Stealth Walker Episode 16 Recap
> Stealth Walker Recap
Hei Pi delivered Fang Lin to Liu Bing, informing him that he had stabbed Qiu Hu to death. Liu Bing, acknowledging Hei Pi's "well done" act, rewarded him by immediately killing Hei Pi and taking Fang Lin. Meanwhile, Lin Qiang drove the injured Zhang Xianhe, who had been shot, away from the scene. Zhang Xianhe insisted they could not go to a hospital and directed her to a clinic on Xiding Road.
At the clinic, they found only a timid nurse, as the doctor was off duty. The nurse explained that she had no experience with such a serious wound and the clinic lacked anesthetic, urging them to go to a proper hospital. With no other option, and under Zhang Xianhe's direct guidance, Lin Qiang nervously proceeded to extract the bullet herself. Having successfully retrieved Fang Lin, Liu Bing was gaining favor.
Ma Hongtao’s associate, Dong, leveraged this success to praise Liu Bing and subtly undermine Zhang Xianhe. Dong highlighted Liu Bing's efficiency in handling Fang Lin and Qiu Hu, asserting that Liu Bing was more reliable and suggesting he take over critical financial roles. He also cast suspicion on Zhang Xianhe, citing his close ties with the police informant Iron Sword, and questioned Zhang Xianhe's loyalty.
Dong then strongly advised Ma Hongtao, whose face bore an injury, to undergo surgery in the US, assuring him that Liu Bing could manage all company affairs, and mentioned Wang Shan had already made arrangements. After a long silence, Ma Hongtao agreed to go to the US for his operation. At the police station, Cao Yongming reflected on the recent operation. While the drug workshop was raided and meth seized, many questions remained about the "10. 27 case."
He wondered who killed Qiu Hu (whose body was found by Peiling River) and why Zhang Xianhe was so determined to take Fang Lin. He concluded that Fang Lin's importance was far greater than just a simple drug producer, as Lin Qiang had previously suggested.
Suspecting Ma Hongtao's involvement due to Zhang Xianhe's relationship with his foster father, Cao Yongming decided that Zhang Xianhe would be crucial for the ongoing investigation, stating, "We need to keep him as our bait to get the big fish. A big case has just begun." Back in his office, Cao Yongming noticed several missed calls on his landline from a mobile phone the previous day, the last one having been answered but with no one speaking.
He instructed his assistant, Shen, to find the subscriber, which was later confirmed to be Zhang Xianhe. Later, during interrogations, Chen Zhiyong reported that Lyu Si (also known as Si Shu) had once drunkenly bragged about killing a police informant. Cao Yongming personally questioned Lyu Si, confronting him about his various crimes, including mob activities, usury, and the heroin from Qiu Hu.
Lyu Si initially refused to speak, but eventually broke down, claiming Qiu Hu had set him up and he had no involvement in the drug business. When Cao Yongming pressed him about the death of Sun Dapeng (Iron Sword), Lyu Si denied involvement. After being warned it was his last chance, Lyu Si finally confessed that "Zhang Xianhe" was the killer. Zhang Xianhe eventually woke up in the clinic, seemingly out of immediate danger.
He made light conversation with Lin Qiang, who had been watching over him. He asked about Coco, feeling he was not a good father for making her live such a difficult life and explaining he adopted her to prevent her from growing up in an orphanage. Lin Qiang then informed him that Fang Lin was likely arrested, asking about his next plan.
Zhang Xianhe responded that he originally intended to turn Fang Lin over to the police, having been entrusted by a friend to deliver him to the captain of Narcotics Control of Menjiang Branch, whom he identified as Cao Yongming. Lin Qiang, confused, asked about this friend and the specific branch. Zhang Xianhe explained that he had tried to contact the captain after getting Fang Lin, but no one answered his office phone.
He then revealed that he was intercepted by Cao Yongming while on his way to rescue Lin Qiang, which is when Fang Lin was presumably taken. He felt he had still fulfilled his promise to his "old friend." He then directly asked Lin Qiang if she was a police officer, to which she denied. Lin Qiang left the clinic to call Cao Yongming. She reported Zhang Xianhe's location and current condition.
