Storm Eye Episode 32 Recap
> Storm Eye Recap
Qiao Xichuan contacted his superior, Jeffrey, reporting that the National Security Bureau was tailing him and demanding that their purchasing activities cease immediately. Qiao argued that his mission was a success despite being tailed and assured Jeffrey that the minerals were fine. Jeffrey, while initially questioning Qiao's performance, promised to help him escape once the current case concluded. During this phone call, Du Meng and his team detected the signal but were unable to connect before the call ended.
Later, Jeffrey instructed another operative, "Bat," to continue their work, confirming that Qiao Xichuan had completed his part. Jeffrey warned Bat to be cautious, as the NSS might already be ahead of them, based on Qiao's report. An Jing and Ma Shang arrived in Binhai City and met with Zhang Li from the Binhai Municipal Bureau’s Investigation Section to get an update on the Fu Mengyao kidnapping case.
Zhang Li informed them that the kidnappers had thoroughly disinfected the car, likely destroying any DNA evidence. She revealed that a suspect named Wu Siwei, a habitual offender recently released from prison, had been identified by a distinctive necklace visible in toll booth surveillance footage, despite his disguise. However, despite using the Sky-Eye system, his current location remained unknown. An Jing and Ma Shang were granted access to inspect the car.
In Shuangqing, Du Meng and Department Chief Song interrogated Fu Dayong, who was deeply distressed about his daughter Fu Mengyao. He initially refused to cooperate, fearing that providing information would put Fu Mengyao in greater danger, believing the kidnappers would kill her if news of his cooperation leaked. Du Meng assured him that the detained ore meant Fu Mengyao’s life was not yet at risk and pressed him, asking what he would do if his daughter suffered harm.
Fu Dayong angrily declared he would go bankrupt to seek revenge, but Du Meng countered that he lacked the means or knowledge to do so, emphasizing that his only option would be lifelong regret if he didn’t cooperate. Department Chief Song further explained that sharing clues would increase the chances of Fu Mengyao’s rescue and help them apprehend all involved parties, ensuring her safety from future retaliation. Realizing his options, Fu Dayong named Yang Xun as the middleman.
Department Chief Song and Du Meng discussed the implications of Yang Xun's involvement. They recalled that Miao Fei had provided evidence of Yang Xun's misappropriation of funds from Dinghua, and the evidence was not forged. Department Chief Song raised concerns about Miao Fei's potential complicity, suggesting that Yang Xun's dismissal might have been a calculated move to cover his tracks and clear him of suspicion, part of a two or three-year long plan.
However, Du Meng argued against Miao Fei's involvement, citing An Jing and Ma Shang's consistent monitoring and testing of her, which had yielded no suspicious findings. Department Chief Song then questioned how Yang Xun, having seemingly cleared his name, could so quickly turn to an espionage organization. Du Meng explained Yang Xun's desperate situation after losing his career and facing significant debt, making him vulnerable to recruitment, even for illegal activities.
While acknowledging the leap from embezzlement to espionage, they agreed that apprehending Yang Xun was crucial to uncovering his recruiter. Department Chief Song instructed Du Meng to locate Yang Xun discreetly and await further orders for his arrest, emphasizing the importance of not alerting anyone, especially Miao Fei. An Jing and Ma Shang tracked Wu Siwei in Binhai. Ma Shang noted how straightforward the operation seemed, while An Jing grew increasingly suspicious, feeling their opponent was acting too foolishly.
Their surveillance was interrupted when a group of men, unrelated to the National Security Bureau, ambushed and attacked Wu Siwei. An Jing and Ma Shang immediately moved in, capturing Wu Siwei and the attackers. During the confrontation, Ma Shang instinctively shielded An Jing, who later told him that she would rather be injured herself than see him get hurt, leaving him momentarily surprised. It was discovered that the attackers were Wu Siwei's former prison enemies, a chance encounter.
