Original subtitles

[Dark Night and Dawn]

[Episode 16]

Boss.

They are all here.

[Jinlong Hotel]

Sorry, sorry, everyone.

I'm late. I'm late.

You organized this dinner, and you're the one who's late?

You owe us all a drink.

If I down this cup,

everything I say afterward will just be drunken talk.

Recently,

the business and financial sectors have been in turmoil.

I invited you here

to pool our wisdom

and stay united

so that we can

weather this crisis together.

In my opinion,

we'll be lucky

if we can avoid undermining one another.

It's normal to have different opinions.

Let's all speak openly, seek common ground, and set aside our differences.

Shrike,

this is from Jin Maochang.

[Zhang Qingxin] [Qian Yuxuan]

The situation is very clear now.

The People's Liberation Army can take over Shanghai,

but the RMB can't gain a foothold.

Now is not the time to choose the wrong side.

That's absolutely right.

Everyone here

is a financial bigwig in Shanghai Beach.

If we act now

and invest big

to push up the price of silver dollars,

it'll still be a foolproof investment,

and there will even be potential for huge gains.

Mr. Huang,

if a business

guarantees a 100% profit

and huge profits at that,

then it definitely won't last long.

I want to invest 100,000 U.S. dollars

to speculate on silver dollars.

Who's with me?

I am!

I'm in.

Jin.

Are you in?

I want to.

But personally, I'm in a bit of a difficult situation.

The Military Control Commission

has clearly restated

that wages must be paid in RMB

and that large shipments must

also be settled in RMB.

So now,

all we can do is exchange silver dollars for RMB.

I really have no other choice.

Chairman Jin,

your words sound all proper and justified.

But I think,

actually,

you're just afraid of offending the authorities.

Liu Xisheng.

You've got something to say,

whether we're in this or not.

What exactly do you want?

We're here for serious business,

yet you're full of all those sarcastic jabs.

What's wrong with you?

Chairman Jin,

you certainly carry yourself with the air of a big chairman.

Let me make it clear today.

Chairman Jin...

doesn't have the virtue to match his position.

I'd say

that his days as chairman

are numbered.

Jin,

a leader should have a broader mind too.

Calm down. The rest of us are supporting you,

right?

Yes, of course.

We're all behind you.

Come on.

Mr. Gao,

you're a respected and experienced businessman

and have conducted business in the Red Zone during wartime.

In these uncertain times,

everything is unclear.

Could you

give us some advice?

Mr. Gao, if you have any suggestions,

please share them with us.

Yes.

I...

didn't really want to come,

but since you insist,

I'll say a few words.

What you're all discussing here

are schemes,

but what the Communist government is doing

is upright and legitimate business.

This speculation on silver dollars of yours

is short-sighted.

If you're not careful,

there may be consequences down the road.

I'm not going to get into this mess.

Goodbye.

I'll take my leave too.

Goodbye, everyone.

I'm off. I'm off.

[Qian Yuxuan]

Mr. Qian, Mr. Zhang, you're all leaving?

Mr. Jin,

I've had too much to drink. I'm off as well.

See?

They're just a bunch of cowards.

Let me let you in on a secret.

I've got connections

with high-ranking officials in Taiwan.

Mr. Chiang

is greatly pleased

with the silver dollar speculation here.

Not only is he supporting it with real money,

but the security measures left behind by the NBIS

are also contributing significantly.

Song, there are no NBIS agents in Shanghai anymore.

You must be joking.

You don't know, do you?

Let me ask you this:

Why do you think silver dollar dealers

are doubling their prices in Shanghai?

Here's the truth.

I have a friend

working under Mao Sen.

I-I-I can bet my life

on the accuracy of this information.

Do you believe that?

He's inside information but can't keep his mouth shut.

He even dares to spill secrets about the NBIS.

Since he's willing to bet his life on it,

let's help him fulfill that wish.

[Cao Renliang] [Song Tianxiang]

Got it.

Sir.

Sir,

have a handkerchief.

W-W-Who are you people?

I'm Zheng Lanting,

the Chief of the Shanghai Underground Special Station.

My nephew...

works under Mao Sen.

