THE REBEL Episode 38 Recap
> THE REBEL Recap
After receiving medical treatment, Wei Zilu's condition greatly improved. He began to speak and no longer feared strangers. Lin Nansheng visited Lan Xinjie's home with a cake to celebrate Zilu's birthday. Lan Xinjie expressed her gratitude for the American doctor Lin Nansheng introduced, who had been instrumental in Zilu's rehabilitation. During the celebration, Zilu affectionately called Lin Nansheng "Uncle Lin" and then, as Lan Xinjie cut his cake, he said, "Thank you, Mummy," deeply touching her.
Wang Shi'an later came to Lin Nansheng, bringing what he claimed was definitive proof that Liao Tong was the Mailman. He feigned believing the evidence and apologized for his previous suspicions about Lin Nansheng, specifically regarding the traitor purging unit, explaining he was pressured in his position and worried about reporting to Commissioner Dai.
Lin Nansheng, feigning surprise and anger at Liao Tong, accepted the apology and even offered to accompany Wang Shi'an to meet Commissioner Dai, pretending to share responsibility. Meanwhile, Chen Moqun met with Meng Annan, who expressed his concern about what he would do after Chen Moqun left. Chen Moqun reassured him that he was "clean" and had never gotten his hands dirty.
He highlighted Jiang Jieshi's unwavering determination to suppress the Communists, placing Meng Annan at the forefront of that effort. Chen Moqun informed Meng Annan that he would entrust his watch to Wang Shi'an as a means for Meng Annan to directly report to him. He advised Meng Annan to demonstrate his value to Wang Shi'an to secure a path back to the bureau but also warned him to be wary of both Wang Shi'an and Lin Nansheng.
Meng Annan felt a pang of sadness, questioning if he would ever see Chen Moqun again after their parting. In another development, Zhao Jinglong, while apprehending traitors, discovered You Zongzhi, the deputy commissioner of the Civil Affairs Bureau, was secretly forging licenses. Upon arresting You Zongzhi, they found a fake Republic of China passport belonging to Chen Moqun, indicating his plan to flee abroad. Lin Nansheng took charge of the interrogation.
You Zongzhi initially resisted, asserting his past connections to the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, but Lin Nansheng threatened him with severe torture methods from both the Central Bureau and the Military Intelligence Bureau, promising to leave him "just alive enough" to be transported to Nanjing. Under duress, You Zongzhi revealed that Chen Moqun planned to meet him at 10 AM that day to collect the passport an hour before his ship departed.
Lin Nansheng immediately mobilized his team to set up an ambush at the meeting location. However, Wang Shi'an, informed of the situation, quickly dispatched his own men. Concerned that Chen Moqun might expose their secret dealings if captured, Wang Shi'an deliberately made a spectacle of his arrival, hoping to alert Chen Moqun and allow him to escape.
He openly questioned Lin Nansheng about the intelligence and the number of men brought, accusing him of underestimating Chen Moqun and potentially spooking him. Despite Wang Shi'an's efforts, Lin Nansheng had already spotted Chen Moqun attempting to escape and intercepted him alone. Lin Nansheng confronted Chen Moqun, exposing Wang Shi'an's past betrayals, including tipping off the Japanese about Chen Moqun's return from Hong Kong and leaking the Press Office plan at Qingpu.
He offered Chen Moqun a chance to be sent to a detention facility in Nanjing, which would grant him temporary safety, if he revealed Wang Shi'an's complicity. Otherwise, he threatened to send Chen Moqun to Nanshi Detention Center, where he wouldn't last 12 hours. Chen Moqun, admitting his fear that Wang Shi'an would kill him if sent to Nanshi, still desperately sought a way to survive and escape.