Cao Yongming immediately instructed her to watch Zhang Xianhe, telling her he would send a team to apprehend him, as Lyu Si had confessed that Zhang Xianhe killed Iron Sword. However, when Lin Qiang returned to the clinic, Zhang Xianhe had already disappeared. Zhang Xianhe used the clinic's phone to call Ma Hongtao, but his subordinate, Li Shu, answered. Zhang Xianhe asked to speak to his foster father, stating his intention to take Coco and Lin Qiang away from Lingnan.
Li Shu informed him that Ma Hongtao had gone to the US for surgery and that his phone would not be in use for a while, explicitly telling Zhang Xianhe not to interfere with company business anymore and to "take care of himself," implying his removal from power. Sensing danger, Zhang Xianhe rushed to Coco's school, only to discover that Liu Bing's men had already taken her.
He pursued them and found Coco being forced into a car, resisting because the man claimed he would take her to McDonald's, a place her father never allowed her to go. Zhang Xianhe fought Liu Bing's men, rescuing Coco, but during the struggle, Coco hit her head and fainted. As Zhang Xianhe drove Coco to the hospital, Liu Bing called his henchman's phone, and Zhang Xianhe answered.
Liu Bing, sounding surprised that Zhang Xianhe was alive, taunted him, revealing that Ma Hongtao had "stepped down" to the US for good (implying Liu Bing's hand in it and his plan to kill Zhang Xianhe), that Liu Bing now controlled all corporate affairs, and that he had bribed key figures like Dong and Wang Shan with the profits from Fang Lin's drugs.
He also mocked Zhang Xianhe for his inability to get Fang Lin earlier and explicitly mentioned that Li Shu had sided with him after seeing Iron Sword's autopsy report, implying Zhang Xianhe's role in the informant's death. At the hospital, the doctor informed Zhang Xianhe that Coco had a blood clot in her left brain pressing on a nerve, which would affect her hearing and require more of his time.
Zhang Xianhe was heartbroken and guilt-ridden, seeing Coco struggle to hear him and blaming himself, feeling that it was too dangerous for Coco to be with him. Lin Qiang visited Chu Jiaojiao in the hospital, bringing her favorite CDs and revealing her true name. She also mentioned collecting Chu Jiaojiao's posters and magazines from Haoting, promising to give them to her after her discharge.
She told Chu Jiaojiao that Qiu Hu's body had been found by Peiling River, although the killer remained unknown. Chu Jiaojiao expressed relief, stating that Qiu Hu would have preferred death over jail. Lin Qiang encouraged her not to give up hope, assuring her that her cooperation with the police in taking down the drug workshop would earn her a lenient sentence, allowing her to be released while still young enough to raise her child.
Chu Jiaojiao tearfully asked if Lin Qiang truly considered her a friend, and Lin Qiang, holding her hand, affirmed, "You're my best friend." Following Zhang Xianhe's disappearance, Cao Yongming put Lin Qiang on mandatory leave.
Lin Qiang suspected this was a punishment for intentionally letting Zhang Xianhe escape, though her colleague tried to reassure her, suggesting it was well-deserved rest after a long undercover operation, and reminded her that Zhang Xianhe had killed Iron Sword, implying she wouldn't deliberately aid him. Lin Qiang, however, maintained that evidence was insufficient and that they shouldn't rush to judgment.
Determined to find Zhang Xianhe, Lin Qiang visited Coco's school, where Miss He, Coco's teacher, confirmed that Coco was now with Ms. Li and provided Li's address. Lin Qiang then visited Ms. Li, who explained that while Zhang Xianhe hadn't returned, he occasionally called to check on Coco. Ms. Li provided Lin Qiang with Zhang Xianhe's phone number. Lin Qiang quickly shared the number with her colleague, Wang Ye, to trace its location. The phone was pinpointed to Shibei Village.
Upon arriving, Lin Qiang heard a street musician playing a song that held special meaning for her and Zhang Xianhe. She asked the musician who requested the song, and he replied that a man had paid him to play it twenty times. Lin Qiang immediately realized Zhang Xianhe had been there and purposefully left a message for her, but by the time she asked for his direction, he had already left, having successfully evaded her.
