THE REBEL Episode 43 (Ending) Recap
> THE REBEL Recap
Lin Nansheng arrived at the Shenji Rouge Store, urgently asking for Zhu Yizhen. Meng Annan, who was present, immediately drew a pistol and questioned his identity. When Zhu Yizhen came downstairs, Lin Nansheng revealed the grim news: Ji Zhongyuan had died, and he was there to complete the mission in his stead.
He urged Zhu Yizhen to verify his identity using her radio and then help him transmit crucial intelligence, even offering his pistol to prove he had no malicious intent. Zhu Yizhen instructed Meng Annan to keep an eye on Lin Nansheng. Upstairs, Lin Nansheng dictated the content for a verification telegram to the Intelligence Department of the North China Bureau.
While they waited for a reply, Lin Nansheng noticed a wedding photo on the wall and tried to calm a nervous Zhu Yizhen. After a tense wait, a telegram arrived from the North China Bureau, confirming Lin Nansheng's identity as "Mailman" and instructing Zhu Yizhen to protect him at all costs. Zhu Yizhen, relieved, told Meng Annan to put down his gun and stand guard downstairs.
Once Meng Annan left, Zhu Yizhen locked the door and confided in Lin Nansheng that she had suspected Meng Annan's strange behavior for some time. Lin Nansheng then retrieved a matchbox containing a crucial document: the Battle of Xuzhou-Bengbu plan, devised by the Nationalist Party's Ministry of Defense. He explained that Ji Zhongyuan had tasked him with delivering this plan to the East China Field Army. As he revealed the plan, Lin Nansheng spotted Meng Annan's watch.
He recognized it as identical to one Chen Moqun had worn, noting both stopped at 4:12 and lacked a second hand, confirming it as a token of identification. Lin Nansheng's suspicion solidified, and he confirmed with Zhu Yizhen that Meng Annan had participated in the Chengjiaqiao operation, which led to Ji Zhongyuan's betrayal and death. Lin Nansheng declared Meng Annan was the mole he had been searching for.
Downstairs, Meng Annan was on the phone with Wang Shi'an, reporting "the goods" had arrived at the Shenji Rouge Store and agreeing to Wang Shi'an's offer of an introduction to Commissioner Mao. Just as he hung up, Lin Nansheng confronted him, exposing his true identity as Chen Moqun's operative by pointing out Meng Annan's watch, which was a token identical to one Chen Moqun had worn.
Meng Annan initially attempted to lie, but Lin Nansheng cut through his deception, warning him that Wang Shi'an, who had previously betrayed Chen Moqun, would betray him too. Meng Annan then dropped the pretense, gloating that Lin Nansheng's "catchers" were on their way and neither he nor Zhu Yizhen would escape. A fierce struggle ensued, with Lin Nansheng unable to use his gun due to the proximity of the neighbors.
He was forced to kill Meng Annan due to his violent resistance. Upstairs, Zhu Yizhen, hearing the commotion, had just finished transmitting a telegram to the organization, taking responsibility for failing to identify Meng Annan and requesting disciplinary action. Lin Nansheng joined her, confirming the telegram was sent, but they discovered the store was surrounded by police. Lin Nansheng, strategizing, noted the police were waiting for Wang Shi'an's arrival before storming the building.
Wang Shi'an eventually arrived and ordered his men to break down the door, only to find Meng Annan dead and the store empty. He immediately ordered a search for Zhu Yizhen. Lin Nansheng and Zhu Yizhen had already fled through a rooftop ventilation shaft. As they emerged into an alley, they were spotted by Wang Shi'an and his men, who opened fire. Lin Nansheng pulled Zhu Yizhen into a car, and they sped away under heavy gunfire.
During the chaotic escape, Zhu Yizhen recalled Ji Zhongyuan's words about their predetermined evacuation routes. Lin Nansheng's gun ran out of bullets, and he found another one. Wang Shi'an's forces relentlessly pursued them, eventually shooting out their car tires. Lin Nansheng urged Zhu Yizhen to get out and escape while he covered her, but Zhu Yizhen refused, declaring her orders were to protect him with her life.
She bravely stepped in front of Lin Nansheng, taking a bullet intended for him. With overwhelming enemy fire, Lin Nansheng had no choice but to grab the wounded Zhu Yizhen and jump into the river. Despite his desperate efforts to hold onto her, the continuous barrage of bullets into the water caused him to lose his grip, and they were tragically separated.
Lin Nansheng was rescued from the river by a boatman named Chang Fu and brought to Xietang Town to recuperate, adopting the name "Mr. Zuo." He frequently inquired about Zhu Yizhen, but Chang Fu could only report that no one had seen his "wife," and with the rising water levels, her fate was uncertain. Chang Fu, understanding Lin Nansheng's hidden past, encouraged him to live well for those who had died.
Lin Nansheng eventually became a beloved music teacher at Chunhui Primary School. In the spring of 1949, news of the People's Liberation Army's advance spread. Villagers excitedly brought Lin Nansheng to witness the arrival of the PLA, cheering in the streets. A radio broadcast announced the liberation of Hangzhou, Jiaxing, and North Zhejiang, as well as the encirclement of Nationalist forces in Shanghai. Deeply moved, Lin Nansheng re-established contact with the Party.
He met with Old Cheng, who informed him of the impending attack on Shanghai and the order for Lin Nansheng to wait for its liberation. Lin Nansheng immediately asked for news of Zhu Yizhen, but Old Cheng explained that while Wang Shi'an had been killed at the riverside, both Lin Nansheng and Zhu Yizhen had disappeared in the water, and she hadn't yet contacted the organization.
Lin Nansheng, holding onto hope, suggested she might have been rescued like him and presented a notebook with his analysis of her possible hideouts, urging the East China Bureau to conduct a thorough search once they entered Shanghai. Old Cheng promised to ensure the search continued. After Shanghai's liberation was announced, Lin Nansheng again inquired about Zhu Yizhen.
Old Cheng confirmed that despite extensive searching, she hadn't been found but reiterated the Party would not give up on finding their comrade. Lin Nansheng expressed his firm belief that Zhu Yizhen was still alive. Old Cheng then conveyed the organization's decision for Lin Nansheng to report to the East China Bureau at once, instructing him to prepare for pick-up the next morning.
Before departing Xietang Town to report to the East China Bureau, Lin Nansheng sat in his empty classroom. Overwhelmed by emotion, he reflected on all the comrades he had lost, especially Ji Zhongyuan and Lan Xinjie, and the lingering fear for Zhu Yizhen. He broke down, tears streaming as he thought of her. As he gathered himself and walked out of the school, he heard a familiar voice call his name: "Lin Nansheng."
He turned, and his shock gave way to immense joy as he saw Zhu Yizhen. She smiled, complimenting him on how good he looked in his military uniform. At the gate of Chunhui Primary School, Lin Nansheng and Zhu Yizhen, finally reunited, stood together with the children, singing a farewell song and taking photographs, cherishing the moment and creating lasting memories.
