Silent Tides Episode 7 Recap
> Silent Tides Recap
Dr. Ke Lin and his medical team conducted street-side epidemic control work and free clinics. He diligently examined patients, diagnosing upper respiratory infections and prescribing medication. Qiao Yinwan, who was passing by after purchasing a newspaper, observed the overwhelmed team and spontaneously offered her help, mentioning she had gained basic medical knowledge at a missionary school. Initially, Ke Lin hesitated to impose, but he gratefully accepted her assistance, welcoming her aboard.
Later, at his clinic, which he had temporarily closed to dedicate his efforts to fighting the epidemic, Qiao Yinwan expressed how profoundly fulfilling and meaningful her day helping the team had been since she arrived in Macau, assuring him of her continued support. Meanwhile, Guo Qiwen instructed her son, Zai Zai, to deliver a bowl of medicine to Xiao Yu and her mother.
However, when Zai Zai arrived at their residence, he discovered they had quietly left and disappeared amidst the surging number of refugees, their whereabouts unknown. At Kiang Wu Hospital, a doctor reported a critically ill patient suffering from severe diarrhea, dehydration, sunken eyes, and alarmingly low blood pressure, who had fallen into a coma. Director Ke Lin swiftly confirmed the diagnosis: cholera. He immediately ordered the ward cleared, the outer corridors sealed, and prohibited entry to all unauthorized personnel.
A public notice was then posted, declaring Kiang Wu Hospital as Macau's designated isolation facility for the epidemic, accepting only patients with cholera, typhoid, and malaria, and turning away all other general cases. To arrange their departure from Macau, Mary gave James a note to deliver to the British Consulate, instructing him to at least throw it inside the compound if he encountered trouble, as their address was on it.
Unbeknownst to them, Huang Gongjie and Rong, acting on orders to apprehend British fugitives for the Imperial Army, were surveilling the area. Upon seeing James behave suspiciously, they swiftly moved to intercept him. Mary, witnessing the ambush from afar, cried out a warning to James, but he was shot and collapsed. As Huang Gongjie's men dragged James away, he managed to hurl the note towards the Consulate entrance, where it was later recovered by the British Consul.
Despite the British Consul's secretary, David, confronting Huang Gongjie and asserting James's status as a British citizen, Huang Gongjie dismissed his demands, declaring the area outside the Consulate as his territory. A doctor later informed Huang Gongjie that James's lung had been pierced and he was beyond saving, leading Huang Gongjie to order his execution. Simultaneously, Rong relentlessly pursued Mary into a congested alleyway populated by refugees.
He Xian, who was conversing with Qiao Yinwan, spotted Yang Chang discreetly concealing Mary. As Rong closed in, He Xian deliberately bumped into Rong, causing his bag of rice to tear and spill. The sudden sight of scattered rice prompted a frantic scramble among the hungry refugees, creating a diversion. Perceiving He Xian's intent, Qiao Yinwan discreetly gestured to Yang Chang, enabling him to lead Mary to safety through the alley's back exit.
Enraged by his failed search, Rong pressed his pistol against He Xian's forehead. Huang Gongjie then appeared, stopping Rong and feigning a cordial, surprised reunion with He Xian. He invited He Xian to dine with him, offering Portuguese Potter wine—a gift from the Imperial Army—and insisted they celebrate. He Xian politely declined the alcohol, stating his low tolerance, and was urged to eat instead.
Back at their refuge, Yang Chang angrily chastised Mary for her reckless actions, which nearly compromised everyone and led to James's death. Mary retorted that, unlike Yang Chang, they had no guaranteed sustenance and that not seeking help would have condemned them to starvation. Later, David, the British Consulate's secretary, arrived and apologetically returned Mary's note.
He explained that the British Empire's influence in Southeast Asia had collapsed, and their consulate, under constant surveillance by Ze's Agency, could barely ensure its own safety, rendering them unable to arrange safe passage for Mary's group. He concluded that James's sacrifice was ultimately meaningless. Mary was furious, condemning the British Empire for abandoning its soldiers who had fought to their deaths.