He then offered to reveal the identity of a Communist mole, the person who covered his evacuation at the motel, in exchange for his passport and passage to Nanyang. Lin Nansheng refused to bargain with a traitor. Infuriated, Chen Moqun drew his pistol, reminding Lin Nansheng that he was responsible for bringing him to Shanghai. Lin Nansheng calmly stated that Chen Moqun wouldn't dare to shoot, pointing out that his fear of death had led to his defection.
Just as their standoff intensified, Wang Shi'an arrived and fatally shot Chen Moqun to silence him. Chen Moqun died without revealing the mole's identity. Lin Nansheng suppressed his anger at Wang Shi'an's act of murder to eliminate a witness. Wang Shi'an then tried to dismiss Chen Moqun's accusations as the desperate slander of a traitor, which Lin Nansheng outwardly agreed with. Wang Shi'an secretly retrieved Chen Moqun's watch, which was meant for Meng Annan.
In the days that followed, Meng Annan repeatedly visited the post office, inquiring about any telegrams for "Kuang Hui Dong," a coded name Chen Moqun used for him. Each time, he was told there were none. His hopes dwindled, and he was devastated upon reading in the newspaper that "Traitor Chen Moqun was killed by the Traitor Purging Committee."
Meanwhile, Wang Shi'an, after confirming Kuang Hui Dong's identity through the Chinese Military Academy, published a coded search notice in the newspaper, ostensibly from "An Ran" looking for "Brother Chen Fu Ren" to discuss "family matters," intending to lure Meng Annan out. Lin Nansheng discussed the situation with Ji Zhongyuan. With Chen Moqun dead, the lead on uncovering Peng Dai Sen, whom Lin Nansheng suspected was Chen Moqun's mole planted within the Communist Party, was gone.
Lin Nansheng suspected Peng Dai Sen was Chen Moqun's leverage and stated that he would have to find other ways to uncover him, especially with the increased danger from the traitor purging unit. He decided to cultivate a good relationship with Wang Shi'an to prevent being cut off from information. Tragedy struck when a fierce shootout erupted in the streets between military police and soldiers from the Beijing-Shanghai Garrison Command over a disputed property.
Wei Zilu was hit by a stray bullet. Aunt Tian rushed back to tell Lan Xinjie that Zilu had been taken to the hospital. Lan Xinjie hurried to the hospital, only to find Zilu's lifeless body. The doctor regretfully informed her they couldn't save him due to his severe injuries. Overwhelmed with grief and rage, Lan Xinjie, clutching Lin Nansheng's pistol, stormed to the military police headquarters.
She demanded to see the commander to seek justice for her son, who had died innocently. When a guard tried to block her and told her to leave, she drew the pistol and shot him. She was subsequently arrested. The military police traced the pistol's serial number back to Lin Nansheng. Wang Shi'an called Lin Nansheng, fuming about the incident and demanding an explanation.
Lin Nansheng explained that it was his old gun, which he had left with Lan Xinjie for her protection as a vulnerable widow. Wang Shi'an informed him that Commander Xia had already ordered Lan Xinjie's execution the next morning at Longhua. Lin Nansheng, desperate, reminded Wang Shi'an that the military police themselves were responsible for Zilu's death, having engaged in a shootout over a house.
He then shockingly declared that Lan Xinjie was his fiancée and Zilu his stepson, compelling Wang Shi'an to intervene. Under pressure, Wang Shi'an was forced to negotiate with Commander Xia. He compensated the military police with a property that was under military intelligence control, originally belonging to Wang Jingwei's puppet navy. In return, Commander Xia agreed to prosecute the soldier who killed Zilu and release Lan Xinjie, though he required compensation for the injured guard.
Lin Nansheng went to pick up a distraught Lan Xinjie from the military police department. She was disoriented by grief, refusing to leave without seeing justice done for Zilu. She lamented that after enduring so much from Chongqing to Shanghai, if she didn't demand justice, Zilu's death would be in vain. Lin Nansheng tried to reason with her, urging her to stay alive, as only then could she honor Zilu's memory and visit his grave.
