Storm Eye Episode 12 Recap
> Storm Eye Recap
Ma Shang approached Cheng Lei to seek his opinion on the Research Center's recruitment, having already prepared a proposal. Cheng Lei explained that their requirements were simple, primarily for data verification, which didn't demand high professional ability or experience; interns from relevant majors would suffice. He assured Ma Shang that only the project leader had access to complete core data, implying minimal security risks, and jokingly said even a monkey could do the verification work.
Ma Shang, however, expressed deep concern for the company's security, attributing this to his past experience as a headhunter in Beijing, where he learned about industry gossip and the critical importance of protecting a company's core profits. Later, Ma Shang took Cheng Lei to the rooftop to talk privately. He questioned Cheng Lei about his relationship with Yu Haoran and Yang Xun. Cheng Lei, stating he preferred not to take sides, urged Ma Shang to speak directly.
Ma Shang revealed that he had consulted Yang Xun about the Marketing Department's recruitment standards, and Yang Xun had advised him to lower eligibility requirements and hire a large number of people by "spreading the ad everywhere," believing more people equated to more efficiency. Cheng Lei immediately dismissed this as "nonsense," explaining that Dinghua's high-end medical equipment products required salespeople with extensive experience and professional knowledge to understand product literature, demonstrate products, and connect with relevant industries.
He warned Ma Shang that such a proposal would incur President Lin's wrath, indicating Yang Xun was deliberately setting him up. Ma Shang realized Yang Xun was retaliating for him getting a job Yang Xun wanted. Cheng Lei advised Ma Shang to distance himself from "those people" to avoid disaster, especially given the crucial importance of the current product to Dinghua.
Meanwhile, An Jing's team lost audio monitoring of Miao Fei's phone after she made a call on a different device from a stairwell. Hé Zixuán quickly contacted Ma Shang, informing him that Miao Fei's monitored phone remained in her office despite her departure and asked him to get closer to her. Miao Fei had received a call from Qiao Xichuan. She asked if he was the one controlling Changan Science & Technology's stocks.
Qiao Xichuan ignored her question and reminded her that her father would be safe if she completed her mission. He informed her that Dinghua had implemented new security measures, requiring a cryptographic key to access core data, and demanded she obtain it. Miao Fei protested, saying she was already under suspicion and couldn't fulfill his demand before hanging up. Miao Fei then left her office, but her company phone, which was being monitored, remained behind.
An Jing's units were dispatched to track Miao Fei, while Ma Shang also followed. Miao Fei drove in circles, constantly changing lanes and speeds, displaying clear anti-tracking experience. An Jing instructed Ma Shang to withdraw, as her units were already in position, and cautioned her team to be careful and focus solely on Miao Fei, ignoring any other disturbances. Miao Fei eventually left her car, boarded a bus, then transferred to the subway, and finally took a taxi.
To the team's surprise, Miao Fei arrived at the National Security Bureau. Inside the bureau, An Jing assured Miao Fei that their conversation was strictly internal, recorded, and completely safe, ensuring no one, especially the person controlling her, would know she was there. Miao Fei confessed that she was forced to implant the virus in Dinghua and had come to seek help.
An Jing questioned her about her sophisticated anti-tracking tactics, which Miao Fei admitted she learned from movies and employed out of fear that her controller would discover her actions. An Jing, taking Miao Fei's readiness to be open and honest as a sign of trust, promised her safety and urged her to reveal everything she knew. Miao Fei identified Xu He as the person threatening her.
She also suspected he had operatives within Dinghua and believed he might have killed Jia Changan, though she had no direct evidence and didn't know his relationship with her father. Miao Fei stated that Xu He was after Dinghua's core technology, specifically DS Materials' core technology. She recounted how she was initially coerced into inserting a virus but strategically isolated the company's network, knowing he wouldn't be able to steal significant information.
However, Xu He's latest demand for the cryptographic key left her feeling helpless, leading her to seek their assistance as her only way out. An Jing noted a crucial missing detail: what exactly Xu He was using to threaten her. Miao Fei remained silent. An Jing then led Miao Fei to a wine cabinet, which Miao Fei immediately recognized as her father Miao Huanyang's.
Inside, it was filled with bank cards from overseas banks, each opened under a different, mostly fake, identity. An Jing explained that while individual card balances were small, usually under fifty thousand US dollars, their combined total was substantial and unsettling. An Jing then explained that Xu He was using Miao Fei's father to threaten her and emphasized that stopping a family member's mistakes is often the best form of protection.