Despite his capture, Wu Siwei refused to cooperate during interrogation, and his personal phone contained no relevant call records, suggesting he used a separate, specialized device. Back in Shuangqing, Department Chief Song and Du Meng confirmed that Yang Xun had suddenly repaid his debt to Dinghua two days prior, coincidentally on the same day Fu Dayong shipped his goods and Fu Mengyao was kidnapped. Meanwhile, in Binhai, An Jing had pulled a muscle during the arrest.
Ma Shang gently chided her impulsiveness, to which she retorted that she had to act to protect him, playfully implying he was "useless." An Jing also developed a cold, prompting Ma Shang to offer her cold medicine his mother had packed for him. This conversation led An Jing to ask about WiFi for a video call, sparking a realization for Ma Shang: a phone's saved WiFi signal data could map Wu Siwei's movements, even without direct call records.
When their analysis of Wu Siwei's phone revealed his frequent presence in prosperous city areas—an unlikely place for holding a hostage—An Jing astutely suggested checking the soles of his shoes. This confirmed her suspicion: the presence of a sewer smell indicated Fu Mengyao was likely held in the city's underground sewer system. Following this breakthrough, the Binhai Public Security's elite team successfully rescued Fu Mengyao and apprehended the remaining kidnappers. Simultaneously, Yang Xun was arrested and interrogated.
After initially denying involvement in the kidnapping and claiming ignorance about the forged mining document he provided, he eventually confessed that the person who recruited him was named He Ping. An Jing and Ma Shang returned to Shuangqing to brief Department Chief Song on the successful rescue of Fu Mengyao. Ma Shang reported that the kidnapper was Secretary Zhang, who had been accompanying Fu Mengyao abroad.
He Zixuan discovered that two hours after Fu Dayong sent his daughter, Secretary Zhang had exploited Fu Mengyao's reluctance to attend school, convinced her to turn off her phone, leave the airport, and then took her shopping in Binhai before holding her captive. An Jing noted that Fu Mengyao was made to lie to her father about already being in the UK.
Du Meng then reported on Yang Xun, stating that he maintained he was only acting to repay his Dinghua debts and denied knowledge of the kidnapping, though his cooperation did lead to the dismantling of an underground casino. Department Chief Song stressed that regardless of Yang Xun's denials, the forged mining document was sufficient for his arrest, and the priority now was to link his and Fu Dayong's confessions to Qiao Xichuan.
They noted that Fu Dayong and Yang Xun had only communicated with their contact by phone, and a fingerprint found on Fu Dayong's phone did not match Qiao Xichuan's. Ma Shang added that "He Ping," the person Yang Xun named, had a fake identity and disappeared after the incident. Du Meng proposed that Qiao Xichuan might have used a dual identity to contact Yang Xun, though they lacked concrete proof.
To resolve this, An Jing instructed He Zixuan to use the Sky-Eye system's gait recognition to compare video footage of Yang Xun meeting He Ping with Qiao Xichuan's movements at Dinghua. Separately, Du Meng noticed An Jing's muscle strain, playfully blaming Ma Shang for letting her get injured. An Jing then offered to send Du Meng for six months of training at the provincial department, recognizing his potential.
Du Meng, however, refused, expressing his desire to stay and work alongside her, citing their years of collaboration. He also reminded An Jing to maintain emotional control during Qiao Xichuan's eventual arrest, given the potential connection between Qiao Xichuan and her father's past case. Unbeknownst to the NSS, Jeffrey's operative, "Bat," infiltrated Qiao Xichuan's hotel. The NSS monitoring team observed a situation in Qiao Xichuan's room.
At this time, Bat, disguised as a room service attendant delivering dinner, entered Qiao Xichuan's room. Bat quickly strangled Qiao Xichuan and then moved his body to the bathroom, staging the scene to appear as a suicide. The NSS monitoring team, observing Qiao Xichuan's room from afar, noted only the brief entry and exit of a server and reported "all is normal," unaware of the murder.
Simultaneously, the gait recognition results came in, confirming that He Ping was indeed Qiao Xichuan. Upon receiving this crucial information, Department Chief Song immediately ordered An Jing to proceed with the arrest, emphasizing the need to ensure the target's safety. An Jing, unaware that Qiao Xichuan was already dead, commanded her teams to take action.
