Storm Eye Episode 22 Recap
> Storm Eye Recap
Ma Shang secretly entered Dinghua and discovered that Yu Haoran's computer hard drive had been newly replaced. He later shared this information with An Jing, Du Meng, and Zixuan, explaining that he had suggested re-investigating the Dinghua network virus to determine which documents were leaked. He found that all computers in the R&D department had hard drive usage records over a year old, except for Yu Haoran's, which only had a few days of records.
This change occurred on the same day Ma Shang submitted his application for the network virus investigation. Ma Shang noted that R&D department regulations require an application to the IT department for hardware replacement, but Yu Haoran had no such record. This indicated Yu Haoran had a guilty conscience and had likely replaced the hard drive to conceal sensitive information, suggesting a significant data leak. Du Meng added that the critical question was whether the information was intentionally distributed.
An Jing revealed that Department Chief Song believed approval for comprehensive surveillance of Yu Haoran might not be granted. Du Meng questioned why, given Yu Haoran's obvious guilty conscience. An Jing clarified that without concrete evidence of deliberate information leakage or knowledge of what information was compromised, Yu Haoran’s action might merely be seen as covering up a work violation, not a crime.
Du Meng worried they would miss vital clues without monitoring his calls, but An Jing insisted they must follow existing protocols and gather more evidence to secure surveillance approval. Yu Haoran left Dinghua early, and National Security agents followed him to a bar, where he met Yang Xun. An Jing, listening in, heard Yang Xun, visibly upset with Pang Yishan, ask Yu Haoran for a two million loan.
Yu Haoran, however, suggested Yang Xun sell his house, remarking that starting over was not a big deal for a capable man. He implied he could not provide such a sum and that selling the house was a more practical solution than a risky mortgage loan. Yang Xun, realizing Yu Haoran would not help, angrily accused him of being as morally bankrupt as Pang Yishan and dismissed him.
Yu Haoran then advised Yang Xun to reflect on his situation, stating, "Heaven helps those who help themselves," before leaving. An Jing instructed the agents to continue monitoring Yang Xun until he left the bar, while Yu Haoran returned to the office to work overtime. Du Meng volunteered to track Yu Haoran over the upcoming weekend, which was approved. Later that evening, Ma Shang brought his mother’s homemade food to the office for the team.
An Jing pulled Ma Shang aside to speak privately, much to Du Meng’s playful annoyance. An Jing revealed she had arranged to have lunch with Ma Shang’s mother the following day. Ma Shang was surprised and asked if his mother had been pressuring her. An Jing denied it, saying his mother was quite endearing and constantly sent caring messages.
She acknowledged that at their age, parents often need to be "coaxed" like children and assured Ma Shang she could handle his mother, even suggesting Ma Shang might not need to attend. Ma Shang, knowing his mother's personality, insisted on being there. An Jing confirmed the restaurant was safe and playfully mentioned that his mother had been sending her childhood photos of Ma Shang and sharing embarrassing stories about his adolescence, much to Ma Shang’s chagrin.
He nervously pressed her for details. Separately, Miao Lu called Cheng Lei and invited him to see a movie the next day, stating she had two tickets. Cheng Lei initially demurred, claiming he rarely watched movies, but Miao Lu insisted he needed a break, and he eventually agreed. The next day, Ma Shang picked up his mother, who had meticulously dressed for the lunch, while Ma Shang himself was more casually attired.
His mother expressed disappointment in his appearance for such an "important occasion," but he reassured her that her own "brilliant" look was sufficient. On the way, Ma Shang spotted Cheng Lei waiting outside a movie theater and stopped to greet him. Cheng Lei looked surprised to see Ma Shang. Ma Shang quickly deduced that Cheng Lei was waiting for Miao Lu.
Cheng Lei, embarrassed, clarified that Miao Lu had invited him to the movie as a thank you and pleaded with Ma Shang not to mention it at the office. Ma Shang promised to keep it a secret, jokingly taking credit for their budding romance.
At the cinema, Miao Lu asked Cheng Lei about the competition to become Professor Zou's assistant, offering to use her sister's connections to help him, emphasizing that connections matter as much as capability when qualifications are similar. Cheng Lei, however, felt the favor was too significant, especially since he believed their movie outing had already settled any debt of gratitude from the Yang Xun incident. Miao Lu, flustered, quickly turned the conversation to the movie, which had just begun.
Meanwhile, at the restaurant, Ma Shang’s mother and An Jing’s mother met warmly. Ma Shang’s mother inquired if An Jing’s mother liked the gifts "our little pony" (Ma Shang) had sent when she was discharged from the hospital, revealing that Ma Shang was the one who bought them, contrary to An Jing’s earlier suggestion that a colleague had done so. Ma Shang then explained he had bought calming tea and a sleeping pillow.
