A Lonely Hero's Journey Episode 17 Recap
> A Lonely Hero's Journey Recap
Gu Yizhong inquired about Spring, but Zhou Zhifei feigned ignorance, asking who she was. Gu Yizhong then revealed Spring's real name was Ou Xinping, one of the NBIS's Twenty Arhats, trusted by Xu Enzeng. He mentioned the rumor that Zhou Zhifei's defection from the CPC was attributed to her influence. Zhou asked if Gu was investigating him, and Gu stated Kondo Masao was investigating Zhou's past, which he claimed Mr. Li was also aware of.
Linking these old matters together, Gu found them interesting. Gu stated he wasn't interested in Zhou's Juntong past but was interested in whether Hu Zhiping had met Zhou that day. Gu identified Hu Zhiping as his brother-in-law and the CPC Suzhou Commissioner, suspecting him to be Cell 8. Gu sought the sensitive intelligence related to Cell 8. Zhou Zhifei asserted that Gu himself was Cell 8 and understood Gu was seeking to clear his name with the CPC.
Zhou adamantly refused to provide the information, telling Gu to abandon the idea of redemption with the CPC, calling them both infamous traitors who had betrayed their principles. After Gu Yizhong left, Spring (Ou Xinping) wished to depart immediately. Zhou Zhifei stopped her, explaining that Gu Yizhong had likely arranged for surveillance on the house and that leaving now would lead to her arrest. He warned her to stay, stating Gu was targeting him, not her.
Zhou also advised Spring to be cautious of Zhou Zhifei's own suspicious nature and Xie Wenchao, who came from the Kunshan Substation, knew Lian Jin Hai, and was known for his sinister methods. Spring reminded Zhou Zhifei of his promise to help "them" with Jiang Boxian, stating this was her last request before leaving Suzhou permanently. Zhou Zhifei still prevented her from leaving, citing it as a task assigned by Mr. Li.
Spring questioned Mr. Li's orders and why Zhou needed to keep a woman at his home as part of a task. Separately, Gao Hu expressed his deep gratitude to Gu Yizhong for his mother's recovery, kneeling to pledge his unwavering loyalty, which Gu quickly discouraged. Meanwhile, at the story-telling theatre, Haimo was performing when patriotic students interrupted.
They denounced her as a traitor's mistress, a Japanese lackey, and a "dog traitor," explicitly naming Gu Yizhong as her partner, a man who had betrayed his master and killed his own father. Gu Yizhong and Gao Hu quickly stepped in to protect Haimo.
Gu challenged the students to target him instead of verbally abusing the female performer, emphasizing she had no relation to him and they were ruining her reputation and ability to earn a living by calling her a traitor's woman. He dared them to take up arms and go to No. 90 if they were truly brave instead of bullying a weak woman. Distraught by the incident, Haimo initially decided to stop performing entirely.
The theatre owner, Du, offered his support and advised her to be careful in such turbulent times, mentioning her master, Zhang Yuquan's, reputation. Haimo later informed Du she would only be able to perform daytime shows going forward due to personal matters. Du expressed concern about her association with Gu Yizhong, whom he saw as someone to be avoided, and reiterated his offer of help, reminding her of her master's status.
Haimo acknowledged his kindness but insisted she knew what she was doing, stating that sometimes people knowingly step into dangerous situations. Gu Yizhong later met Haimo privately. He stated he knew she was not the real Zhang Haimo and asked about the person she had previously introduced as her "biaosao." Gu revealed that person was not her biaosao and was a progressive student who attended military school in Guangzhou.
He warned Haimo to ask less about that person and their associated organization, as they bring misfortune to anyone involved. He instructed Haimo to immediately report any news about that person to him, emphasizing its importance.
Gu then gave Haimo a sum of money, acknowledging her past help and suggesting it was enough for her to return home or start a new life elsewhere, perhaps Shanghai, where her conditions could lead to fame and higher income, or even Hong Kong where his father had connections and might arrange something. Haimo understood he was trying to make her leave Suzhou but found it ironic given his earlier request for information.
She refused the offer, stating she would continue to be Zhang Haimo and live in Suzhou despite the risks, reiterating her belief that people sometimes willingly jump into a fire pit. That evening, Gu Yizhong returned to Gu's Garden to find Haimo already there. She had tidied the place and prepared dinner.
She explained that since Gu's father had publicly recognized her as his goddaughter before leaving, she felt a responsibility to look after the garden and prevent its neglect, noting its current state. She decided to live there, offering to act as a housekeeper by cooking, cleaning, and managing the house, suggesting it would save her living expenses. She insisted she would not interfere with his life or work.
