Original subtitles

[English subtitles are available]

[War of Faith]

[Episode 2]

What is this smell?

Silence!

Everyone, be quiet!

Focus on your own exam papers!

What is this smell?

Can't you see the heavy smoke over there?

Where is this smoke coming from?

None of you can leave before you finish the exam!

Do not move!

Stay put and take the exam!

Fire!

Everybody run! It's on fire!

Run!

Finish the exam before you go!

Fire!

Finish the exam first!

You haven't finished your exam papers!

Come back here!

Come back and finish the exam before you go!

The building's on fire.

Just forget about the exam and leave!

I'm working on the last question.

Hurry up! Hurry!

Please be quick!

Leave right now or it'll be too late.

Just give me a sec.

It's all done!

Hurry up!

What a bunch of simpletons!

Only one person passed such an easy test!

Tunan,

many of the exam takers this time

are from influential families.

By making that comment,

aren't you afraid of antagonizing the privileged and the powerful?

What can they hate me for?

There were seven exits,

near each of which

I placed a key for the candidates,

along with all sorts of tools in plain sight.

Should they have an ounce of sense,

they wouldn't have reduced themselves

to such an awkward situation!

You're recruiting bankers,

not members for the marine corps!

Haven't you just mentioned a concept?

Rationality.

For those who'll work in finance,

it's true

that we want them to be poised and tough-minded,

but people with those qualities

still aren't good enough to work in the Central Bank.

This time, I created a desperate situation

where their lives were at stake.

I was testing

their intelligence, courage and willpower,

as well as their abilities to

analyze the environment and make judgments,

plus their reverse thinking skills.

Only one candidate passed it and went through the whole drill.

He performed quite well in

both the written and survival tests.

He didn't choose the best route,

but

at the last critical moment,

he managed to help the others.

I've found an exit!

Come on! Come with me!

Go!

Go! Hurry up!

Go!

There's an exit! Just go!

Hurry!

Besides, before the flames spread to the archive room,

he was even able to fight the fire.

Bad news! Bad news!

It's on fire!

There are documents in the room!

Can someone help me?

I think he displayed

a valuable quality.

Didn't you tell me

the archive room was empty?

But I didn't tell him that!

He didn't know the archive room was empty.

Plus, there's something interesting

I want to tell you.

The exam supervisor asked him

why he did that.

Guess what he said?

Didn't you say there were documents

inside?

If they got burned,

the Central Bank would suffer huge losses, right?

To be frank,

he's quite an honest young man.

He is.

Anyway, I've read the answers

on his written exam papers.

He has got full marks.

Plus, he finished the last question

when thick smoke was surrounding him.

I think he's very level-headed.

Where does this young man come from?

He comes from humble origins and hasn't been to college.

He has only received an 18-month education

in Lixin Accounting Institute on accounting and finance.

A night school?

How dare you employ such a man?

If word gets out to Nanjing, aren't you afraid

of being held to blame?

As I said, the Central Bank hires

based on the candidates' abilities instead of their social backgrounds.

Congyun.

Sir.

Make some arrangements.

About Candidate No. 47,

Chief Deng and I would like a private interview with him.

Come in!

Sir,

Wei Ruolai has arrived.

Mr. Shen.

Hello.

You don't seem very nervous.

Being nervous

isn't exactly helpful, is it?

Do you know the functions and duties that the Central Bank serves?

Is it like a mud loach?

What do you mean?

I grew up in the countryside.

Sometimes, to help with the family expenses,

I had to catch fish and sell them in the city.

During these time-consuming journeys,

the fish would die due to a lack of oxygen.

When there were wriggling mud loaches

in the midst,

the fish would be able to live longer.

That's a vivid metaphor,

though not quite accurate.

Maybe

it's like a snakehead fish?

Care to explain yourself again?

As long as there is a snakehead fish,

it'd eat up all the other fish or shrimps in the same bucket.

