A Lonely Hero's Journey Episode 3 Recap
> A Lonely Hero's Journey Recap
At his home, Gu Xixing was visited by two women, one of whom introduced herself as Haimo, his son's intended bride. He learned that Haimo was the daughter of his old military school comrade, Yuquan, whom he knew from Huangpu Military Academy.
An engagement had been arranged years ago in 1926, stemming from a deep debt of gratitude Gu Xixing owed Yuquan, who had hidden him for seventeen days during a dangerous period in Guangzhou, saving his life when there was a large bounty on his head after the Zhongshan Warship Incident. At that time, Gu Xixing and Yuquan agreed to the marriage between their children. However, Gu Xixing later lost contact with Yuquan after moving north and settling in Suzhou.
Haimo's cousin-in-law, Mrs. Weng, explained Haimo's difficult life; her mother died when she was young, and her father, Yuquan, who earned a living as a storyteller and ballad singer in Guangzhou tea houses and taverns, was killed by the Japanese there in 1938 for refusing to perform Suzhou storytelling for them in their barracks, upholding his integrity even unto death. Gu Xixing expressed sorrow for Haimo's loss and respect for Yuquan's character, affirming that Yuquan's family was his family.
However, Gu Xixing admitted that his son, Gu Yizhong, was already in love with someone else, Xiao Ruotong. He felt ashamed but stated that marriage should not be forced in the new era. Mrs. Weng reacted with frustration, accusing him of breaking his word and attempting to drive them away. Gu Xixing clarified he was only cancelling the marriage but invited them to stay at Gu's Garden and promised to treat Haimo as his own daughter.
Later, Gu Xixing remarked to a trusted figure that the timing of their visit was suspicious, especially given his son's current troubles. While Haimo seemed innocent and resembled her younger self, Mrs. Weng's background felt questionable, and he advised caution regarding her. He also acknowledged that his family was failing to keep its promise regarding the engagement, a significant lapse in the virtue of trustworthiness.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Weng was revealed to be Quan Shui, a secret agent from the KMT intelligence service. Her mission in Suzhou was to meet with Zhou Zhifei. Zhou Zhifei, however, was deeply entrenched in collaboration with the Japanese and felt he could not turn back. He harbored complex feelings towards Quan Shui, his first love from 1927, and also suspected she might have been sent to eliminate him as a traitor.
Aware of her high-level status as a top agent close to the President, he viewed her arrival as mysterious and dangerous. Despite his brother's warning that Quan Shui was a dangerous figure skilled in deception and suggesting they eliminate her first, mentioning a past incident where KMT used a honey trap, Zhou Zhifei decided against it.
Recalling their history, including their unexpected reunion in 1931 when she interrogated him after Gu Shunzhang's betrayal led to his arrest (a period he felt they might have rekindled their relationship had he not been newly married with his son Youfei just born), he resolved to meet her to attempt to send her back to Chongqing.
He instructed his brother, Jinjiang, to meet her first to assess the situation and stressed the critical need to keep this meeting absolutely secret from their Japanese contacts, particularly Mr. Li. Gu Yizhong, Xiao Ruotong, Gu Huizhong, and Hu Zhiping arrived at the New Fourth Army base.
They were met by Wang Mingzhong, Chief of the Enemy Intelligence Section, who welcomed them but explained the heightened security measures due to increased enemy activity and recent significant losses in Suzhou, including the destruction of their liaison office and the exposure of their residences and the Sitong Rice Shop. Their firearms were confiscated, and the four were housed separately, leaving Gu Yizhong feeling suspected and ostracized.
Wang Mingzhong stated that the Jiangsu Provincial Committee had approved their temporary withdrawal to the base and asked them to report on their recent experiences. Gu Yizhong recounted the failure of the rescue operation, the ambush they fell into, and the sacrifice of all their Shanghai Iron Blood Operation Team comrades except for himself and Xiao Ruotong, stating their belief that there was a traitor within the organization.
He detailed the events leading up to the failed operation, including receiving a request the night before for a map of the Garden of Pleasance. During the questioning, Wang Mingzhong asked Gu Yizhong about his escape from the No. 90 execution ground. Gu Yizhong claimed he was rescued by a comrade named Liu Qiangbao, providing specific details about his unit in the New Fourth Army's Sixth Division.
Wang Mingzhong found this account suspicious, noting the extreme difficulty of escaping the No. 90 execution ground. When asked who the traitor might be, both Gu Yizhong and Xiao Ruotong suspected someone known as "Eagle." Wang Mingzhong then revealed that "Eagle" was Comrade Zhou Zhenwu, the liaison for their Suzhou office who operated under the cover identity of a worker at Good Friends Cafe, and asked him to explain what happened.
Zhou Zhenwu explained that after the operation failed and their locations were compromised, he sent someone to inform Hu Zhiping, only to find Japanese soldiers at his residence. He stated he had planned to meet Hu Zhiping the next day at Drunk Deities Restaurant to confirm his safety but instead sent Xiao Ruotong in his place, fearing an ambush. He admitted sending Xiao Ruotong was a mistake.
Gu Yizhong questioned Zhou Zhenwu's actions regarding Drunk Deities and then asked about Good Friends Cafe. Zhou Zhenwu confirmed he was at Good Friends Cafe at the time, explaining the sudden appearance of Duan Wentao, a sleeper agent known as Flying Bird, who was an internal contact at No. 90 and reported only to him.