How dare you harm me?

I... I... beg you.

Give me the antidote.

I'll give you as much money as you want.

A-A-As much as you want.

Some people can buy more time with money,

but...

you... are not one of them.

What did I do to offend you?

I...

I'll change.

I'll change, okay?

People like you

will never change.

[Jinlong Hotel]

It's all taken care of.

Now send counterfeit currency to the capitalists

on the list who are keen on speculation.

Let them know

that the market will soon be flooded with counterfeit RMB.

That way, they'll

become even more desperate to drive up the price of silver dollars,

forcing the RMB out of Shanghai.

Got it.

[Jinlong Hotel]

[People's Bank of China]

[People's Bank of China]

Sir,

something is off with this RMB.

It doesn't feel right.

[Office 2 of Social Affairs Office Director's Office]

Okay.

Listen up, everyone.

I've just received news from the bureau.

A large amount of counterfeit money has been deposited

in five banks in Huangpu and Xuhui.

The bureau has ordered us to form a special task force immediately

to trace the source of this counterfeit currency.

Counterfeit currency is a highly profitable business.

People have been at it for a long time.

But why are we

only discovering this now?

Although it's counterfeit,

it's almost indistinguishable from the real currency.

The average person wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

It was only a veteran bank employee who noticed something was off,

relying on the slightest differences in texture.

But one thing is clear:

the serial numbers on both the genuine and counterfeit banknotes are duplicated.

So that means this batch of counterfeit banknotes

had been circulating in the market for quite some time

before they ended up in the bank.

And even then, it was only discovered by banks by chance.

Now, the RMB is depreciating rapidly.

If this news spreads,

it's going to fuel the fire even more.

That's why the Military Control Commission

has temporarily blocked the news about counterfeit currency.

But it's only a temporary measure.

We're not very familiar with the details of counterfeit currency,

so the bureau is sending an expert

who is on his way here.

Everyone, get ready.

Yes, sir.

What do you think,

Mr. Wei?

After nearly two decades,

how do you feel about returning to Shanghai,

the financial capital?

Leaving back then

was for the purpose of coming back stronger today.

Shanghai is now in the midst of recovery.

On the financial battlefield,

we must continue to

ride the long winds

and break through the waves.

How do I look?

It fits you well.

My mom had it tailored for me.

You need to button up your uniform.

I think it's cool to wear a hat.

You need to look sharp.

Let's go. Hurry.

Zhengyang.

Deputy Commissioner Yang.

Come on. Let me introduce you.

This is Mr. Wei, a member of the North China Economic and Financial Affairs Committee

and Vice President of Beihai Bank.

Okay.

Nice to meet you, Vice President Wei.

I'm Lu Zhengyang,

from the Social Affairs Office of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau.

This is my colleague, Lin Shaobai.

Nice to meet you, Mr. Wei.

Okay.

On the way here,

Deputy Commissioner Yang gave me a brief overview

of the situation.

Regarding the issue of counterfeit money,

feel free to ask me anything.

I'll

share everything I know openly and honestly.

That's great.

Please, let's head inside.

-Okay. -Let’s go.

Let's go.

So that's the basic situation

regarding the production and circulation of counterfeit currency.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.

How might enemy agents

be counterfeiting RMB?

This time, I convoyed 40 Dodge trucks

[The eight methods for detecting counterfeit currency from the first set of fake RMB]

carrying only 400 million RMB

to Shanghai.

After exchanging RMB for gold yuan notes,

there is a noticeable shortage of RMB in circulation.

So we're using

the Mint of the Central Bank of the Kuomintang

to print RMB.

So, it's entirely possible

that the counterfeiters

[Eight methods for detecting counterfeit currency from the first set of fake RMB]

are using the same machines

to produce fake currency.

Looks like

it'll be very difficult to distinguish real from fake money.

Indeed.

RMB has just been introduced in Shanghai,

and the public isn't familiar with it.

When regular people receive counterfeit currency,

it's hard for them to tell the difference.

This gives counterfeiters an opportunity to exploit.

Wei,

we're short on time, and the task is daunting.

My main concern is:

how much time do we have left?