Which would you say the Central Bank is,

a mud loach,

or a snakehead fish?

In prosperous times,

it should be a mud loach,

as it acts as the central macroeconomic regulator and controller,

designing the most reasonable financial policies

to safeguard the national economy.

What about in chaotic times?

In chaotic times, the Central Bank would be a snakehead fish.

It'd first secure its own survival and strength.

After all, the private sector wouldn't cover military spending.

The country can't make other plans unless it wins whatever war it is in.

Is now a prosperous time or a chaotic time?

Mr. Shen,

I'm interviewing for a job as a clerk,

not a bank president.

Okay.

Introduce yourself then.

My name is Wei Ruolai.

I'm 23 years old.

I graduated from the extension school of Lixin Accounting Institute.

What are you strengths?

I'd say I'm good at calculating.

I also have a good memory.

The fact that you could solve the last exam question

proves that you're great at math.

I'd like to test how good your memory is.

Turn to a random page and spend 5 minutes

reading it carefully.

Okay.

I'm finished.

I said you could have 5 minutes.

I've memorized the content.

You've memorized it?

Tell me the third line from the left.

"The study of the Chinese language consists of three parts.

First,

the structure of each character.

It's about how elements are arranged and combined to form different characters.

Second,

the meaning of each character.

It's about telling apart the characters' former and current meanings.

Third..."

Have you read this book before?

No, I haven't.

You can pick another book for me to memorize.

Read this.

I'm finished.

Tell me the total expenditure in the fourth quarter.

It's...

176,174.25.

Tell me the administrative expenses in July.

7,064.78.

Hold on.

The numbers don't really add up, do they?

How so?

The petrol prices from January to June were quite consistent,

showing little change.

Even in July, the prices didn't vary much.

I remember the petrol prices in July

seemed to have dropped once.

If the total distance that the cars traveled was the same,

then it would contradict the petrol prices in July.

Couldn't the cars

have been through long journeys,

or given more rides to guests?

If the cars had been through long journeys,

there would've been a bigger expenditure on toll fees,

but the charts reflect no such thing.

If the cars had been driven more often for guests,

there would've been an increased cost resulted from entertaining guests,

but the charts reflect no such thing either.

Was the money the bank spent on petrol in July

embezzled by someone?

Did you really receive all your education in just a night school?

Yes.

What do you expect of your salary?

The more, the better.

You need to give us a specific figure.

My dad's living in our hometown.

I'm alone in Shanghai.

All I need to do is provide for myself.

If I can make a high enough salary here,

I'll quit one of my part-time jobs.

If I can't,

I'll continue to be a typesetter,

or earn some money by writing articles and stuff.

Anyway, I'll get by.

The late league leader

once said to the freshmen of the Huangpu Military Academy,

"Those who seek wealth and fame

or fear death should leave."

"This place is for revolutionists only."

To join the Central Bank,

it takes determination and courage.

Do you have those?

Yes, I do.

Our country has been weak and poor for decades.

Mr. Liang Qichao once said,

“Today's responsibility is resting on no one,

but our nation's youths.

The future of the nation depends on

young people's intelligence and strength."

Banks give life to all kinds of industries.

The Central Bank is the most important among all the banks.

It is the backbone of finance.

I'll make my contribution to the country with all I've learned.

Well said.

But it's a bit vague.

Say something practical.

I want to make more money,

and help my family settle down in Shanghai.

If that's really what you're thinking,

I'm afraid you'll also embezzle the petrol money.

That won't be necessary.

The Central Bank has advantages when it comes to policies.

I can make investments.

If employees aren't allowed to do so,

I can write comments about the stock market

to make some money.

No.

The Central Bank strictly prohibits its staff from using their jobs for personal gains.

Can I take on two clerks' workloads

to earn extra bonuses?

No.

There is no such precedent.

If benefits matter more to you,

I can write you a recommendation letter

to let you work in the Bank of Communications.

It offers better salaries than the Central Bank.

