CHlNA, DURlNG THE SlNO-JAPANESE WAR
A BlTTER POWER STRUGGLE TEARS THE COUNTRY APART
VlCE PRESlDENT WANG DECLARES A NEW GOVERNMENT
BACKED BY THE lNVADlNG JAPANESE ARMY
THlS PUPPET REGlME TRlES TO LURE AWAY OFFlClALS
FROM CHlANG KAl-SHEK'S CAMP TO FURTHER GAlN FAVOR WlTH HlS JAPANESE MASTERS
WANG BRUTALLY CLAMPS DOWN THE RESlSTANCE
THAT SEEKS TO RETURN CHlNA TO THE CHlNESE
AS THE PUPPET REGlME GROWS MORE TYRANNlCAL
THE RESlSTANCE COUNTERS WlTH lNCREASlNGLY BLOODY ASSASSlNATlONS
< The Message >
OCTOBER 10, 1942...THE NATlONAL HOLlDAY
Sorry
We're closed tonight
How come? We're trying to celebrate
The whole restaurant's booked
Got it?
Even General Tang has joined us
And he's not the only one, of course You know General He and the rest of them
We're beating back Chiang Kai-shek and his men in every battle
His government won't be able to hold out much longer
President Wang holds you in the highest esteem
He sent me here to invite you
to join him on the viewing platform at the ceremony
He would be most honored
even if you're only there briefly
President Wang needs the support of people like you
Go ahead
The Chungking-style chicken here is the genuine article
You've been holed up in the North too long. Have a taste
Mr. Fan
l need your answer now
"Wang's lntelligence Gunned Down by Rebels"
"lmperial Officer Poisoned"
"Terrorists Strike Down lmperial Officer"
"Rebels attack the lmperial Research Center"
"Transport Facility Destroyed in Rebel Bomb Attack"
"Japanese lmperial Officer Axed"
- JAPANESE MlLlTARY POLlCE DEPARTMENT -
Smells nice...
Doesn't it?
lt comes from Sri Lanka
Drives our Puppy crazy
Now tell me - because you will sooner or later-
Who do you get your orders from?
Puppy
Go
Colonel Takeda
You must be Mr. Six
l'm a great admirer of your work
You're too kind
Col. Takeda has a remarkable command of Chinese
She's a tough one
We've tried everything at our disposal
She won't break
Then Mr. Six is the man for the job
Don't let me keep you
Just turn these assassinations over...
...to the Chinese authorities
You'll be sent back to the Home lslands soon enough
Don't get mixed up in all this
Gen. Tsukeda, sir-
The head of the Resistance...
...is a man code-named Magnum
Though he's never exposed himself
He is behind these assassinations
l've got a strong feeling that
Magnum has a mole in our operations
Feelings are for women, Takeda
Feelings don't have any place in war
My part in the war is almost over, sir
This would be my last chance to redeem myself
l cannot return home as a failure. lt would bring shame to my family
That woman finally cracked
She's with Magnum alright
She says they get their orders
from a message board in front of the city temple
The orders are written on a lottery flyer
That sounds like their M. O.
We found this in her home
Has she ever met the person who posts the flyers?
She bumped into him once
He's an old cripple
- ClTY TEMPLE -
Commissioner, l've seen the cripple before
He's a janitor at the Counterinsurgency Center.
-Retreat! -Yes sir!
Mission abort!
You did the right thing
lf you'd taken him in
We'd have lost our only lead
lf the person who posts the flyers is a janitor at our Counterinsurgency Center.
Then we can also presume
that he's getting his information
from someone else working at the Counterinsurgency Center.
Correct
Our sources say their codename is Phantom
The next move is ours
The recent surge in planned terrorist acts
Suggests a problem with our intelligence channels
General Osamu Tsukeda, The lmperial Army
invites Commander Zhang of Counterinsurgency Center and personnels involved
To meet at Bai Cao Hall...