Concurrently, Miao Huanyang, sensing danger, was hastily packing his belongings at home, intending to leave. However, An Jing and Du Meng intercepted him before he could even exit his elevator. Miao Huanyang claimed he was merely going to a farmhouse in the suburbs to relax and had no intention of fleeing the investigation.
Du Meng then showed him photographs of the wine cabinet and the multitude of bank cards found inside, revealing that the "deliverymen" he had hired were actually their investigators. Miao Huanyang, confronted with the evidence, initially minimized his wrongdoing, claiming he was ignorant in the past and that the money, though unused, came from legitimate ore companies, offering to provide a list. He continued to protect his accomplice, however, asserting that his contributions to Dinghua far outweighed any mistakes.
An Jing then shifted focus to Miao Fei, causing Miao Huanyang to become visibly agitated, realizing his daughter was involved. An Jing revealed Xu He's name, explaining that the person he was protecting had targeted Miao Fei, using Miao Huanyang's past actions to coerce her into stealing Dinghua's secrets.
An Jing then showed Miao Huanyang a video of Miao Fei testifying that Xu He possessed a recording proving Miao Huanyang had leaked "bottom prices" and threatened to disseminate it online if Miao Fei didn't cooperate. Miao Fei also admitted to implanting a Trojan horse virus but ensuring that the Research Center's technology remained secure. Overwhelmed by his daughter's predicament, Miao Huanyang finally confessed. He recounted meeting Xu He ten years prior at an underground casino abroad.
At the time, Dinghua had just been listed, and his growing greed led him to gamble company funds, losing tens of millions. He believed the entire game was a trap set by Xu He, who then appeared as a "savior," offering to repay his debts in exchange for the DS Materials ore's bottom prices. This allowed Xu He to consistently purchase ore at the lowest possible cost.
Miao Huanyang eventually realized he was being scammed but was unable to escape the arrangement for over a year, fearing exposure. He managed to distance himself by transforming Dinghua into a listed group through multiple funding rounds and then retiring to a vice president role, no longer overseeing ore transactions. However, Xu He continued to pressure him until suddenly disappearing for ten years. Xu He re-established contact around May or June of the current year.
They met three times: once at a club, which prompted Miao Huanyang to feign illness and resign from Dinghua to avoid further cooperation; a second time at Jia Changan's funeral, where Xu He implicitly threatened him regarding Jia Changan's death; and a third time at the hospital when Miao Huanyang suffered a heart attack, where Xu He likely came to verify his condition.
Miao Huanyang also explained that Xu He had given him a special mobile phone for exclusive contact, which led Miao Fei to leave all her electronic devices in her office, suspecting they were being monitored. Both Miao Fei and Miao Huanyang described Xu He as appearing to be in his sixties ten years ago, yet showing no signs of aging, with unusually quick reactions.
Miao Huanyang remembered him as initially kind but later overbearing, while Miao Fei noted his impatient and domineering demeanor during recent interactions. An Jing allowed Miao Fei and Miao Huanyang to meet, though physical contact was prohibited. Miao Huanyang tearfully apologized to Miao Fei, expressing deep regret for causing her trouble and acknowledging that his initial desire to provide a better life for her and Lulu had led him down a path of "one wrong move after another."
Miao Fei, despite her father's fears, confirmed her decision to cooperate with National Security to lure out Xu He. Miao Huanyang, extremely worried about Xu He's ruthlessness, pleaded with An Jing to guarantee Miao Fei's safety. During a subsequent team meeting, An Jing noted that the information provided by Miao Fei and Miao Huanyang largely matched their existing intelligence, particularly regarding Xu He, suggesting that this aspect of their testimony was truthful.
She acknowledged that the task force had been pursuing Xu He through the SkyEye system for a significant period, but he had only appeared once, during Miao Huanyang's hospital stay, before vanishing again. This led An Jing to suspect that "Xu He" was likely a fake identity, making direct pursuit a "blind lead."
An Jing conceded that the Miao family line of investigation was initially a "side branch" stemming from the Jia Changan case, and the individuals involved might be secondary targets. However, she emphasized that having Miao Huanyang and Miao Fei's cooperation could provide valuable advantages.
Department Chief Song commended the team, stating that while the immediate outcome might be less than anticipated, the collaboration with the Miao family would undoubtedly yield more clues, enabling them to locate the "sleeper" and accomplish their mission. He encouraged everyone to remain vigilant and prepared for the most challenging obstacles, confident that they would ultimately eradicate these sleepers.
