Storm Eye Episode 13 Recap
> Storm Eye Recap
Du Meng mentioned that during the afternoon's questioning, Miao Huanyang stated he had met Xu He ten years ago. Du Meng asked An Jing if this reminded her of her father’s case. An Jing confirmed that the timeframes aligned, but her review of the old case files showed that the individual her father was tracking was not Xu He, suggesting it might just be a coincidence.
Later, Miao Fei informed An Jing that she had handed over both of her phones to An Jing's colleagues. The phone Xu He gave her had not received any messages, which An Jing considered good news, hoping Xu He still didn't suspect her. An Jing then told Miao Fei that since they were now collaborating, she needed to be prepared for potentially difficult news: Jia Changan might have had other women.
Miao Fei vehemently denied this, asserting that her relationship with Changan had been very strong. However, An Jing presented clear evidence, including surveillance footage, showing Jia Changan and an unidentified woman staying together at a hotel on multiple occasions. This woman used several fake identities and was suspected of being involved in the Changan Science & Technology smuggling case, possibly also being Jia Changan's lover.
An Jing asked Miao Fei if she could recall any other women Jia Changan was close to. Overwhelmed by the evidence, Miao Fei became upset and asked An Jing to stop talking. Miao Fei and Du Meng later arrived at a dock, where He Zixuan and Ma Shang had prepared hot food. As they ate, they discussed the case.
Ma Shang questioned why Xu He wanted Miao Fei to steal the cryptographic key, noting that all technical files in Dinghua’s R&D department were encrypted and required a key to view. He speculated that the files might have already been acquired after Miao Fei implanted the virus, and only the key was needed.
However, given that DS Materials had its own confidential system—a fact known throughout the company and therefore to Xu He—Ma Shang theorized that Xu He likely had another spy within Dinghua, potentially the person who killed Jia Changan. He concluded that Xu He’s primary goal might not be the synthetic technology itself, as coercing Miao Fei for this purpose seemed too risky for the limited direct benefits.
Ma Shang believed that catching Xu He through Miao Fei would unravel the entire mystery. He proposed a covert operation to protect Miao Fei. An Jing confirmed the plan was ready. Ma Shang then revealed he had compiled all suspicious information regarding Wu Miao. He instructed An Jing to publicly arrest Wu Miao at Dinghua the next day for interrogation, letting everyone know that National Security was monitoring him or even the R&D department.
An Jing expressed concern that if Wu Miao wasn't the main culprit, such an action might alert Xu He without protecting Miao Fei. Ma Shang assured her he was certain based on current intelligence. An Jing and Du Meng decided to stay overnight on the boat to review the files and head straight to Dinghua in the morning. Ma Shang offered them the two bedrooms on the boat while he and He Zixuan would sleep on the sofa.
Ma Shang toasted An Jing and Du Meng, acknowledging their collaboration and the smooth progress of the case since Miao Huanyang's arrest. Back at home, Miao Fei, upset by the revelation of Jia Changan's infidelity, vented her emotions by smashing various items. Surveillance personnel observed her, with one suggesting it was better for her to break things than to hurt herself.
Qiao Xichuan's associate, Zhou Lian, watched the footage and questioned if they should postpone their plan for the next day, noting Miao Fei’s unusual emotional state and the fact that her phone hadn't been with her all afternoon, indicating a potential problem. Qiao Xichuan, however, decided to proceed with the operation as planned, instructing Zhou Lian to contact Miao Fei and report any unusual occurrences immediately. Unable to sleep, Ma Shang went out for some air.
An Jing, having just showered, joined him. Ma Shang noted how abnormal it was that despite their resources, they couldn't find any information on Xu He. He recalled both Miao Huanyang and Miao Fei describing Xu He as a nimble, vigorous person, not an old man, suggesting he might be using a mask.
An Jing had also considered this, finding it strange that there were no records of Xu He, even if he held foreign nationality and had entered the country before. Ma Shang added that while advanced simulation masks exist, Xu He's ability to change his voice and posture to truly become another person was frightening, which would explain why the SkyEye system couldn't track him. He emphasized this was mere speculation without proof.
An Jing then grew quiet before revealing a personal detail: her father, when alive, had also served in Shuangqing City’s investigation section. The day before her disappearance, on May 6th, her father died in a car accident while on a pursuit mission. The other driver was thoroughly investigated, found to have no suspicious connections, and was convicted of drunken driving.
An Jing admitted that her father's death was only part of the reason she had completely cut off contact with Ma Shang back then, promising to explain the rest later. She connected this to Miao Huanyang's testimony that Xu He also vanished around ten years ago and hadn't reappeared since, similar to the target her father had been pursuing.
An Jing wondered if such coincidences existed, and if Xu He was a fake identity, could he be that person from long ago? Her father's case involved espionage related to ore resources, and while there was no evidence of organized crime, the possibility couldn't be entirely ruled out. Ma Shang admitted the probability was low, but reassured An Jing, promising that whether Xu He was that past spy or not, they would not escape the law.