On October 31 , 9pm
We shall discuss ongoing intelligence efforts
- COUNTERlNSURGENCY CENTER -
Li Ningyu, Head Officer of the Decoding Section
Gu Xiaomeng, Administration Officer of the Decoding Section
Wu Zhiguo, Chief Captain of Counterinsurgence
Jin Shenghuo, Section Chief of the Military Office
Bai Xiaonian, Aide to the Commander of Counterinsurgency
For the Commander
Bai Xiaonian, Aide to the Commander of Counterinsurgency
- ClTY TEMPLE, TWO DAYS LATER -
Tsukeda et al to gather at Bai Cao Hall on October 31
Request assassination plan from Magnum
Wait
We have to go
-Now? -Yes
Where the hell are we?
Spooky...
lt used to be called Qiu Manor.
The Japanese have taken it over now...
Turned it into their own little pleasure palace
High-ranking officers only
Looks like this is serious matter
And someone's...
...going to be in for it
What makes you say that?
Didn't you see? The Chief of Special Services is here too
Chief Wang
Good evening, everyone
May l suggest that you go to your rooms and freshen up first?
We'll meet in the conference room in half an hour
What do you mean, freshen up?
Let's just get the meeting over with So that we can all go home
Patience, Ms. Gu
Just go to your room first
lf you would
All right
Lieutenant Bai-
That room
Chief Jin-
This way
Chief Captain Wu-
That way
Where's ours?
l'm still feeling sick
Fairy shed light on heaven's secrets Win every time with White Dove lottery tickets
3-6-4-4-5-6-0-2...
What is this all about?
Total gibberish
The lmperial Army
intercepted this coded message this afternoon
At first glance, nothing more than an ad for the lottery
But according to our intelligence
lt contains a message from an underground organization
Regarding a new wave of assassinations
We've asked all of you here to
Help us crack the code
Before it's too late
You must be joking
None of us here are cryptographers except for Officer Li
What did you bring us here for?To play mahjongg?
Officer Bai, this order came directly from the upper levels of the Japanese Army
lt would be best if everyone cooperated fully
Does Commander Zhang know about this?
No
The commander is in Nanking on business
Until the day after tomorrow
All these numbers...
Don't look at me
l don't know anything about codes
What about you?
Not in my area of interest
l specialize more in blackjack, mahjongg...
...that kind of thing
Li?
Li
You're the expert here
What do you say?
lt's no good.
We can't crack it
These numbers
Have obviously been encrypted
There are 18 characters in total
To decode what they're meant to be. We'd need the codebook
Otherwise... We could be here for days and still come up with nothing
Did you hear that?
Go tell the Japanese
We can't help them
l want to go home
l don't have time for this nonsense.
l've got a sweep to go out on tomorrow
Col. Takeda...
Who's that?
The head of intelligence for the lmperial Army
lt's a pleasure to meet you
A consummate professional, indeed
Here's the codebook
Shall we begin?
7-8-7-
Got them.
Jin?
En
What are they doing there?
They're, um... uh...
Enough with the um-ing. What is it?
You've heard of Morse Code?
Get on with it
Now... Morse Code is used for telegrams all over the world
With Chinese, it works a bit differently
Each Chinese character is represented by four digits
There are seventy-two digits in this telegram
Total of eighteen characters
But the sender deliberately scrambled the digits before they sent it out
Now Li over there is trying to figure out the algorithm they used.
Once she's got that She can decode the message
One - Zero
And?
This can't be...
What's wrong?
Tsukeda et al to gather at Bai Cao Hall on October 31 Request assassination plan from Magnum
What does it say
They're planning to assassinate General Tsukeda
We set a trap - a telegram with false summons to a meeting with Tsukeda
The mole in our office took the bait
And sent this to their co-conspirators
You five are the only ones
Who had any contact with the original message
Which is to say-
One of you is the mole
Who's been leaking intelligence
Under the name Phantom
Whichever one of you it is
Just confess
l promise you'll be treated humanely
You'll forgive me
But l have my orders
Nobody leaves the building
Until the Phantom is found
Who are you writing to?
You scared me
Dear sister... What are you writing a letter for
We'll be out of here in two days
l'll go find Liu myself
And give him a piece of my mind
You really think we'll be out of here in two days
Sure- lt's not hard to guess who this Phantom is...
Tea?
You've got a split seam!
On the left
l'll stitch it up for you
Take it off for me.
