THE REBEL Episode 30 Recap
> THE REBEL Recap
Gu Shenyan approached Boss Wu, a dealer in firearms, offering to sell him a batch of Hanyang 88 rifles at a reduced price in exchange for gold. Boss Wu, pleased with the prospect of making a fortune from the highly sought-after weapons, agreed to the deal. He handed over three gold bars from Baofu Pavilion, each weighing 76 grams, as a deposit.
Gu Shenyan instructed him to pick up ten initial guns from under a tree 100 meters from the east wall of Xiren Infectious Disease Hospital the following evening, promising the remaining 90 if the deal went well. Immediately after their meeting, Gu Shenyan called the Special Higher Police to tip them off about Boss Wu's activities.
The next evening, as Boss Wu and his men were digging up the buried guns, they were ambushed and arrested by the Special Higher Police. Unaware that Gu Shenyan had betrayed him, Boss Wu, desperate to clear his name, informed his captors that the guns were being supplied by Gu Shenyan, the deputy station chief of the Military Intelligence Bureau's Shanghai division. He reiterated his connections to Mitsui Bussan's opium trade and his service to the Japanese Imperial Army.
Soon after, a Military Intelligence Bureau insider relayed this information to Zhou Yaoting, who then contacted Commissioner Dai Li to report Gu Shenyan's alleged gun trafficking. Meanwhile, Lin Nansheng insisted on being discharged from the Japanese Army Hospital, despite his severe injuries. Zuo Qiuming, his liaison, initially hesitated, noting that Dr. Suzuki did not approve given Lin Nansheng's condition.
However, Lin Nansheng pleaded, explaining that the emotional pain of remaining in the Japanese hospital was far worse than any physical discomfort. Zuo Qiuming eventually relented, promising to secure his discharge for the following day. Before leaving the hospital, Lin Nansheng saw Kato Koji smoking on the rooftop, leaning on a dilapidated railing marked with a "Danger" sign.
Lin Nansheng approached him, feigning a farewell, and after thanking Kato for his care, he abruptly pushed him off the roof, killing him in an act of vengeance. Lin Nansheng then managed to sneak back to his ward, but his severe injuries caused him to collapse in the bathroom, a fortunate turn of events that led the Japanese to believe he had fainted due to weakness and not suspect his involvement in Kato's death.
Zuo Qiuming explained to the doctor that Lin Nansheng had not eaten well and felt dizzy, which caused his collapse. He convinced the doctor that Lin Nansheng's "father" wanted him home for other plans, leading the doctor to approve the discharge with a recommendation for a desk job. Zuo Qiuming then confronted Lin Nansheng, scolding him for risking exposure. Lin Nansheng explained that Kato Koji had been investigating him, and if he had continued, Zuo Qiuming could have been implicated.
After his discharge, Zuo Qiuming drove Lin Nansheng to a new residence in Hong Kong. Along the way, Lin Nansheng witnessed Japanese soldiers arbitrarily arresting civilians under the guise of a "repatriation policy" to meet quotas for deportation to the Mainland. Zuo Qiuming showed Lin Nansheng his new apartment, complete with a radio for receiving orders and a codebook.
Lin Nansheng's identity was formally transferred to the Hong Kong station under the new name Lu Yuntang, with Zuo Qiuming as his designated liaison and call sign 316. Lin Nansheng felt that "Pang Jia Jun" was gone, and now only "Lu Yuntang" remained. Zuo Qiuming advised him to familiarize himself with the area, but Lin Nansheng felt an escape route was pointless given his fragile state.
Zuo Qiuming noted a change in Lin Nansheng, seeing him as someone who seemed to be giving up, unlike his past resilient self. He assured Lin Nansheng that the station would not assign him immediate tasks and promised to visit often, urging him to recover. That night, tormented by pain, Lin Nansheng went to a drugstore to buy painkillers. The clerk refused to sell them without a resident identity card.
As Lin Nansheng left, the store owner called him back, discreetly handing him two packs of painkillers, explaining he couldn't sell them earlier due to Japanese customers inside. The owner refused payment and advised Lin Nansheng to always carry his identity card to avoid trouble. Meanwhile, Zhu Yizhen, now living under the name Shen Yujing, was recovering from her injuries. She had received no news of Lin Nansheng and cherished the butterfly brooch he had given her.
She sought out various silversmiths to repair the delicate brooch, but no one in Jiaxing was capable of fixing it, suggesting she try Shanghai instead. Later, Shen Yujing received vital intelligence about the Japanese 23rd Army, noting that four battalions of the 8th Brigade and a signals unit had been transferred from Guangzhou to Hainan. She concluded this was likely preparation for attacks against Guangzhouwan and Leizhou Peninsula, a development she deemed critical.
She promised to report it to the station immediately and telegraph Chongqing. Back in Shanghai, military intelligence agents, led by Captain Ji, arrived to arrest Gu Shenyan. Gu Shenyan feigned surprise at being woken up and questioned Captain Ji's intentions. Soon, Wang Shi'an appeared, confirming that Chongqing wanted Gu Shenyan for investigation, with personnel arriving the next day. Wang Shi'an ordered Gu Shenyan to be held until then.
Wang Shi'an urged Gu Shenyan to confess, promising to report his "voluntary surrender" to alleviate his guilt. Gu Shenyan, however, feigned ignorance, reminding Wang of their shared past and asking what he was guilty of. Wang Shi'an remained firm, stating that Gu Shenyan would have to explain himself to headquarters, but promised to report his situation truthfully.
After their conversation, Wang Shi'an instructed his subordinate to prepare all evidence of Gu Shenyan's defalcation and old debts for Chongqing, expressing confidence that Gu Shenyan, despite his past contributions and connections, would not escape punishment given Commissioner Dai's crackdown on internal misconduct. In Hong Kong, Zuo Qiuming visited Lin Nansheng again, inquiring if he had any news of Zhu Yizhen. Lin Nansheng admitted there was none.
Zuo Qiuming then instructed him to report to work at a trading company the following day, explaining it was a normal job to avoid suspicion from neighbors, not a mission. Lin Nansheng resisted, stating he couldn't bear seeing daily news of Japanese atrocities or their soldiers on the streets, feeling it was "killing him." He pleaded with Zuo Qiuming for any mission, no matter how simple, expressing that merely eating and sleeping was ruining him.
Zuo Qiuming sternly reminded him that as special agents, they must endure anger, anxiety, depression, and pain beyond what ordinary people experience, and that they do not live solely for themselves. Lin Nansheng eventually agreed to work at the company, though he remained visibly distracted. Later, while tuning his radio at home, he stumbled upon Yan'an Xinhua Radio broadcasting "On Protracted War."
The broadcast addressed the anxieties of the Chinese people regarding the war, challenging notions of quick victory or subjugation, and explaining the necessity and methodology of a protracted conflict. Lin Nansheng listened intently, deeply touched by the message.