He vowed to help An Jing complete the current case and then assist her in organizing the old case files to find the one who got away and ensure he paid for his actions. The next day, An Jing and Du Meng went to Dinghua to question Wu Miao. Wu Miao, while cooperative, seemed anxious. He answered questions about unrelated matters fluently but became flustered when questioned about suspicious activities.
Wu Miao had been a Senior Researcher at Tianxing Technology before becoming a Research Assistant at Dinghua. He claimed he was ill with the flu on the day the virus was implanted, not deliberately evading questioning. He denied any involvement in the virus implantation and tried to deflect suspicion onto Yu Haoran, reasoning that Yu Haoran worked within the physically isolated lab network and would know that implanting a virus there would cause complete data loss.
An Jing pointed out that his current salary at Dinghua was only a third of what he earned at Tianxing Technology. She also mentioned that when Wu Miao left Tianxing Technology a year prior, there was a report of misappropriated research funds. Wu Miao adamantly denied this, saying he wouldn't be free if he had done such a thing.
An Jing further highlighted that Tianxing Technology had recently released two new products highly similar in function and application to Dinghua's unreleased product. Wu Miao dismissed this as normal industry research. An Jing concluded the interview by telling Wu Miao to keep his phone on and that they would also interview Zhang Jianqui, the president of Tianxing Technology. After the questioning, Wu Miao was approached by Yu Haoran, who asked what National Security had inquired about.
Wu Miao told him they mainly asked about his sick leave and whether Yu Haoran could have been the one to plant the virus. As An Jing and Du Meng left, they received news that Miao Fei was speaking with Xu He on the phone.
Xu He inquired about Miao Fei’s progress, who explained that the cryptographic key was in the Research Center’s Archive Room safe, and while she knew the password and could open the fingerprint lock, the key had location tracking that would trigger an alarm and change its dynamic password if removed from the lab.
Xu He dismissed this as a minor issue he would resolve, instructing Miao Fei to meet him at the supermarket where they previously met, during her lunch break, and await further instructions. Ma Shang advised An Jing not to enter the supermarket herself, citing a past mission where their identity might have been compromised, possibly by Xu He, and he couldn't guarantee Xu He wasn't working with that person.
An Jing understood, instructing her team (Wang Zuo and Xiao Li) not to enter but to connect all supermarket surveillance to their location. She believed Xu He wouldn't commit an assault in a crowded supermarket, emphasizing the need for caution to avoid exposure and potential hostage situations. An Jing then texted Miao Fei, reassuring her that they had full surveillance coverage.
At the supermarket, Xu He, speaking on the phone, guided Miao Fei to Area C, specifically to a shelf of microwave ovens, which was a surveillance blind spot. The team temporarily lost sight of Miao Fei. An Jing calmly instructed them to display the views from both ends of the aisle and increase the audio surveillance.
Xu He confirmed he was not at the supermarket but instructed Miao Fei to open the first black microwave oven on the second row to her left, where he had left an item for her. Miao Fei found it to be a duplicator. Xu He instructed her to plug the cryptographic key into its USB connector and wait for a red indicator light to turn green, telling her she was one step away from success.
Miao Fei expressed her wish to never see him again. The team felt frustrated by the encounter, but Ma Shang encouraged them, noting that Xu He asking Miao Fei to continue implied their plan was succeeding. An Jing confirmed that Director Song had approved the mission. She planned for Miao Fei to pretend to duplicate the key as realistically as possible to deceive any internal monitors at Dinghua, and then they would await Xu He's arrangement for the transaction.
An Jing inquired about the Tianlin City Bureau's investigation into Zhang Jianqui, Tianxing Technology's owner, receiving news that he was unlikely to hold out long. She hoped to have results before Miao Fei's transaction, enabling them to publicly arrest Wu Miao inside Dinghua. This, she believed, would send a message to Xu He that they had targeted the wrong person. Ma Shang enthusiastically agreed, prompting An Jing to playfully scold him for his immaturity.
She then urged everyone to get some rest after working for many hours, mentioning she had a meeting with Miao Fei that night. Later that night, Miao Fei, looking distressed, left work and observed Yang Xun and Wu Miao chatting in a suspiciously secretive manner about work. Miao Fei then went to a restaurant, where she intentionally left her phone on the table before heading to the restroom, as instructed by An Jing.
Zhou Lian and Qiao Xichuan, who were monitoring Miao Fei, continued their surveillance, with Qiao Xichuan confirming that Jeffrey had approved his plan and his person would provide secret assistance. After finishing her meal, Miao Fei got into a waiting surveillance vehicle. Meanwhile, Wu Miao called Yang Xun, desperately pleading for help to prevent the information leak from becoming public, fearing it would ruin him.
Yang Xun then had a conversation with Yu Haoran on the phone, about Yu Haoran having kept complete data for new medical instruments on his private computer on the day the lab’s network was physically isolated. Yang Xun reassured Yu Haoran that the document might not have been leaked, and even if it was, it would just be scrambled code without the cryptographic key. He added that even if the code was deciphered, it wouldn’t necessarily expose Yu Haoran as the leaker, reminding him to forget their conversation.
