Storm Eye Episode 21 Recap
> Storm Eye Recap
After Zhou Lian got into a taxi, she sent a message to Qiao Xichuan, informing him that Miao Fei was already suspicious and that she might be under surveillance. Qiao Xichuan instructed her to execute a backup plan. Zhou Lian then took a long taxi ride, circling extensively before returning to her residence. Surveillance observed this, noting it was a clear indication of her suspicion. Qiao Xichuan was in a coffee shop nearby, and Bat had been secretly observing.
An Jing and Du Meng, seeing this, realized Zhou Lian was already suspicious. Du Meng questioned if they should apprehend her, but An Jing explained that without solid evidence, they couldn't, as Zhou Lian wouldn't confess, and interrogation wasn't always a guaranteed breakthrough. An Jing then suggested to Miao Fei, who was worried she might have revealed something, that she confront Zhou Lian directly.
An Jing reassured Miao Fei that she had performed well, and Miao Fei agreed to a showdown. Miao Fei was deeply distressed, recalling her initial friendship with Zhou Lian from their yoga class and how their relationship had become so complicated, making her feel heartbroken. Bat took out a set of professional equipment, seemingly ready for action. Miao Fei spent a night in agony, recalling her initial friendship with Zhou Lian and the deep trust she had placed in her.
She remembered An Jing's earlier revelations about Jia Changan's infidelity and his potential involvement in a smuggling case, and how Zhou Lian had sworn she would never betray her. Despite her distress, Miao Fei decided to confront Zhou Lian. She arrived at Zhou Lian’s Western restaurant with a stern expression, which visibly unsettled Zhou Lian, who then dismissed her staff.
Miao Fei immediately accused Zhou Lian of lying and of her "nasty activities" with Jia Changan, mentioning "disgusting photos" she had seen on a USB flash drive. Miao Fei expressed her profound sense of betrayal, having considered Zhou Lian her best friend. Zhou Lian attempted to explain, but Miao Fei revealed that her last visit was a test, a chance for Zhou Lian to confess, which she failed, instead speaking of sisterhood.
Miao Fei declared the end of their friendship and conveyed her intense hatred upon seeing the photos. She then mentioned a voice recorder she possessed but hadn't had the courage to listen to, fearing she'd hear something that would make her sick. Zhou Lian panicked at the mention of the recorder, pleading that she too was deceived by Jia Changan and begging Miao Fei to hand it over.
Miao Fei, with a cold expression, pulled away and exited the restaurant, leaving Zhou Lian calling after her. Zhou Lian, unable to contain herself, rushed out of the restaurant into the pouring rain. Du Meng observed her obtaining change and using a public phone booth to call Qiao Xichuan. She told him that Miao Fei had visited, confirming she had photos of Zhou Lian and Jia Changan, as well as a voice recorder that might contain evidence.
Qiao Xichuan quickly hung up and turned off his phone, preventing An Jing from pinpointing his location due to the short call duration. He then called Zhou Lian back, warning her that she was being watched and arranging to meet at their usual spot. Zhou Lian accelerated her pace through the rain, with Du Meng and Lao Liu covertly following. She grew increasingly paranoid, perceiving everyone around her as a police officer.
Suddenly, she inadvertently spotted Bat, who had been setting up surveillance equipment nearby, and panicked, attempting to flee in fright. In her haste, she was struck by a car in the street. Zhou Lian died from her injuries. Bat later reported to Jeffrey that Zhou Lian had been terminated, noting her unawareness of being exposed and her contact with Qiao Xichuan while under surveillance.
Jeffrey cautioned Bat to be wary of Qiao Xichuan's retaliation, given his close relationship with Zhou Lian, but Bat confidently dismissed the threat, assuring Jeffrey that Qiao Xichuan would not suspect him. Investigators discovered a final text message from Zhou Lian's phone, containing only the numbers "228," sent to an unregistered number. Back at the bureau after collecting evidence from Zhou Lian’s restaurant, Du Meng questioned why Zhou Lian had suddenly behaved so frantically.
An Jing showed him surveillance footage highlighting Zhou Lian’s evident fear upon seeing Bat, the individual who had been observed setting up equipment earlier. An Jing explained that the SkyEye system had failed to capture Bat's face from any angle, and gait recognition could not track him after he crossed the street. Meanwhile, Qiao Xichuan received a phone call confirming Zhou Lian’s autopsy report, which stated her death was an accidental traffic accident.
Jeffrey then called Qiao Xichuan, calmly informing him that he had "solved" his problem by eliminating Zhou Lian, claiming it was because she was under National Security's surveillance, thus preventing Qiao Xichuan's exposure. Qiao Xichuan was furious, stating that he and Zhou Lian were only interested in money, not in risking their lives. Jeffrey, unfazed, justified his actions by asserting that some lives are insignificant when billions in profit are at stake, especially if they are not their own.
He then offered Qiao Xichuan Zhou Lian's share of the materials modeling business and corresponding remuneration, which Qiao Xichuan, after a moment of contemplation, accepted. Bat meticulously left his hotel room without leaving any traces. The National Security team, including An Jing, was in a state of low morale. Ma Shang analyzed the "228" text message Zhou Lian sent before her death, suggesting it could be related to the phone's nine-key input method, potentially spelling "cat," "bat," or "act."
He posited this might point to the killer's identity, but they were still unable to definitively determine its meaning, and all clues seemed to have been broken. Du Meng offered a self-criticism to Director Qin and Department Chief Song for the failure to capture Zhou Lian. Director Qin, however, dismissed the self-criticism as unhelpful at this critical juncture, urging Du Meng to focus on future actions instead. Ma Shang found An Jing dejected, sitting alone.
He tried to comfort her by sharing a personal story of a past failure, emphasizing that even the most formidable enemies leave clues. An Jing, reflecting on her seven years of flawless work, expressed her current struggle to move forward. She then voiced her concern for Ma Shang's safety, as two lives had already been lost in the case. Ma Shang playfully reassured her that he wouldn't abandon her.
Meanwhile, Miao Fei was distraught over Zhou Lian's death, crying to her sister Miao Lu, who became very concerned about her well-being and later asked Ma Shang if there were problems with the company, as Miao Fei seemed to be on the verge of collapse. An Jing presented new findings: evidence confirmed Zhou Lian was the contact for Liu Baoqiang, proving her involvement in technology theft.
This was corroborated by traffic surveillance video and her rental of a car under a false identity, which aligned with the vehicle seen during their earlier monitoring of Liu Baoqiang. Furthermore, data recovered from Zhou Lian's personal computer revealed she was the actual controller of Changan Technology's "minority shares," making her not only a participant but likely one of the leading players in the ore smuggling case, and potentially even controlling Jia Changan.
An Jing theorized that the person behind Zhou Lian was likely not Xu He, as the informant who warned Zhou Lian and the murderer of Jia Changan seemed to be a younger or middle-aged individual, contrasting with Xu He's perceived limited mobility. Moreover, no one matching Xu He's description was seen during the surveillance of Zhou Lian's death.
She proposed a more extreme theory: Xu He, who had only been spotted once at Jia Changan's funeral and later at Miao Huanyang's hospital before vanishing without a trace, might be a younger male disguising himself as an old man. This could explain the inconsistencies in their observations of the "suddenly appearing and disappearing" individual(s).
Department Chief Song acknowledged that this hypothesis could explain many questions but stressed the need for concrete clues and clear objectives, suggesting they await further information from Ma Shang, hoping for a major breakthrough.
