Resumo do episódio 3 de THE REBEL
> Resumos de THE REBEL
Agents, alerted by Lin Nansheng, put out their cigarettes, unaware that Gu Shenyan had already identified them. Chen Moqun’s team prepared to surround the Xinyuan Bookstore. Lin Nansheng, noticing a suspicious vehicle following them through his rearview mirror, skillfully evaded it and parked across the street from the bookstore. Chen Moqun then introduced Lin Nansheng to Xu Bin, the deputy commander of the Songhu Garrison Command Reconnaissance Group.
Xu Bin informed them of the initial deployment: one team was guarding the bookstore’s entrances, while another checked the surrounding neighborhoods. Chen Moqun then issued specific orders: the front door guards were to maintain a low profile, the backdoor must be guarded at all times, and all bookstore customers were to be taken to the station for questioning.
Meanwhile, Ji Zhongyuan, the head of the Shanghai Party organization, arrived at the bookstore, having been called by Amu using an emergency contact method. Amu informed him that the "Mailman" had sent news that a comrade had been arrested in Nanjing and was being transferred to Shanghai, which struck them as odd.
Ji Zhongyuan promised to quickly verify if their man was indeed caught in Nanjing and to contact comrades in Xinyang to confirm Wang Zhi’s arrival there, ensuring everything was foolproof. As Ji Zhongyuan left, Xu Bin dispatched men to discreetly follow him, instructing them to find a hidden spot to apprehend him without alarming others. Following Chen Moqun’s instructions, Lin Nansheng entered the bookstore, pretending to be a regular customer. He picked up "Hunter's Notes" and began to read.
Amu, the bookstore manager, engaged him in conversation, asking about his literary preferences and why he liked "Hunter's Notes." Lin Nansheng's fluent and informed responses satisfied Amu, slightly easing his suspicion. Elsewhere, Gu Shenyan deduced Chen Moqun's imminent operation. He called Amu, warning him of the emergency and that Chen Moqun was conducting a secret operation on Fuyou Road. Amu confirmed it was the Xinyuan Bookstore, the city party committee liaison station, and that he was alone.
Gu Shenyan, who was nearby, offered to help Amu escape from the backdoor. However, Amu refused, fearing it would expose Gu Shenyan's identity, and stated it was their last contact, declaring, "Victory to the revolution!" Unable to persuade Amu, Gu Shenyan urged him to escape through the backdoor at 2:42 PM, promising to start his part in three minutes. As Chen Moqun's men prepared to storm the bookstore, Amu, having armed himself with a grenade, emerged from an inner room.
Lin Nansheng tried to stop him, but Amu pulled the pin. With no time to intervene, Lin Nansheng rushed out to tackle Chen Moqun, shielding him just as the grenade exploded behind them. The blast sent everyone to the ground as the bookstore, and Amu along with it, was engulfed in flames. Simultaneously, Gu Shenyan, who had gone to the backdoor with the intention of assisting Amu's escape, had already killed one of the secret agents with a single stab.
However, it was already too late for Amu. Examining the dead agent's body, Chen Moqun noted the precise fatal wound, concluding the killer was professionally trained. Lin Nansheng recounted that Amu had received a phone call just before the explosion, which he believed was a warning to escape. He suggested the mysterious car that had followed them earlier might be connected to an informant.
Lin Nansheng also highlighted that only Chen Moqun, himself, and Old Huang knew Wang Zhi was being held at the Ta Tung Hotel. He further mentioned that Old Huang had driven Gu Shenyan home on sick leave after dropping off the guns at the hotel, and suggested contacting Gu Shenyan for confirmation. This information led Chen Moqun to immediately suspect a "Mailman" within their ranks. He ordered Xu Bin to clean up the scene quickly before the police arrived.
Chen Moqun decided to visit Gu Shenyan to follow up on Old Huang's movements. Gu Shenyan, after quickly changing his car's license plate, entered his apartment from the back door just as Chen Moqun arrived at the front. The apartment building's manager confirmed Gu Shenyan had been home for "a while already." Chen Moqun knocked, and Gu Shenyan, feigning discomfort and wearing his sleepwear, eventually opened the door. Chen Moqun inquired about a bruise on Gu Shenyan's forehead.
Gu Shenyan used the recent operation to explain it, feigning a recounting of a Communist detonating a grenade. He then subtly steered the conversation to express concern about an inside job, drawing parallels to a past information leak in 1934 and highlighting how Amu's receiving a call implied their deployment was known beforehand. Chen Moqun, playing along, agreed that such an insider situation would be "terrible." Unconvinced by Gu Shenyan’s performance and unable to extract useful information, Chen Moqun left.
Meanwhile, Lin Nansheng, stationed outside, noticed the suspicious vehicle with the changed license plate. He reported it to Chen Moqun, who instructed him to have the Transportation Bureau investigate the plate and tow the car. The investigation revealed the license plate was fake, and the owner untraceable, indicating a cautious driver. Chen Moqun reflected that they were "infinitely closing in on the truth but can't find any conclusive evidence."
He reasoned that with Amu, the "Mailman's" direct contact, now dead, the "Mailman" and the Communist Party would have lost contact. This would force the "Mailman" to quickly seek a new contact, presenting an opportunity for them to intercept. Following this, Chen Moqun reviewed personnel files, specifically taking out Gu Shenyan's file and studying his photo, indicating his growing suspicion towards his old classmate.
Chen Moqun also praised Lin Nansheng for his quick reactions at the bookstore, saving his life, and warned him never to underestimate the Communists, describing them as "more stubborn and horrible than you think." Elsewhere, after leaving the bookstore, Ji Zhongyuan noticed he was being tailed but successfully shook them off while riding a tram. He then arranged for people to decipher codes and relayed instructions for the "Mailman" to wait for a new contact.
Gu Shenyan, taking the initiative, placed a classified advertisement in "The Shanghai News" using a coded message: "For bamboo shoots purchase in the countryside, I have no contact." He then went to a rooftop opposite the Ta Tung Hotel and used a telescope to scan the rooms, attempting to locate where Wang Zhi was being held. However, Lin Nansheng, also vigilant, spotted movement on the opposite building. Gu Shenyan narrowly avoided detection by hiding along the rooftop's edge.
Chen Moqun, after Lin Nansheng confirmed the rooftop was clear, began his interrogation of Wang Zhi. He pressed Wang Zhi, reminding him that Amu, the "Mailman's" only contact, was dead, and that Wang Zhi's value now depended on providing new information. He warned Wang Zhi that without further cooperation, he would lose protection and face repercussions from the Communist Party. Under this severe pressure, Wang Zhi eventually divulged information about Cafe Le Cancoll on Xiafei Road.
He explained that he had stumbled upon it by chance, seeing Amu inside acting cautiously, which suggested it was a rendezvous point. Wang Zhi assured Chen Moqun that Amu was unaware he had been seen there. Lin Nansheng evaluated the cafe, noting its strategic location at an intersection with window seats offering good views to spot anyone tailing them.
Chen Moqun immediately contacted Operation Squad Captain Hu Dao Yi, assigning him and Lin Nansheng the task of monitoring Cafe Le Cancoll. He instructed them to photograph every visitor and stressed the highly classified nature of the operation, requiring all participants to be thoroughly screened. Lin Nansheng, however, expressed concern that with the cafe's many customers, their deployment would be like "finding a needle in a haystack."