According to our estimates,

within a week,

inflation will begin to set in.

And that's if the news doesn't break in the media.

The pathways through which banknotes circulate are highly varied,

so tracing the source of the counterfeit currency is indeed very difficult.

Sorry to interrupt, leaders,

but I have an immature idea.

Go ahead.

In Shanghai,

everything revolves around business.

Making counterfeit banknotes is also a business.

If we could infiltrate their business network

and establish contact

with certain links in their chain,

I think

we could get much closer to finding the source.

You mean,

we fight fire with fire?

We also make counterfeit money

and go head-to-head with them.

In that case, they might come to us,

and sooner or later, we can make contact?

That's exactly what I'm proposing.

But isn't this against the rules?

Leaders,

how about this?

To gain their trust,

we could use some of the confiscated counterfeit money

and mark them discreetly.

Once the case is solved,

we can reclaim all the marked banknotes.

If we're going to do this,

we need to go all the way.

I propose creating a set of counterfeit copperplates.

Wei, what do you think?

I think Mr. Lin's proposal is very good.

Counterfeiters will avoid the police,

but they might seek out

fellow counterfeiters.

As the saying goes,

"Enemies often meet on a narrow road."

Good.

Catching them off guard

may be the best way to get them.

This is a major operation. I'll need to request approval from the Military Control Commission.

Let's strive to

locate the source of the counterfeiters

within a week, before the news leaks.

Boss, Jin Maochang has asked to meet you again.

No.

That old dog thinks he can secure his position as chairman

by ruining my reputation?

Dream on.

I won't stop until he submits to me.

[Xinyue Ferry Transport Team]

I've checked all the newspapers,

and there's still no news about counterfeit currency circulating.

They've blocked the news completely.

What should we do now?

Word of mouth

is far more influential than the press.

As rumors spread,

the ensuing panic will only grow exponentially.

Ye,

your outfit looks great. Is it new?

My daughter-in-law bought it for me.

Here.

Okay.

Look. What's that over there?

It must have fallen off one of the cargo ships.

A burlap sack.

Hurry up. Quick.

Defang! Defang!

Come here. Come over here.

Come on. Hurry.

Be careful.

Come on. Be careful.

Easy.

Come on. Give him a hand.

Go!

Alright, open it up! Quick. Quick!

Be careful.

Money! It's money!

A dead body! Dead body!

Who is he?

I heard that Liu Xisheng

was paying his workers with counterfeit currency,

and they took revenge on him.

[Careful and Astute in Financial Management]

And Song, too, is using counterfeit money in his business.

What should we do?

The market is flooded with counterfeit currency.

What should we do?

We're in a dilemma.

Nothing can be done now.

They're all rumors.

[Careful and Astute in Financial Management]

I believe the government will definitely get to the bottom of this.

All I have are silver dollars.

Today, I can afford a big feast.

[Careful and Astute in Financial Management]

That old fox is so crafty.

Only he can still profit from all of this.

What?

The price of silver dollars...

has gone completely insane!

All of the stores only accept silver dollars now.

Who would want RMB now?

[Money Exchange]

Even if it's real, we won't accept it.

Why not?

It's depreciating.

[Today One Silver Dollar: 2000 RMB]

It's depreciating. We...

[Money Exchange]

The Shanghai Securities Building

has already turned into a playground for speculators,

[Shanghai Municipal Administrative Map]

running wild.

The East China Bureau of the Communist Party Central Committee,

the Shanghai Military Control Commission,

and the Shanghai Municipal People's Government

have held a joint meeting.

They've decided to immediately shut down the Securities Building.

Shanghai

has only been liberated for about ten days,

and we've been facing tough battles every day.

Captain Zhang,

your Criminal Police Division

needs to cooperate with the East China Guard Brigade

and take action immediately.

Yes.

The old Securities Exchange in Shanghai,

once a paradise for speculators,

has been crushed by the power of the people.

The giant speculators hiding in that paradise

have been caught in the net of the people's law.

The people are so overjoyed.

They are clapping and cheering,

talking about how the silver dollar has finally fallen.

They couldn't win economically,

so they just flipped the table,

using force to crush it.

