Hawkeye.
Hawkeye informed her the liaison point was compromised and gave her a train ticket to Shanghai. Spring inquired about the arrival of the provincial leaders. She gave Hawkeye a letter written by Zhou Zhifei addressed to Mr. Xu, asking him to deliver it personally upon returning to Chongqing. She also gave Hawkeye the report detailing her visit to Zhou Zhifei's house and asked him to deliver it to the provincial leaders. Gu Yizhong began tracking Hawkeye.
He followed Hawkeye to a small house where killers, presumably arranged by Zhou Zhifei, were waiting in ambush on the second floor. However, Hawkeye was highly alert and detected their presence. He fled, and a chase ensued. Gu Yizhong joined the pursuit. Hawkeye was cornered by men led by Li Jiuzhao, whom Gu Yizhong recognized as agents from No. 90 sent by Director Zhou (Zhifei). Hawkeye took a man hostage.
Gu Yizhong attempted to persuade Li Jiuzhao to capture Hawkeye alive for questioning. However, Li Jiuzhao immediately shot Hawkeye dead, claiming he was protecting Gu Yizhong, and seized the letter Hawkeye was carrying. Gu Yizhong angrily reported Hawkeye's death to Huang Xinzhai, mentioning he was killed by Li Jiuzhao and that he had seen a woman meeting Hawkeye just before. He described the woman's appearance. Huang Xinzhai immediately recognized the description and the link to Hawkeye, identifying her as "Spring."
He told Gu Yizhong that capturing Spring would be a critical blow against Zhou Zhifei. Gu Yizhong offered the sniper rifle used by Hawkeye to Huang Xinzhai and promised him a watch as a token of gratitude. Gao Hu, who owed his mother's life to Gu Yizhong, was present and reaffirmed his unwavering loyalty. Back at his home, Zhou Zhifei confronted Spring (Qu Xinping), holding the letter he retrieved from Hawkeye.
He angrily chastised her for letting an outsider carry such an important message to Mr. Xu, emphasizing the risk of it falling into Kondo's hands. Spring was shocked that he had killed Hawkeye and accused him of being more ruthless than before. Zhou Zhifei insisted that in the current climate, survival came first. He again urged her to leave Suzhou.
Spring refused, revealing her new mission: to rescue Jiang Boxian, the Director of the Kuomintang Shanghai Party Department, who had been arrested by the No. 76 Headquarters in Shanghai. She stated she had received a cipher telegram from Mr. Xu, and Mr. Lifu had ordered his rescue at all costs. She asked for Zhou Zhifei's help.
Zhou Zhifei claimed he couldn't intervene in a Shanghai operation and argued Jiang Boxian was safe because he feared death, although he admitted Mr. Li was transferring him to No. 90 in Suzhou due to a plot to kill him in Shanghai. He tried to persuade Spring to defect and join him and Mr. Li, reminding her of their past relationship with Mr. Li and how Mr. Li needed people now.
Spring steadfastly refused, adhering to her principles and loyalty to her organization. She contrasted Mr. Xu, who only offered pleasantries and dinners, with Mr. Li, who had personally helped him (attended his mother's funeral). Zhou Zhifei countered that protecting one's family was a significant achievement in these times. Spring declared she was leaving. Just then, a visitor was announced: Gu Yizhong. Zhou Zhifei expressed surprise that Gu Yizhong had found his house.
Gu Yizhong stated he was investigating the Ding Jiansheng case under Kondo's orders, acknowledging the principle of secrecy but pointing out that someone was always one step ahead, resulting in the deaths of both Ding Jiansheng and Hawkeye, suggesting he was next. However, he clarified that wasn't why he was there. He stated directly that he had come for Spring, the Director of the CBIS Jiangsu Operation Zone, asking if Zhou Zhifei was familiar with her. Zhou Zhifei invited him in.
