Sparrow 麻雀 Episodes 35-36 Recap

Episode 35 is exciting (and sad…), and episode 36 is less plot-heavy and is more of a epilogue to the previous episode. Including the formation of an official frenemy, an angry Bicheng, and a strangely emotional Shanhai this time around.

Chen Shen’s still trying to crack open the safe. I’m amused, because he presses his ear very closely to the knobs, as if that’s going to help him think of the right combination. I mean, he has no idea what the code for the safe is, so why he even bothers trying is lost to me. It turns out this is just another plot convenience, since Meina comes shortly to the bureau at night to retrieve the codes. While Chen Shen hides in the shadows, Meina swiftly opens the safe and retrieves the two copies of the Guilin plan (the real one and the fake one).

As she’s about to leave the room, Chen Shen points a gun to her head and tells her that if she wants to leave the bureau alive, he’s going to have to report her appearance tonight to Zhongliang. The reason is twofold: 1) Chen Shen doesn’t want to die. If Meina leaves now, very easily the blame could be shifted onto Chen Shen for not reporting this to the boss. 2) If Chen Shen reports this, he can have a reason to go after Meina but really at the same time help her and Shanhai escape. Thus, Meina tells Chen Shen the place that she and Shanhai are headed towards.

After Chen Shen notifies Zhongliang by phone call of Meina’s mysterious outing to the bureau late at night, he then chases Meina / Shanhai down. Shanhai only wants to escape, but Chen Shen gives him a reason to give him the real Guilin plan: if he leaves now, Zhongliang will be very suspicious of Shanhai. Also, Bicheng will be in danger. Indeed, Zhongliang’s men have already called Bicheng’s home asking if Shanhai is at home, but she pretended the reception was bad and hung up. This only increased suspicion even more.

Shanhai asks if he is sparrow, but Chen Shen denies it. Shanhai gives him one of the Guilin plans, but Chen Shen shakes his head. He wants the other copy, which Meina holds in her lap. So Shanhai agrees to switch. However, Shanhai had already predicted Chen Shen would ask for the other copy, so it turns out the first plan he offered to give Chen Shen was indeed the real Guilin document. Now that it is switched, Shanhai has the real copy and Chen Shen has the fake one.

Shanhai and Meina proceed to “escape”, which really means Shanhai meeting up with Dachun and handing him the Guilin plan. Shanhai tells Dachun to send Meina to Hong Kong, and tells her he’ll meet her there – but this is a lie. He never really intended to leave with her. But Shanhai knows that he has to quickly get back to his home where Bicheng is in order to ensure their identities’ safety.

Suddenly, there is a surprise attack on the bridge where Dachun and Shanhai are negotiating the next steps. In the chaos of flying bullets (from Zhongliang’s men, who have orders to seal off all main roads), Meina is shot. She tearfully says that she was willing to throw away everything for a man she loves, and she doesn’t want to throw away him now. Shanhai tells her she will live, and that he won’t escape from her. Meina says that really, she knew all this time he was lying to her, but to die for the man she loves was enough. Dang.

Meina also tells Shanhai “If you really love me, then give me another bullet. I don’t want to die in Zhongliang’s hands, that is a fate worse than death.” So Shanhai obeys her last wish, but he really doesn’t want to do it.

Next, Secretary Qian from the bureau is sent by Zhongliang to go to Bicheng’s home just to check if Shanhai is home. If he isn’t, he’s got even greater suspicion for tonight’s events. Bicheng is worried, but she tries to stall for as much time as possible, making an excuse to Secretary Qian that Shanhai isn’t feeling well and cannot see anyone right now. But Qian goes into the bedroom anyways, regardless of Bicheng’s threat that she’ll tell Boss Li. It turns out that Bicheng’s stalling was useful, since it gave just enough time for Shanhai to come in through the back door and pretend to be sleeping. Meanwhile, since San Sheng is also gone rescuing Xiaonan / his sister, he also has great suspicion for tonight’s events since he doesn’t have a significant alibi yet.

Zhongliang then interrogates Shanhai the next day but he is able to make up an elaborate story that although he loved Meina, Meina actually loved a foreigner and only got nearer to him in order to learn Western customs and how to cook Western food. Er, that’s kind of random, but I guess he couldn’t think of anything else on the spot. Zhongliang brings in someone who is supposedly the plan-stealer’s agent, but it turns out to be someone Shanhai doesn’t know. The man is a fake, sent by Zhongliang to scare Shanhai into possibly confessing. Obviously Shanhai doesn’t, since he gives the elaborate story.