Episode 1 recap: Forced to Stay at the Moment of Liberation
In the first episode, set in May 1949, just before the liberation of Shanghai, police officer Lin Shao Bai finds himself with a gun to his head. If he doesn’t execute a man standing before him, he will be the one to die. The scene rewinds twelve hours earlier, where we see Lin Shao Bai, a young man from a wealthy family, out on the streets gathering supplies in preparation for the impending war.
Having experienced hunger before due to inadequate stockpiling, he is determined not to go through that again. As a police officer, he believes the rogue soldiers won't dare bother him, so he rides his bike to the police station to collect his salary. The streets are chaotic, filled with violence and crying, but Lin Shao Bai rides by, unable to help.
Upon arriving at the station, he finds Ye Shi Wu beating someone. Attempting to remain unnoticed, Lin Shao Bai is called out by Ye Shi Wu, who informs him that due to budget constraints, his salary will be cut by 20%. Though unhappy, Lin Shao Bai has no choice but to accept this news. Ye Shi Wu also warns him not to act superior just because his father died in the line of duty. Lin Shao Bai brushes off Ye Shi Wu's arrogant attitude, considering him beneath his notice.
A truck arrives carrying gold yuan notes, and Lin Shao Bai teams up with Xu Wei to distract the warehouse staff while they sneak in to steal supplies to offset their salaries. However, the front yard is crowded with people picking up their salaries. Lin Shao Bai and Xu Wei hide the stolen items in a box, planning to take them out later that night during their shift. Lin Shao Bai tells Xu Wei that these supplies are in high demand and could fetch enough money to cover their salaries for two years.
Unexpectedly, when they are about to leave with their haul, the police station is brightly lit, and to their shock, the chief, Mao Sen, is present. Ye Shi Wu brings in a group of G Party members for a secret execution, and Lin Shao Bai and Xu Wei are caught trying to escape. Ye Shi Wu forces them to execute two G Party members.
Once the bullets are fired, their hands are stained with the blood of the G Party members, leading to the earlier confrontation where Lin Shao Bai is threatened by Ye Shi Wu. Thinking quickly, Lin Shao Bai shouts that he has important enemy intelligence to report. Mao Sen, hearing this, allows him to go upstairs to provide the report. After eavesdropping on some critical information, Lin Shao Bai offers to stay as an undercover agent, knowing that Mao Sen needs someone to infiltrate Shanghai. He assures Mao Sen that he and Xu Wei have not yet shed any blood and have no ties to the secret police, making them trustworthy.
Mao Sen is eventually persuaded, but Xu Wei, thinking Lin Shao Bai has failed, recklessly shoots the two G Party members. Few dare to negotiate with Mao Sen, so he believes he can make Lin Shao Bai work for him under his terms.
After leaving the police station, Lin Shao Bai devises a plan to escape to Hong Kong with Xu Wei. Mao Sen seeks out Zheng Lan Ting, hoping to convince him to come out of retirement. Zheng is uninterested in holding office; instead, he wants the list of all undercover agents in Shanghai that Mao Sen possesses.
Unable to secure an agreement, Mao Sen leaves his secretary Liu Gui Hang in Shanghai, aiming to retrieve that crucial information from Zheng at a more opportune moment. That night, Lin Shao Bai and Xu Wei prepare to board a boat with three women, but when Xu Wei tries to buy tickets, only four are available.
Xu Wei plans for Lin Shao Bai to take his wife and both of their mothers, but Lin Shao Bai insists on staying behind, which leads to him being captured again by Ye Shi Wu.
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