A Lonely Hero’s Journey 孤舟 Episode 9

Jin Hai and Zhou Zhifei discussed the mystery of "Cell No. 8". Zhou Zhifei firmly believed that "Cell No. 8" had read his letter, based on the change of marks on the note. They believe that Gu Yizhong may have faked his death to get rid of Zhou Zhifei's control and transfer the suspicion of "Cell No. 8".

Zhou Zhifei was well aware of Gu Yizhong's purpose and wanted to use "No. 90" to find out "No. 8", but Jin Hai proposed to strengthen Gu Yizhong's image as a spy in order to weaken his internal influence. Jin Hai also revealed Quan Shui's address, but Zhou Zhifei was not in a hurry to act, implying that he understood that Quan Shui was actually a messenger conveying information about rebellion.

On the intelligence battlefield, every word and every action hides a mystery. Zhou Zhifei had to take precautions step by step, not only to guard against Gu Yizhong's probing, but also to deal with possible internal rebellion. Behind this battle of wits and courage is the desire and manipulation of the truth by all parties, but the true identity of "Cell No. 8" is still hidden in the fog.

Zhou Zhifei told Jin Hai frankly, and Jin Hai followed him to the death. Zhou Zhifei was pleased and revealed his plan to live overseas in seclusion in the future, and promised to take Jin Hai and his wife Xiaolan with him to share a peaceful life as a reward for Jin Hai's loyalty.

Under Zhou Zhifei's careful planning, a spy training was launched for Gu Yizhong and others, the most cruel part of which was the murder subject. Jin Hai coldly carried out Zhou Zhifei's order, brought the innocent Cui Yaomin to Gu Yizhong, and handed the cold gun into his trembling hands, forcing him to end Cui Yaomin's life.

Gu Yizhong, a young man who had never been exposed to blood, faced this sudden challenge and was full of struggles and contradictions. He knew very well that he could not shoot at his compatriots, let alone become an executioner. At the critical moment, he noticed Cui Yaomin's gagged mouth, and with an idea, he quickly pulled off the towel, hoping to give Cui Yaomin a chance to speak.

However, once Cui Yaomin was able to speak out, he angrily accused Zhou Zhifei and Jin Hai of treachery, accusing them of not only taking away his property, but also cruelly depriving him of his life. Just as Jin Hai was about to stop Cui Yaomin's insults, something unexpected happened - Cui Yaomin suddenly burst out, grabbed the gun from Gu Yizhong's hand, and shot Jin Hai crazily. At this life-and-death moment, the surrounding agents responded quickly and decisively shot Cui Yaomin to death, thus saving Jin Hai's life. This series of changes caused everyone present to fall into deep shock and reflection.

Faced with Jin Hai's sudden death, Zhou Zhifei was furious and ordered Gu Yizhong to be imprisoned in order to avenge his best friend. However, the arrival of Mr. Li broke this plan. He brought Gu Xixing's letter of appointment and hinted that Zhou Zhifei should focus on the overall situation and consider bringing Gu Yizhong under his command. Zhou Zhifei understood this and realized that this was a good opportunity to use Gu Yizhong's power to thwart Gu Xixing's plan and create opportunities for Wang Zemin. Later, he secretly instructed Wang Zemin not only to continue to show his kindness to Mr. Li, but also to hold a grand funeral for Jin Hai to demonstrate his loyalty and friendship.

Xiao Ruotong found Haimo with full hope, convinced that there must be unspeakable difficulties behind Gu Yizhong becoming a spy. She begged Haimo to help arrange a meeting so that she could ask Gu Yizhong in person the reason, and solemnly promised that the matter would be kept strictly confidential between the three of them. Although Haimo felt embarrassed, she still decided to try her best to help. However, when she approached Gu Yizhong to convey Xiao Ruotong's request, she was rejected by Gu Yizhong. Gu Yizhong not only refused to meet, but also gave Haimo a pen and asked her to pass it to Xiao Ruotong. Just when Haimo was about to persuade him a few more words, several spies suddenly broke in, took Gu Yizhong away, and carefully inspected the pen. This scene filled Haimo's heart with doubts and uneasiness.

Zhou Zhifei summoned Gu Yizhong to the office, took out Gu Xixing's letter of appointment, asked him to take it home and convey a deal: as long as Gu Yizhong complied, he would release Lu Zheng. Gu Yizhong acted according to his plan, and after successfully rescuing Lu Zheng, he skillfully avoided Gao Hu's surveillance and used a matchbox to deliver an urgent message to Lu Zheng, reminding him that he must leave before Gu Xixing's birthday to avoid trouble.

However, Gu Xixing did not act as expected. Instead of leaving, he announced a birthday banquet in a high-profile manner and invited reporters to report it extensively. This move undoubtedly pushed the situation to the forefront. After Zhou Zhifei learned about this, on the one hand, he waited patiently and looked forward to the good news brought about by the development of the situation; on the other hand, he secretly contacted the mysterious "Cell No. 8" and proposed that as long as "Cell No. 8" helped get rid of Gu Yizhong, he would Continue to cooperate. The response from "Cell No. 8" revealed a cold exchange: Gu Yizhong's life in exchange for his continued allegiance.