Wow, that's a big one
ls there a sewing kit here?
l think so...
Bingo!
Found it!
Here, let me help
There you go
You once told me that your mother wanted you to be a proper lady, right?
Yeah
This is the first time l've ever seen you doing anything ladylike
Sis...
l don't know why
But l've always felt close to you
Especially today...
What's wrong?
Liu hasn't been by in days
Unfettered in the wild wastes
I mastered yin and yang, and knew the heavens...
What are you singing?
The Empty City lt's an old Tangshan ballad, from Leting
Sing some more
Well-
Would l be rewarded with a smoke?
Here
But when the country needed me, I fought...
To cast out the pretender to the throne...
Why, Captain Wu - l never knew you were from Leting
What-
You too
My grandfather always used to sing that when l was little
No kidding? What a coincidence
With all the the people in the headquarters
We hardly ever get the chance to talk
l never thought l'd meet someone from my old hometown here
lt must be fate
There are plenty of people from around there in the headquarters
But not necessarily from Leting village
lt might just be us
Yeah
Say, after we get out of here in a couple days l'll take everyone out to celebrate. My treat
Has Li made a move yet
Still mooning over
Her actor boyfriend, Liu
Gu just said
She knows who the Phantom is
She seems a bit off
A bit spoiled, you mean
She comes from money
As for Officer Bai...
He's got friends in high places too
So l've heard his relationship with Commander Zhang...
...is indeed very unique
l SLlPPED UP
MEETlNG AT BAl CAO HALL lS A TRAP
MUST GET MESSAGE OUT lN NEXT FlVE DAYS
OR COMRADES WlLL GO TO THElR DEATHS
Come, Bai
We're all waiting on you
Here, have something to eat
Quite a spread.
ls this supposed to be our last supper
My old friend Bai, always the joker...
That pretty little head of yours
ls just full ofjokes
You can count me out
l'm no spy-
l faint at the sight of chicken blood You think l'd join the resistance?
Wang-
You know me
This section chief position of mine. . .
lt's bullshit, l got it through connections
You'd know better
My wife's related to Commander Zhang's wife on her father's side
See?
This all has to be a mistake
l've never heard anything about any Phantom
l mean
Maybe it's the Japanese that have the mole. . .Right?
lt couldn't be any more obvious
Section Chief Jin is the one you want
He's the most suspicious of any of us
Why?
He has a nephew
Who joined the Red Army when he was only 15
He's become chief of staff at their headquarters in Yenan
Fence-sitter that he is Jin must still be in contact with him
He's been keeping a mistress for years
With money from weapons smuggling
Do l look like l'm joking now?
l've got dirt on everybody here, lncluding yours
What a rough job you have-
Here all on your own
The others are downstairs for backup
Backup?
As if we were dangerous
l need to make a phone call- just a short one
No can do
lt's just to call home, lt won't be long, l promise
You can even listen, if you want
l told you, it's not an option
Fine, then l won't trouble you
Here's the number to my house
And a list of the things l need
Can you call them for me and have them bring my things here?
Pretty please?
Ms. Gu...
We need you to come with us
l don't know - l mean,
l'm not sure-
Can't be certain...What do you want me to do?
Make something up?
No, no
Certainly not-
You were the one who delivered the telegraph
Just try and think back
Did you notice anything suspicious
lt all went according to protocol nothing to be suspicious of...
What were you going to say?
Nothing
You paused. Something came to mind
Captain Wu saw the telegram
Go on...
When l handed the telegraph to Chief Jin, Captain Wu was with him
Normally...
A classified telegram would be eyes-only for the officer in charge
But that day...
When l delivered it to Chief Jin
Captain Wu didn't look away He actually glanced at it briefly
He shouldn't have done that
But then again... lt's probably nothing
Do you know how much blood l've shed all the years
l've served President Wang?
l was shot three times
lt's little weasels like you
We should be watching out for Who knows which side you'll end up on if the tables turn?
l see...
Until we catch the Phantom
We're all still colleagues here
You rank above me - just above me-
And so l am showing you...