He stated that Flying Bird, whose identity was known only to Zhou Zhenwu, used his life to deliver a final piece of intelligence: "Traitor inside, Cell 8." He then declared his belief that this traitor, known as "Cell 8," was among them in the room and identified Gu Yizhong as the prime suspect. Gu Huizhong fiercely defended her brother, calling the accusation impossible.
Zhou Zhenwu challenged Gu Yizhong's multiple escapes from dangerous situations, first from the execution ground and later from Good Friends Cafe. He questioned how a scholar without special training could evade so many agents and suggested No. 90 might have intentionally let them go. Gu Yizhong dismissed his skepticism. Xiao Ruotong corroborated that while No. 90 agents did not pursue them "from the cafe", they did shoot at them.
Zhou Zhenwu insisted the repeated successful escapes were too coincidental to be attributed to luck. Gu Yizhong and Xiao Ruotong counter-argued, pointing out Zhou Zhenwu's role in planning the failed operation and questioning the information provided by Hu Zhiping, suggesting "they" were the ones who should be suspected. Gu Huizhong passionately defended her husband, Hu Zhiping, highlighting his loyalty proved through severe torture by the Japanese without betraying anyone, and condemned their internal conflict as unbecoming of communists.
Later, the base received confirmation via telegram that its location at Chongshan Island was leaked by "Cell 8". Simultaneously, Zhou Zhifei received this same telegram confirming the base location and immediately forwarded it to Kondo Masao. A colleague of Zhou Zhifei at No. 90 showed him a piece of paper he claimed to have gotten from Gu Yizhong, which detailed the base's location.
Back at the base, suspicion against Gu Yizhong intensified based on multiple pieces of evidence found in his room: a killed New Fourth Army soldier, a radio transmitter, and a message mentioning "Cell 8". Further reports came in that the Liu Qiangbao he claimed rescued him did not exist in the specified unit, and the military doctor found his wound suspicious, possibly self-inflicted.
Coupled with his apparent knowledge of the base location and the discovered evidence, Gu Yizhong was accused of lying and being the traitor. Gu Huizhong continued to defend him, emphasizing their family's honor and his upright character. Despite her pleas and Xiao Ruotong's belief in his innocence, the Enemy Intelligence Section committee voted three to two to sentence Gu Yizhong to death, though the decision required higher approval. As they debated, Japanese bombers were heard approaching.
Chaos erupted as the base came under attack. Amidst the bombing and panic, a comrade reported finding a fallen comrade. Xiao Ruotong rushed to Gu Yizhong, who was bound, and freed him. Zhou Zhenwu aimed his gun at Gu Yizhong, but Xiao Ruotong shielded him, urging him to run and prove his innocence. She declared her trust in him despite Zhou Zhenwu's insistence that the organization had verified the evidence against him and now considered him a traitor.
Refusing to leave Xiao Ruotong behind, Gu Yizhong hesitated, but she pushed him away, telling him he must go. As Zhou Zhenwu tried to stop her, questioning her loyalty and adherence to organizational discipline, she stood firm, physically helping Gu Yizhong escape. Gu Yizhong ran and soon encountered his pregnant sister, Gu Huizhong, now in labor, and Hu Zhiping. Seeing their plight and the approaching Japanese forces amidst the attack, Gu Yizhong made a quick decision.
He instructed Hu Zhiping to take his sister to the boat and escape while he distracted the Japanese forces. He ran off with some other comrades, calling back for them to take care of his sister and not worry about him as Japanese soldiers gave chase. The sound of a baby crying from the boat later confirmed that Gu Huizhong had safely given birth. Later, Zhou Zhifei and a colleague reported to Kondo on the attack.
Kondo was frustrated the New Fourth Army had escaped, but the colleague highlighted the success of exposing their command center location. He argued that Gu Yizhong would now be definitively branded a traitor by the communists, creating an irreparable rift with his father, Gu Xixing.
This, he explained using the strategy of "winning over hearts and minds", would ultimately force Gu Xixing to cooperate with the Japanese authorities, as the communists would seek revenge on Gu Yizhong, leaving him with no other option. Kondo agreed with this strategy.
Kondo then surprised Zhou Zhifei by offering his son, Youfei, one of two prestigious student placements in Japan, framing it as the highest reward from the Empire for loyal Chinese officials, listing other high-ranking officials whose children were also on the list. Zhou Zhifei was reluctant due to Youfei's young age, but under pressure from Kondo, who stressed the honor, he reluctantly accepted.
His wife was distraught upon hearing the news, vehemently opposing sending their only son away and accusing Zhou Zhifei of becoming a traitor unnecessarily. Zhou Zhifei defended his actions as being for the family and compared their situation to other higher-ranking officials whose children were also going to Japan. The family remained distressed about Youfei's impending departure.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Weng, meeting with a subordinate she had tasked with gathering information, seemed pleased with her success in manipulating Gu Xixing, noting his appreciation for storytelling and ballad-singing. She inquired about Gu Yizhong and Xiao Ruotong. When the subordinate expressed reluctance to involve himself in such matters, Mrs. Weng threatened his brother's life if he did not comply, indicating her high-level connections, including her monthly reports to Captain Dai of the flight group.
Back at the Yizhong Architecture Research Society office, the manager, Lu Zheng, found Gu Yizhong soaked and with a fever. He reported that armed men had been looking for him earlier that afternoon and had instructed him to inform No. 90 if he reappeared. In his feverish state, Gu Yizhong seemed tormented by the accusations against him, muttering questions about "Eagle," the mysterious Liu Qiangbao, his escapes, and the accusation of being a traitor.
