Sparrow 麻雀 Episodes 28-29 Recap

Episodes 28-29 Recap

We’re almost halfway through the series! 

Tang Shanhai and Bicheng put on another performance at the bureau. Shanhai gifts her a leaves necklace and flowers, and Bicheng pretends to be unsatisfied with the presents because she believes Shanhai to be unfaithful to her. He tries to reassure her that in the future, he won’t be privately meeting with Meina anymore. Meina hears the conversation, which is according to plan.

Shanhai goes and talks to Meina in private (lol what about the previous talk with Bicheng?) and he says that this was all meant to test how much Meina loved him. She believes the bs, the poor girl – she’s head-over-heels in love with him. She even suggests that they run away to Hong Kong, since she’s saved up some money. But as Shanhai replies that he couldn’t possibly let her do that, he eyes the ring of keys sitting right nearby the table they are talking at.

The earlier posed conversation between Shanhai and Bicheng was meant to appease any suspicions from the bureau (namely, San Sheng) that they were sleeping in separate beds simply because of relationship trouble with the whole Meina situation. But San Sheng doesn’t believe it, and even though Zeng says there’s not enough evidence to pinpoint the two as a fake couple, San Sheng says that Bi Zhongliang wants more than anyone else to confirm this.

San Sheng sends an anonymous letter to Zhongliang alerting him that Bicheng, Shanhai, and Chen Shen have teamed up as a group to counter the bureau’s power and connections to the Japanese. Zhongliang has a conversation with Chen Shen about this, who taunts “Then give me some money and send me away somewhere else”. Zhongliang says it’s so hard to tell if Chen Shen is naturally gifted at acting or if he’s being overly suspicious. Zhongliang also tells Chen Shen news regarding Sparrow, who has apparently started moving again. Also, the Japanese need help with one of their missions and Zhongliang wants Chen Shen to send two people from the bureau to help out.

San Sheng eats lunch with Xiaonan and his sister, and he asks Xiaonan not to mention anything about him working for the Japanese to his sister, since his sister’s husband and child were killed by them. Xiaonan upholds his request, and he says thank you. As she waves goodbye after lunch, he smiles, clearly smitten. Not so vice versa though, since Xiaonan goes to Zhongliang’s wife and tells her with tears how she and Chen Shen have broken up. Bi Tai Tai suggests that they go to the orphanage and meet Chen Shen’s adopted son, since that might change Chen Shen’s opinion of her.

Zhongliang receives a coded telegram that 军统 (military?) has sent a Shu Di Huang to the bureau to obtain the Guilin secret documents, and that the communists have sent a Sparrow to the bureau to also obtain these documents. It turns out earlier the letter Zhongliang received from San Sheng had hypothesized that Chen Shen was Sparrow and Shanhai was Shu Di Huang. Zhongliang dismissed it as a wild guess, but now that there’s this coded telegram from his superiors that seems to confirm what San Sheng had guessed, Zhongliang is now worried.

Zhongliang goes to talk to a Japanese army official who is his superior. The boss talks about how he is unhappy that lately so many things have been going badly at the bureau, including the possible presence of Sparrow and Shu Di Huang. Zhongliang says that he has a plan figured out though.

Also, Xiaonan goes to visit Pi Pi at the orphanage and Chen Shen looks on from afar.

Zhongliang’s plan turns out to be this: on a certain day he will tell Bicheng to go to his office to pick up the Guilin plan and transfer it to the documents office where Meina works. Meina will just so happen to be out of the bureau in a meeting at headquarters, and Shanhai will also be sent on a mission outside of the bureau that day. Essentially, Bicheng will be left without help to face this Guilin plan. Meanwhile, secret listening devices will be installed with help from San Sheng to listen in to her conversation. Should she spill the beans about the Guilin plan or be too excited, this will essentially confirm Zhongliang’s suspicions.