Stealth Walker Episode 1 Recap
> Stealth Walker Recap
Three weeks ago, the Narcotics Control Brigade of the Jiangmen Branch in Lingnan City successfully intercepted a vehicle carrying heroin on the Lingsan Expressway. Suspect Wang Shanshan was arrested, and 10. 2 kilograms of heroin were confiscated. This event, reported as occurring at 10:20 am, marked the fifth major drug case in Lingnan City that year.
Police commissioner Gao Zongyi announced a sustained fight against drug networks, noting the arrested drug trafficking syndicate likely possessed strong anti-surveillance capabilities, possibly even being gang-related. Inside the Jiangmen Branch's Narcotics Control office, Vice-captain Cao Yongming oversaw Wang Shanshan's interrogation. She remained silent, refusing to cooperate. Officers pressed her, revealing they knew she had called a man named Qiu Hu multiple times, suspecting him to be the upstream supplier she was protecting. Wang Shanshan merely demanded a cigarette.
In a subsequent meeting, Cao Yongming reported Wang Shanshan's refusal to provide information, but confirmed intelligence pointed to Qiu Hu as her supplier. Commissioner Gao questioned the source's reliability, to which Cao Yongming replied it was "absolutely reliable." He explained they had tracked Wang Shanshan in the Longjin area for six months, dismantling many of her dealers, yet her supplier remained at large.
Gao Zongyi noted that Wang Shanshan being caught with 10 kilograms of heroin indicated Qiu Hu was a "bigger fish." Captain Cheng Ji suggested Wang Shanshan's silence was either to protect her supplier, possibly a lover, or out of fear for her family's safety from retaliation. He recommended investigating her family connections. During the meeting, Captain Cheng Ji's phone repeatedly rang, forcing him to excuse himself.
It was Dean Han from the police academy, reporting that Lin Qiang had been caught attempting to sneak into the Academic Affairs Office just before the police tryouts. Dean Han criticized Cheng Ji's parenting, but Cheng Ji defended Lin Qiang, claiming she was merely retrieving something for a friend. Cheng Ji then took Lin Qiang home, admonishing her for causing trouble at a critical time and urging her to study for the tryout.
He reminded her of his promise to her deceased father to help her become a police officer. Lin Qiang, exhausted from training, found the exam difficult, but Cheng Ji insisted she not disappoint him, recalling how he found her at the orphanage and always hoped she would join the police. The following day, Lin Qiang located Cheng Jingsong, who was involved in a SWAT operation. After the mission, she playfully ambushed him, prompting him to restrain her.
She comically shouted that he was hitting his wife, forcing him to release her. Assuming she needed money, Cheng Jingsong offered some, which she accepted, promising to repay him double. He warned her against visiting crime scenes, citing danger and protocol. Lin Qiang revealed her true intention, seeking advice on how to impress Vice-captain Cao Yongming during the tryout.
When Cheng Jingsong suggested she approach Captain Cheng Ji, Lin Qiang explained her uncle had been unyielding since she first expressed interest in the narc squad, refusing to help her. Cheng Jingsong eventually softened, humorously suggesting he would join her as a narc if she failed. At the police tryouts, Cao Yongming noticed several candidates with facial injuries. They reluctantly admitted Lin Qiang had beaten them, leading Cao Yongming to declare her "hopeless" and disqualify her.
Other students whispered that Lin Qiang, a "banger" from the orphanage, was a disgrace to her martyr father and owed her academy enrollment to Captain Cheng Ji. Despite the setback, Lin Qiang continued her rigorous training. Her friend, De, tried to persuade her to abandon her police dream for a more lucrative business, reminding her of their past and "banger" friends from the orphanage, claiming their connections would be severed if she became a cop.
De even admitted to telling their old friend Damao that Lin Qiang was "put behind bars" instead of at the police academy. Lin Qiang countered that if she had known about her martyr father earlier, she would have pursued a police career sooner instead of looking after their delinquent friends. Later, a dejected Lin Qiang asked Cheng Ji if she had shamed her father.
Cheng Ji reassured her, saying she was her own person and, with dedication, had the potential to be a good police officer. Touched, Lin Qiang confessed that Cheng Ji was the only one who believed in her, prompting him to offer to help her study. The next day, Cheng Ji visited Cao Yongming, who immediately stated he would not accept Lin Qiang into the squad due to her fighting during training.
Cao Yongming then shifted to the Wang Shanshan case, revealing that laboratory tests confirmed the heroin originated from Ma Hongtao in the Mengbang region of Hongwa. Cao Yongming proposed activating Cheng Ji's informant, Iron Sword, to locate Qiu Hu, Ma Hongtao's main distributor in Lingnan. He emphasized that capturing Qiu Hu was their best chance to apprehend Ma Hongtao, a top target.