Forget it.

I won't trade a potential career here

for some modest profits there.

I assure you that if I'm hired,

I will do my very best to fulfill my duties.

Come in!

Sir.

There's something wrong with Wei Ruolai's background.

Where are you originally from?

I'm from Ji'an, Jiangxi.

Ji'an?

That place is harboring many active communists.

The Communist Party is thriving there.

You have

an elder brother, right?

Yes.

He left home three years ago.

Three years ago?

That's right.

It was the 16th year since the Republic of China was established.

That's when our party had a thorough purge.

Sir,

I have nothing to do with the Communist Party.

Consultant Shen,

never hiring someone we find suspicious

has always been our principle when we recruit staff for the Central Bank.

The Department of Government Ethics takes responsibility for matters like this.

The Central Bank

is entrusted with the important task of reviving the national economy.

Any factors that might cause a leak of confidential information

must be eliminated as early as possible.

Wei Ruolai,

I'm sorry.

Congyun,

show him out.

Please.

Sorry

for taking your time.

We've finally met a genuine person

with competence and integrity.

What a shame that we can't hire him!

He still lacks one thing.

What is it?

The indomitable will to pursue his goal.

When I said I could write him a recommendation letter,

he was swayed.

His eyes gave it away.

Those who choose their own safety over a greater cause,

but meanwhile risk their lives for small gains

can't be heroes.

As a man raised in a poor family,

he prioritizes his own survival over anything else.

We

shouldn't be asking too much.

So, Chief Deng,

we've gotta work harder.

Let's hope there won't be

poor families anymore by the time we retire.

A bowl of wontons and two steamed buns!

Wei is back!

Wei!

Wei!

You're back!

You must be starving, aren't you?

Come on!

Sit down and eat something.

Get me one more bowl of wontons!

Okay!

Freshly cooked wontons.

They're still hot.

There you go.

You want a steamed bun?

How was the interview?

Did you pass it?

It's fine.

There's nothing good about that place.

The employees are stuck in that building all day long,

as if they're in an ant nest

The Central Bank

is the best of all banks.

There's no place better than that.

You awful old man!

Don't be a cheapskate!

You've agreed to pay the rent today.

Are you going back on your word again?

Stop messing with me.

Ruolai,

did you pass that interview?

How did you fail it?

Did you ask them why they wouldn't hire you?

What reason could there be?

Others had strings to pull, but he didn't.

The Central Bank

wouldn't just hire

some random nobody.

Don't you say you have wide connections?

Why don't you stand up for him at this critical moment?

Two or three years ago,

I could make not only the Central Bank,

but also the HSBC hire him

by saying just one sentence!

What a braggart!

Even the HSBC?

Why don't you pay your rent first?

That's right!

Don't be so stingy.

Wei,

it's no big deal.

Just let it be.

As the old saying goes,

every unfortunate happening has a silver lining,

and every fortunate happening carries bad luck deep within.

What's so good about the Central Bank?

Perhaps one day it'll shut down and liquidate.

Am I right?

What do you know?

The Central Bank is backed

by the government!

So what if the government has its back?

Tell you what,

now the Communist Party is picking up steam.

Maybe someday

they'll even occupy Nanjing!

You wanna die or what?

He's not talking nonsense.

You've heard, right?

Now in Jiangxi,

things are heating up.

Aren't you gonna eat it?

This time, the Communist Party

is determined to turn the tables.

Sounds scary, eh?

The current situation is precarious.

Yeah.

He was just saying...

Ruolai,

I have connections in the Central Bank.

If you're in need,

I can help you get an inside track.

No need.

I'll just get a different job.

You're wrong.

They wouldn't hire you

because you aren't a big enough asset to them.

If you are truly a valuable asset,

your resume and connections wouldn't matter at all.

Even if you are a grenade,

they'd still grit their teeth and hold you in their hands.

I was also often rejected when I was young.

