THE REBEL Episode 13 Recap
> THE REBEL Recap
Hu Daoyi presented the list of executed Communist Party members to Gu Shenyan for his signature. Gu Shenyan took the opportunity to inquire about Zhu Yizhen, learning she had been brought back to prison as it was "not time for her to die yet." Separately, Hu Daoyi also uncovered that Zhu Yizhen had purchased a high-power radio, which could be modified to enhance its wireless reception for long-distance signals, effectively turning it into a communication device.
Chen Moqun consulted Lin Nansheng for his opinion on Zhu Yizhen's radio. Lin Nansheng, recalling seeing the radio in Zhu Yizhen's room and concerned about her safety to prevent her vulnerability from falling into Chen Moqun's hands, gave a vague response, claiming he had only heard "pure music" from it.
Section Chief Lu, however, speculated that the radio was a high-quality model, similar to those used by Communists for signal boosting after the Xinzhuang incident, and suggested it was used to receive secret intelligence, especially after Wang Zhi's arrest. Chen Moqun then ordered Hu Daoyi to lead a team to Zhu Yizhen's house to retrieve the radio in its original state for inspection.
After Hu Daoyi left, Lin Nansheng, feigning a need to write reports, secretly hurried to Zhu Yizhen's residence. His journey was aided by a flat tire on the action team's vehicle, providing a crucial delay. Lin Nansheng arrived at the Zhu family home on his bicycle, climbing over the wall to enter Zhu Yizhen's room.
There, he encountered Zhu Xiaoxian, Zhu Yizhen's father, who was understandably furious and tried to drive him away, distrusting a Secret Service agent given his daughter's current imprisonment. Lin Nansheng, however, urgently explained he was there to save Zhu Yizhen and needed to remove any suspicious modifications from the radio before the agents arrived. Zhu Xiaoxian, initially pulling a gun on Lin Nansheng, saw the approaching Secret Service cars and realized the urgency.
Lin Nansheng then sincerely confessed his love for Zhu Yizhen and assured Zhu Xiaoxian he would do nothing to harm her. With no other choice, Zhu Xiaoxian decided to trust Lin Nansheng and went downstairs to stall the approaching agents. Zhu Xiaoxian confronted Hu Daoyi and his men, attempting to block their entry to his daughter's room, leading to a tense standoff.
This bought Lin Nansheng just enough time to successfully dismantle and remove the crucial modified coil from the radio. When Hu Daoyi finally forced his way into the room, Lin Nansheng had finished, and the radio appeared ordinary. After Hu Daoyi collected the seemingly unmodified radio, Lin Nansheng revealed the removed part to Zhu Xiaoxian, confirming that Zhu Yizhen was now safe from this particular piece of evidence.
Although grateful for his daughter's sake, Zhu Xiaoxian sternly told Lin Nansheng never to contact her again and helped him escape the premises undetected. Meanwhile, Chen Moqun went to the train station to pick up Deputy Director Zhou Yaoting, only to discover that Zhou Yaoting had arrived earlier than expected and was already at the Shanghai branch.
Wang Shi'an, feeling intentionally sidelined by Chen Moqun, seized the opportunity to complain about Chen Moqun's secrecy to Zhou Yaoting, even falsely claiming Chen Moqun was out on an urgent errand. Zhou Yaoting requested Wang Zhi's files and also inquired about Zhu Yizhen.
Wang Shi'an openly expressed his dissatisfaction with Chen Moqun's handling of affairs, portraying him as a secretive leader who had excluded his deputy from key operations and lacked concrete evidence, despite having investigated Zhu Yizhen for a long time. Chen Moqun, learning of Zhou Yaoting's early arrival, rushed back but was initially blocked by Zhou Yaoting's guards until his arrival was announced.
During their meeting, Zhou Yaoting maintained a cordial yet subtly critical demeanor, directly accusing Chen Moqun of withholding information from the entire Shanghai branch regarding Wang Zhi's case. He pointed out the lack of solid evidence against the alleged Communist spy "Mailman" and Zhu Yizhen, and directly attributed Wang Zhi's death to Chen Moqun's arbitrary actions.
Chen Moqun attempted to explain, presenting Zhu Yizhen as a promising new lead connected to "Mailman," and eagerly suggested they inspect the radio Hu Daoyi had just brought in. They proceeded to the telecommunications department, but after a thorough inspection, the technician found no modifications; it was merely "an ordinary radio."
While Chen Moqun was still in disbelief, Lin Nansheng discretely approached Zhu Yizhen and whispered that he had removed the coil from the radio and instructed her to "just don't admit to anything." Relieved, Zhu Yizhen faced Chen Moqun's subsequent interrogation with calm composure. She skillfully deflected all accusations, explaining her participation in the student march as a patriotic act where even Lin Nansheng was injured protecting them.
She clarified her investigation into Lin Nansheng's background was simply to understand her "boyfriend," a "tutor" who surprisingly displayed combat skills, not an attempt at recruitment. She dismissed her visits to "Zhang's Clothing" as ordinary shopping trips and admitted to being a "passionate and radical" student hoping for a stronger nation, challenging Chen Moqun to prove otherwise. She even questioned if Lin Nansheng had planned to deceive her feelings from the beginning.
Further checks on the owner of Zhang's Clothing yielded no suspicious information. Seeing that Zhu Yizhen remained unyielding and with no evidence, Chen Moqun, despite his frustration, ended the interrogation, after Lin Nansheng also remained silent when asked if Zhu Yizhen had ever acted suspiciously. Zhou Yaoting then reminded Chen Moqun of the headquarters' expectations regarding Wang Zhi's death, reiterating the need for a clear explanation.
Chen Moqun still proposed detaining Zhu Yizhen as a "left-leaning radical" in a House of Correction in Suzhou. However, Zhou Yaoting, taking Wang Zhi's related documents, subtly warned Chen Moqun about the high-level connections of the Zhu family, mentioning calls reaching the Ministry of Finance and even Minister Kong.
He stressed the wide implications of Zhu Yizhen's case, which also involved Director Dai, and reminded Chen Moqun that the investigation into Wang Zhi was merely the beginning of his own scrutiny, advising him to "be practical." Understanding the immense political pressure and the implicit warning, Chen Moqun, after Zhou Yaoting's departure for Nanjing, ordered the release of Zhu Yizhen and the owner of Zhang's Clothing.
He instructed his men to maintain covert surveillance on the Zhu residence, refusing to let the case end, believing he still held the "fish hook" and would eventually "capture them." Zhu Yizhen was released from custody and had an emotional reunion with her father, Zhu Xiaoxian, and the family staff, who warmly welcomed her home, visibly relieved by her safe return.
