45 minSeason 1 • Episode 38
Latest1942, Nanjing. Following a series of assassination attempts on officials of the Japanese-controlled puppet government, the Japanese spy chief gathers a group of suspects in a mansion for questioning, and eventually, torturing. A tense game of "cat and mouse" ensues as the Chinese code-breaker attempts to send out a crucial message while protecting his/her own identity.
Acting
Xu Lu and Janice Man's layered cat-and-mouse dynamic
Writing
Mai Jia's intricate puzzle-box plotting with genuine emotional stakes
Production
Sumptuous 1940s Nanjing mansion becomes its own prison
Creator
Mai Jia
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based on Mai Jia's novel previously adapted as the 2009 film 'The Message' starring Zhou Xun—this series expands the single-location thriller into a 38-episode character study.
The 'old ghost' codename and knitting-based steganography reference real WWII resistance tactics used by Chinese communist operatives in Japanese-occupied zones.
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