The Silence of the Monster Episode 2 Recap
> The Silence of the Monster Recap
Emotionally distressed by the relentless harassment from a sasaeng fan, Su Xiaoyue found comfort in Sui Yi’s presence at her home. Su Xiaoyue's father called, his tone anything but warm, demanding she return home immediately. He chastised her for "dreaming of being a star," insisting that "the Su family won't have this fate," and accusing her of "making a scene on the news," which brought shame upon the family.
He declared he had found her a "decent job" as a "county kindergarten teacher." Su Xiaoyue, however, stood her ground, declaring, "I won't go back," despite her father's insistence on the connections he had leveraged. Meanwhile, He Chufeng and Luo Bin returned to Su Xiaoyue's apartment. After checking the surveillance footage, which only covered seven days and didn't capture Su Xiaoyue's actual house, they found no problem with the lock.
He Chufeng inquired if the room had been thoroughly searched, and Luo Bin confirmed he had searched but found nothing. Pondering the sasaeng's whereabouts, Luo Bin wondered if he had gone out, yet the surveillance showed no exit. He Chufeng then suggested they all go out for dinner to relax. Sui Yi, frustrated, confronted He Chufeng, pointing out that "the lock problem is still unsolved" and that as professionals, they should "take responsibility."
He Chufeng retorted that as a locksmith, he was "only responsible for my lock," and questioned if a break-in necessarily meant a faulty lock. He dismissed Su Xiaoyue's distress as "psychologically stressful" from being overworked. Sui Yi, exasperated, suggested calling the police, believing they couldn't rely on He Chufeng and Luo Bin. However, Su Xiaoyue decided against it and, agreeing to try He Chufeng's method one more time, booked a hotel suite.
Sui Yi, still worried, gave Su Xiaoyue her name card, offering her help anytime. Sui Yi confided in Su Xiaoyue, acknowledging the stark difference between her sparkling, carefree stage persona and her real-life struggles, expressing her wish for Su Xiaoyue to live a tranquil life without such burdens. Su Xiaoyue thanked her, moved by her sincerity. Later, Sui Yi's mother called, expressing concern for her unanswered calls and asking if she needed money. Sui Yi reassured her everything was fine.
She then asked her mother about lock stores located in fancy buildings rather than on the roadside, a detail her mother dismissed as nothing unusual. Back at their office, Luo Bin and He Chufeng were still trying to figure out where the sasaeng could have hidden and how he got in. He Chufeng remained adamant, asserting, "He must still be in the room." Luo Bin wondered why they couldn't find him then.
Sui Yi, in her role as an intern lawyer for Junhao Law Firm, was providing legal aid services in the community, alongside Chen Xiaoyuan, the community's newly regularized person in charge, and Jia Xiaoguo, a new police officer. As He Chufeng walked past, Chen Xiaoyuan excitedly pointed him out to Sui Yi and Jia Xiaoguo as one of the community's two handsome men. Sui Yi accurately guessed the other was Luo Bin.
Chen Xiaoyuan clarified that He Chufeng, a "great locksmith," was there to give a class. After the class, Chen Xiaoyuan formally introduced Sui Yi to "Mr. He, He Chufeng," suggesting Sui Yi visit his vintage shop. He Chufeng briefly acknowledged Sui Yi and then departed. The sasaeng fan eventually revealed himself when Su Xiaoyue's apartment was empty. He was caught talking to Su Xiaoyue's picture, stating he would wait for her at home.
He Chufeng, Luo Bin, and Sui Yi then confronted him, with He Chufeng announcing, "We're back." They apprehended the sasaeng, who attempted to lock the door, and took him to the police station. Su Xiaoyue's manager arrived at the police station, immediately scolding Sui Yi for Su Xiaoyue’s unannounced departure from an event, lamenting the "penalty" they faced and the number of shows they would have to perform to cover the losses.
