• Last updated: 2024-10-07 05:31

Episode 31 recap: The Suspicious Cross-Verification of Berlao

In Episode 31, recent airstrikes in Taiwan have consistently failed, prompting Deputy Captain Yang to speculate that Berlao is desperately trying to locate our command center to make it his primary target. Comrade Lao Lu suggested creating a fake command center to mislead the spies into believing it’s real. Despite Berlao's cunning and suspicion, we believe our determination will prevail, especially with the key card of Chen Rushan in the hands of the Public Security Bureau.

The Public Security Bureau’s suspicions regarding Chen Rushan haven't been fully dispelled. They've sent Comrade Xu Wei to make contact with him, instructing him to pull back immediately if anything seems off. Meanwhile, Xiaocang has been relocated to a more discreet location by Berlao, where he continues to work on his anthrax weapon. Berlao has given him a two-month deadline, warning that failure to complete the task would lead to serious consequences.

In truth, Xiaocang has already made progress, but he remains dissatisfied and keeps starting over, fully aware that once super-anthrax is developed, he will no longer be of any value to the spies. Lin Shaobai, deliberately leaking that Lao Lu has a mission tonight, quietly follows Chen Rushan home after his shift.

The next morning, as soon as Chen Rushan steps outside, Shaobai employs tracking techniques taught by Lao Lu to follow him. It turns out that Chen visits a cemetery and stops at a blank tombstone. After several days of observing Chen without any unusual behavior, Shaobai finds his late-night visit to an unmarked grave suspicious.

To push Chen into revealing something, Shaobai and Lao Lu devise a plan that successfully hooks Chen, who sends false information to Xu Wei. After they part ways, Shaobai tries to catch up with Xu Wei, but the latter is too clever, only jumping onto a tram just as it departs. Unable to catch up without raising suspicion, Shaobai gives up. Meanwhile, Comrade Liu Rui is becoming increasingly capable; with a staff shortage in the Guangzhou forensic department, Jin Yan recommends him. Yi Jiang, a soon-to-graduate newcomer, steps in to assist Jin Yan.

Once the fake intel spreads, Chen Rushan becomes of little use. Captain Lu Zhengyang quietly leads a team to arrest him. At this point, Chen realizes the command center's location is a decoy. Lao Lu and Shaobai begin interrogating him, but Chen is tight-lipped, revealing only details about himself and maintaining silence on Berlao's identity. He smugly claims that Berlao will repeatedly verify the authenticity of the information and will immediately relocate if he discovers it’s false. The interrogation reaches a stalemate.

To break Chen’s resolve, they need to find his weakness. Shaobai recalls the unmarked tombstone and learns from people at the cemetery that it belongs to Du Lengquan. Although Chen’s visits are irregular, he goes there often. Lao Lu and Shaobai begin gathering information and manage to find a photograph of the tombstone.

Meanwhile, Xu Wei is secretly observing near No. 1899 and takes photos to send to Berlao. Berlao has been troubled by the fact that Lu Zhengyang, responsible for the command center's security, should frequently visit the location, but this isn’t happening. So, he decides to verify things personally while instructing Xu Wei to keep an eye on Lu.

Coincidentally, Zheng Lanting contacts Shaobai and Lao Lu under the pretense of a home visit. Xu Wei witnesses Lao Lu exiting the command center, confirming Berlao’s suspicions. Berlao lingers at a wonton shop in a narrow alley, striking up a conversation with Lao Huang. Initially wary of Berlao’s unfamiliar face, Lao Huang finds him amusing. Lao Huang even plans to rename his shop “Fried Jiang Wonton Noodles,” joking that as long as the Communists are around, Chiang Kai-shek won’t be coming back. These actions bring us one step closer to unmasking Berlao’s true identity.