Gu Yizhong was taken aback by this sudden cohabitation but seemed to gradually adjust. Haimo maintained she would still perform in the afternoons at Fengyuan to support herself, stating that neither of them was beholden to the other. She dismissed Gu's concern about their reputation by living together, stating that knowing oneself was sufficient and questioning his concern given he worked at No. 90. A vegetable delivery arrived, interrupting their conversation.
Simultaneously, at the dungeon within No. 90, Captain Zhang personally escorted a hooded prisoner, Lin Changxing (also known as Jiang Boxian), to Cell No. 1. He stressed the prisoner's high importance and the need for absolute secrecy, specifically stating the Japanese must not learn of his presence there, assuring his subordinate that the Japanese rarely ventured into the smelly dungeon and wouldn't know. Lin Changxing protested his detention in that place and asked if they knew who he was.
He was placed in the cell with another prisoner, Xiao Junxia, who remarked about his appearance. Elsewhere, Xiao Ruotong urgently met with Gu Huizhong to inform her of Ding Jiansheng's death. She stated she was certain it was related to Cell 8 and mentioned receiving a secret letter addressed to the underground party which identified whoever killed Ding Jiansheng as Cell 8, speculating that the letter might have been sent by Gu Yizhong.
Xiao Ruotong proposed that Gu Huizhong discreetly mention Gu Yizhong's name to Hu Zhiping to observe his reaction, hoping to find clues that could clear Gu Yizhong's name, given the hardships he had recently faced. Gu Huizhong was troubled by the news and agreed, feeling she and Xiao Ruotong were among the few people left that Gu Yizhong could trust. Later, Gu Huizhong informed Hu Zhiping that she had seen Gu Yizhong nearby.
Zhou Zhifei met secretly with Mr. Li, assuring him of the dungeon's security and impermeability to Japanese forces. Mr. Li advised Zhou to maintain a cordial relationship with Kondo Masao for strategic reasons. He revealed that Jiang Boxian's visit to Suzhou was as a secret envoy from Chiang Kai-shek for private peace negotiations with the Japanese. Wang Jingwei intended to sabotage these talks without overtly antagonizing the Japanese, which explained the current situation.
Mr. Li explained the complex divisions within the Japanese military command, comparing them to the internal divisions among the Nationalists. He emphasized the need to prevent the Japanese from discovering Jiang Boxian's true purpose and presence. If the Japanese were to demand his release, Zhou should refuse, feigning ignorance.
Only if the situation became dire, making conflict unavoidable, should Jiang be eliminated, but this was a last resort given his status as a senior member of the Central Committee and his relation to Chiang Kai-shek. Mr. Li reiterated that Kondo must remain unaware, noting Zhou had caught Jiang attempting to contact Japanese spies. Zhou assured Li that Kondo was away and the dungeon was secure under his control, stating he was not afraid of the Japanese.
Li stressed the importance of maintaining face and basic respect for Kondo. Following his meeting with Mr. Li, Zhou Zhifei informed Spring that saving Jiang Boxian was impossible because Mr. Li was watching closely, and Section 76 in Shanghai had even sent two additional surveillance teams. He stated he could not betray Mr. Li, even if it meant failing her and Xu Enzeng.
As a compromise, he offered that his men would not harm Jiang Boxian or torture a confession out of him, and they would prevent any contact with the Japanese. If Jiang remained resolute and didn't speak, the secret of Chiang's attempted peace overture would not leak. Spring was concerned for Jiang's fate, but Zhou Zhifei dismissed him as a "discarded piece" or "pawn."
He warned Spring about Huang Xinzhai's expertise in locating radio transmitters, especially with new Japanese equipment, advising her to minimize radio transmissions. Spring questioned his loyalty to Mr. Li after betraying Xu Enzeng and her, to which Zhou replied that only he knew his own situation. In the archives, Gu Yizhong came across the name Xiao Junxia. Xie Wenchao, observing Gu Yizhong's reaction, formulated a plan.
Inferring Xiao Junxia's importance to Gu, Xie intended to either see if Gu would attempt a rescue (testing his "brotherly affection") or force Gu's hand in another way by assigning him a task that would make it impossible for him to clear his name with the CPC.
Xie Wenchao later assigned Gu Yizhong a task: escorting a prisoner (a police officer whose case involved disrupting peace work) to the dungeon, delivering him to the warden ("Old Lu"), obtaining a signed receipt on the file, and bringing it back. When Gu Yizhong reached the dungeon with the police officer, he was led to Xiao Junxia's cell. As Gu Yizhong entered, their eyes met, and Xiao Junxia immediately recognized him, saying "Yizhong."