So, to achieve victory,

we must use any means necessary.

As long as we win,

praise will spread

like a plague.

Sirs,

our product is of the highest quality.

It's so good that it's almost indistinguishable from the real one.

My supply is very stable,

and I guarantee

that if you work with me...

The organization has already given special approval

for us to infiltrate the counterfeit money business chain

under the guise of businessmen.

We need to connect with the source of this counterfeit operation as soon as possible.

Mr. Lin, I don't dare to be involved in this.

This is illegal.

Please find someone else.

I still have other matters to attend to. I'll be leaving now.

[Guo Chengliang]

How's it going?

Still not working out.

Lu,

we have no connections nor a solid reputation.

No matter how greedy the bosses might be, they won't take the bait.

Fight fire with fire.

But who dares to test the flames?

What's the most important thing

in doing business?

Customers.

The customer is king.

Let's do this.

Let's stop trying to sell as suppliers.

Let's be the king.

Do you feel sure about this?

The allure of counterfeit money is too strong.

Once a cat steals a bite of fish,

it won't stop.

Mr. Lin?

Thank you, Mr. Lin, for choosing my humble shop.

Mr. Tian.

I'll get straight to the point.

This batch of flour

was pre-ordered by a regular customer.

We can only give it to him. We can't break the contract.

But the batch you requested,

I can gather for you within three days.

Mr. Lin,

that's really the best I can offer.

What do you think?

I can take my time over the next few days.

That's great!

Also, don't worry about the quality.

I'll personally oversee it.

What you get will be top-grade flour.

But I still need to collect the goods today.

What do you mean by that?

Nothing.

I just want to spend money.

Mr. Lin,

are you playing with me?

No one plays games with real money.

I want this batch of goods today.

I'll pay you double,

21 million yuan.

I've heard that the market

has been flooded with counterfeit money lately.

Go ahead; check it out.

Boss, this money feels more real than what we've been using.

I think it's real.

Mr. Tian,

so you've done this business before.

Don't be fooled.

This batch of mine is counterfeit

that's almost identical to real currency.

Not only can you spend it safely,

but you'll also more than double your profits.

What are you implying, Mr. Lin?

I run a legitimate business.

We can't get involved in something like this.

Show him out.

It seems like you still have some concerns.

If you don't leave now, we'll call the police.

Then, let me be honest with you.

We're the ones who set the market rates for this business.

Why should I believe you?

The printing copperplate.

Mr. Lin, let's talk about it more.

We'll...

take the deal.

Pleasure doing business with you.

Likewise.

Take care.

Take care, Mr. Lin.

Take care!

Call Manager Hu.

Yes.

Sir,

I'm heading into the city to stay with my relatives.

I've been walking for a day and a night already.

My legs, they're just not holding up anymore.

Could you give me a lift?

Where are you going?

My relative lives on Fuzhou Road.

Fuzhou Road?

[Xinyue Ferry Transport Team; Delivery Schedule]

[Xinyue Ferry Transport Freight Waybill]

I should be around that area

by midday.

Okay, no problem. It's okay.

Get in.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

I met such a kind person on the road.

Private car, chauffeur,

and all this money.

Just missing a big cigar.

Huzi,

what's the difference

between me and those big bosses?

You're so unreliable.

Do you think we can recover all the money?

Once the case is solved, we'll definitely get it back.

I'm unreliable?

How about this? At the next company,

you be the boss, and I'll be the chauffeur, okay?

Don't worry.

If we go through all of these companies,

someone will reach out to us.

Huzi.

Huzi.

Hurry.

If they find out the printing copperplate is fake,

our game is up.

You take it and go.

Leave the rest to me.

No, it's too dangerous!

Go!

Go!

Be careful!

Stop!

Stop!

Hurry!

Sir!

Come on, guys. Don't...

Give me your bag.

Don't shoot!

What are you doing, sir?

Take him away!

Go.

Fellow townsman, we're here.

Okay. Okay.

Thank you, sir!

You're welcome.

Bye. Bye.

Bye.

How is it, Yang?

There should be

another notebook like this on in Falcon's car.

He's an agent.

Would he follow the route in the notebook?

