Silent Tides Episode 11 Recap
> Silent Tides Recap
Governor De Solaire announced to the citizens of Macau that the long months of unprecedented famine, plague, and indescribable suffering, including the loss of loved ones, had finally come to an end with the arrival of food supplies. He publicly thanked the General Chamber of Commerce, various charitable organizations, caring individuals, and especially the valiant Chinese people who had made sacrifices. The crowd erupted in cheers and applause.
Watching from a distance, Sawa Rongzuo and his associates looked furious and left the scene. Huang Sanhe intercepted Huang Gongjie, taunting him as a "heinous traitor" who couldn't even manage to curry favor with the Japanese, calling him a "wretched lapdog." Enraged, Huang Gongjie drew his gun, but Gonçalves intervened, sternly reminding him that Macau was a place of law.
Before leaving to "celebrate with drinks," Huang Sanhe hinted that he had left a "present" for Huang Gongjie in the northwest corner of the warehouse. Following the hint, Huang Gongjie found He Xian tied up and injured, with He Xian immediately telling Huang Gongjie that he nearly lost his life. Huang Gongjie interrogated He Xian, who stated that Rong had mentioned having "something to do" and would not escort the ships.
He Xian recounted that he and Magistrate Zhao had carefully reviewed all shipping documents before the payment was made. When questioned about the transit permit for Modaomen Waterway, He Xian explained that Magistrate Zhao had insisted on it due to a blockage at Hengmen Waterway, and a Japanese officer had even confirmed the route change with Magistrate Zhao. He Xian claimed that after passing through the checkpoint, he was ambushed, covered with a sack, and savagely beaten.
His assailants, from the Tai Ho Brotherhood, stated the grain heist was a lesson for Huang Gongjie, and threatened "three knives and six holes" as a sacrifice for Fifth Master's soul for Huang Gongjie betraying the gang and becoming a "traitor to the country." Huang Gongjie then questioned Rong, who initially claimed he was delayed by a logjam at Hengmen Waterway at 11 AM, arriving at Zhongshan Pier at 3 PM only to find the grain ships had departed.
He Xian quickly pointed out that according to their plan, Rong should have passed Hengmen Waterway by 8 AM. Rong then changed his story, claiming he found the shipping documents missing at 5 AM, causing a delay of several hours. He denied telling He Xian he wouldn't escort the ships, insisting it was an "essential task" given by Huang Gongjie.
Rong added that he tried to call Magistrate Zhao but couldn't reach him, found him gone with a Special Higher Police envoy, and then rushed back to report the lost grain. When asked about his injured hand, Rong vaguely attributed it to a knife falling from the wall. Huang Gongjie, finding He Xian's story more coherent than Rong's, sent his men to check casinos for Rong and search his home, stating he was unsure whom to believe.
Meanwhile, news spread that Magistrate Zhao Dinghua had fled with funds and was killed by Commander Qu of the Wugui Mountain guerrilla team in Zhongshan County. Chang, upon hearing the news, expressed relief that He Xian would be able to extricate himself, noting that "things will always work themselves out." With Magistrate Zhao dead, Huang Gongjie arranged a face-to-face confrontation between He Xian and Rong.
Rong immediately accused He Xian of colluding with the Tai Ho Brotherhood and Magistrate Zhao to steal their grain. He Xian calmly challenged Rong with three questions: How could he have colluded with the Tai Ho Brotherhood when they considered him an enemy for helping Huang Gongjie? How could he have conspired with Magistrate Zhao, whom he had never met, to set up such a large scheme?
And how could he have given the transit permit to the Tai Ho Brotherhood when it was always in Rong's possession? Rong struggled to answer, only repeating that it was He Xian's doing. At that moment, Huang Gongjie's subordinates reported that Rong had gambled at Hou Heng Casino until midnight two nights prior, and a blood oath to the Tai Ho Brotherhood was found at his residence.
Rong desperately tried to explain the blood oath, claiming Huang Sanhe forced him to write it after he lost a lot of money, as a means to escape, and that it meant nothing. Seeing Rong's contradictory statements and the evidence, Huang Gongjie was convinced of Rong's betrayal.
Despite Rong's pleas of innocence and offers to take the blame, Huang Gongjie, in a moment of emotional anguish, shot Rong dead, telling him to "rest in peace," though lingering doubts about He Xian remained. Following Rong's execution, two merchants, Mr. Fu and Mr. Cui, arrived, demanding a refund for the undelivered grain, citing Huang Gongjie's personally signed sales certificate as legally binding.
Huang Gongjie avoided them, then tasked He Xian with pacifying them, warning that both sides would suffer if the matter escalated to the Japanese. He Xian agreed, but first articulated his understanding that the Tai Ho Brotherhood had stolen the grain for the General Chamber of Commerce, implying collusion.
He Xian asserted that if they denied involvement, he would "go for a mutual destruction," framing Rong, Cui, Fu, and the Tai Ho Brotherhood, leaving the Japanese to deal with the fallout.
