Stealth Walker Episode 2 Recap
> Stealth Walker Recap
In an interrogation room, Cao Yongming confronted Wang Shanshan, showing her a photo of a suspect Lin Qiang had identified. He bluffed that the man had been arrested and confessed to killing a police officer under Wang Shanshan's orders, suggesting she sought revenge on the police. Wang Shanshan, now facing both drug dealing and murder charges, was provoked and blurted out that the man, Cong, was Qiu Hu's subordinate.
She argued that she was in jail and couldn't possibly have given him orders. Realizing she had been tricked, she refused to say more. However, her confession proved that Captain Cheng Ji's death was connected to the drug traffickers the police were pursuing. Cao Yongming instructed a subordinate to deliver Wang Shanshan's testimony to Commissioner Gao Zongyi, requesting the cases be consolidated.
While his subordinate praised Lin Qiang for the crucial lead, Cao Yongming dismissed her contribution as mere blind chance. Meanwhile, Lin Qiang, using the lighter Cong had dropped, traced him to a foot massage parlor. There, she and De discussed a plan to "make quick money" by targeting a "fat sheep." Lin Qiang confirmed she had a target in mind.
Posing as a masseuse named Lili, Lin Qiang infiltrated the parlor and overheard Cong on a phone call with a woman named Wang Qian. Cong instructed Wang Qian to meet him tomorrow at noon in the central area of Belle Plaza, specifying she should wear a red jacket and carry a bottle of cola, then await his instructions. Lin Qiang and De attempted to steal Wang Qian's phone to impersonate her, but they failed.
Deciding they couldn't wait, Lin Qiang, disguised in a doll costume and holding a billboard to obscure Cong's view, positioned herself in front of Wang Qian at the plaza. De relayed Wang Qian's actions to Lin Qiang, making Cong believe Lin Qiang was Wang Qian. During the call, Cong told Wang Qian he would no longer use that number and would contact her again later.
Cao Yongming's team discovered Wang Qian was Wang Shanshan's half-sister and a US citizen who had recently returned to Lingnan and withdrawn a large sum of US dollars that Wang Shanshan had deposited in her name. Cao Yongming re-interrogated Wang Shanshan, informing her that Wang Qian had met some of her old associates, whom he identified as Wang Shanshan's men. He implied that Wang Qian was about to engage in a drug transaction with the substantial amount of money.
Appealing to Wang Shanshan's concern for her sister, he hoped she wouldn't follow in her footsteps. Wang Shanshan, desperate to protect Wang Qian, quickly confessed her connection to Qiu Hu, stating he was her drug supplier and that the confiscated drugs came from him. She also revealed that the money in Wang Qian's account was drug money intended for a transaction with Qiu Hu, emphasizing that this was Wang Qian's first involvement and begging for her release.
Cao Yongming promised leniency if her confession was truthful and immediately demanded Wang Qian's phone number to track her. Her phone was located on Tianhe Avenue. Lin Qiang and De, posing as Qiu Hu's men, picked up Wang Qian, making excuses about Cong's sudden change of plans. They took her to a bar, where Lin Qiang pressured Wang Qian into drinking heavily, claiming it was customary for business.
As Wang Qian became intoxicated, Cao Yongming's team, tracking her phone, stormed the bar. However, they found Wang Qian already drunk and being carried out by Lin Qiang and De. Seizing an opportunity when Cao Yongming's team was distracted, Lin Qiang stole Wang Qian's phone and, deeming the situation too dangerous for De, knocked him unconscious before leaving. De, upon waking, angrily called Lin Qiang and left a furious voicemail about her going solo.
Moments later, Cong called Wang Qian's phone, now in Lin Qiang's possession, instructing her to have the money ready for a transaction at 10 AM on Saturday. Cao Yongming then tracked Lin Qiang down and confronted her, demanding to know how she found Wang Qian and who she had met. Lin Qiang defiantly stated she was conducting recon to solve Cheng Ji's case.
Cao Yongming revealed he had seen her on security footage in the bar, getting Wang Qian drunk, and accused her of interfering with their operation and disrupting their plans. Lin Qiang argued that since he didn't believe her initial identification of the suspect, she had to find her own evidence.
She then explained her investigation: finding Cong's lighter at Yiwan Hotel, discovering the foot massage parlor's name on it, staking out the place, learning about Cong and his boss, Qiu Hu, and their upcoming transaction with Wang Qian. She confessed she had impersonated Wang Qian to approach Cong, but admitted she didn't know what they were trading.
Cao Yongming criticized her "presumptuous behavior" and lack of discipline, telling her she was out of the case and should return to the Police Academy for her exams. He reminded her of Cheng Ji's efforts to get her into the Narcotics Control, his belief in her potential as an excellent officer despite her troubled past, and questioned if her current actions were what Cheng Ji would have wanted.
Lin Qiang, frustrated, called Cheng Jingsong, who was currently on mandatory leave from his training due to poor performance stemming from Cheng Ji's death. She told him that Dean Han refused to let her take the current exam because she had failed the previous one, insisting she retake it first. Cheng Jingsong offered to speak to the principal, but Lin Qiang believed it would be fruitless.
They both lamented Cheng Ji's absence, recalling how he used to solve all their problems. Cheng Jingsong comforted Lin Qiang, assuring her she wasn't alone and still had him. Meanwhile, Commissioner Gao Zongyi discussed Lin Qiang with Cao Yongming during a chess game. Gao Zongyi was surprised that Cong now believed Lin Qiang was Wang Qian, and commented on how Lin Qiang had fooled both sides, calling her a "rookie" and a "hothead" who acted without foresight.
Cao Yongming disagreed, acknowledging Lin Qiang's unconventional methods but recalling Cheng Ji's past words that if utilized properly, Lin Qiang could handle major cases. He then decided to involve her in the upcoming operation. Cao Yongming picked Lin Qiang up to attend Cheng Ji's memorial service. Lin Qiang initially refused, feeling ashamed of failing her exam and not having caught Cheng Ji's killer.
Cao Yongming insisted, telling her they needed to give Cheng Ji a proper farewell and that he had something important to discuss afterward. At the memorial service, a commander spoke of Cheng Ji's sacrifice, commemorating him alongside other officers who died combating drug trafficking. Following the service, Cao Yongming took Lin Qiang to the Martyrs' Cemetery, explaining that while other plots were for sale, this section was reserved for fallen heroes.
He showed her the graves of officers like Chen Yu, his former apprentice who died in a shootout, Zhao Xiaoran, a Narcotics Control scout run over by drug traffickers, and Shen Zhonghua, also known as The Tippler, who left behind a six-year-old daughter. Cao Yongming explained that these officers dedicated their lives to their profession, which was their unwavering belief, always ready to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Lin Qiang, still believing Cao Yongming disliked her, asserted that even if she couldn't be a police officer, she would never commit a crime, reiterating that she wasn't the "thug" he perceived her to be. Cao Yongming then revealed his proposition: he wanted her to be a "criminal" this time, by impersonating Wang Qian to conduct a heroin transaction with Cong in a temporary undercover operation.
He offered to complete her police enlistment paperwork if she accepted, giving her a chance to avenge Cheng Ji, but warned her of the extreme danger involved and urged her to consider it carefully. Later, Lin Qiang sat alone by the roadside outside the cemetery, tearfully looking at a memorial book Cheng Ji had left for her.
In a flashback, Cheng Ji's voice encouraged her, saying that despite what others thought, she had the potential to become an amazing police officer. As she grieved, Zhang Xianhe, also visiting the cemetery, happened to pass by and offered her a handkerchief.
