Episode 17 recap: Shen Jin Zhen assisted Lei Ming in meeting Hans.
Shen Tu Nan brought Wei Ruo Lai to meet Hans, and they enjoyed drinking together. Shen Jin Zhen quietly infiltrated the Licha Hotel and killed all the assassins that Lin Qiao Song had ambushed, while Lei Ming arrived on time to meet Hans. Shen Jin Zhen witnessed the police beating a rickshaw puller and rushed to defend them, while Wei Ruo Lai desperately tried to stop him.
Lei Ming disguised himself and went to the clothing store to meet Xu Nuo. After years of separation, they were filled with excitement and couldn't spare time for pleasantries. They immediately started discussing the negotiations with Hans. Xu Nuo didn't expect Lei Ming to be appointed as the negotiation representative by the organization, which made him worry. Lei Ming knew that this mission was risky, but he was the only one in the base who spoke German and had expertise in foreign trade.
Xu Nuo provided Lei Ming with information about the DeWei Hans company that Shen Jin Zhen had gathered, so Lei Ming could be prepared. Shen Tu Nan visited Hans under Lei Ming's name, and Hans happily came to meet Lei Ming. However, he was disappointed to find Shen Tu Nan instead. Hans clearly stated that his purpose in visiting Shanghai was to terminate the contract with the Nanjing government. The Nanjing government had repeatedly failed to abide by the contract and failed to deliver goods on time. He had found reliable partners and even presented a letter from the German ambassador to China, indicating the termination of all military cooperation with the Nationalist government.
Shen Tu Nan knew that reclaiming the customs custody of tariffs would greatly impact the interests of foreign businessmen. He would find a way to compensate for that. Moreover, two-thirds of China's tungsten ore mines were in southern Jiangxi, which was the base of the Communist Party. The Nanjing government had failed twice in its attempts to suppress the base with military forces. However, Hans did not care about that. If the Nanjing government did not resume the supply, they would have to pay a 1.3 million-mark penalty to Rheinmetall AG, and Hans planned to use that money to purchase tungsten ore from southern Jiangxi.
Shen Tu Nan revealed to Hans that Chiang Kai-shek had dispatched a force of 300,000 troops and an airborne combat unit to encircle the Communist base in southern Jiangxi. The Communist Party would not be able to deliver the goods on time. Shen Tu Nan threatened to cooperate with Britain and France, but Hans firmly refused to back down, and the negotiations came to a standstill. Shen Tu Nan hosted a banquet to welcome Hans and invited Wei Ruo Lai to accompany them. When Shen Tu Nan and Hans were in Germany, they were not only classmates but also close friends who could share anything. The three of them drank and enjoyed themselves.
Under the influence of alcohol, Shen Tu Nan discussed the cooperation matters with Hans. Hans agreed not to purchase tungsten ore from the Communist Party for the time being but insisted on the full amount of the penalty. Shen Tu Nan could only negotiate to reduce it to 300,000 marks. Hans promised to mediate with Rheinmetall AG and the German ambassador, but he had one condition: a drinking competition with Shen Tu Nan.
Lin Qiao Song and his men were lurking outside the Licha Hotel when they suddenly heard the sound of cannon fire nearby. They immediately got out of the car to see what was happening, only to find a child setting off firecrackers. They chased the child away, while Xu Nuo watched from the side, observing everything clearly. Wei Ruo Lai drank on behalf of Shen Tu Nan, competing with Hans without giving in. They attracted a crowd of onlookers, and Lin Qiao Song arrived to see what was happening. It reminded him of the good old days when he used to drink with his classmates at the military academy. He vowed to capture the Communist negotiator and live up to the expectations of his school and instructors.
Wei Ruo Lai and Hans competed with each other, drinking one cup after another, while Shen Tu Nan cheered Wei Ruo Lai on. In the end, Wei Ruo Lai won against Hans but ended up completely intoxicated. Shen Tu Nan escorted Wei Ruo Lai home and accidentally noticed the wall covered with clippings about himself. Shen Tu Nan didn't expect Wei Ruo Lai to idolize him so much, and he felt deeply moved.
