Storm Eye Episode 35 Recap
> Storm Eye Recap
Du Meng was rushed to the hospital after suffering a severe head injury. The doctor informed the team that while no serious internal injuries were found, his head trauma was significant, and he might not regain consciousness. If surgery became necessary, his family would be notified. An Jing quickly contacted Ma Shang to relay the news, and Ma Shang promised to find time to visit Du Meng.
An Jing then arranged for Du Meng's sister, Du Ling, to be contacted, instructing the team not to inform their mother due to her frail health. Meanwhile, Cheng Lei unexpectedly visited Ma Shang at his home. They had dinner, during which Cheng Lei apologized for his previous harsh words, and Ma Shang graciously accepted his apology, stating that he understood how Cheng Lei felt and had not taken it to heart.
Later, at the hospital, Du Ling cried by Du Meng's bedside, speaking to her mother on the phone and reassuring her of Du Meng's well-being, while concealing the true extent of his condition. She expressed regret to An Jing about her inability to help her brother financially, especially as he planned to bring their mother to Shuangqing for treatment. As An Jing comforted Du Ling, Du Meng weakly spoke, startling everyone.
An Jing playfully chastised him, noting his deep-seated pride, suggesting he only woke up because they were talking about his family. Cheng Lei, still at dinner with Ma Shang, inquired about his plans after resigning. Ma Shang revealed his intention to return to Beijing and work as a headhunter, mentioning a company that had offered him a director position with good pay. Cheng Lei expressed his approval of Beijing as a place with more opportunities.
When Cheng Lei offered to see him off, Ma Shang replied he would be leaving the day after tomorrow morning and that it wasn't necessary. Cheng Lei then mentioned that since he knew where Ma Shang’s family lived, he would visit Ma Shang’s parents on weekends, as they were getting older. Ma Shang quickly dismissed the idea, assuring Cheng Lei that his parents were in good health and had relatives in Shuangqing to care for them.
That night, An Jing sent Du Ling home. In the hospital corridor, she spotted Ma Shang, who had come late to check on Du Meng, clearly still worried. Inside Du Meng's room, Ma Shang teased him about his lack of flowers or fruits for a hospital visit. Ma Shang then admonished Du Meng for being reckless during his last mission, stressing the need for better evacuation plans in the future.
Du Meng, in turn, probed about Ma Shang and An Jing's relationship, then jokingly told Ma Shang that if they were together, he must always let An Jing bully him and never bully her back. An Jing, listening from outside the room, smiled at their banter. On the way back, Ma Shang shared his suspicions with An Jing about Cheng Lei’s probing questions, believing Cheng Lei was trying to uncover his next moves.
Despite Cheng Lei being the least suspected at Dinghua, he was still a person of interest due to his proximity to the core technology, second only to Professor Zou, especially after so many incidents at Dinghua and his relationship with Miao Lu. To test Cheng Lei, Ma Shang proposed a setup. He had only told his parents, An Jing, and Cheng Lei that he would return to Beijing the day after tomorrow morning.
Ma Shang asked An Jing to have a team follow him to the airport that day to see if anyone else was tracking him. An Jing readily agreed. The next morning, Ma Shang packed his belongings. His father brought him his favorite baked potatoes that his mother had specially prepared. His mother had cooked a large feast, continuously serving him food, concerned about his well-being but supportive of his work, urging him to prioritize safety.
Ma Shang, in turn, expressed his worries about his parents, cautioning his father against personally delivering goods and his mother against being overly brave in her security assistant role. With worried eyes, his parents saw him off as he left for the airport. An Jing's team monitored Ma Shang’s journey. Cheng Lei did not appear and no suspicious vehicles followed. Ma Shang did not board the plane; instead, a decoy in identical clothing did.
Ma Shang returned to a yacht, where he would be staying with He Zixuan. An Jing remarked that Ma Shang might be overthinking things, but he insisted that caution was always wise. The hair DNA and fingerprints Du Meng had retrieved definitively proved that Bat was present at the crime scene. Ma Shang instructed Du Meng to continue resting, stating that the Dinghua project would be completed that month, marking the time for their "final battle with our real enemy."
Meanwhile, Jeffrey met with Lide, who was aware of Jeffrey’s involvement with Hermes and the Chinese government's pressure on the organization. Jeffrey offered Lide double the pay for his loyalty, assigning him the task of assisting Cheng Lei in China. Cheng Lei and Miao Lu dined together. Cheng Lei expressed frustration about not fully understanding the core technical principles of the project despite his role as Professor Zou's special assistant, feeling the company had intentionally withheld information.
Miao Lu tried to comfort him, suggesting that the public would only care about his title and not the extent of his involvement. The following day, Miao Fei informed Miao Lu that Cheng Lei was not on the list of personnel accompanying the press conference in Danhe, advising her to console him. Miao Lu reacted angrily, emphasizing Cheng Lei's significant contributions. Miao Fei explained that the list was based on National Security's recommendations and the Danhe operation was critical.
An Jing received an alert confirming Bat had booked a ticket to Danhe, solidifying their certainty that the opposing side would make a move. Qin Hall declared the mission's primary objective was to lure out the sleeper. Despite being excluded from the official list, Cheng Lei decided to travel to Danhe with Miao Lu, framing it as a leisurely trip.
Upon arriving in Danhe, National Security personnel confirmed the presence of unauthorized monitoring equipment at both the venue and the hotel, indicating the enemy’s activities had begun. Security personnel thoroughly checked Professor Zou’s room and assured him of round-the-clock protection. Ma Shang, acting as a headhunting company director, visited Professor Zou, offering him a job if he ever wished to change careers, which Professor Zou politely declined. An Jing then instructed Ma Shang to bring Miao Fei to a meeting.
As Cheng Lei and Miao Lu checked into their hotel, Cheng Lei spotted Lide. He quickly made an excuse about being hungry and sent Miao Lu ahead to check in. Cheng Lei then met Lide in the bathroom. Cheng Lei confronted Lide, believing his and Bat's presence would disrupt his own plans, seeing them as expendable assets Jeffrey was willing to sacrifice, much like Zhou Lian and Qiao Xichuan.
Lide delivered Jeffrey's ultimatum, stating it was Cheng Lei’s last chance, and revealed that Bat was currently installing cameras in the hotel. Cheng Lei, making it clear he was not a fool to be sacrificed, agreed to cooperate but demanded that Lide hand over the retrieved item to him immediately once the mission was accomplished.
An Jing reported that Bat's abnormal behavior led them to discover he had hijacked the venue's surveillance system and installed audio monitors in the hotel rooms. To counter this without alerting Bat, they planned to notify venue security to change monitoring routes and move Professor Zou to a different room. Ma Shang noted Bat's seemingly reckless actions, which An Jing suggested could be a diversion for the hidden sleeper. Du Meng then informed Miao Fei that her sister, Miao Lu, was also in Danhe, much to Miao Fei’s surprise.
