Storm Eye Episode 39 Recap
> Storm Eye Recap
Bat confessed that an organization exists, as Qiao Xichuan had previously claimed, but he knew little about its inner workings or if Jeffrey was its ultimate leader. Director Song confirmed that their primary objective remained to apprehend Jeffrey. Recognizing that Cheng Lei might not succeed in luring Jeffrey to China, An Jing proposed an alternative plan. An Jing and Ma Shang proceeded to interrogate Qiao Xichuan again, pressing him about an incident that occurred ten years prior.
At that time, national policies on rare resources were tightening, and illegal transactions were under increased scrutiny. Qiao Xichuan’s partner was being monitored by the National Security Bureau. To help his partner escape, Qiao Xichuan hired a truck driver named Fan Dewei to crash into the National Security vehicle tracking them, promising to fund the treatment for Fan Dewei’s daughter’s leukemia as compensation.
However, Fan Dewei, consumed by fear, drank excessively, lost control of his truck, and fatally collided with National Security investigating officer An Wei. Qiao Xichuan admitted his involvement, stating he only intended for Fan Dewei to stop the vehicle, not cause a death, and could only offer an apology to the victim's family. Meanwhile, Cheng Lei contacted Jeffrey. Jeffrey warned him not to deceive him, stating he could both save and destroy him.
Cheng Lei then insisted that Jeffrey come in person to retrieve the data, reminding him of past successful evasions. Jeffrey refused, acknowledging the possibility of their conversation being monitored due to an interruption from a hotel staff member, and offered to send his best men instead. Director Song, upon hearing the details of this call, realized the situation was unfavorable and instructed An Jing and Ma Shang to persuade Qiao Xichuan to cooperate fully.
During the continued interrogation, An Jing directly accused Qiao Xichuan of being the true murderer, explaining that his seemingly flawless plan to protect his partner ultimately led to An Wei’s death and Fan Dewei’s family suffering a tragedy. She revealed that the Hermes Group, Qiao Xichuan's employer, rushed Fan Dewei’s daughter's surgery to silence him, using incompatible stem cells.
The young girl was subjected to prolonged agony from the rejection reaction before she died, making Qiao Xichuan indirectly responsible for her death. An Jing further exposed that the partner Qiao Xichuan went to such lengths to protect was later killed and thrown into the sea by a smuggling ship owner in a double-cross incident, another consequence of Qiao Xichuan’s misguided cleverness.
An Jing then brought up Zhou Lian, recalling how Zhou Lian used her last breath to send a warning message to Qiao Xichuan before her death. While Bat hadn't directly harmed her, his sudden appearance had terrified Zhou Lian, causing her to flee in a panic and get hit by a car while crossing the road. Qiao Xichuan confessed that Zhou Lian was not a professional spy but loved money too much, leading him to exploit her.
He admitted to repeatedly deceiving her with promises of withdrawal after "one last mission," which he himself didn't believe. An Jing then revealed her identity, stating that An Wei, the National Security officer who died ten years ago, was her father. She confronted Qiao Xichuan, arguing that he was no different from people like Bat or Jeffrey, his hands stained with the blood of many lives, including her father, Fan Dewei's daughter, his partner, and Zhou Lian.
Ma Shang further pushed Qiao Xichuan, who became emotionally distraught and finally agreed to help. Director Song then told Qiao Xichuan that his cooperation would not guarantee freedom or any other benefits, but it would offer him a chance to save his soul. Later, Ma Shang found An Jing deep in thought and without an appetite.
An Jing confessed that when she saw Qiao Xichuan in a coma at the hospital after his arrest, she had an urge to strangle him, yet today, facing her father's killer, she felt no anger. Ma Shang reassured her that this wasn't numbness but rather a sign that she was reconciling with herself.
He suggested that her decade-long torment wasn't about Qiao Xichuan, but about her own struggle to be strong enough to protect those around her, including her mother, colleagues, and Du Meng. Ma Shang acknowledged her pain and helplessness in the face of Du Meng's sacrifice, and her realization that she wasn't invincible. He urged her to accept that she had done her best, and that no one is perfect.
An Jing, realizing the truth in his words, managed a smile and playfully called Ma Shang the "worst psychologist." Meanwhile, Miao Fei and Miao Lu had a heart-to-heart talk by the sea. Miao Lu was still deeply unsettled by Cheng Lei’s actions and the memory of Du Meng, feeling traumatized and unwilling to fall in love again. Miao Fei comforted her sister, acknowledging that their capacity for endurance differed and that having a traumatic experience was normal.
She emphasized that compared to death, their current struggles were minor. Miao Fei expressed her inability to comprehend why some people trampled on lives for profit, while others sacrificed themselves for others. She concluded that while they couldn't understand everything, they could at least choose not to harm others and not to surrender to those who had wronged them.
With Qiao Xichuan's agreement, Director Song decided to use him to impersonate the head of the Hermes Group to pressure Jeffrey, given that Qiao Xichuan confirmed such a superior existed. To ensure the plan's success, they would monitor Qiao Xichuan closely. After some voice modulation adjustments, Qiao Xichuan, impersonating the Hermes head, made a call to Jeffrey. Jeffrey, visibly flustered, was ordered to retrieve the data within a week, or face severe consequences, with the implication of fatal retribution.
Jeffrey, panicking, agreed to the demand. The team concluded that Jeffrey had no reason to doubt the authenticity of the call and that Qiao Xichuan's performance was excellent. Soon after, Cheng Lei received an encrypted email from Jeffrey. Cheng Lei then called Jeffrey, instructing him to only communicate using this code and to await further messages.
The code proved complex to decipher, prompting Director Song to send the team to rest, but Ma Shang and An Jing suggested Qiao Xichuan likely knew the decoding method, as he had used similar codes in the past. Director Song agreed to consult him. Days passed with no unusual activity from Cheng Lei. Ma Shang personally went to Qiao Xichuan, who initially withheld the decryption method.
Ma Shang eventually deduced the core of the code involved using letters to the right and left of "plus" signs as valid information, with the rest being mere obstructions. With this, Jeffrey's message was decoded as "Coming soon. Get ready." Cheng Lei's reply was simply "05262013." Qiao Xichuan identified this as a date.
Ma Shang speculated that Cheng Lei and Jeffrey might have faced a similar situation on that date, and Cheng Lei was instructing Jeffrey to use the same escape plan from that time to help him flee. Director Song considered having Ma Shang impersonate Cheng Lei using a voice simulator to lure Jeffrey, but decided against it due to insufficient information about Jeffrey's appearance and the risk of him not showing up before meeting Cheng Lei. Director Song emphasized that while the mission must succeed, public safety and lives were paramount.