Because only in this way

can he avoid exposing himself too easily.

So, that means

the place where he meets his superior

is among the delivery addresses,

or nearby.

Probably.

Director, I had no other choice at that time,

so I jumped into the water.

We should make the arrests now.

I've only been to those five factories.

They're definitely the ones tipping them off.

We can't make a direct arrest.

If we don't arrest them, how will we rescue Lin Shaobai?

His life is really in danger now.

We need to do it secretly.

If we stir things up, Shaobai will be in even greater danger.

Yes.

Even though there are only five factories,

there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people involved.

Figuring out where to start is still a problem.

Let me think of something.

Go! Go!

We're all brothers making money on the streets.

It's all about money.

I've got plenty of money.

Why are you doing this? Where are you taking me?

Who is your boss?

What boss?

You're the boss?

Who is your boss?

Bingweimo, Zhu Hong.

Bingweimo?

I've never heard of this person in Shanghai!

Our business is a bit off the radar!

My boss was originally from Shandong,

but he got chased down to Shanghai by the Communists.

It's no surprise that you've never heard of him.

So how do you normally

run your counterfeit banknote business?

Sir,

if I spill the beans now, I'm as good as dead.

Good.

Send the God of River the shrimp dumplings.

W-W-What shrimp dumplings?

What do you want?

Let go of me!

It hurts.

I-I-I'll tell you, okay?

Tell me.

My boss, I don't know who he's working with,

got a set of flawless RMB printing plates.

Just this month alone,

the machines have been churning out tens of millions of fake RMB every day.

My runaway partner and I

are just hired to help spend it.

But there's just too much money.

We can't spend it fast enough to keep up with the machine's printing.

He's still hiring people.

I... I really don't know where I've offended you.

But if you want in,

I... I can put in a good word.

As long as you spare my life,

we can all make a fortune together, boss.

It hurts.

What's the price of your counterfeit banknotes?

The larger the amount, the lower the price.

F-F-For one million yuan in goods, we pay two thousand.

As long as you cooperate with us,

you can make more than double apart from the goods.

And you can't tell the money is fake at all.

Not even the banks can.

If you don't... don't believe me,

when you first grabbed me,

I still had a few bills left.

You can take them, and verify for yourselves!

It hurts.

It hurts so much.

It hurts.

Such a fine skill.

And he is working with small fries without backings

or channels, like you?

My boss just wants to pull off a couple of big scores.

The Communists will track us down sooner or later,

and when that happens, we'll move south.

As long as we've got the machines,

we can print anywhere.

Machines. Machines.

Where are the machines?

That, I truly don't know, sir.

What about the source? You must know something about that.

My boss is definitely keeping that locked down tight.

We have different people for production and distribution.

I'm only in charge of distribution.

I don't know anything else.

I swear!

M-M-Mr. Tian, right?

You're Mr. Tian, aren't you?

Aren't we going to be partners?

Say something for me.

Why did you catch me here?

The counterfeit banknotes from Bingweimo

are even better than what we've been getting.

Only Shrike can produce such high-quality fake banknotes.

There are a lot of competitors fleeing from Shandong to Shanghai these days.

I wonder who Bingweimo is,

and Shrike takes him seriously.

They're even trying to steal our business.

A clever rabbit has three burrows.

If I were in his position,

I wouldn't put all my eggs

in one basket either.

Boss, what should we do next?

We've got the leverage.

We should ask Shrike what he should do next.

Call Falcon here.

See if we can get a read on his intentions.

Yes.

We still have no news about Lin Shaobai?

Not yet.

Ever since the silver dollar crisis was temporarily contained,

these enemy agents and hooligans have suffered heavy losses.

They'll definitely be looking for new ways to profit.

I've reviewed the data.

Over the past two weeks,

there have been 79 cases of robbery and violent crimes,

which is three times the number from the previous two weeks.

If we don't deliver a swift and decisive blow,

striking them on the head...

They've gotten a taste of it.

They'll only become bolder and more rampant.

I suggest

that we have the Military Control Commission take charge

and that we deploy the Joint Military-Police Unit for action.