She shamed the Consulate and the entire Empire, highlighting the stark contrast with Yang Chang, a Chinese man whom the British had unjustly imprisoned, yet who still demonstrated remarkable kindness, tolerance, and courage by risking his life to help them. Moved by Mary's impassioned words, Yang Chang proposed a new course of action: seeking assistance from the Communist Party of China's underground organization in Macau.
He reminded them of the agents who had searched for Chinese celebrities and British prisoners of war when they first entered Macau. He recounted how Commander Ou Xin of the Zhongshan Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Force, a known Communist hero, had rammed a ship to block a Japanese gunboat, diverting attention to protect refugees.
Yang Chang also recalled seeing Dr. Ke Lin's younger brother, from the Kiang Wu Medical Team, escorting Chinese celebrities at the border gate, and later witnessing them depart in a Kiang Wu Hospital ambulance. With no other viable options, he suggested they try their luck at Kiang Wu Hospital, hoping to find a lead to the Communists there.
Meanwhile, Huang Gongjie, aware of He Xian's previous experience in the grain and oil business, attempted to ensnare him in a treacherous scheme. He admitted to seizing ten million kilograms of grain from Zhongshan, acting on orders from the Japanese Imperial Army to blockade Macau and starve the Portuguese Macau government into submission. His plan was to create a severe famine and then sell the hoarded grain at exorbitant prices once the blockade was lifted and Macau capitulated.
Huang Gongjie offered He Xian a 10% profit if he helped find buyers, boasting that the deal could earn him ten times the value of Huilong Bank. He Xian, recognizing the immoral nature of the plan, initially refused, citing his lack of capability and the immense scale of the undertaking, requesting time to consider.
Despite He Xian's steadfast refusal to accept the provisions, invoking his family motto of "accept no reward without merit" and his professional obligation in their previous transaction, Huang Gongjie insisted, citing He Xian's family's hunger. He then dispatched Rong and his men to deliver the food to He Xian's boat. He Chengxi, He Xian's father, became suspicious upon seeing strangers deliver the provisions. He Xian, anxious to spare his father worry, falsely claimed they were his friends.
After Rong and his men departed, He Chengxi began distributing the food to their hungry neighbors on the boat. However, a neighbor named Qiang angrily knocked the food to the ground, exposing the suppliers as "damned traitors" who had served the Japanese and caused the deaths of many compatriots. Enraged, He Chengxi confronted He Xian, accusing him of dishonesty and bringing shame upon the family.
He declared that the He family had been "clean and honorable for generations" and would rather starve than consume "a single grain from a traitor," then slapped He Xian and ordered him to leave the house. Guo Qiwen intervened, defending He Xian's actions as being motivated by concern for their children and highlighting his struggles, while young Zai Zai tearfully pleaded with his grandfather not to banish his father.
Amidst this family strife, Zai Zai suddenly developed a high fever and lost consciousness. He Xian and Guo Qiwen desperately rushed him to several hospitals. One hospital informed them it was now a designated epidemic prevention facility, treating only specific infectious diseases, and thus could not admit Zai Zai. Another demanded an additional ten patacas for emergency services upfront, refusing treatment without immediate payment, despite He Xian's heartfelt pleas.
Distraught and without options, they fortunately encountered Qiao Yinwan, who directed them to Dr. Ke Lin. After examining Zai Zai, Ke Lin diagnosed him with pneumonia, severely exacerbated by prolonged hunger and malnutrition. He gently reproached the parents for the delay in seeking medical attention but reassured them that, thankfully, Zai Zai would recover. Overcome with guilt, Guo Qiwen tearfully blamed herself for not adequately caring for her son.
He Xian sat alone in the living room, consumed by profound sorrow, feeling he had failed as a son, husband, and father, unable to protect his family. He saw himself as a "failed businessman" in a world where "Japanese invaders, traitors, robbers, scoundrels" operated with impunity, making a mockery of right and wrong. Ke Lin approached to offer comfort, reminding He Xian of his past acts of integrity.