...the respect you deserve
Let's hope you leave here safely
Ask whatever you want,
But the answer will be the same-
l don't know anything
l checked
lt's the number to the Gus' house
What about the list?
Anything suspicious?
Looks normal to me
Don't call her family
Send someone to buy the things she's asking for
What if the others start making similar requests
None of them would have the nerve
What does her family do again?
Her grandfather was with General Xu
Her father went into business-
Textiles...
Cement, Shipping-
You name it
They say he's close to President Wang
Just last year, he donated a JU-52 to the Air Force
He donated a plane?
That's what l call rich
Let's make dinner more interesting
Before they go down, tell everyone what the others have said
lncluding Gu saying she knows who the Phantom is
Why aren't you eating? What's the matter?
Once a bitch...Always a bitch
A mincing, conniving little bitch
Councilor Jin Who are you talking about
The faggot knows perfectly well
Just exactly what l'm talking about
You're spoiling- My appetite
l'll rip your fucking head off!
Calm down, Chief
Let him come! The coward
We'll see how hard you can get!
Stop it!
-You want some whipping? -We're all colleagues here
Stop it! Calm down!
Colleagues, my ass!
l'm no colleague of a slanderous... rumor-spreading bitch!
l was merely...
...stating the facts
Facts?
l'll give you facts
l was shot twice last year at the battle in Yueyang
But l still kept going Didn't back down 'till l took out the enemy pillbox
Where were you then?
Sipping tea and reading the newspaper in your fucking office Then whoring around after work, l bet!
Captain Wu
Being a brave soldier doesn't mean you're always right
Remember Deputy General Gao?
A hero in every battle he fought even lost an arm for us
But he still went to the other side in the end
Say that again
Say it again!
You're calling me a traitor?
Just giving an example
You don't need to volunteer yourself so quickly
Take it easy, Captain
Stop it
Get out of my way
Out of my way. This is no business of yours
Go ahead
Let's see what kind of a hero you are
lf you're so strong, why don't you go pick fights with the Japanese instead of women
Captain Wu
May l suggest you finish your dinner first?
A man raises his hand against a woman
And nobody does anything?
There's no need for this
We're all amongst ourselves
NOBODY WlLL MAKE lT OUT OF HERE ALlVE
NEED TO TAKE EXTREME MEASURES
TO HAVE ANY CHANCE OF GETTlNG MESSAGE OUT...
We truly apologize for the...
...inconvenience to you all
Col. Takeda has specifically directed...
After the Phantom is found...
Each of you will be rewarded for your assistance lf you'd all be kind enough
To write down your ranks, pay grades...
...and evaluation scores...
During the years of your service
You'll all be rewarded accordingly once this is over
What do you want?
What's going on?
Let go of me!
Let go of me! Let go!
Who'd they get?
lt's not me!
lt's really not me!
Well, then can you explain to me...
Just why your handwriting is identical to the Phantom's?
Well
Someone's framing me
lt must be. lt must be!
Pull his pants down
Hold your step
Commander
l'm disciplining my dog
What's so funny about that?
There's a rat in your unit
What rat?
General Tsukeda has asked me to take full charge of this
Commander Zhang...
l'm afraid the General's faith in you... Has been greatly shaken
Do you have evidence?
Bring over the handwriting file
Now!
lf it were anyone else, this would already be over
But since it is Lieutenant Bai, your confidant...
l think it best if you prove your innocence first
Commander...
Commander
Help me!
l'm not the Phantom!
Officer Li, please get dressed immediately and come with me
Where to?
One minute. You have one minute to get ready
Please wait here.
Please enter...
We have a situation, sir!
One of our men
Just saw Captain Wu barge into Gu's bedroom
See anything?
lt's too dark
Turn it up
l'm apologizing to you.
l don't want your apology
Please just leave!
Why? Why can't we just talk it out?
What are you doing?
l'll call the guards!
l'm their commanding officer
What are they going to do to me?
Let go of me! Let go!
What's going on?
We're losing the signal...
Your boyfriend, Liu - the actor?
You haven't seen each other for about a week, no?
No.
He's with the military police now
What's he doing there?
What do you think he's doing there?
Commissioner!