Then I started thinking about what kind people I was dealing with,

and what they wanted.

When you can read the mind of whom you're coping with,

you'll figure out what they intend to get.

It'll make everything easier.

[Shen Tunan accepts an interview with The Bankers' Weekly]

Do you know the functions and duties that the Central Bank serves?

In prosperous times,

the Central Bank acts as the central macroeconomic regulator and controller,

designing the most reasonable financial policies

to safeguard the national economy.

What about in chaotic times?

It'd first secure its own survival and strength.

After all, the private sector wouldn't cover military spending.

The country can't make other plans unless it wins whatever war it is in.

Is now a prosperous time or a chaotic time?

Shen Tunan,

what do you intend to get?

Is someone shorting the Imperial Bank of China?

Li, you've gotta tell me the truth!

Mr. Zhang!

I'll give you dividends!

Mr. Zhang!

Security!

Liu!

Liu,

I-I...

Is someone shorting my bank?

What are you doing?

There are rules here.

Go away!

Get your hands off me!

Liu, if the Imperial Bank collapses,

I'll make you pay for it!

Liu!

Keep this in mind!

I'm buying shares of the Imperial Bank!

I'm buying shares of the Imperial Bank!

I'm buying shares of the Imperial Bank!

I'm buying shares of the Imperial Bank!

I'm buying shares of the Imperial Bank!

I'm buying shares of the Imperial Bank!

Kunpeng Industries is buying 100,000 shares of the Imperial Bank!

Liu, the Imperial Bank of China is going to rack and ruin!

Get out! Go away!

Get your hands off me!

Liu, if the Imperial Bank collapses,

I'll make you pay for it!

Kunpeng is a big soaring bird in ancient Chinese myths.

It flies to the south with ambition. That's the origin of the name "Tunan."

[Wireless Telegraph]

Our last operation was a failure.

Let's carry out Plan B right away.

[Jiangxi]

Comrade Wei Ruochuan,

[A staffer of Jiangxi Workers & Farmers Bank Lei Ming]

the lives of another eight comrades

are now yours to save.

I promise to complete the mission.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Please come in.

Hope you'll enjoy the party.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Thank you. Thank you.

Merry Christmas.

Mr. Shen, Mrs. Shen.

Chief Kang, Merry Christmas!

Given what has gone seriously wrong,

neither Christmas,

[Chief of the Military Law Department of the Shanghai Garrison Command Kang Shaojie]

nor even the New Year's Eve can cheer me up.

Now you're overstating the gravity.

It's said that the truth has been figured out, hasn't it?

He did hire some members of the Green Gang

to install a bomb in the car.

What bomb?

It's about a case that happened years ago.

We'll solve it soon.

Everything's fine.

Yes.

Please go inside, Chief Kang.

Mr. Kang!

Director Deng, long time no see.

Yeah.

Deputy Director Gao.

Mr. Yu.

There's some inside scoop.

In order to

bring in more funds to the Central Bank,

Shen Tunan has now started taking action

[Deputy director of the Central Bank's Administration of Foreign Exchange Gao Feng]

against the Imperial Bank which is in your charge.

In recent days, the stock prices of the Imperial Bank have suddenly risen and plunged.

[President of the Imperial Bank of China Zhang Mingquan]

He's utterly brutal.

He says it's in the nation's best interest,

but in fact,

he's just raking in money for the Nanjing Government.

Today, this should've been be a memorial service.

It's a shame that Shen Tunan has managed to survive.

Mr. Yu,

Shen Tunan and the Department of Government Ethics

have been secretly investigating me.

I'm not sure if I can take the heat anymore.

You shouldn't have made rash acts today.

[President of the Commercial Association of Jiangsu and Zhejiang Yu Shiqing]

You're so bad at keeping your composure.

I did that for everyone's sake, didn't I?

But Mr. Yu,

rest assured.

Should anything happen,

I'll take the blame myself.

You don't have to be so pessimistic about the outcome.

