Resumo do episódio 18 de THE REBEL
> Resumos de THE REBEL
Following the successful elimination of the Japanese spy Ikeda Eisuke, Wang Shi'an commended Gu Shenyan, Lin Nansheng, and Zhao Jinglong, awarding them medals. Lin Nansheng was formally retained in the Shanghai Secret Service Action Team, undertaking numerous missions and evolving into a seasoned agent. On August 13, 1937, the Battle of Shanghai erupted. Despite the Chinese army's tenacious fight against superior Japanese firepower and immense sacrifices, Shanghai fell three months later, on November 12.
With the exception of the British, American, and French Concessions, the entire city was occupied by the Japanese. The Secret Service was subsequently reorganized as the Military Intelligence Bureau, which then shifted into a dormant state. By the winter of 1939, the Chinese Communist Party's underground organization faced severe challenges. Numerous contact points were raided by the Japanese Special Higher Police. Although some radio stations were salvaged, their operators tragically perished.
Colonel Takahashi was displeased with his subordinates' impulsive actions, particularly their failure to capture anyone alive during a raid on a Communist radio station. He sternly reminded them that he was looking for the people behind the radio, not just the equipment, particularly "Fisherman," the head of the Communists' underground intelligence network in Shanghai. This specific radio station was a major lead, now lost due to their recklessness.
He ordered them to aggressively pursue Fisherman's new radio station amidst the thousands of commercial radios in Shanghai. Furthermore, Takahashi was enraged that his unit also failed to capture any agents from the Military Intelligence Bureau during a siege, with only two escaping and the rest killed. In the midst of this, Ji Zhongyuan met with Gu Shenyan.
Ji informed Gu that their transmitting site had been busted by the Special Higher Police, the transmitter seized, and the radio operator killed. This brought their losses to seven comrades in three months. Gu secretly passed a dossier, hidden in a book, to Ji, revealing information about Longhua Airport. He explained that a Japanese military bomber squadron was stationed there, continuously bombing the Xiaoshan front line, causing heavy casualties among military and civilians.
Gu urged Ji to swiftly notify the New Fourth Army Songhu Detachment to destroy the airport. Ji acknowledged the difficulty of attacking such a heavily guarded military airport but assured Gu their liaison would be dispatched immediately to notify the detachment. He also mentioned that while a new radio operator had arrived, bringing a new transmitter into Shanghai was proving difficult, a problem Gu promised to resolve. After their conversation, both men departed from the park separately to avoid suspicion.
Meanwhile, Lin Nansheng and Zhao Jinglong were ambushed during an operation targeting a traitor, Hu Daoyi, who had defected to Jessfield 76. Many of their comrades were killed. Lin, himself injured, shot Hu Daoyi in the leg but believed he was still alive. Lin hid a severely wounded Zhao in a corner, then drew the Japanese away, ultimately escaping into a civilian area, changing into plain clothes, and concealing his wound before returning to the Military Intelligence Bureau.
Upon his return to the Hua Hsing Cie, the Bureau's cover in the French Concession (secured through bribes to French police), Lin Nansheng, now the Action Captain after Hu Daoyi's defection, confronted Wang Shi'an. He demanded accountability for their fallen brothers, expressing his anger over the ambush and the lack of compensation for their families.
Wang, dismissive of Lin's rising temper, expressed concern about information leaks, noting that only he, Wang, and the higher authority knew about the operation, suggesting either a mole within the station or a compromised code. He ordered a suspension of all transmissions and the activation of a new code book for emergencies.
Wang also noted that the Pudong Detachment of the Loyal Salvation Army, initially tasked with the airport destruction mission, was delaying and constantly requesting gun supplies, leading him to suspect mutiny. He told Lin that he was following up on the gun supplies for the Pudong Detachment, which were difficult to transport through the Japanese war zone, and would inform them once they arrived. Facing severe losses and the Japanese army's aggressive attacks, Wang Shi'an sought Gu Shenyan's counsel.