Why didn't you stop him?
l didn't dare, sir
Knock on the door
And ask Captain Wu down to the living room
Tell him l would like to speak to him
Go!
Yes sir!
What is it?
Commissioner, sir! No, sorry, l mean, Chief Captain, sir!
Commissioner Wang would like to...
Talk to you in the living room
Tell him l'm sleeping
The first time l saw you,
l noticed your features
A narrow forehead...
...high cheekbones...
...and a thin nose
Your eyes are deep-set
Women with that kind of facial structure...
...are not to be trusted
Even if on the surface
They may seem to be above reproach
You've been acting, all along...
What do you take Liu in for?
A unit like Counterinsurgency can't allow for any uncertainty
lf you share your bed with a rebel
What else might you be sharing with him?
Ms. Gu?
Ms. Gu... are you asleep?
What do you want?
Just passing by
Are you ok?
l'm fine
l brought you a snack
lf you need anything...
l'll be around
To hell with him!
lf you can prove that you're not the Phantom
lt would also clear up our suspicions about Liu
l suspect the resume you submitted to us...
...was mostly made up
During the interrogation today
Your hostility-
Only shows that you're hiding something
You're one of our best code-breakers, l'm told
But did you know that...
Every inch of the body carries a code?
lf you can pass this examination
You and Liu will have nothing to worry about
Your physical features
From every orifice to every limb
All carry the genetic code of who we are...
Showing our true identities
ln order to get to that
l'll need to break your will first
And the way to break your will
ls to help you realize
That your body does not belong to you
lt belongs to your enemy
Now let go
Give yourself over completely
"Wherefore, there in her shimm'ring eyes ofjade...
Shine golden pupils peering at my own?"
HAVE COME UP WlTH A PLAN
HEAVEN HELP ME NOW
So Lieutenant Bai died during the interrogation-
ls that correct?Commander Zhang?
Right up until he died...
...Bai insisted he was being framed
l've wronged him!
Everything we did for the lmperial Army
And this is how you repay us?
What else did Lieutenant Bai say?
He said the hell with handwriting
Chief Jin is a master calligrapher-
He could imitate anyone's handwriting he wanted to
My condolences
Please take the Commander home
Rest well, Commander Zhang
We've been had
The Phantom is still among us
We have two days left
No more mistakes
Colonel Takeda
ONE MONTH AGO
Takeda!
Any thoughts you'd like to share with us?
Forgive me for being so direct
But l don't believe that your plan is feasible
Nothing comes quickly or easily in battle
The cost of a rushed attack would be staggering
Your opinion comes...
...as no surprise to me
Your grandfather killed himself
On the Northern front-lines
Cowardice seems to be a Takeda family tradition
We have a situation
The cripple is here!
The janitor who posts the messages at the temple?
l checked with the administration-
He handles the slop-water here
However, he's not supposed to be here...
...until the day after tomorrow
He's swapped his shift with someone else
The Phantom's gone quiet-
They're getting worried
The Phantom must be anxious to notify the rebels
Not to carry through the assasination
Here is our chance to set a trap
And force the Phantom forward
Attention everyone!
After three days of investigation We have made great progress
We are now almost certain that
Lieutenant Bai is the Phantom
As a gesture of appreciation for your cooperation
Col. Takeda has arranged a special lunch for today
Please be punctual
Thank you
Hey you!
Go tidy up the dishes and bring back the plates
l, Li Ningyu...
Graduated with honors from Wharton
l am not a whore
l am not!
l may not share your rank...
But that doesn't mean l'm afraid of you.
Sis..
You bastard!
lt's all right now
Bastard!
Let go of me!
Come now
lt's ok.
Let go of me!
These goddamned people
We should
Just kill them all and have done with it
lt would make no difference to me
But l would worry for you, Commissioner Wang
One innocent officer has died already
lf we should take another life...
...and still find no sign of the Phantom...
What would you tell Commander Zhang?
Let's go over the facts again
l believe we can rule out Officer Li
l've looked her over carefully
The only thing on her mind is her boyfriend
Someone so weak-minded
Couldn't possibly be the Phantom
What about Jin?
He looked at the old cripple...
