Silent Tides Episode 17 Recap
> Silent Tides Recaps
Mary continues to pressure William to participate in the rescue of Qiao Renyu, but the cowardly William makes his own escape a condition of his help. Left with no choice, Mary agrees. William then approaches Chief Guard Fujii at Stanley Prison, spinning a calculated lie about ten thousand pounds he allegedly has on deposit at HSBC. He claims that Renyu is the only one who can verify the location of the duplicate deposit slips.
Playing on Fujii's greed, William offers him a sixty-forty split of the fortune just for a one-minute private meeting with the prisoner. Though Fujii knows Renyu is a high-value death row inmate under the Gendarmerie's strict watch, the lure of the money proves too great. While this secret deal unfolds, General Yazaki questions Colonel Sawa’s obsession with Renyu, pointing out that the Hong Kong Dollar has already been abolished.
Sawa explains that his true goal is not the currency itself, but the collaborators. He believes Renyu is the key to uncovering the underground anti-Japanese network in Macau. Yazaki authorizes the continued interrogation, and Sawa heads to the prison. He arrives just as Fujii is caught leading William toward the cells. The Warden is incensed at the breach of protocol, and a terrified Fujii quickly points the finger at the Englishman.
To save his own skin, William immediately betrays the entire rescue plan and Mary’s involvement. From the subsequent interrogations, Sawa learns a vital secret: two truckloads of British De La Rue printing paper are hidden in Hong Kong. Yazaki is delighted, realizing that capturing this paper could destroy the currency of the Chongqing government. He orders Sawa to set a trap, using Mary as the breakthrough point to wipe out both the Macau intelligence station and the Hong Kong resistance.
The rescue operation begins at the POW camp’s hospital, with Mary successfully guiding a disguised Renyu toward the emergency room. However, William suddenly steps forward and publicly betrays her, revealing that the Imperial Army knows everything. He urges Mary to bring in her comrades so they can both be granted their freedom. Mary realizes the situation is dire but remains calm.
She tricks the Japanese by telling them that the signal for her team to enter is shaking a flowerpot on the windowsill three times. As she approaches the window, Mary locks eyes with Yang Chang, who is waiting in the distance. Instead of the fake signal, she makes a final stand. She pushes the flowerpot off the ledge and draws a hidden pistol, firing at the surrounding soldiers. In the ensuing firefight, Mary is struck multiple times and killed.
Seeing the mission has failed and the original escape route is blocked, Ke Zhengping pulls a devastated Yang Chang away. He provides Yang Chang with a boat ticket for a Lyun Coeng vessel, warning him that this special transit permit is his only hope of leaving the city. In Macau, He Xian and the others receive the news of the failed mission with heavy hearts.
Yang Chang, however, is stuck; his ship has been detained at Tsim Sha Tsui Pier due to a sudden Japanese lockdown. He Xian turns to He Hongshen, pleading with him to use his position at Lyun Coeng to get the ship released before the Japanese can conduct a thorough search. Though He Hongshen had been on the verge of resigning to protect his reputation, he realizes the urgency of the situation and agrees to help.
He Hongshen meets with Chairman Saito, arguing that the detention of a Lyun Coeng ship damages the company's prestige and the Imperial Army's shipping privileges. Saito agrees and secures authorization from the Expeditionary Army Command. During the final inspection on the docks, He Hongshen stands with the Japanese officers as they check the crew.
When he sees Yang Chang, He Hongshen maintains a steady gaze and tells the guards that everyone on board is a legitimate company employee, successfully shielding him. In Hong Kong, the Japanese raid the abandoned intelligence station but find nothing but an old newspaper. Yazaki’s frustration with Renyu's silence reaches a breaking point. He orders the arrest of one hundred family members of HSBC employees, specifically targeting the elderly, women, and children.
He commands that these innocent people be tortured in front of Renyu using the same brutal methods Renyu and Mr. Grayburn endured. Yazaki threatens to execute them in batches until Renyu speaks. Despite the horrific sight of others being killed and Grayburn being beaten, Renyu remains defiant, claiming he threw the printing paper into the sea. In Macau, Qiao Yinwan appears to have a public falling out with He Xian, accusing him of not caring about her brother’s life.
However, after Huang Gongjie delivers a personal invitation from General Yazaki for a meeting at the HSBC offices, Yinwan reveals her true intentions to He Xian. Her anger was a performance to convince the Japanese that she was acting alone. She intends to "enter the tiger's den" to get information from Renyu, betting that the Japanese will let her go afterward so they can monitor her and follow the trail to the printing paper.
The next day, Yinwan is brought to the HSBC office under the watchful eyes of Yazaki and Sawa, who listen to the entire conversation via hidden microphones. She finds Renyu in a state of near-catatonia, his spirit seemingly broken by the torture. To wake him, she begins to sing a childhood lullaby. The melody eventually reaches him, and Renyu regains his senses. He warns her that the Japanese are executing his colleagues' families to break him.
Aware they are being watched, Yinwan remains composed and tells him she will find a way. To conclude the meeting, she boldly asks the General for a large apple pie, a signal to her allies that she has established contact.