The big sister is behind us.

What are you afraid of?

Can that clown Shen Tunan be a big threat to us?

Not a chance!

That's right.

This is Shanghai, not Nanjing.

Come on.

Sure.

Cheers.

Good evening. Welcome to the Shen Residence.

Can I see your invitation?

Thank you.

[Mr. Chen Zhe]

Your invitation?

I'm Mr. Chen Zhe's assistant.

Mr. Chen

has asthma,

but he's forgotten to take his medicine with him.

I need to bring it to him.

Sorry.

Without an invitation,

you won't be let in.

Mr. Chen is a secretary in the Treasury Department.

If anything happens to him,

are you sure you can bear the consequences?

Bring me the guest list!

Just a second.

[Guest List]

You may enter now.

Get your job done and come out right away.

Almost all the guests have arrived.

Then I'll go upstairs.

Keep yourself safe.

I got it.

Mr. Kang.

Do you think wearing a suit

has turned you into a decent man now?

How's the preparation work going?

It's all set.

Mr. Kang.

I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you later.

No worries.

Distinguished guests,

today is Christmas.

Thank you

for taking your time to gather in my humble abode.

It's such an honor for me.

But before the cocktail party starts,

I have an important piece of news

to tell you.

The Central Bank

has planned for a clean-up.

To reach financial stability, there are two things to do.

First,

we need to stabilize domestic prices.

Second, we need to stabilize the exchange rate of our currency.

By establishing the Administration of Foreign Exchange,

the Central Bank aims to stabilize the exchange rate.

However, our deputy director Mr. Gao Feng,

since he took his post in the administration 15 months ago,

has spread fake news four times,

and interfered with the Central Bank's policies on gold reserves.

He has also laid an ambush in the Shanghai Gold Exchange,

and used fictitious transactions to earn

as much as 280,000 silver dollars.

The fluctuation of exchange rates

has cost the government a loss of several million

in the balance of payments.

Shen Tunan,

you're making false accusations!

Mr. Kang.

What are you doing?

You're accusing me of severe crimes in front of so many people.

Do you have any proof?

Proof?

I sure have some.

This is the record of your activities.

Here is your signature.

Do you want me to read the content in front of everyone?

Read it!

Shut up.

Stop humiliating yourself here.

You can't just take me away!

I'm the deputy director of the Central Bank's Administration of Foreign Exchange!

I'm working for Mr. Kong!

Everyone, sorry for the interruption.

Now I officially announce

that the Christmas party has begun!

Great!

Music!

Thank you.

You see,

a big fish has just eaten a small fish.

They're laying down the groundwork

for the Central Bank's future expansion.

Auntie,

why is your dress prettier than mine?

Is it pretty? I'll let you wear it then.

Great! I wanna wear it now!

I wanna wear it now!

Yu, stop horsing around.

Isn't this dress too flamboyant?

It feels like I'm putting on a stage play.

It isn't flamboyant at all, is it?

This dress is beautiful.

Plus, today this is a formal occasion.

Just do your older brother a favor,

and be a lady for once.

Can I not attend the party?

Those people

are all foppish heavy drinkers.

I'm already annoyed when I think of them.

It won't take you too much time.

Just try to blend in and patronize them.

Hurry up.

I wanna go too! I wanna go too!

Come here, you.

I'll buy you a gramophone, alright?

Come on.

Fine.

Let's go.

Ladies and gentlemen,

a mysterious guest

will play

a lovely piano piece for us.

Let's welcome her to the stage!

I heard she had a personal concert in Berlin.

There was a full audience.

Look how dashing she is!

What are you looking at?

Mr. Kang.

It's no use looking at that.

Where is Gao Feng?

Don't worry, Mr. Kang.

He's been taken away under escort.

Then why are you still here?

Shouldn't I stay here

in case you have an order for me?

Is that so,

or are you planning to make acquaintance with some big shots?

Stop humiliating yourself here.

