Storm Eye Episode 37 Recap
> Storm Eye Recap
After An Jing left Miao Fei's room, Cheng Lei continued his call with Miao Fei, praising her performance. He assured her that he wouldn't harm Miao Lu if Miao Fei cooperated, explaining that he merely needed her to do something for him. He then instructed her to listen carefully, describing a device called a "data super-copier" in the package.
He explained its five-meter range and that she needed to activate it when Professor Zou unlocked the data, waiting for its instruction light to turn green. Cheng Lei promised to tell her the delivery method later before ending the call. Meanwhile, Cheng Lei woke Miao Lu, who was tied up. He apologized, reiterated that he wouldn't hurt her, and clarified he just wanted her sister to help him. Miao Lu, bewildered, asked him who he truly was.
Cheng Lei acknowledged her confusion, revealing that the person she knew as Cheng Lei was merely an identity he had assumed. He boasted about how long he had gone undetected at Dinghua and explained his plan to create the illusion that both he and Miao Lu had been kidnapped together, urging her to cooperate. When Miao Lu cried out for help, he violently silenced her and left.
At the crime scene, Du Meng reported to Department Chief Song that there were no surveillance cameras and, despite signs of a struggle near Cheng Lei's abandoned car, no evidence of a third party had been found yet. An Jing added that their team had lost sight of Cheng Lei and Miao Lu after being stuck in traffic.
Given the lack of information, Du Meng wondered if the perpetrator could be "Jeffrey," but they had no details on such a foreign individual. They concluded that the sole motive behind the kidnapping was to threaten Miao Fei, and the apparent abduction of Cheng Lei led them to believe their previous suspicions about him might have been wrong. However, An Jing reminded them that a listening device had been planted on Cheng Lei, of which the other party was unaware.
She suggested they could use this to track the perpetrator. Department Chief Song approved, instructing them to monitor Miao Fei closely, and Ma Shang agreed to communicate with her. An Jing and Ma Shang went to Miao Fei's room. An Jing sent a text message to Miao Fei's phone to ask if there were any surveillance devices in the room, to which Miao Fei pointed to a spot on the table.
After a quick check, they confirmed the room was secure. Miao Fei then revealed that the mysterious caller had given her a data copier and ordered her to copy data from Professor Zou's computer. She recounted that after An Jing had informed her about Miao Lu's kidnapping, the caller had mockingly asked, "How is it? You know that I'm not bluffing now, right?"
Following An Jing's departure from the room, he then explicitly warned her not to cooperate with the authorities and gave her instructions. Ma Shang found it highly unusual that the perpetrator continued to give instructions even after knowing the National Security Bureau was involved. An Jing determined that since the other party wanted the task to continue, they would follow this lead to apprehend him. Later, Miao Fei contacted Cheng Lei, confirming she had obtained the data.
However, she insisted on speaking with Miao Lu first. Cheng Lei refused, demanding she deliver the item to the assigned location before she could see her sister. Miao Fei questioned if he was afraid of being caught, pointing out that the National Security Bureau was aware of Miao Lu's kidnapping and would surely be following her. Cheng Lei dismissed her concerns, stating that her sister's life depended on her delivering the package.
Ma Shang became increasingly frustrated, feeling responsible for the "sleeper" constantly being one step ahead. He needed to re-evaluate the entire situation. Deep in thought, he considered how everyone seemed to be used by the true mastermind. He recalled Bat's statement about being a mere pawn and the Leader's confidence in his elaborate, failsafe plan involving Miao Fei and Miao Lu. Ma Shang realized that Cheng Lei was the sole beneficiary in many past incidents.
Cheng Lei's initial feigned reluctance to become Professor Zou's assistant, despite being the only one to gain from it, now struck Ma Shang as a calculated deception to divert suspicion. Even after becoming an assistant, Cheng Lei couldn't access the final data, prompting him to orchestrate a new plan. Ma Shang deduced that Cheng Lei had used Leader and Bat for what were essentially suicidal missions to eliminate threats to himself, ensuring he would be the ultimate victor.
