Resumo do episódio 31 de THE REBEL
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As the workday concluded, Lin Nansheng received a call from Zuo Qiuming, who asked him to meet by the Wutong River. Zuo Qiuming assigned Lin Nansheng an urgent task: to analyze a batch of Japanese intelligence. Noticing a significant change in Lin Nansheng's demeanor, Zuo Qiuming inquired about the cause. Lin Nansheng, unable to contain his excitement, shared his recent discovery of "On Protracted War" from Yan'an Xinhua Radio.
He expressed profound admiration for Mao Zedong, whom he regarded as a great strategist and prophet. Lin Nansheng pointed out that Mao Zedong had accurately predicted the outbreak of war in Europe in 1938 and foresaw Japan's attack on Nanyang and its conflict with the British and Americans once the European war began. Lin Nansheng felt reignited, having found a renewed sense of purpose and hope after feeling lost in the face of the invaders.
Zuo Qiuming affirmed this, agreeing that "the soldiers and the people are the foundation for victory." Their discussion solidified their belief that "China must win, Japan must lose," a phrase they enthusiastically declared together. To commemorate Lin Nansheng's "rebirth," Zuo Qiuming presented him with a new pen, a gesture that deepened their bond. This was the second time Zuo Qiuming had given Lin Nansheng a pen, and Lin Nansheng treasured it as a symbol of their friendship.
From that day forward, Lin Nansheng began listening to the Yan'an broadcasts nightly, finding solace and direction in his difficult life. Meanwhile, Wang Shi'an, under the pretense of phone repairs, sent someone to deliver Chen Moqun a letter of appointment and a special radio from Chongqing. The commission appointed Chen Moqun as the chairman of the Shanghai Enemy Rear Working Committee, tasking him with maintaining contact with Chongqing using the provided radio, wavelengths, call signs, and codebook.
In Guangzhou, Liang Kai, an intelligence officer gathering information, was captured by the Japanese. Under severe torture, Liang Kai eventually confessed his mission to spy on the Japanese troop deployment in Guangzhou and revealed details about the Military Intelligence Bureau in Hong Kong, implicating Zuo Qiuming. Zuo Qiuming had arranged to meet Lin Nansheng at the Family Coffee shop. Seeing Japanese agents ambushing the area, Zuo Qiuming realized he had been betrayed.
To protect Lin Nansheng, he deliberately approached a Japanese customer and, speaking in Nanjing dialect, covertly conveyed a crucial message to Lin Nansheng: instructions to retrieve an item from mailbox 3-18 at the Robinson Road Post Office, leave a white paper, and forget about him, urging him to leave quickly. In the ensuing chaos, Zuo Qiuming was shot while trying to escape and was dragged away by the Japanese, leaving Lin Nansheng to witness his capture from the doorway.
Lin Nansheng, helpless to intervene and aware of the importance of Zuo Qiuming's message, forced himself to leave quickly. Days later, Zuo Qiuming lay in a hospital bed, seemingly recovering, but enduring horrific torture. The Japanese agents would allow his wounds to heal slightly, then deliberately tear them open again before forcing doctors to re-stitch them without anesthetic, inflicting unbearable pain.
Despite this brutal treatment, Zuo Qiuming remained silent, refusing to disclose any information about the Military Intelligence Bureau in Hong Kong. On the third night, after the doctor and nurse had left, Zuo Qiuming made a resolute decision. He pulled out his IV drip, covered his head with a bedsheet, and, enduring intense pain, tore open his abdominal wound with his hands, severing his intestines. He bled to death in the darkness.
The following morning, Lin Nansheng saw a "Claiming of Body" notice published by the Japanese in the newspaper, recognizing the familiar grayscale photograph of Zuo Qiuming. This marked their permanent farewell. Later that afternoon, as the sun set over the Wutong River, Lin Nansheng stood alone at the bank, overcome with sorrow, the usual comfort of their shared spot now a poignant reminder of his loss. Following Zuo Qiuming's instructions, Lin Nansheng retrieved documents from the post office.
He waited three days at home, but no one came to claim them. Angered and frustrated, Lin Nansheng stormed into the Hong Kong Military Intelligence Bureau station, demanding an explanation from the station chief. The chief, however, showed Lin Nansheng a stack of surveillance photos depicting Zuo Qiuming secretly meeting with various individuals, including Zhu Yizhen, whom Lin Nansheng hadn't seen in a long time.
The station chief declared that the people in the photos were not KMT agents, nor from the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, and Zuo Qiuming had never been assigned to contact outsiders. This strongly implied he might be a double agent with Communist ties. The chief also informed Lin Nansheng that Gu Shenyan had been sent back to Chongqing for investigation due to corruption, dismissing him for inspection.
Out of respect for Gu Shenyan, the chief chose not to pursue any potential issues with Lin Nansheng but warned him to stop causing trouble and comply with the station's orders. Despite his reluctance to believe it, Lin Nansheng returned home and meticulously compared the documents, confirming Zuo Qiuming's Communist identity. The next day, near the post office, Lin Nansheng waited for the person meant to pick up the documents.
To his astonishment, it was Ji Zhongyuan, whom he believed had died in the Shanghai explosion. Ji Zhongyuan, observing Lin Nansheng following him, called him out and led him to Zuo Qiuming's grave, where the Communist Party had buried him after the charity handled his body. Ji Zhongyuan explained that Zuo Qiuming had deliberately sacrificed himself at the cafe to protect Lin Nansheng and others from the Japanese.
He also recounted his own survival from the Shanghai frame trading shop bombing, revealing that he had used a hidden bomb and escaped through a blasted wall. Ji Zhongyuan informed Lin Nansheng that Zhu Yizhen was alive, had been recovering, and was now fully healthy. Concerned about Zhu Yizhen, Lin Nansheng warned Ji Zhongyuan about the KMT's surveillance photos of her with Zuo Qiuming at De Li Pawnshop and advised her to reduce her activities.
He also handed over the intelligence analysis report that Zuo Qiuming had left for him, which detailed the Japanese 23rd Army's directions and movements in Guangzhouwan and Leizhou Peninsula, hoping it would assist their cause. Ji Zhongyuan expressed gratitude, noting that the information could save many lives, and told Lin Nansheng that he could reach out to him anytime for the good of the country. Simultaneously, Zhu Yizhen arrived in Hong Kong to meet with Meng Annan, a comrade with significant combat experience, to discuss the evacuation plan for Zhu Xiaotian and other comrades.
