Ace Troops Episode 33 Recap
> Ace Troops Recap
Following a previous confrontation where Gu Yiye proved unyielding, Chen Dashan, as division commander, angrily ordered a strict investigation into the incident involving the Red First Battalion. He declared that the battalion, with its fine tradition and splendid history, had been ruined and was now merely a "showy but useless thing" or a "mere ostentation, no substance."
Chen Dashan demanded a thorough investigation, stating that anyone involved, regardless of rank, would face demotion, transfer, or even military court, especially the main leaders of the Red First Battalion's party committee. Chen Dashan questioned Gu Yiye about whether he had considered the implications, and Gu Yiye then readily admitted his mistakes. He acknowledged failing to immediately resist his superior's wrong decisions, not firmly sending Yu Sizhe back after sensing issues, and faltering when faced with opposition, abandoning his principles.
He expressed deep regret to Huang Tianwei, the Red First Battalion, and the entire troop, declaring his willingness to accept all consequences. Gu Yiye passionately articulated that the army's strength lay in the conscious discipline of its members, who unite and fight for the greater good of the people and national interests, not for narrow-interest groups. He concluded that serving the Chinese people wholeheartedly was the army's sole purpose.
By early summer 1998, everyone was diligently working in their respective posts. Qin Hanyong had intended to grant Gao Liang leave for his wedding, but a severe flood swept across the Yangtze River provinces. The military district launched an emergency mobilization, deploying numerous troops, including the Special Operation Battalion, to the disaster areas.
Jiang Nanzheng's senior company commander, Zhao Hongying, noticed Nanzheng's dedication to work and asked about her wedding plans, to which Nanzheng revealed they were cancelled, feeling her relationship was "bumpy." Zhao Hongying advised her that obstacles could be opportunities for self-discovery and stronger resolve. Qin Hanyong called Zhao Hongying to apologize for cancelling their plans, explaining the Special Operation Battalion's imminent deployment. Zhao Hongying expressed her concern and offered to bring supplies, but Qin Hanyong said there was no time.
Despite the distance, he confessed how much he missed her, while she playfully chided him for his cheesy remarks but still worried about his well-being. Jiang Nanzheng, overhearing this, lamented to Zhao Hongying that Qin Hanyong’s life seemed filled with apologies. Gao Liang, despite being granted leave, refused it and reported to Qin Hanyong, requesting to join the fight. Qin Hanyong questioned his decision, reminding him of Jiang Nanzheng and their assigned new house, suggesting he should get married.
Gao Liang vehemently refused, arguing that with twenty-eight of his soldiers living in the disaster area, he could not justify getting married and having a celebratory feast while other units fought on the front line. Qin Hanyong, busy preparing for the deployment, ordered his team to pack mosquito repellent, extra shoes, boots, and diving suits, then dismissed Gao Liang.
Meanwhile, Jiang Nanzheng's "Mountain Net Number One" system was successfully upgraded, and she received orders to deploy to Northern Hunan within an hour with her team to provide communication support for Special Forces Team A and the 700th Regiment, as the Dongxiang Levee faced a critical breach. Jiang Nanzheng learned that Gao Liang, who was initially slated to stay behind, had rallied his entire battalion to submit requests to join the front line.
She described this as his consistent habit of "marching against the current" during critical moments, recognizing him as the "fighter" and "the Gao Liang she loved." The flood command decided to detonate the already submerged Changchun Levee to alleviate pressure downstream. Gao Liang immediately took on the perilous task. He assigned specific burst points to his team members, including Wei Xiaopao, Qiu Hua, Yang Delie, and Li Xiaoqun, but reserved the deepest and most dangerous point for himself.
Jiang Weixing volunteered to go with him, but Gao Liang firmly refused, insisting that as a family man, Jiang Weixing should remain on shore to command, unlike himself, who had no parents. Gu Yiye rushed to stop Gao Liang, arguing that Tuanjie Levee was his area, making it his responsibility to dive. Gao Liang, however, was resolute, joking that his underwater skills were superior and that even if he drowned, he would come back whole.
Gu Yiye reminded him of Axiu and his child, but Gao Liang dismissed it, stating his immediate mission was to block a pipe, and if he failed, he truly wouldn't return. With a somber tone, Gao Liang then entrusted Gu Yiye with a final message, asking him to tell Jiang Nanzheng that he loved her, should he not survive. Gu Yiye urged him to tell her himself.
During the dangerous underwater operation, Jiang Nanzheng narrated with a heavy heart, recalling the profound feeling of anguish as Gao Liang and his comrades bravely plunged into the water. She described it as the most soul-stirring moment that summer, deeply impacting everyone who witnessed their selflessness and fierce battle against the flood. The levee was saved, and with it, the lives of a hundred thousand people.
