Stealth Walker Episode 20 Recap
> Stealth Walker Recap
After the chaotic escape from the hotel, Lin Qiang, Zhang Xianhe, and Cheng Jingsong arrived at the parking lot. Hong, who was waiting for them, was frustrated by their failure to retrieve Liu Bing and also expressed surprise at Cheng Jingsong's presence. Lin Qiang explained that Luo Kun was in the same room as Liu Bing, and without Cheng Jingsong's timely intervention, they would have been discovered. She further revealed that Cheng Jingsong was now a manager at Chenhua Pharmaceutical.
Zhang Xianhe, however, angrily blamed Lin Qiang, claiming that Liu Bing would have been dealt with if she hadn't stopped him. Hong was furious to learn of Zhang Xianhe's impulsive intent to kill Liu Bing on the spot, questioning his judgment. Earlier, Captain Cao Yongming discussed the complex situation with his team. He noted that Liu Bing had usurped Ma Hongtao's drug manufacturing and distribution network.
While Ma Hongtao was rumored to be in Lingnan, likely seeking the new meth, arresting Liu Bing might not directly lead them to Ma Hongtao. Cao Yongming revealed that Zhang Xianhe had secured a temporary shelter in a city village since returning from Mengchen, and he had dispatched officers to monitor him, hoping he could lead them to Ma Hongtao.
However, he admitted they had lost track of Liu Bing, and with Hong aggressively seeking Liu Bing's drug factory, the situation was indeed precarious. Lin Qiang then brought Cheng Jingsong to a meeting with Hong and Theta. Hong playfully teased Lin Qiang about Zhang Xianhe, but Cheng Jingsong skillfully deflected by emphasizing his pragmatic, money-focused approach.
He proposed a partnership, offering to identify which of Luo Kun's factories had suspicious usage of "Xun Ma Cao" (herbal hemp), which would aid Hong's operations. He outlined his plan to inspect all twelve factories that purchased the herb for diet pills, searching for discrepancies in the quantities. Lin Qiang clarified that any factory involved in meth production would divert a portion of the herbs as catalysts. However, Hong, impatient, suggested directly confronting Luo Kun to "break him."
Cheng Jingsong, averse to violence, reiterated his intention to avoid getting his hands dirty, leading to a heated exchange where Hong accused him of seeking profit without risk. Lin Qiang defused the tension by winning a mahjong hand and mediating their argument. She proposed a combined strategy, cautioning that brute force against Luo Kun might not reveal Liu Bing's factory location. Instead, she suggested focusing on tracking the herb delivery routes to uncover the drug factory.
Convinced by Lin Qiang's logic and Theta's silent agreement, Hong reluctantly accepted the cooperation. Unbeknownst to them, Lin Qiang had secretly placed a listening device under the mahjong table, allowing Captain Cao's team to monitor their conversation. After Cheng Jingsong left, he praised Lin Qiang's performance, acknowledging that her acting had successfully established his trustworthiness with Hong, ensuring his safety among them.
Lin Qiang then informed Cheng Jingsong that she had already audited all twelve factories; seven were eager to collaborate in promoting the herb's weight-loss benefits, while five were more cautious, preferring high-value buyouts over developing new diet products, thus narrowing their investigation. Hong, having grown distrustful of Zhang Xianhe, sought Theta's advice. Theta, citing their close ties, readily offered his assistance. Hong inquired about planting her people within Chenhua.
Theta advised against high-level positions due to stringent vetting but suggested targeting driver roles, as they were low-paid and often found playing mahjong at a nearby shop, making them vulnerable. Concurrently, Cheng Jingsong initiated his plan to infiltrate Chenhua Pharmaceutical by arranging for an associate, Ah De, to be hired as a driver. Soon after, Luo Kun, suspicious of Cheng Jingsong, attempted to test him by presenting a pen he claimed to have found in Cheng Jingsong's hotel room.
Cheng Jingsong, unfazed, calmly produced his "own" customized pen, complete with his initials engraved on the cap, explaining that he had asked Ah De to quickly find an identical replacement after realizing his original pen was missing. This quick thinking allowed him to pass Luo Kun's test. Cheng Jingsong then attempted to meet with Huang Ziliang, the owner of Lungsheng Group, for business, but Luo Kun had already intervened, instructing Huang Ziliang to refuse the meeting.
Luo Kun further pursued his own agenda by inquiring about Coco's surgery details at the hospital, relaying this sensitive information to Liu Bing, who began preparing an ambush for Zhang Xianhe. Meanwhile, Lin Qiang, monitoring the conversations via the secretly placed listening device, learned of Hong's plan to target Luo Kun's driver, Lao Sun, to extract information.
She reported this to Captain Cao Yongming, who instructed his team to monitor Hong's actions closely, hoping to trace Liu Bing's factory through her. Separately, Cheng Jingsong's suspicions about Lungsheng Group's diet pills grew. Officer Li Yan, investigating Huang Ziliang, uncovered that his fiancée, Wu Yufei, was a university classmate of both Lin Qiang and Cheng Jingsong. Realizing this potential lead, Lin Qiang arranged a 'chance' encounter at Wu Yufei's beauty salon.
During their conversation, Wu Yufei warned Lin Qiang against investing in Lungsheng's 'Ailios' diet pills, revealing that their 'Xun Ma Cao' content was insufficient for weight loss, rendering them ineffective despite high production volumes. Wu Yufei also confided her suspicion that Huang Ziliang was having an affair but lacked proof. Lin Qiang advised her to search Huang Ziliang's office for clues.
As Coco's surgery was imminent, Zhang Xianhe, burdened by guilt over her condition and uncertain of the surgery's outcome, asked Lin Qiang to deliver a magic wand he had bought for his daughter, as he couldn't bear to face her. Despite Coco's joy upon receiving the gift, Zhang Xianhe watched her secretly from outside her hospital room.
During Lin Qiang's visit, Cheng Jingsong called her urgently, warning her (on the phone) not to let Zhang Xianhe remain at the children's hospital. He relayed Ah De's intelligence: Luo Kun had been inquiring about Coco's surgery time at the hospital, almost certainly on behalf of Liu Bing, to locate Zhang Xianhe. Before Lin Qiang could relay the full warning to Zhang Xianhe, Liu Bing and his men ambushed them at the hospital, abducting Lin Qiang, Zhang Xianhe, and Coco.
The three were bound in a car, with Lin Qiang desperately trying to comfort a terrified Coco. Suddenly, their vehicle crashed violently. Lin Qiang briefly regained consciousness amidst the chaos, hearing someone say, "Boss Ma, all taken care of," before losing consciousness again. When Cheng Jingsong managed to rouse her, Zhang Xianhe and Coco were gone. Lin Qiang, now fully awake, immediately urged Cheng Jingsong to contact Captain Cao Yongming, declaring, "Ma Hongtao showed up! He's here!"
