THE REBEL Episode 25 Recap
> THE REBEL Recap
Hu Daoyi, disguised as a customer seeking stone carving, insisted on entering Ji Zhongyuan's frame trading shop. Once inside, he and his men from Jessfield 76 swiftly seized and handcuffed Ji Zhongyuan. Hu Daoyi instructed his men to secure the ground floor, prepared to apprehend anyone suspicious. He then took Ji Zhongyuan upstairs and removed a vase from its spot, attempting to extract information about other comrades. Ji Zhongyuan, however, remained defiant and silent, repeatedly glancing at a wardrobe.
Following Ji Zhongyuan's gaze, Hu Daoyi opened the wardrobe and discovered a radio transmitter. As Hu Daoyi ordered his men to confiscate the transmitter and take Ji Zhongyuan away, the device, which had a grenade booby-trapped underneath it, exploded.
Lin Nansheng, who had been observing the scene from a car with Zhu Yizhen after she noticed a distress signal from Ji Zhongyuan's potted plant, pulled her away as she frantically tried to rush into the exploding shop to save her comrade. Although Ji Zhongyuan perished in the blast, Hu Daoyi miraculously survived and immediately reported back to Chen Moqun. Chen Moqun was enraged by the loss of Ji Zhongyuan, especially given his need to provide results to the Japanese.
Based on descriptions from shop owners, Hu Daoyi had an artist sketch Zhu Yizhen's portrait and confirmed her identity as the second "landlady" of the frame trading shop. Chen Moqun recognized Zhu Yizhen as a crucial person connected to the exploded Communist liaison station and ordered an extensive search for her throughout the French Concession, involving both his agents and the local police, regardless of the cost. Meanwhile, Gu Shenyan, upon hearing about the explosion, went to the scene.
He observed Hu Daoyi presenting Zhu Yizhen's portrait to Chen Moqun, which confirmed his suspicion that Ji Zhongyuan had been killed. Later, Gu Shenyan visited a place where he and Ji Zhongyuan used to meet, silently mourning his fallen comrade. Lin Nansheng took a distraught Zhu Yizhen to a safe house he maintained in the French Concession. Overcome with grief, Zhu Yizhen wept, feeling isolated after the loss of all her comrades and the disruption of her party contacts.
Lin Nansheng listened empathetically, sharing his own experiences of losing friends and encouraging her that as long as they were alive, there was hope. Station Chief Wang Shi'an convened a meeting, expressing grave concern that Jessfield 76's successful operation against the Communist liaison station in the French Concession, supported by the local police, indicated that their military intelligence operations could be the next target.
He ordered the immediate transfer of important documents to a secure location and instructed his finance department to pay whatever "protection fees" the police demanded to prevent Jessfield 76 from encroaching on their sites. He stressed the importance of "Plan Fengye" (eliminating Chen Moqun), declaring that the Shanghai station would never be at peace as long as "Traitor Chen" lived.
Concurrently, a tense negotiation unfolded between French and Japanese officials concerning the Japanese military's presence and activities in the French Concession. Imai Yosuke, the Japanese representative, aggressively demanded that the French cease harboring various Chinese nationalist and resistance groups and fully cooperate in "clearing" all anti-Japanese elements. When the French officials protested, citing international law and their jurisdiction, Imai threatened to abolish the French Concession altogether, reminding them of Japan's actions in Vietnam.
He concluded by demanding the locations of all resistance strongholds and the right for Japanese forces to move into the Concession after these sites were demolished. Meanwhile, Lin Nansheng bought a special gift for Zhu Yizhen—an original edition of "Leaves of Grass," which he had searched all of Shanghai to find, and later delivered it to her along with some daily necessities he had purchased from a department store.
Shortly after this, while he was out on the street, he noticed police officers circulating a portrait of Zhu Yizhen. Realizing the immediate and severe danger she was in, he rushed back to move her. He informed Zhu Yizhen that they needed to relocate to his secret safe house in the Japanese-occupied Hongkou District, near the Huangpu River.
To avoid suspicion, they would adopt new cover identities: he as a purchasing manager for a Japanese company, frequently on business trips, and she as his wife, a proofreader from Suzhou visiting him. Upon their arrival at the new residence, Lin Nansheng introduced Zhu Yizhen as his wife to their Japanese landlady, Madam Fukiishi.
He also provided Zhu Yizhen with a contact number under the name "Lin Shi Xian" for emergencies, instructing her to remain there until it was safe to leave, acknowledging he would return often due to their cover. The military intelligence decided to proceed with "Plan Fengye" to eliminate Chen Moqun. Gu Shenyan, after extensively studying Chen Moqun's travel schedule provided by the Nanhui District's third squad, identified an opportunity.
He brought Lin Nansheng to a secret warehouse, where he presented a specialized firearm whose bullets were designed to pierce bulletproof glass and then ricochet inside the vehicle, ensuring lethal injury. Lin Nansheng unequivocally declared his resolve, assuring Gu Shenyan that he would show no mercy to Chen Moqun, who had betrayed their country. The following morning, Lin Nansheng and Zhao Jinglong executed the ambush.
Zhao Jinglong, disguised, threw a grenade at the leading car of Chen Moqun's convoy, disabling it and blocking the road. As Chen Moqun's vehicle attempted to reverse and escape, Lin Nansheng fired two shots from his sniper rifle through the bulletproof window. However, Chen Moqun managed to evade the shots. Lin Nansheng then rammed Chen Moqun's car with a truck, trapping it.
He leaped onto the truck's hood, leveled his handgun at Chen Moqun, and, consumed by a mix of anger and grief, demanded to know why he had become a traitor. However, the handgun bullets were unable to penetrate the car window, leaving Chen Moqun unharmed. As a large number of police and military reinforcements quickly arrived, Lin Nansheng and Zhao Jinglong were forced to retreat. Chen Moqun was taken to the hospital, where his minor injuries were bandaged.
Soon after, he was summoned to meet Commander Imai Yosuke. Imai began by commending Chen Moqun's recent success against the Communists, then revealed a bombshell: he possessed precise intelligence regarding the Shanghai Military Intelligence Bureau's location within the French Concession and its operational deployments. When a surprised Chen Moqun asked how he acquired such vital information, Imai dismissed it as irrelevant, emphasizing their shared goal of eradicating the Military Intelligence Bureau.
Imai then issued a stern warning, ordering Chen Moqun to ensure no mistakes were made in the upcoming operation and, pointedly, not to allow his "past subordinates" (referring to Lin Nansheng) to threaten his life again. Meanwhile, Station Chief Wang Shi'an held a debriefing with Lin Nansheng and Gu Shenyan about the failed assassination.
Lin Nansheng took full responsibility, explaining that the special bullet's failure to ricochet within the car was due to excessive gunpowder, causing it to pierce straight through. Gu Shenyan attempted to shoulder some blame for providing the weapon, but Wang Shi'an cut them off, stating that Lin Nansheng alone was responsible for leading the assassination attempt.