He Xian agreed to "try to put an end to all this" but insisted on the return of Cui and Fu's promissory note, framing it as a deal where the General Chamber of Commerce paid 6 million for 10 million kilograms of grain, which he considered "not a bad deal." Huang Gongjie also asked He Xian to retrieve his consignment for grain sales.
He Xian feigned forgetfulness, claiming he might have misplaced it but assured Huang Gongjie that it would "not appear where it shouldn't be" as long as He Xian himself was "safe and sound." On their way to Sawa Rongzuo's office, Huang Gongjie instructed He Xian on two crucial points: first, to falsely report the grain price as 6 jiao per catty to Sawa Rongzuo; and second, to pin the entire incident on Magistrate Zhao Dinghua and Rong.
He Xian was to state that Zhao Dinghua and the Tai Ho Brotherhood colluded, and that Rong was executed solely for losing the transit permit. Huang Gongjie stressed that the Special Ops had only been negligent, not infiltrated by a mole. He Xian confirmed his understanding. At Sawa Rongzuo's office, He Xian, He Hongshen, and other implicated individuals were interrogated.
Sawa Rongzuo expressed his frustration, noting that "everyone's trying to steer clear" and that the entire blame was placed on "a dead man," Magistrate Zhao Dinghua. He questioned how Zhao Dinghua died, how "the Communist Party guerrilla team" suddenly appeared in Zhongshan, and doubted that Rong was executed merely for failing a task. Convinced that Huang Gongjie was hiding something, Sawa Rongzuo angrily demanded a continued investigation to uncover the truth.
However, he then received a phone call from his General, who informed him of his impending promotion to colonel and advised him to "not cause any trouble" before then, instructing him to "follow the instructions in the telegram" regarding the grain shipped to Macau. Sawa Rongzuo reluctantly agreed. Subsequently, He Xian was called in to sign his interview record.
Sawa Rongzuo summarized the document for He Xian, stating that "The Japanese Imperial Army, in a compassionate response to the hardships faced by Macau, specially authorized you, Mr. He, to procure grain from Zhongshan on behalf of the Macau General Chamber of Commerce. You then successfully brought grain to Macau, thus saving hundreds of thousands of starving people."
When asked if he had any objections to this "truthful statement," He Xian confirmed he had no issues and proceeded to sign the document, officially concluding the case. On his way back, He Xian saw people in the streets receiving rice, which filled him with a sense of purpose, realizing his actions had been worthwhile. He returned to the Flower-Stern Ferry, where Ke Lin, Ma Wanqi, Qiao Yinwan, Huang Sanhe, Huang Zixia, and Yang Chang were waiting.
They shared a knowing smile. That evening, everyone gathered at He Xian's new residence. The atmosphere was harmonious. Ma Wanqi toasted to He Xian's family moving into their new home, wishing them prosperity and everlasting business success. He announced plans to establish Tai Fung Bank, Macau's first joint-venture bank founded on Chinese capital, with other Chinese merchants. He invited He Xian to be a shareholder and serve as its general manager.
Everyone present agreed, but He Xian, citing his limited capital and shallow experience, humbly suggested starting as a regular clerk. The others accepted his decision for the time being. Later, He Xian escorted Qiao Yinwan home. She mentioned she would be teaching music at Kiang Wu Elementary School. Qiao Yinwan asked He Xian to call her "Yinwan" instead of "Miss Qiao," and He Xian reciprocated, telling her to call him "Xian."
He Xian offered to help her move with Guo Qiwen in a couple of days, also planning to visit Yu. Ke Zhengping visited Ma Wanqi to thank him for his previous help and for the supplies received by his friends. He offered a tea toast, but Ma Wanqi insisted on drinking wine, declaring Ke Zhengping a true friend based on his actions.
Ma Wanqi then encouraged Ke Zhengping, a pharmacist, to consider "switching from medicine to business," drawing a parallel to Mr. Lu Xun abandoning medicine for literature. He suggested that a new role in business might allow Ke Zhengping to "save more people," hinting at a partnership to "do business openly." Ma Wanqi urged Ke Zhengping to consider this advice, concluding their meeting with a pledge to "get drunk."
Elsewhere, He Hongshen thanked He Xian, acknowledging that He Xian's prior warnings about the grain shipping had saved him from serious trouble. He Hongshen subtly probed He Xian, asking if he had "foreseen the future" regarding the transit permit going missing, noting the remarkable coincidence. He Xian skillfully deflected the question by reminding He Hongshen of his previous statement about the He family, including He Hongshen, being Chinese.
He Xian then feigned forgetfulness of the question itself, emphasizing that the "hundreds of thousands of people in Macau have been saved," which was "what matters." Meanwhile, Huang Gongjie, driving on the street, believed he spotted Mary, the "foreign girl who tipped off the British army." He exited his car to search for her, but Yang Chang had already hidden Mary in a corner, out of sight.