He revealed his intention to collaborate with the Communists, leveraging their extensive underground experience and intelligence network in Shanghai to aid the Military Intelligence Bureau. Gu, while inwardly disapproving of Wang's opportunistic idea of using the Communists as a shield, outwardly praised his strategic brilliance. Wang proposed Lin Nansheng as the liaison, citing his past experience in infiltration and his leadership of the action squad, believing Lin would be capable of handling the Communists and potentially even baiting their representative.
Around the same time, Mr. Dai, dissatisfied with Wang Shi'an's incompetence and the heavy losses in Shanghai, dispatched Deputy Director Zhou Yaoting to the Special Training Program in Nanjing to persuade Chen Moqun to return. Chen, who had been teaching, initially feigned disinterest, stating his desire to focus on cultivating talents for the party-state and even to resign his title to avoid meetings.
Zhou explained that Mr. Dai had personally wanted to come but was preoccupied and apologized for the past events in Shanghai, acknowledging Chen's resentment. He stressed that the situation in Shanghai was dire due to Wang Shi'an's poor performance, which had led to many veterans defecting to the Japanese, greatly upsetting the Principal. Chen, acknowledging Zhou's explanation and the critical situation, agreed to return as the Beijing-Shanghai District Mayor and was promoted to Major General.
However, he laid down two conditions: first, he would have sole authority over appointments to important positions, with no interference from headquarters; second, he required a stop in Hong Kong for personal business before heading to Shanghai. Zhou agreed to his terms. Gu Shenyan later informed Lin Nansheng of Wang Shi'an's decision to collaborate with the Communists and that Lin was assigned as the liaison. Lin accepted the assignment, awaiting further instructions on the meeting details.
Following his past directive from Chen Moqun to monitor Gu Shenyan, Lin reviewed the General Affairs Section's records while collecting bullets. He discovered that Gu Shenyan had personally signed out a transmitter for the Pudong Detachment. Meanwhile, Ji Zhongyuan discussed the proposed contact with the Military Intelligence Bureau. He expressed concern about Lin Nansheng as the liaison, finding him to be a complex individual.
While acknowledging Lin's patriotic enthusiasm, Ji noted that Lin remained fundamentally a Military Intelligence agent who had previously attempted to infiltrate their ranks, making him untrustworthy. Gu Shenyan, however, believed Lin was a conscientious and patriotic young man worth winning over, but admitted that Lin still harbored suspicions about his own identity, necessitating extreme caution in their dealings.
Unbeknownst to Lin, Wang Shi'an, having received the telegram about Chen Moqun's imminent return as the Beijing-Shanghai District Mayor, feared being targeted due to his past failures. He instructed Section Chief Lu to convert the "freeloading allowances" falsely claimed in the name of the defunct 5th Communication Group into gold bars on the black market, keeping 80% for himself, ensuring no one else knew about the ledger. Later, Lin Nansheng visited the recuperating Zhao Jinglong.
Observing Zhao's pregnant wife, Qin Qin, Lin gave Zhao a substantial sum of his own savings (not a station pension, as none had been issued yet) to distribute to the families of their fallen brothers, emphasizing their mutual support. Zhao initially tried to refuse, but Lin insisted, reminding him of his impending child and future needs. On his way back, Lin passed a group of students, and the sight stirred memories of Zhu Yizhen.
Elsewhere, Zhu Yizhen had returned to Shanghai as the core intelligence officer for the Jiangsu Provincial Committee. Meeting with Ji Zhongyuan at a calligraphy mounting shop, she was informed that Lin Nansheng was the Military Intelligence Bureau's chosen liaison for their proposed collaboration. Ji initially suggested Wang Yunwei for the meeting, but Zhu, believing Wang Yunwei too young and inexperienced to handle Lin, volunteered to go herself.
She asserted that she was "immune" to Lin Nansheng and could calmly manage the risks, ensuring no other comrades would be implicated. Ji, trusting her judgment, agreed to entrust the task to her.
