Storm Eye Episode 17 Recap
> Storm Eye Recap
Miao Fei unexpectedly arrived at Zhou Lian's restaurant late at night, claiming she was hungry, which surprised Zhou Lian. While Zhou Lian prepared some food, Miao Fei asked for wine and drank a glass quickly. Zhou Lian noted Miao Fei's strange demeanor as Miao Fei reminisced about their first meeting in a yoga class, back when Zhou Lian’s restaurant was still under decoration.
Miao Fei poured them more wine and expressed her deep envy for Zhou Lian's independence, highlighting how Zhou Lian had built her career in the city without relying on anyone. In contrast, Miao Fei felt she had always relied on either her father, Miao Huanyang, or Jia Changan, at least emotionally. She mused that with her father retired and Jia Changan dead, she felt suddenly adrift.
Miao Fei then recalled that when Jia Changan was pursuing her, his eyes seemed to be on Zhou Lian during their shared meals, wondering if Zhou Lian was the one he truly liked. Zhou Lian quickly denied this, stating she had always maintained her distance from Jia Changan. Miao Fei then spoke about Jia Changan claiming to love her yet having another woman outside, and asked Zhou Lian if she would ever betray her.
Zhou Lian firmly promised she never would. Outside, An Jing and Du Meng were monitoring the conversation from their car. An Jing concluded that Miao Fei clearly suspected Zhou Lian and Jia Changan’s relationship, marking the start of a conflict between the two women. Du Meng suggested applying pressure to Zhou Lian, but An Jing believed Miao Fei’s emotional pressure was more effective.
She decided they should wait for Zhou Lian to reveal any missteps, noting that this might eventually lead them to their true target. Later, Ma Shang met Du Meng to discuss an investigative mission. He informed Du Meng that he had already obtained approval from Director Song to investigate the incident involving An Jing's father ten years ago, and An Jing herself would need to recuse herself from this task.
Ma Shang explained that recent cases provided clues linking them to the decade-old matter, suggesting a new approach might yield results. Du Meng seemed surprised that An Jing had personally confided in Ma Shang about her family issues, noting her apparent trust in him. Ma Shang openly admitted his feelings for An Jing, stating he did not want to see her in pain anymore.
He acknowledged that her father's unresolved case had been a long-standing emotional burden for both An Jing and her mother, and finding the truth would finally bring them peace. Du Meng, sharing the same concern for An Jing's well-being, agreed to partner with Ma Shang. At a company meeting, Pang Yishan announced that the R&D department's Archives Room door had been left open and surveillance videos damaged.
He then pointed out that Miao Fei was the last authorized person to leave the archive room that day, implicitly accusing her. Ma Shang interjected, asking for video evidence of Miao Fei entering the room, which Pang Yishan couldn't immediately provide. President Lin then clarified the situation, revealing that the actual secret thief was Wu Miao, a research assistant, who had been selling company data.
After a brief discussion about the company's response, Professor Zou advocated for publicly announcing Wu Miao's actions to deter future corporate espionage. Following the meeting, a distraught Miao Fei, reflecting on her father Miao Huanyang's past, wept in her office. She then confronted Yang Xun, angrily demanding an overdue expense report. Shortly after, Ma Shang spoke with Yang Xun, who complained that Miao Fei was taking out her frustrations on him.
Yang Xun also mentioned that Cheng Lei was the first to discover the Archives Room issue. Ma Shang then sought out Cheng Lei, who was complaining about being scolded by Professor Zou despite his discovery. Miao Fei called her sister, Miao Lu, home for dinner to share difficult news. She tearfully revealed that their father, Miao Huanyang, had been arrested by National Security for past illegal activities and was now acting as a "tainted witness" to redeem himself.
Miao Lu was shocked and immediately worried about Miao Fei's involvement. Miao Fei assured her she was not implicated and urged Miao Lu to focus on her studies and career, not to worry their father. During a separate conversation, Cheng Lei told Ma Shang that Pang Yishan was determined to force Miao Fei out of Dinghua.
He explained that despite being the only Miao family member left, Miao Fei, as an executive director, wielded significant power, more than Ma Shang might realize. Cheng Lei then directly asked Ma Shang if he had feelings for Miao Fei, noting how often Ma Shang came to her defense. Ma Shang denied it, insisting his interactions were strictly professional, but Cheng Lei remained unconvinced, citing Ma Shang's intervention at the recent meeting.
Later that night, Ma Shang and Cheng Lei were drinking. Cheng Lei helped a seemingly inebriated Ma Shang into a taxi. However, Ma Shang, though smelling of alcohol, was clear-headed, having been gathering information. The next morning, Ma Shang debriefed Director Song. He reported that he found nothing suspicious about Cheng Lei and questioned why Cheng Lei would have exposed the archives theft if he were involved. He also noted that Miao Fei's tenure at Dinghua might be short-lived.
Ma Shang informed Director Song that An Jing's two interrogations of Wu Miao yielded no new information, and he believed Wu Miao was telling the truth. During this debriefing, Ma Shang also inquired about An Jing’s mother, who was recovering well, and he and Director Song discussed the challenges of investigating the ten-year-old case of An Jing’s father. The next morning, Ma Shang arrived at work to find a stack of resignation letters.
Miao Fei visited him to thank him for defending her during the meeting and requested copies of the resignation letters. Ma Shang then mentioned that Miao Lu had applied for a technical position at Dinghua. Miao Fei asked Ma Shang to reject her sister's application, stating she didn't want Miao Lu to join the company at this time. An Jing and Du Meng later met with Miao Fei for further questioning.
An Jing directly asked if Miao Fei suspected Zhou Lian and Jia Changan of having an affair. Miao Fei denied it, stating she couldn’t treat a friend as a suspect based solely on her personal doubts, though she admitted to having her own suspicions privately. An Jing expressed understanding, acknowledging that people often avoid confronting such truths to preserve friendships.
The agents then shifted their focus to Yang Xun, but Miao Fei insisted that while Yang Xun was not always agreeable in the workplace, he was not a person capable of deeply concealing his true intentions, and she had always been aware of his minor schemes. She also pointed out that the person who approached Jia Changan was a woman. Du Meng then revealed that they had found a large sum of unexplained money in Yang Xun's bank account.
They asked Miao Fei to use her position to discreetly investigate Yang Xun's financial sources and his social connections within Dinghua, as an overt investigation by them would alert him. Miao Fei agreed to help. She also asked about Xu He, worried for her own safety since he hadn't contacted her. An Jing reassured her that she would be under continuous protection until the case was closed.
Miao Fei also asked about her father, Miao Huanyang, and An Jing confirmed he was safe under witness protection. Miao Fei then handed An Jing the copies of the resignation letters she had received from Ma Shang, suggesting that some of these departing employees might be connected to Wu Miao. She vowed to cooperate fully to catch the culprits and protect Dinghua, her father's legacy.
Du Meng later complained to An Jing about Ma Shang's seemingly ineffective presence at Dinghua, implying he was unproductive. An Jing countered that everyone had different roles, and Ma Shang had played crucial roles, such as proposing data isolation measures, identifying inconsistencies in Miao Fei's actions, and guiding them to capture Wu Miao. Later, Miao Lu confronted Miao Fei at home, demanding to know why her job application to Dinghua had been rejected.
Miao Fei admitted to arranging it, stating that Miao Lu could not join Dinghua at this time. Miao Lu accused her sister of abusing her power, insisting she was only seeking a job based on her own abilities and had no interest in workplace politics. Miao Fei, however, stood firm, declaring the matter non-negotiable.