...when he was handing him his dirty plate
Look at it the other way
Jin has nothing to hide
lf he looked at the cripple
That only shows one thing
He is unguarded
When a stranger comes close, it's only natural to react
lf someone doesn't react...
They're deliberately avoiding it
Trying to control their focus
Neither Captain Wu nor Officer Gu looked at the cripple once throughout the whole meal
One of them is our Phantom
Everyone come outside
Gather at the west wing immediately
To prove his innocence
Lieutenant Bai gave his life
Right up until his death...
He insisted that he was being framed
Lieutenant Bai was very close to the Commander
But even that couldn't save him
l suggest you all ask yourselves
With nothing to lean on...
How will you escape his fate?
Merciful Buddha! Whoever it is, please...
l beg you - step up!
Spare the innocent
We would rather be wrongly harsh
Than wrongly lenient
lf the Phantom wants to leave, there are two ways
ln a box, or in-
What the-?
Motherfucker! ls there anything you won't do?
Calm down, Captain Wu
Everyone will take their turn
My friend...
Stay away!
Stay away! Don't come close!Stay away! Stay away!
You don't want to do this, Jin
l know what you do to people
lt'd be worse than death
l'd rather end this here
Another one down
What do you want? What are you doing to me?
Let go of me! Let go of me!
Let go of me!
Sis!
-Let go of me! -Sis!
Let go of me!
Go back to your room
Don't say a word
Go!
Why aren't they making a sound?
You dropped a cigarette at lunch
What are you talking about?
There was a message on the cigarette
Are you out of your mind?
How many more innocent people will you let die?
Officer Gu
What did l ever do to you?
Why are you always against me?
lt's not about you-
l'm just saying what l witnessed
What the fuck did YOU witness?
The cigarette is coded
l'm going to give it to them
Officer Gu!
No one else should have to die so you can live!
You bitch, l'll kill you!
Go!
Yes sir!
You too!
Yes sir!
The door is jammed
Out of the way!
Let go of her!
Let go
You fucking whore!
Fuck you!
lf only you'd spoken out earlier
There'd have been no need for any of this
Give it here
During lunch yesterday...
The chief captain took out a cigarette...
...and dropped it on the ground
l could sense that something was going on
So l covered it with my foot
Morse code?
Yes
ln Morse code
This represents a single word...
"Abort"
There are plenty of smokers in this building
But you're the only one who smokes "Three Cannons"
Come on...
l'll give you one more chance
For the sake of all our time together
That bitch stole my cigarettes to frame me
l don't know shit about codes
You're all fucking blind!
She's playing you!
Just confess
Takeda has assured me that if you'll only confess
You can be pardoned
Maybe even rewarded
Our formidable Captain Wu-
Too hard for electricity
Come- Let the Chief Captain down
THlS lS MY LAST CHANCE TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT
lT ALL COMES DOWN TO TODAY
Gu...
lt was a close call last night
l've sewn up the rip for you
But l'm not very good at it
The stitching is a bit...
...uneven...
You've been targeted...
Both you and the Chief Captain
Captain Wu hates my guts
He's always antagonizing me
l know it isn't Captain Wu
Don't worry...
l'll never turn on you
Here, try it in
When did you know?
Just now
lt was a blind guess
Mr. Six
Ah, Chief Captain-
Long time no see!
You're aware of Mr. Six's... pride in his work
lt's not too late for you to confess
Fuck you and fuck your ancestors!
l'll come back...
And fucking kill you in my next life!
We're not strangers, Captain
You were always generous to me
So l'll be... restrained
Now relax...
Breathe deeply
Relax, Chief Captain...
Tell me
Where is Magnum?
This one's good for the kidneys!
So my boyfriend is one of you too?
You sent Liu to me?
You've been using me all this time-
Why me?
l rank too low. Can't get enough access We hope you'd become one of us
This is beyond me
Was anything real?
l've always thought of you as a sister
As a sister?
lf they knew about this conversation
You think l'd make it out alive?
They already got Liu
Had you heard? Huh?
Where are you going?
To turn you in
l am going to turn you in
Fantastic
To die by your hand...
ls probably the best l can hope for
You're a monster!
l was only doing myjob
l didn't want it to go this far either
Magnum... Where is Magnum?