Get lost.

Yes.

Why did you come out?

What a bunch of snobs!

We've gotta work extra hard

to kill all the communists in Shanghai,

and return to Nanjing!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Have fun!

Mr. Xu, Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Does the dress fit?

The waist isn't exactly fitting.

Sorry for that.

I was on a tight schedule today.

You should stop by my shop someday,

so I can alter it for you.

Okay. Thank you.

You're welcome. It's my pleasure.

Enjoy the party!

Sure. You too!

Miss Shen!

Miss Shen.

Your piano performance was wonderful!

Thank you. Merry Christmas.

Let's have dinner sometime!

It's me!

Do you remember me?

We shared a rickshaw.

It's you?

Yes.

What a surprise

that you're actually a musician!

You played so well just now.

I heard them say

that you had held a concert in Berlin.

Is it true?

You're quite well informed.

I hear things through the grapevine.

Are you charging for your performance today

by the number of songs or by hour?

Let's not talk about me.

What are you doing here?

I'm looking for someone.

Who is it?

Shen Tunan.

Are you familiar with him?

I've had dinner with him.

Why are you looking for him?

Didn't you say you owed me a favor last time?

You can repay it now.

May I trouble you to give him a message?

In return, you must promise me

that you'll keep what happened last time

secret.

No problem.

Our focus should be on industry.

Tunan,

[A patriotic banker Jiang Jinglan]

the government has designed policies

to support light industry.

Why are the banks' interest rates

are still so high?

The problem lies in the private banks.

These private banks

are so proud of their wealth and social backgrounds

that sometimes they'd even

disrespect the government and the Central Bank.

It's time to change all that.

It is high time we shook them up a bit.

Come in!

Sir.

Uncle Jiang, Merry Christmas!

You look so beautiful today.

Thank you, Uncle Jiang.

Can I steal my brother for a second?

Sure thing.

Thank you, Uncle Jiang.

I'm talking about real business with Mr. Jiang.

I have Uncle Jiang's agreement.

Excuse us, Mr. Jiang.

What are you doing?

Someone asked me to tell you

that he had solved a riddle about you.

What riddle?

Kunpeng Industries.

Where is he?

You'll have five minutes to state your opinion.

Mr. Shen,

you're planning to spend a month

using 15 transaction accounts

associated with Kunpeng Industries

to attack the Imperial Bank of China,

Huaxin Bank,

Xingxia Bank,

and Dongsheng Bank,

until they fall into the clutches of the Central Bank.

The Imperial Bank of China

is just your first prey.

Go on.

The Central Bank was founded not long ago, with not much capital.

When Chairman Chiang had a meeting with you,

he said he hoped that in three years,

the Central Bank could become as rich in funding as

the major traditional banks like the Bank of Communications and the Bank of China.

So, next, according to your plan,

you'll gradually take over those four private banks.

When that comes true,

the Central Bank will be strong enough in funding

to support a financial reform.

Who told you that?

I deduced it myself.

The organization has decided to eliminate a crooked man named Gu Lun instantly.

He’s in Room 503 of Astor House Hotel.

Quit lying to me!

Mr. Shen,

I did figure it out by myself.

As you know, as long as transactions happen,

there'll be traces left.

With the help of the information I got earlier,

it wouldn't be hard to make these deductions.

I still contend

what you said is impossible.

In the exchange, there are hundreds of listed companies,

and loads of information about transactions.

Everything may change at any time.

Individuals can hardly keep track of every activity.

When there are covert and simultaneous changes in numerous accounts,

it would be impossible for anyone

to discover the secrets within.

How did you reach your findings?

Mr. Shen,

you've read my resume.

Would you say the resources I have and my social background

could give me access to the Central Bank's classified information?

All my conclusions are based

on my own analysis.

That's impossible!

You're suspected of stealing government secrets.

Are you gonna turn yourself in to the Investigation and Arrest Unit,

or do you want me to escort you out?

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