Xu Nuo discovered that Lin Qiaosong had surrounded the Licha Hotel with people, making it impossible for Lei Ming to meet with Hans. He approached Shen Jinzhen and Lei Ming to discuss a strategy. Lei Ming was unwilling to give up Hans, who was a major client. The tungsten sand business was crucial for the survival of tens of thousands of Red Army soldiers in their base. Shen Jinzhen suggested that Lei Ming use a false name to book a room on the same floor as Hans at the Licha Hotel. She would go to Zhabei to seek help from someone.
Lin Qiaosong stationed his men at the door of Hans' room, while Lei Ming booked a room on the same floor. Shen Jinzhen set a fire in the adjacent room, and when the intelligence team saw the thick smoke, they desperately tried to break down the door. Shen Jinzhen arrived in time and killed one of them. Taking advantage of the commotion, Lei Ming left his room and knocked on Hans' door. Hans was surprised as he was waiting for a reply from Nanjing. Lei Ming realized that Hans wasn't genuinely interested in cooperating with him but was using the situation to pressure the Nanjing government to expedite the delivery. Hans warned Lei Ming to be cautious of Chiang Kai-shek's troops encircling them.
Upon hearing movement behind the building, Lin Qiaosong immediately rushed over with his men and discovered that Lei Ming was dead. He ordered his men to take Lei Ming to the hospital, only to realize that the person was an imposter. Lin Qiaosong realized he had been deceived and hurried back to the Licha Hotel. Lei Ming regretted not being able to cooperate with Hans this time, but he had expressed enough sincerity. Hans revealed a piece of information to him: General Yue Jun was secretly buying tungsten sand for export and he was not under the control of the Nationalist government. While Lei Ming failed to reach an agreement with Hans, he now possessed more important intelligence.
As soon as Lei Ming left, Lin Qiaosong returned to the Licha Hotel with his men, but found it empty. He had no choice but to interrogate Liu Si, who had impersonated Lei Ming. Liu Si was a beggar from Zhabei who had been knocked unconscious the previous night and woke up in the hotel with no knowledge of what had happened. Xu Nuo arranged for Lei Ming to leave by boat that night and asked Xu Nuo to convey his gratitude to Shen Jinzhen. The imposter, Liu Si, had been arranged by Shen Jinzhen.
Shen Tunan included the tungsten sand business in the agenda of the Central Bank and assigned the important task to Wei Ruolai, with Huang Congyun assisting him. Shen Tunan had to go to Nanjing for a meeting, which made Huang Congyun unhappy, and he constantly opposed Wei Ruolai. Wei Ruolai read in the newspaper about the workers' strike in the Ministry of Communications and was worried that Shen Jinzhen might encounter the procession when she finished work. He hurriedly went to report to Shen Tunan, who asked Wei Ruolai to use his car to pick up Shen Jinzhen after work.
Wei Ruolai went to pick up Shen Jinzhen, and on the way, they saw the police beating the striking workers. Shen Jinzhen couldn't bear it and got out of the car to argue with the police. Wei Ruolai forcibly pulled Shen Jinzhen back into the car. Shen Jinzhen returned home in anger, and Shen Tunan advised her not to meddle in other people's affairs. Shen Jinzhen and Shen Tunan argued, and the situation ended on an unhappy note. Wei Ruolai asked Shen Tunan to take Huang Congyun to Nanjing, and Shen Tunan understood that Wei Ruolai wanted to help Huang Congyun, so he agreed to let him stay.
After Jiang Huhao and his brothers were released, they became rickshaw pullers. Awen also joined them. After participating in the workers' demonstration, they went out for drinks. Wei Ruolai encountered them on his way home from work and joined them for a drink.
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