Right... here
You've already made it-
They think Captain Wu is the Phantom
l was the one who sent out the bad information
Now l need to get the word out to my comrades
There's only one way, turn me in
l would never do that!
What are you thinking?
How could a message be worth more than your own life? Huh?
Your life? Huh?
l don't care...
What other people do with their lives-
But l want you to live
For the first time l can finally open up to you...
lf only for a few more days and nights...
...to talk with you, heart to heart
But there's no time left
Do you understand? No time
l'm begging you
Turn me in
Usually, three needles is all it takes
For an ordinary man to confess and fingerprint their testimony
The Chief Captain...
ls indeed a remarkable man
ls there any other way...
To make him talk?
Open the gate!
Let me in!
l found this under Officer Gu's pillow-
The Chief Captain is innocent!
Hurry up
Flip him over
Unfettered
ln the wild wastes
l mastered
Yin and Yang
And knew the heavens...
But when the country needed me, l fought
You smoke Camels
And yet Officer Li found a pack of Three Cannons under your pillow
That's awfully damning
l'm trying, really trying, to help you here
But
We're running out of time
Those aren't my cigarettes
Get her up there!
Stop
She won't talk
How do you do, Phantom-sensei
We meet at last
How long have you been spying at the Counter-lnsurgency Center.
Do you take orders directly from Magnum?
l can guarantee you...
Full protection if you cooperate
Not only for you
But also your family
l can guarantee that
Let's not get carried away now, Takeda
During a strategy meeting. You assaulted a superior officer
You're about to be deported back to Japan
Where you'll probably face court-martial. You're in no position to guarantee me anything
Let me put it this way
When l say l can guarantee you and your family safety
l am also saying that
l am in a position
To hurt you...
...and your loved ones
Hello?
There must have been a delay on the road
minutes later than planned
Number 6, South Bank-
That's your parents' address, no?
Leave my parents out of this. This has nothing to do with them
A call for you
Mother...
Right now
Another gun just like this one is pointed at your mother's head
Your decision
Save her life and you can save your own
Enough
Tell Madame Gu
Her daughter will be home soon
You see
That wasn't too hard, was it?
l am the Phantom
l take my orders directly from Magnum
Captain Wu never laid eyes on the telegram l made that up to frame him
As for Lieutenant Bai l was the one who forged his-
Let's talk about Magnum
Where is he now?
OK
But not in front of him
l have no idea where he is
l've never seen him
But you must be in contact with him
The board in front of the City Temple
Does he post the orders himself?
What do you think?
Would you do it yourself?
You're wasting my time
Sorry
But the truth is l know more about you...
...than l do about Magnum
Commander, sir!
Where is Takeda?
l need to see him now
What else can you tell me?
Oh, lots...
About your family... Your upbringing... And about that awful weak spot of yours...
Your grandfather became Lieutenant General after the Meiji Restoration
Your father also distinguished himself
As a Colonel in the Navy
lndeed
You are a most talented spy
Halfway through the Russo-Japanese War
Your grandfather killed himself in the front-line
No military men have ever respected you
You bitch!
Don't shoot!
She was determined to die
And we all played right into it
You never had any authority to conduct this investigation
General Tsukeda turned down your request-
This operation- ls entirely illegitimate!
At this point, does it really matter...
...whether l was authorized or not?
My goal-
ls to catch Magnum
And wipe out his terrorist organization
l cannot return to Japan in shame
You conducted interrogations under false military orders
Two ranking officers died here
Along with a Chief Captain who's half dead
lf word of this gets out
They'll haul both of us before a court-martial
We need to find someone to pin this on
Sirs...
l have matters to discuss with Col. Takeda
Leave us be
Yes sir
You double-crossing son of a bitch!
You son of a bitch!
Takeda!
Colonel Takeda!
You know l've...
l've always been loyal-
Back-stabbing bastards!
At least the Phantom wasn't able to escape
Stick with the original plan tonight
Set a trap at Bai Cao Hall
lf we can catch Magnum...
...we might still have a chance
THREE MONTHS LATER
Where did you last make port?