Ma Shang’s mother then proudly mentioned that Ma Shang worked at Dinghua as a human resources manager, "always working late." An Jing’s mother was impressed by his executive position and his good looks, then wondered why both Ma Shang and An Jing, despite their excellent qualities, were still unmarried. Both mothers began to subtly push for a match between them. An Jing tried to change the subject as her mother emphasized the wisdom of elders.
Suddenly, An Jing received a call from Du Meng, who reported that Yu Haoran had received an envelope from an unidentified man, suggesting a potential transaction. An Jing quickly prepared to leave, apologizing to the mothers for the interruption. Ma Shang’s mother urged Ma Shang to escort An Jing out. As Ma Shang walked An Jing to her car, he asked about the situation, expressing confidence in Du Meng’s handling of it.
An Jing, however, worried aloud about the possibility of another "headache" lunch, to which Ma Shang jokingly replied that it was good for future in-laws to get along, prompting An Jing to playfully scold him for taking advantage. Ma Shang, feigning seriousness, claimed he was "sacrificing everything for the mission." Yu Haoran was tracked to the vicinity of Professor Zou's house. Lao Liu, recalling recent violent incidents, suggested intercepting him.
However, Du Meng calmly refused, explaining that their primary mission was to find suspicious points in Yu Haoran's behavior, not to act based on assumptions. He noted they didn’t know what was in the envelope, and a meeting between colleagues was normal. Du Meng stressed that they couldn't be overly cautious due to past events nor refuse necessary risks.
He instructed Wang Zuo to take over surveillance at Professor Zou's home, ensure their conversation was recorded, and intervene immediately if Professor Zou’s safety was threatened. Yu Haoran met Professor Zou, presenting him with an envelope containing highly sought-after tickets to a music opera. Yu Haoran explained a friend at the City Opera House had helped him obtain them, remembering Professor Zou's love for operas.
Professor Zou was delighted and offered to pay, but Yu Haoran politely refused, stating it was a small gesture of appreciation for Professor Zou's guidance at work. Yu Haoran then left, declining an invitation to stay for dinner, claiming he had to work overtime. An Jing later arrived and was briefed on the situation, but signal issues prevented direct listening to the conversation. Zixuan, Ma Shang, and Du Meng reviewed surveillance footage of Zhou Lian’s last movements.
Zixuan reported a significant new clue: a man with an umbrella had been following Zhou Lian after she crossed Deyang Walking Street, appearing for the last time at a surveillance blind spot on Youyi Road, where she was killed, before vanishing from the SkyEye system. An Jing suggested he might have escaped by car or entered a nearby shop.
Zixuan noted that no camera captured his face, likely due to the umbrella, and the SkyEye system couldn’t track his gait, implying he altered it. His common attire and unremarkable physique made him indistinguishable in the crowded area. An Jing observed that their focus had initially been solely on Zhou Lian's movements. She then instructed them to investigate if any vehicles were reported stolen in the vicinity that day.
Following this, An Jing abruptly asked Ma Shang about the earlier business lunch. Ma Shang, caught off guard, dramatically described the situation as "grim" and the "operation too well run," claiming he was "completely surprised" and did his best. An Jing playfully called him an "idiot" and told him to "make himself useful," all while Du Meng and Zixuan watched, amused by their open flirting.
That night, a heavily drunk Yang Xun, still at the bar lamenting that everyone looked down on him, was approached by a bearded man. The man introduced himself as the CEO of Xingchuang Science and Technology, gave Yang Xun his business card, and claimed to be in business discussions with Dinghua. He subtly expressed interest in learning about Dinghua’s competitors and invited Yang Xun for a private conversation, promising to divulge everything he knew.
At Dinghua, Pang Yishan confronted Yu Haoran and Cheng Lei about the R&D department's weekly report, noting that data calculation was "slower than expected." Yu Haoran explained that he and Cheng Lei used different calculation methods in their respective groups, which caused delays when trying to merge the data. Pang Yishan then visited Professor Zou, explaining that the differing calculation methods by Cheng Lei and Yu Haoran were affecting efficiency and delaying work.
He proposed assigning the final data calculation to a single group and recommended Yu Haoran's team, praising their maturity, outstanding performance, and Yu Haoran’s immediate willingness to take charge. Professor Zou, recalling Yu Haoran's recent gift of opera tickets, agreed to let Yu Haoran handle the calculations. Outside, Cheng Lei, Miao Lu, and Ma Shang discussed this development.
Miao Lu expressed outrage that Cheng Lei's work would be taken over by Yu Haoran, suspecting Pang Yishan's motives were not purely technical but aimed at securing the assistant position for Yu Haoran. Miao Lu declared her intention to speak with her sister, Miao Fei, to intervene. Cheng Lei, however, urged her not to, arguing that Professor Zou had already approved the decision, and her intervention would only escalate the conflict without changing the outcome. Ma Shang, observing their conversation, remarked to himself that Miao Lu seemed to genuinely like Cheng Lei and questioned Cheng Lei's conscience, reminding him of Miao Lu's past help.