In the name of...

a household registration check,

we can carry out a raid within the First Security Area

and, at the same time, clear out

some enemy soldiers, bandits, and agents.

Not just the First Security Area.

We must carry out a coordinated raid

across

all three security areas.

We should also mobilize students and workers to assist fully.

Leave no stone unturned

and arrest anyone who needs to be arrested.

This won't just be a large-scale raid.

It'll also serve as a cover for rescuing Lin Shaobai.

Wasn't it said that stirring the grass would alert the snake?

Well then,

let's pull out the grass by its roots

and expose all these evil-doers!

Yes.

[Xinyue Ferry Transport Team]

[Xinyue Ferry Transport Team]

[Xinyue Ferry Transport Team; Delivery Schedule]

[Xinyue Ferry Transport Freight Waybill]

You've all worked hard, everyone.

This batch of flour needs to be delivered

to all districts in Shanghai before dawn.

Double-check the vehicles carefully.

Make sure nothing goes wrong.

Let's get going.

Okay.

[Xinyue Ferry Transport Team]

[Xinyue Ferry Transport Team]

Get down.

Who are you?

Sir,

I won't do it again. I swear I won't do it again.

Please forgive me.

I won't do it again.

Sir,

the RMB is depreciating too much now.

I really can't afford food.

We adults can go hungry for a couple of meals,

but my two kids are so hungry

that they're filling their stomachs with cold water.

I had no choice,

so I wanted to take a couple of bags of flour from the truck

to feed them.

Sir, we're all men.

If there were any other way,

nobody would take this risk.

Sir, please let me go.

I swear I won't do it again.

Where do you live?

18 Longfu Lane, Jing'an.

You said you had two children.

The eldest is eight, and the youngest is six.

What are their Chinese zodiac signs?

The eldest is a snake, and the youngest is a goat.

Where do they go to school?

I have no money.

I can't afford to send them to school.

Sir, I'm telling the truth.

Sir.

Sir. Sir.

Sir.

There are police.

Don't let the police see us.

Let's talk over there, okay?

Sir, please let me go.

I swear I won't do it again!

Don't hand me over to the police.

If I go in,

my kids will have no one to look after them.

They...

will starve to death.

My wife died

during the birth of our youngest one.

If she were here,

at least the kids would have a mother.

Having ended up in this sorry state,

I've let her down.

I'm letting my kids down too.

Sir,

if something happens to me,

how can I explain it to their dead mother?

Sir, please.

Just show me mercy this once. Please let me go.

I won't do it again.

I promise I won't do it again. Let me go.

Look at you.

Get lost now.

Sir, you're really a good man.

Thank you. Thank you.

Stop.

You just said your wife died

while giving birth to your youngest one.

So, you've raised the kids yourself?

Yes.

I took care of everything,

including feeding, changing diapers, and putting them to sleep.

What should we do when a baby burps?

Use our hands to pat him.

Like this. Keep your hand cupped

and gently pat a few more

from the neck down to the waist.

And the burp will come out.

This is...

For your kids.

Make it last.

Get lost.

Thank you. Thank you.

Stop drinking.

You're going to be a father.

Here, use this pillow

to practice as if it were our baby.

You need to learn how to be a father.

Is that really necessary?

Of course.

I've been asking my friends at the market

for tips.

Do you know what to do

if a baby burps after drinking milk?

Just pat them.

How?

Like this.

That's not how you do it. You were just hitting.

Your hand should be cupped like this,

creating a hollow space,

and then

you pat gently on their back.

What's wrong?

He fell asleep.

You're so annoying.

Falcon caught you,

but he didn't even suspect you,

and then let you go?

He was testing me all along,

almost ready to make a move.

It wasn't until I mentioned the kids

that his attitude softened.

Maybe he has kids too,

which made him feel a moment of kindness.

Remember.

There won't be next time.

I'll be more careful next time.

Victory and defeat are both common in battle.

We can turn things around in the next round.

You just mentioned

that your two kids

are past school age.

Yes.

I've been working as a hitman

in Shanghai.

I don't have household registration.

As a result, my two children

are also unregistered

and can't attend school.

Everyone has their own fate.

Thank you, Mr. Jin.