Taiwan?
Saigon?
No, not Saigon-
This ship doesn't stop there
What's the point of sending more troops in?
This warjust might end earlier than we'd thought
l'm going home a criminal
But l've got it better than you- At least l'm going home
l'm here to shorten the trip
"Peace at Last"
Li Ningyu!
There's someone here for you
You know how it is-
After working for the puppet regime during the war
l'm really pretty lucky...
...to have even this
The report you wrote helped a lot- l should thank you
Poor Liu, though-
The Japanese were going to put him in front of a firing squad
But three days before the execution
The Japanese surrendered
He kept his life alright
But he's never been the same
Anyway, you're not here to hear me complain
Actually...
l'm here about the dress
The dress?
The one Gu mended for you
Gu and l...
We were both in the resistance
Although we were both undercover in the Counterinsurgency Center
She had no idea who l was
lt wasn't until that night on the balcony
When l started singing "The Empty City"
That she learned l was one of her comrades
We use the song like a secret password
To reach out to our comrades...
Whenever we're in trouble.
Relax, now
l lost my temper
l'm here to apologize
l don't want your apology
Please just leave!
-What are you doing? -Just relax
l'll call the guards!
Stop! What are you doing?
Are you trying to threaten me?
l'm their commanding officer What are they going to do to me?
Let go of me!
-Relax now. Let's sit down and talk it out -Let go of me!
Relax We're both from the same village...
-l won't do anything to harm you. -Let go of me
Let go! Back off!
Just Calm down
l know you're the one
But l beg you
Comrade to comrade. Hide yourself
Let me take the heat
Try to get the word out
But it was me that sent out the false intelligence
l should take the consequences
You couldn't stand the torture
You're in no position to tell me what to do- l only take orders from Magnum
Then why was Gu...
...always clashing with you?
lt's one of our tricks
lf two comrades are taken in at the same time
We fight, accuse each other, do whatever it takes...
To keep them from getting everyone
That way, at least one of us would get out alive
Let go of me!
lf word doesn't get out tonight the resistance will be crushed
You must survive. Find a way to get the message out
l am MAGNUM. l hereby order you to turn me in
You stay alive. l have a plan
You dropped a cigarette at lunch
What are you talking about?
There was a message on the cigarette
Are you out of your mind?
l didn't understand at the time what she was trying to do
She'd decided from the start that she'd sacrifice herself
To make sure l got the message out
That song, "The Empty City"
With a few changes in the tune and lyrics
lt becomes a tool for transmitting urgent messages
BAD lNFORMATlON
ABORT MlSSlON MAGNUM
When Gu made you turn her in
lt was to make sure that l got out
What if you'd been unconscious when you got to the hospital?
Or nobody was there to hear your message?
Then it would all have been for nothing
ln fact...
Gu had also sewn a mission abort message...
...onto her undergarments-
As another way to get the word out
BAD lNFORMATlON ABORT MlSSlON PHANTOM
Nobody was going to get out of that mansion alive
So Gu...
Used her body to pass on the message in death
She also wanted me to pass on
The message she left for you
lt's in the lining of your dress
You'd know this better than me-
lt's all Morse Code
THlS lS MY LAST CHANCE TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT
lT ALL COMES DOWN TO TODAY
l'M NOT AFRAlD OF DYlNG-
BUT ONLY FEAR MY LOVED ONES WON'T KNOW WHAT l'VE DlED FOR
l AM LEAVlNG THESE WORDS lN THE HOPE THAT
Ll AND MY FAMlLY WlLL FORGlVE MY DEClSlON
l am leaving these words in the hope that...
Li and my family will forgive my decision
But l have faith...
That you will come to understand my intentions
My dearest loved ones...
Though my death brings you great pain
But our people face mortal peril
l would do anything to stop it
Even if it's giving up my little life
Whatever they may do to my body
My soul will always live on with you
What the enemy can never understand is...
That Phantom and Magnum represent not individuals...
They represent a brotherhood
And a faith in justice
Honorary presented by Hualu Cultural Enterprises Co., Ltd.
lssued by Hualu Electronic Audio & Video Publish Co., Ltd.
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