However, tragedy struck when warrior Li Xiaoqun was killed, his liver ruptured by the immense underwater pressure. Gao Liang himself was caught by the powerful suction of a pipe opening, sustaining severe injuries and losing consciousness. Jiang Nanzheng's narration highlighted the incredible courage of these "fighters who march forward against the current"—her comrades, her brothers, and her beloved. Gao Liang was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, with doctors reporting ventricular fibrillation and continuously dropping blood pressure.
Outside the operating room, Jiang Nanzheng was inconsolable, crying uncontrollably. Gu Yiye held her close, urging her to believe that Gao Liang would return. Distraught, Nanzheng expressed her weariness, lamenting Gao Liang’s constant self-neglect and endless pursuit, as if trying to grasp something elusive. She wished he would just rest. Later, she learned from a nurse that Gao Liang's condition had worsened.
Zheng Yuan arrived at the hospital and spoke with Dean Lou, who gravely explained that Gao Liang's vital signs were at the brink of death, having not yet passed the crisis. Zheng Yuan passionately pleaded for a solution, emphasizing Gao Liang's heroic sacrifice. Dean Lou stated that only Gao Liang's special forces physique had kept him alive this long; even specialized medicines had no effect, and his life was like a "lighted match," easily extinguished.
Zheng Yuan vehemently rejected this grim assessment, demanding actionable plans to save him, but Dean Lou insisted all options had been exhausted and that it was a miracle he had survived this long, urging them to "face reality." Meanwhile, Qin Hanyong was seen addressing the emotional soldiers outside. Jiang Nanzheng, claiming to be Gao Liang's bride, was granted a private visit.
She poured out her heart, expressing regret and playfully chiding him for never formally proposing, despite constantly calling her his "wife." She put on the most beautiful wedding dress, one he had picked out, right in the hospital room, showing it to his unconscious form. Miraculously, his heartbeat began to accelerate. Gao Liang then slowly opened his eyes and asked for water.
After drinking, he managed a weak joke, saying she had almost choked him with water, unlike the Yangtze River. However, the joy was short-lived. Doctor Tong Bing delivered devastating news to Gu Yiye and Nanzheng: Gao Liang had suffered a severe comminuted fracture in his spine, likely from impacting a steel plate when he was sucked into the water inlet. Two bone fragments were dislocated and pressing on his nerves.
If left untreated, he would progressively lose sensation throughout his body and eventually fall into a permanent coma. No medicine could help, and surgery was the only option to correct the healing, but it needed to be done quickly. The problem was, no neurosurgery director or senior doctor at their military command hospital dared to perform such a complex procedure due to the extreme difficulty and lack of precedent.
Dean Lou confirmed she couldn't do it either, explaining the reliance on extensive experience. Gu Yiye refused to accept this, asking if Gao Liang truly had no chance. Dean Lou regretfully estimated he had a maximum of six to eight weeks. Gu Yiye vehemently refused to accept this prognosis, urging Jiang Nanzheng not to give up hope. Jiang Nanzheng, however, had come to terms with the reality.
She told Gu Yiye that she would marry Gao Liang immediately to ensure he spent every remaining day happy, and that becoming his bride was their mutual wish. Gu Yiye, while touched, argued that her actions wouldn't solve anything and insisted they must find an expert to save Gao Liang, refusing to accept Dean Lou's "death sentence." Nanzheng thanked Gu Yiye for helping her understand how to "walk the last part of my life."
Separately, Zheng Yuan, speaking on the phone, expressed his pride in Jiang Nanzheng's decision to marry Gao Liang, stating that her actions were a profound expression of love, not mere temperament. He declared his full support, knowing the immense personal cost to her, and affirmed that at such a critical time, no one had the right to give up. He then called Qin Hanyong to relay his approval.
Alone with Gu Yiye, Gao Liang confided his struggles under Chen Dashan's disapproval, acknowledging that Gu Yiye understood his difficult situation, where he felt unable to accomplish what he truly wanted. Gu Yiye, his eyes welling up, playfully chided Gao Liang to recover quickly, joking that he was taking advantage by claiming Gao Liang's duties in the upcoming tactical confrontation. Gao Liang, indifferent to the accolades, encouraged Gu Yiye to excel, even asking him to "train for me."
He then became visibly distressed, breaking down in tears, lamenting that he didn't want to die, that he hadn't lived enough, and still wanted to bicker with Gu Yiye, with Nanzheng waiting for him, and so many things left undone. Gu Yiye, trying to calm him, revealed that Jiang Nanzheng had already submitted their marriage application to the division headquarters and was about to become his bride.
Deeply moved, Gao Liang made Gu Yiye promise that if another war were to come, Gu Yiye would fight in his place, that they would fight together as brothers, holding the line until their last breath, and never losing an inch of their homeland.