He recalled He Xian's courageous confrontation with the Japanese Specie Bank at the Macau pier, which not only defeated the Japanese but also restored dignity to the Chinese people. He also highlighted He Xian's brave intervention to protect Chinese celebrities from traitors at the checkpoint.
Most importantly, Ke Lin revealed that He Xian's unwavering adherence to principles and his honest return of US dollars to the Portuguese merchant, Mr. Rodrigues, had had far-reaching consequences: it had not only saved crucial resistance supplies from falling into Japanese hands but also secured a long-term supply channel for Ma Wanqi and others to continue supporting the resistance effort within the country.
Furthermore, this act of integrity directly influenced Mr. Rodrigues to change his vote, leading the Portuguese Macau government to agree to open the border gate, thereby saving thousands of refugees who were on the brink of death. Ke Lin asked if, after hearing this, He Xian still believed his actions were meaningless. He then offered a philosophical perspective, acknowledging China's shattered land, national peril, and profound suffering, and the temporary dominance of darkness and evil.
However, he emphasized that as long as He Xian upheld his principles, he would remain one of the "solitary yet unyielding sparks of light in the boundless darkness." Overhearing this conversation, Qiao Yinwan, who had also previously misunderstood He Xian, approached Guo Qiwen and expressed her newfound, complete understanding and respect for He Xian, sincerely thanking them both. After this profound revelation, He Xian's heavy heart found a measure of peace, freeing him from his self-reproach.
The situation in Macau remained dire, with hundreds of deaths from starvation and disease being recorded daily. Despite repeated diplomatic protests, the Portuguese Macau government received a telegram from Lisbon advising them to consider all Japanese demands, provided Portugal's sovereignty over Macau was not threatened. Consequently, the Governor reluctantly signed seven "cooperation" agreements with Japan, pledging to suppress all anti-Japanese activities and ceding nearly all control over Macau's foreign trade, shipping, customs, and anti-smuggling rights to joint Japanese control.
However, Ze Rongzuo remained unsatisfied, demanding that three additional "suggestions"—which Macau officials argued amounted to de facto occupation—also be signed. He presented this as an ultimatum, setting a deadline of 6:00 PM on February 18th for the Governor to sign all ten terms, after which the offer would expire. Consul Fukue vehemently reported Ze Rongzuo's aggressive demands to General Yazaki, criticizing them as an impractical overreach of authority that jeopardized diplomatic relations and caused immense international pressure.
Ze Rongzuo, however, presented compelling evidence of Macau's desperate state—with only two remaining porridge distribution points and a rapidly increasing death toll—to argue that the city was "drained dry" and on the verge of total collapse. He reassured Yazaki that the Chinese merchants were on their "last legs" and could not produce more grain.
He confidently asserted that it was "the final stage of this contest of endurance" and that, with Japan in a winning position, they should not abandon the opportunity to achieve "de facto control over Macau." He guaranteed that by the February 18th deadline, they would "secure Macau completely for the Empire," a strategy General Yazaki ultimately endorsed. Meanwhile, Ke Zhengping, Dr. Ke Lin's younger brother, met with Liang Yanming, presenting a letter confirmed to be in "the Old General's handwriting."
Ke Zhengping, while not specifying his origin, emphasized their shared Chinese identity and reassured Liang Yanming that the Communist Party's rescue efforts had no political conditions, driven purely by "the Chinese conscience." He then sought Liang Yanming's help to contact Ma Wanqi of Hengfengyu, known for his extensive connections from supplying special materials to Chongqing, to establish a safe and swift transfer route from Macau to Zhongshan for those being rescued.
Liang Yanming readily agreed, trusting Ma Wanqi's diligence in any task he undertook. Ke Zhengping explained that he approached Liang Yanming directly to spare his elder brother, Dr. Ke Lin, from further involvement in such "confidential transfer and escort work," desiring for Ke Lin to continue his peaceful and steady life as a doctor. Liang Yanming, acknowledging Ke Lin as a cherished and respected friend, concurred that it was best to keep him out of harm's way.
