Storm Eye Episode 20 Recap
> Storm Eye Recap
An Jing called Miao Fei to confirm if she had ever mentioned to anyone that Changan Science & Technology could obtain a C-type quota from Dinghua. Miao Fei was certain she had never spoken about it to anyone. Ma Shang was puzzled by how Zhou Lian might have known this information. The team re-examined surveillance footage from when Jia Changan died and discovered that his parking spot was directly outside Zhou Lian's restaurant.
This revelation made Zhou Lian their primary suspect. An Jing stated that while Zhou Lian was highly suspicious, they could not arrest her without substantive evidence. She then assigned Du Meng and Lao Liu to lead a 24-hour surveillance operation on Zhou Lian to prevent her from escaping and to monitor her social connections. An Jing emphasized that they needed to fully control Zhou Lian's daily activities, record anything suspicious, and avoid revealing themselves unless absolutely necessary for safety.
Meanwhile, Ma Shang noticed Du Meng's subdued demeanor and asked An Jing about their relationship, suggesting Du Meng might be pursuing her. An Jing dismissed it as trivial, but Ma Shang advised her to clarify things with Du Meng, warning that "a person who keeps digging a deep hole won't come out so easily." An Jing insisted there was nothing between them that needed explaining and told Ma Shang to focus on the case.
Overseas, a man named Jeffrey instructed a person he called "Bat," whose name was Bouchard Isabelle, to go to China. Jeffrey explained that Qiao Xichuan had been disobedient, and Bat was to "teach him a lesson." Jeffrey cautioned Bat not to underestimate China's National Security System (NSS), as they were already involved in the investigation. The next day, An Jing met Miao Fei, who quickly deduced that An Jing suspected Zhou Lian.
An Jing confirmed that Zhou Lian knew about Changan Science & Technology consistently receiving C-type quotas from Dinghua. An Jing clarified that it wasn't certain if Jia Changan had told her, as Zhou Lian might also know other high-level executives at Dinghua. Miao Fei then admitted that when An Jing had shown her a photo of Jia Changan's lover, her first impression was that the person looked like Zhou Lian.
However, she had dismissed it as a baseless thought, deceiving herself because she didn't want to believe it. An Jing empathized with Miao Fei, telling her that facing the truth was essential for a turning point, and that if someone in her life was wrong for her, whether in love or friendship, she should leave as soon as possible to find the right people. Miao Fei agreed, acknowledging her own weakness.
Du Meng and Lao Liu began their surveillance of Zhou Lian, observing her meticulously managing her restaurant. They listened in as she discussed the quality of a dish with her chef, focusing on customer feedback and making changes. Du Meng remarked that Zhou Lian appeared genuinely dedicated to her restaurant, suggesting it might not merely be a cover. At Dinghua, Ma Shang approached Pang Yishan, inquiring whether every part of Dinghua's upcoming medical device product had been patented.
Ma Shang, citing the previous R&D Archives incident, expressed concern about the risk of someone stealing cryptographic keys or technical files, which could lead to significant financial losses if competitors created imitations. He argued that it was crucial to investigate any potential document leaks. Pang Yishan found Ma Shang's reasoning valid and assigned him the task of investigating the matter, instructing Yu Haoran to cooperate.
Yu Haoran, who was present, appeared uneasy, particularly when Ma Shang confidently stated that data, even from obsolete hard drives, could still be restored. Yu Haoran tried to downplay the possibility of leaks from personal computers. An Jing and Du Meng met, both reporting no significant progress on the case. An Jing asked Du Meng why he had previously said that everyone else could help her but he couldn't.
Du Meng hesitantly explained that it was because she was his direct superior and someone he deeply admired. An Jing pointed out that their current dynamic was affecting their work and clarified that she had always considered him a friend, and there could be no other type of relationship between them. Du Meng said he understood and accepted this, but he still refused to accept the financial assistance An Jing had provided to his family.
An Jing reassured him by suggesting he consider it a loan without interest, which Du Meng eventually agreed to. He Zixuan and Ma Shang were relieved to see An Jing and Du Meng reconcile. He Zixuan later reviewed all surveillance videos and confirmed that while Zhou Lian had been active around Dinghua, she had never entered the building, as if deliberately avoiding suspicion.
His analysis using the SkyEye system did not identify anyone matching Zhou Lian's physical traits on the day of the incident. Furthermore, Zhou Lian's phone records for the past two months showed no contact with any other high-level executives at Dinghua, apart from Ma Shang himself, which Lao Liu humorously flagged as suspicious. Overall, Zhou Lian's daily routine was exceptionally simple, bordering on "too ordinary." Miao Fei visited Zhou Lian at her restaurant, where she was seeing off a customer.
Miao Fei scheduled a dinner at her home for Saturday and mentioned how busy she had been with work since Yang Xun left, realizing how much work he actually handled. Yang Xun met with Pang Yishan, desperately asking for help. He explained that despite selling his house and car and borrowing from all his friends, he was still 2 million yuan short of repaying the embezzled funds before the deadline, fearing Miao Fei would send him to jail.
Pang Yishan gave him a card containing only 100,000 yuan, telling Yang Xun that he had made a mistake and must bear the consequences himself. Pang Yishan then promptly left. Miao Lu bought Cheng Lei milk tea and persistently asked him to have dinner with her to thank him for helping her with data previously. Cheng Lei initially tried to decline but eventually accepted her invitation.
As they were talking, a drunken Yang Xun approached them, yelling insults and accusing them of having an affair. He then blamed Miao Fei, calling her a "bitch" who conspired with Ma Shang to ruin him, and physically assaulted Miao Lu. Cheng Lei immediately intervened, getting into a fight with Yang Xun. Ma Shang, who happened to be passing by, quickly stepped in and helped Cheng Lei subdue Yang Xun, bringing an end to the chaotic scene.
Bat, also known as Bouchard Isabelle, arrived in China and checked into a hotel. Upon entering her room, she thoroughly inspected it and remarked that it was "so dirty" before stating, with a knowing look, "Sometimes not clean is clean." On Saturday, Miao Fei invited Zhou Lian to her home for dinner. While Miao Fei was busy in the kitchen, she intentionally left some Dinghua R&D documents on the living room sofa.
Zhou Lian, sitting nearby, glanced towards the kitchen, then looked at the documents. Instead of picking them up to read, she deliberately used a throw blanket to cover them. An Jing and Du Meng, observing this via surveillance, were puzzled. They noted that a normal person would at least be curious enough to look at the documents, and Zhou Lian's action of covering them up clearly indicated that she had sensed danger.