Cheng Ji was hesitant, explaining Iron Sword's long-term deep cover in Hongwa was maintained precisely because he never initiated contact, prioritizing the informant's safety. However, under Cao Yongming's strong persuasion, Cheng Ji eventually called Iron Sword. Iron Sword confirmed Qiu Hu was Ma Hongtao's subordinate but admitted Ma Hongtao was growing suspicious of him, making it difficult to gather information without raising alarm. He promised to find a way, and Cheng Ji urged him to be extremely careful.
Meanwhile, Ma Hongtao’s adopted son, Zhang Xianhe, unexpectedly returned to Hongwa. Iron Sword learned that Ma Hongtao had assigned Zhang Xianhe a mission in Lingnan: to conduct a transaction with Qiu Hu to retrieve stolen goods. Zhang Xianhe asked if Iron Sword knew Qiu Hu. Iron Sword claimed ignorance, noting that Liu Bing usually handled Lingnan's supply. Zhang Xianhe explained that some of their goods had been stolen, and intelligence indicated Qiu Hu was responsible.
Despite this, Qiu Hu and Ma Hongtao had a long-standing relationship. Zhang Xianhe's mission was to offer a low-priced heroin deal to Qiu Hu in exchange for their stolen merchandise. Zhang Xianhe did not know what specific goods were stolen. Before Zhang Xianhe departed, Iron Sword gave him a potted plant from his garden, then offered to handle the transaction with Qiu Hu on Zhang Xianhe's behalf.
Lin Qiang invited Cheng Ji for dinner, hinting at needing financial assistance to open a small business with her friend, De. Cheng Ji firmly refused. Observing his plain clothes and reconnaissance equipment, Lin Qiang shrewdly deduced he was heading out for a scouting mission. Cheng Ji confirmed her suspicions, praising her keen observation skills, and revealed the intelligence came from his informant. He expressed hope that after this operation, his informant could reunite with his family.
After Cheng Ji left for his mission, leaving Lin Qiang at the food stall, she soon heard shouts of "Somebody died!" Rushing towards the commotion, a horrified Lin Qiang discovered Captain Cheng Ji's lifeless body. At the crime scene in Yiwan Hotel, police found Cheng Ji's wallet, gun, and badge missing. A blood-stained knife matching the victim's DNA was found nearby, and the hotel's surveillance system was damaged.
Given these findings, the case was initially deemed a robbery-homicide, and Commissioner Gao considered transferring it to Captain Cai of the Criminal Investigation Division. However, Cao Yongming vehemently argued that Cheng Ji was murdered while on duty for a drug case, insisting it was a targeted killing that should be handled by Narcotics Control. Facing pressure from the provincial level, and after Cao Yongming made a solemn pledge to solve the case or resign, Commissioner Gao granted him three days.
If no suspect was apprehended, the case would be transferred to Captain Cai. Lin Qiang, convinced she had seen the murderer, visited the police station to review surveillance footage. She identified a suspicious individual, recalling seeing bloodstains on his clothes when she bumped into him near the Yiwan Hotel, though she had been too distracted by the commotion to follow him.
She offered to help catch him, but Cao Yongming, still biased against her, dismissed her accusation as groundless without concrete evidence. Lin Qiang accused him of personal prejudice, leading to a heated argument where she dared an officer to cuff her. Cheng Jingsong arrived and intervened, prompting Cao Yongming to clarify that as an "outsider," Lin Qiang had no right to case details, but he would inform Cheng Ji's family of any progress.
Cheng Jingsong, though grieving, expressed his belief that Cao Yongming would bring justice for his uncle. Later, Lin Qiang found Cheng Jingsong packing Cheng Ji's belongings and asserted she knew the killer and could track him down. Cheng Jingsong insisted Cao Yongming would handle it and advised her to focus on her upcoming exam. Lin Qiang rejected his solace, saying she couldn't passively wait and that as a cop, he should be pursuing the killer.
She urged him to help her find evidence to prove her suspect was the murderer. Cheng Jingsong explained that as a SWAT member, he was prohibited from intervening. Disappointed, Lin Qiang stormed off, proclaiming she would find the evidence herself, ignoring Cheng Jingsong's questions about her destination. Recalling that the suspect had dropped a lighter when she bumped into him, Lin Qiang returned to the crime scene and found it. A flashback showed a poignant memory of Cheng Ji promising her a large bouquet on the day she officially became a police officer.
