Storm Eye Episode 23 Recap
> Storm Eye Recap
Miao Lu enters Miao Fei's office without knocking, carrying a silk scarf that is Miao Fei's favorite brand. Miao Fei, annoyed, tells her to state her intentions directly instead of fawning. Miao Lu reveals she wants Miao Fei to help Cheng Lei be in charge of the final accounting for the company's current project, which is crucial for his selection as Professor Zou's assistant.
Miao Fei questions Miao Lu's intense interest in Cheng Lei, to which Miao Lu explains that Cheng Lei was kind to them, having been beaten by Yang Xun while protecting Miao Fei from trouble. Miao Fei agrees to try her best, acknowledging she doesn't want Pang Yishan's faction to dominate, but also knows they are difficult opponents. She then urges Miao Lu to leave quickly to avoid gossip.
During a meeting, Miao Fei proposes reassigning Yu Haoran to handle factory connections and letting Cheng Lei manage the data accounting. Pang Yishan immediately objects, arguing that such important work should go to a more experienced team like Yu Haoran's, not Cheng Lei's newer group. The dispute is cut short by Lin Xiaolan, who suggests discussing the matter further after the meeting.
In her office, Lin Xiaolan later confronts Miao Fei about an anonymous report regarding Cheng Lei and Miao Lu's close relationship. While dismissing it as a private matter, Lin Xiaolan expresses disappointment, questioning if Miao Fei is using this connection to promote Cheng Lei. Miao Fei denies it.
Lin Xiaolan acknowledges Pang Yishan's improper work behavior but warns Miao Fei that their continuous arguments could lead to both Yu Haoran and Cheng Lei being sidelined, leaving the critical accounting work undone. She advises Miao Fei, as Miao Huanyang's daughter, to adopt a long-term perspective and avoid internal conflicts, emphasizing that cooperation is the foundation of modern business. Miao Fei thanks her, stating she now understands what she needs to do.
Ma Shang briefs An Jing and Du Meng on the situation at Dinghua, confirming that Yu Haoran is still assigned to the project's final phase. An Jing questions why Ma Shang came in person for such a minor update instead of calling, to which he playfully replies he wanted to see her. Du Meng volunteers to stay behind to help He Zixuan analyze videos, secretly intending to discuss An Jing's father's case with Ma Shang.
Du Meng reports that their investigation into the drunk driver Fan Dewei, whose daughter received leukemia treatment, led to a significant clue. After Fan Dewei was imprisoned, a charitable organization, secretly backed by the Hermes Group, provided a free marrow transplant for his daughter. This was suspicious because Hermes, an energy company, was linked to energy smuggling—the very crime An Jing's father was investigating.
Du Meng theorizes that Hermes controlled this charitable organization long before formally acquiring it, using good people to further their illicit activities. Meanwhile, Yang Xun contacts "President He," who is actually Qiao Xichuan in disguise, to arrange a meeting and apologize for his previous conduct. Qiao Xichuan agrees. After the call, Qiao Xichuan, while planting a listening device on a car, discusses mineral updates and his plan to wait for Dinghua's next move regarding data manipulation.
Yang Xun meets "President He" and asks for a two-million-yuan loan to cover his company debts. Qiao Xichuan initially feigns reluctance but then agrees to help, taking Yang Xun to a gambling house. He introduces Yang Xun to Nanxi, the manager, and leaves under the pretense of meeting another friend, promising to return. Yang Xun gambles, loses all his money, and accrues a significant debt with the gambling house.
He desperately calls Qiao Xichuan, who arranges for Nanxi to grant him a week to pay, with the interest deducted from Qiao Xichuan's own account. However, Qiao Xichuan later privately tells Yang Xun that he has lost trust in him, refusing to cover any further interest and demanding immediate repayment, dismissing Yang Xun's attempts to leverage his knowledge of Dinghua. Miao Lu expresses her remorse to Cheng Lei for failing to secure his promotion.
Cheng Lei reassures her, saying he has accepted the decision and will simply focus on his work. Miao Lu criticizes Pang Yishan and expresses frustration with Lin Xiaolan's handling of the situation, prompting Cheng Lei to scold her for speaking ill of superiors in an open space and for her low emotional IQ. Cheng Lei then offers to treat Miao Lu to lunch.
Miao Lu suggests Zhou Lian's Western restaurant, but they discover it has been sealed by the Public Safety Bureau. Suggesting a Japanese restaurant, Miao Lu instinctively links arms with Cheng Lei, who doesn't notice until she becomes self-conscious. An Jing summons Ma Shang to the action station, knowing he stayed late the previous night to discuss her father's case with Du Meng. Ma Shang jokingly complains about having to make a special trip to see her.
In the car, An Jing directly asks about the progress in her father's case. Ma Shang reminds her of their agreement that she should not get involved to prevent her emotions from affecting their judgment. An Jing accepts this but shares her own discovery: a car was stolen from a parking lot near where Zhou Lian died, and it has not been recovered.
Ma Shang shares his intel that Pang Yishan is actively pushing for Yu Haoran to become Professor Zou's assistant, and Cheng Lei has given up. While he suspects Pang Yishan, he hasn't found any clear loopholes in his consistent behavior of promoting his own people. Ma Shang then plays a song in the car, reminding An Jing it was the song they used to announce their relationship in college, prompting a subtle smile from her.
An Jing and Du Meng investigate the stolen car. They find no non-family fingerprints on the vehicle, and only one hair sample that doesn't belong to the owner or his family. The steering wheel was wiped clean, and surveillance footage of the suspect shows him carefully concealing his identity, only putting down an umbrella after entering the car, which had anti-UV film. This suggests professional training.
Director Song suggests that the suspect might be "Bat," an Asian criminal known for concealing his identity, who rarely operates in East Asia. He decides to send the test results to Director Qin for more thorough matching and detailed information on "Bat." Later, Miao Lu visits Miao Fei again, remembering to knock this time. She asks about Zhou Lian's restaurant closure and inability to contact her.
Miao Fei claims she is also out of touch with Zhou Lian and speculates that Zhou Lian might be in a bad mood or unwell. She then shifts the conversation to Miao Lu's relationship with Cheng Lei, mentioning rumors that have reached Lin Xiaolan. Miao Lu denies dating Cheng Lei, blaming Yu Haoran for spreading gossip, and jokingly declares she would date Cheng Lei just to spite their rivals.
Cheng Lei attempts to help Yu Haoran's team with their overtime data verification, but Yu Haoran politely refuses, implying their different work styles might lead to errors that would disappoint "the chief." Miao Lu pulls Cheng Lei away, making a snide remark about Yu Haoran's good relationship with "the chief" and his success being due to "romance." Yu Haoran, in turn, generously offers to pay for his team's dinner and late-night snacks, earning their enthusiastic appreciation.
Yang Xun meets "Brother Yong," a mine owner, and tries to build a connection. Brother Yong asks Yang Xun, who studied overseas, for help in sending his high school daughter abroad to study. Yang Xun eagerly agrees, stating he knows people in the field and it wouldn't be difficult, though he implies associated fees and stresses the urgency due to the approaching semester.
An Jing receives a worried call from Uncle Wang, informing her that her mother's mood has deteriorated after he mentioned An Jing's father's case. An Jing requests leave from Director Song and rushes home. Upon arrival, Uncle Wang apologizes for his words. An Jing's mother has changed the door code and refuses to open the door while Uncle Wang is present.
After he leaves, she lets An Jing in, expressing her distress that no one believes her conviction that An Jing's father's death was not an accident. An Jing tries to comfort her mother, attributing her upset to Uncle Wang's insensitive remarks.
