Storm Eye Episode 14 Recap
> Storm Eye Recap
Miao Lu called Miao Fei, concerned that their father, Miao Huanyang, had not answered his phone. Miao Fei quickly went into the bathroom and turned on the shower before assuring Miao Lu that their father was on vacation, seeking peace and quiet, and wouldn't be back until next month. Miao Fei redirected the conversation to Miao Lu's graduation to avoid further questions. Moments later, Zhou Lian called Miao Fei, questioning why she hadn't picked up earlier.
Zhou Lian attempted to arrange a meeting with Miao Fei, claiming she had accidentally taken Miao Fei's coat. However, Miao Fei declined, stating she was too busy. Observing this, Qiao Xichuan advised Zhou Lian not to push too hard, fearing Miao Fei would grow suspicious. Zhou Lian wondered how she could probe Miao Fei without meeting her, to which Qiao Xichuan responded that they should wait until Miao Fei acquired the target item.
The next day at Dinghua, Miao Fei approached Ma Shang, mentioning that colleagues had reported his frequent absences from the office. Ma Shang explained that he had been actively recruiting experienced sales professionals with extensive network resources, believing it was more sincere to visit them directly than to ask them to come for interviews. Miao Fei apologized for her initial attitude and expressed how vital Dinghua was to her, thanking Ma Shang for his diligent work.
Later, Yu Haoran asked Wu Miao to get him a cup of hot milk. Cheng Lei intervened, reminding Yu Haoran that Wu Miao was a research assistant and shouldn't be running errands. An Jing and Ma Shang discussed recent developments. Ma Shang revealed that Zhang Jianqui of Tianxing Technology had confessed that Wu Miao was collecting data for them. Ma Shang decided to publicly announce Wu Miao's arrest within Dinghua, believing this would expose other "small fish" who might resign.
Ma Shang then shared his thoughts on Miao Fei’s earlier conversation with him, feeling as if she was giving "final instructions." He recalled Miao Fei's words, "The greater the desire is, the greater the price you pay. The end result won't be good." He also noted her observation that he maintained a certain distance from everyone, neither too far nor too close, concluding that "Dinghua needs people like you."
An Jing, however, suggested Ma Shang was overthinking, emphasizing that Miao Fei's every move was under surveillance, making it difficult for her to cause any trouble. That evening, An Jing deployed four teams in anticipation of Miao Fei copying the key. She explained that a group was on standby because if Miao Fei succeeded, Xu He would likely demand an immediate transaction. Heavy rain that night caused significant static on the team's listening devices.
Miao Fei hesitated upon seeing Yu Haoran and Cheng Lei still working in the R&D department. Yang Xun arrived to take Yu Haoran to dinner, and Yu Haoran casually asked Wu Miao to finish his work, calling it "really easy." Cheng Lei, annoyed by Yu Haoran’s behavior, told Wu Miao to pack up and go home, stating they didn't need to work overtime for Yu Haoran. Wu Miao remained, collected some data, and then quietly left the office.
Once the office was empty, Miao Fei emerged from the stairwell and proceeded with her plan to copy the key using the replicator Xu He had provided. After she finished, the listening devices used by An Jing and Du Meng experienced another burst of piercing static, losing the audio feed. An Jing instructed Miao Fei to go home as usual, assuring her they would follow.
Shortly after Miao Fei left, another unidentified person entered the R&D lab and also copied the key. Qiao Xichuan called Miao Fei, who had successfully copied the key, and instructed her to go to Tiandu Mall within the hour. Qiao Xichuan then informed Zhou Lian that he would not use Xu He's identity for this meeting, as he did not plan to meet Miao Fei face-to-face and pretending to be an old man was inconvenient.
Just as Miao Fei was about to leave, Miao Lu unexpectedly arrived, knocking loudly on the door. Miao Fei quickly placed the phone Xu He had given her into the bathroom before opening the door. Miao Lu confronted Miao Fei, demanding to know what had happened to their father, whose phone had been off for days without any word of his safety. Miao Lu inadvertently mentioned "National Security Bureau," causing Miao Fei to quickly cut her off.
Qiao Xichuan and Zhou Lian, who were monitoring the conversation, immediately realized this was a trap. Qiao Xichuan instructed Zhou Lian to quickly interfere with the signals at Miao Fei's house and remove any traces of their surveillance equipment once Miao Fei departed. Miao Fei had already sent a message to An Jing, explaining that she had hidden Xu He's phone in the bathroom, fearing Miao Lu might accidentally reveal their operation.
Despite the potential exposure, An Jing conveyed to Ma Shang that this was their only opportunity, and the operation would continue. Miao Fei arrived at Tiandu Mall and waited, but Xu He never appeared. Du Meng relayed this information to An Jing. Ma Shang and He Zixuan discussed the situation via video call, puzzling over why Xu He hadn't shown up.
Ma Shang suggested that cell phone monitoring had a limited range, and the problem likely stemmed from the conversation between Miao Fei and Miao Lu. An Jing and Ma Shang realized Miao Fei's home might have been monitored, and the other party would undoubtedly rush to erase any tracks. An Jing immediately instructed Du Meng to pick her up, and they sped towards Miao Fei's residence, speculating that the adversaries would be eager to remove their surveillance.
Indeed, Zhou Lian, equipped with a signal jammer, had already removed the monitoring devices from Miao Fei's house and departed. Qiao Xichuan, in turn, discarded the human skin mask he had been using as Xu He's disguise. Upon arriving at Miao Fei’s house, An Jing instructed Du Meng to retrieve footage from the community's surveillance cameras and called Section Chief Chen for technical personnel to sweep the premises. However, the technicians found no abnormal signals.
An Jing noted that with the heavy rain hindering outdoor CCTV visibility and lightning interfering with indoor cameras, it was difficult to determine if the systems had been tampered with or if any devices had been removed. As Xu He still hadn't appeared, Miao Fei was escorted safely back home. Feeling dejected, Miao Fei asked An Jing if she had lost her usefulness to the team.
An Jing reassured her, stating that she had never "used" her and appreciated her cooperation, despite the unexpected outcome. An Jing promised continued protection and inquired if Miao Fei had noticed any unusual activity in her home, such as rearranged items or fluctuating network signals. Miao Fei admitted she hadn't paid attention. An Jing explained that their team needed to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the house, so Miao Fei would need to stay elsewhere, suggesting her father's place.
Miao Fei then asked if she would be required to leave Dinghua once their collaboration concluded. Later, the entire task force felt disheartened by the failed operation. Some agents suspected that Miao Fei herself might have secretly warned Xu He, postulating that she could be a highly effective spy. However, Department Chief Song and Ma Shang urged them to base their conclusions on facts and evidence, suggesting they review their own vulnerabilities.
Ma Shang reiterated that their previous tests showed that Xu He could not have listened to Miao Fei and Miao Lu's conversation via cellphone. An Jing maintained her belief that Miao Fei's house was wiretapped, but conceded that the one-hour delay between Miao Lu’s visit and their arrival would have given the culprits sufficient time to remove any devices without leaving a trace, making it nearly impossible for their technical staff to confirm.
The poor visibility from the heavy rain and the lightning interference affecting CCTV footage further complicated their investigation. The team also considered the possibility that an internal spy within Dinghua, as previously mentioned by Miao Fei, could have notified Xu He.