He realized that Miao Fei's meeting with Leader was designed to lead to Leader's arrest, leaving Cheng Lei as the final winner. Miao Fei made a phone call, but the person on the other end hung up. An Jing received a report about this, making the caller's intentions unclear. Soon after, security forces moved in and arrested Leader. Meanwhile, at the International Science and Technology Exposition, Cheng Lei, in disguise, managed to successfully copy the data.
Ma Shang urgently contacted Department Chief Song, explaining his realization that Cheng Lei was the sleeper they had been searching for and that he had orchestrated everything. He requested to activate the Sky-Eye system to locate Cheng Lei. Ma Shang instructed Zixuan to search for Cheng Lei's location within an hour of the press conference, reasoning that Cheng Lei, after expending such efforts and betraying his partners, would not leave empty-handed.
Department Chief Song received an update from Director Qin that Qiao Xichuan had regained consciousness that afternoon and was being interrogated, which was good news. An Jing and Ma Shang quickly tracked Cheng Lei's vehicle. They found Cheng Lei's abandoned car, still warm, and An Jing deduced he had switched vehicles. Ma Shang theorized that Cheng Lei had deliberately allowed Leader to be caught, knowing he would confess, to create a time window for his escape.
Ruling out airports and train stations, they concluded he was likely heading for sea transport, as Danhe City was close to the sea. An Jing instructed Zixuan to monitor all surveillance cameras leading to Danpu Port. Zixuan soon confirmed that Cheng Lei was indeed heading towards the sea, on Buhe Road, fleeing towards Danpu Port.
Department Chief Song ordered all support teams to converge on Danpu Port and authorized An Jing and Ma Shang to intercept Cheng Lei's vehicle, despite not seeing any hostage, to prevent his escape, which could endanger Miao Lu. An Jing and Ma Shang pursued Cheng Lei's car. Cheng Lei, unwilling to surrender, attempted to escape, leading to a collision that badly damaged both vehicles. Ma Shang, injured from hitting his head against the car window, fell unconscious.
An Jing, disregarding her injured partner, immediately got out and chased Cheng Lei. Cheng Lei had already seized Miao Lu, holding her hostage. An Jing pointed her gun at him, demanding he release Miao Lu. Cheng Lei, unfazed, told her he held the advantage and ordered her to drop her weapon. For Miao Lu's safety, An Jing complied, placing her gun on the ground. Cheng Lei then instructed her to kick it towards him.
As he bent down to retrieve it, An Jing swiftly kicked the gun away and engaged him in hand-to-hand combat. During the struggle, Cheng Lei managed to throw An Jing to the ground, injuring her. Just then, Du Meng arrived as backup, pointing his gun at Cheng Lei and ordering him to surrender slowly with his hands on his head.
However, Cheng Lei, with a sudden burst of strength, pulled out a hidden weapon and ruthlessly stabbed Du Meng in the throat. Du Meng collapsed, bleeding profusely. An Jing, wounded, struggled to crawl towards him. As Cheng Lei raised his gun to shoot An Jing, Ma Shang, having regained consciousness, fired a shot that wounded Cheng Lei's arm, forcing him to flee.
An Jing reached Du Meng, who, in his dying moments, expressed his gratitude and his wish to continue following and working with her if he had more time. An Jing desperately pleaded with him to hold on, calling it an order. Ma Shang called Department Chief Song, reporting that Miao Lu had been rescued, Du Meng was severely wounded, and Cheng Lei had escaped.
Later, as Department Chief Song and Director Qin arrived, An Jing sat on the ground, overwhelmed with grief. The news soon came that Du Meng had passed away, causing both Ma Shang and An Jing to break down in tears. Director Qin, concerned about their emotional state, suggested transferring the case to the provincial authorities. However, Department Chief Song believed that An Jing, having previously overcome similar personal tragedies, possessed the mental fortitude to adjust.
He also vouched for Ma Shang's professionalism, arguing that removing them from the case now would be the greatest blow to them. Director Qin conceded, granting them one day to compose themselves. Meanwhile, Cheng Lei was seen in a public restroom, crudely tending to his arm wound.