Sui Yi passionately argued that her artist's "safety is in danger," a more pressing concern than contractual fees. The manager threatened to report Sui Yi to her senior, Mr. Zhou, for her handling of the situation, reiterating that Su Xiaoyue was a "public figure" and implying Sui Yi didn't understand the entertainment industry's rules. Sui Yi insisted that public figures, too, had a right to security.
The manager then attempted to persuade the police officer not to take the case to the station. At the police station, Sui Yi was infuriated by the online rumors and baseless speculations. She pressed He Chufeng and Luo Bin on how they were so certain the sasaeng had remained hidden in Su Xiaoyue’s apartment. He Chufeng confidently stated, "Because my lock can't be broken."
Luo Bin then elaborated on their deductions: Su Xiaoyue's room was spotless despite her hurried move, implying constant cleaning, and a wet towel was found in a dry room, indicating someone had showered recently. Combining this with He Chufeng’s lock being impenetrable and Su Xiaoyue living on the 46th floor, they concluded the sasaeng must have already been inside before He Chufeng changed the lock. Sui Yi found the details "disgusting."
When asked why they hadn't immediately apprehended him when they knew he was there, Luo Bin humorously claimed it was "to keep a suspense," like a detective's reveal. He Chufeng clarified that they had indeed checked under the bed, but the sasaeng had managed to flatten himself against the underside for half an hour, exceeding normal physical limits. They had initially overlooked this possibility, falling into a "cognitive bias" that no one would act so "abnormal" for "selfish desires."
Luo Bin further explained their strategy: they made the sasaeng believe Su Xiaoyue would return that night, prompting him to emerge from hiding, only to find himself locked in as Su Xiaoyue was secretly at a hotel. They waited until the next afternoon when Su Xiaoyue had an engagement because they knew the sasaeng would be "very vigilant" after their initial visit and more likely to "let his guard down" during her working hours.
Regarding the lock, He Chufeng revealed Su Xiaoyue "didn't set the password." Later, a police officer informed He Chufeng that the sasaeng had "finished his sentence" and advised He Chufeng to "be careful" as they weren't sure if he would seek revenge. After leaving the police station, He Chufeng and Luo Bin went for a late-night meal. There, they overheard Zhen discussing online rumors that "Su Xiaoyue was arrested."
Luo Bin clarified it was a "rumor," explaining that Su Xiaoyue was a victim who had called the police and gone to the Public Security Bureau to make a statement, a "normal procedure." He criticized the internet's "wild speculations and non-objective emotional remarks." Luo Bin noted that Sui Yi was "in big trouble" for causing "a lot of trouble to her client."
Indeed, Sui Yi was being reprimanded by Mr. Zhou for acting on "impulsiveness" without a proper strategy, causing everyone to be "caught up." She was subsequently removed from the case due to her fan status, deemed "inappropriate" for involvement. Sui Yi questioned whether she was "really wrong." Later, Sui Yi called Chen Xiaoyuan, revealing she had forgotten her keys and was locked out of her apartment.
Chen Xiaoyuan suggested asking He Chufeng for help, but Sui Yi declined, preferring to "figure it out myself." He Chufeng, having overheard their conversation, found Sui Yi waiting at her door. He opened her lock, which took him "four seconds at most," even though he claimed such locks could be opened in "six seconds." Sui Yi thanked him and apologized for her previous "misunderstanding." He Chufeng then borrowed her phone to add his WeChat, formally introducing himself as He Chufeng.
Puzzled by how "easily" Sui Yi's lock had opened, He Chufeng wondered if it was "the same as what happened to Su Xiaoyue." He returned to Sui Yi's apartment, despite her belief that she was not a "big star like Xiaoyue" and nothing would happen to her. She also mentioned that her landlord, though scary, was nice and had left her new furniture. He Chufeng then discovered a hidden, advanced "pinhole camera" disguised within a painting.
He explained its sophisticated features, including a passive infrared motion detector and 4K resolution, which was not a common commercial item. When Sui Yi asked about a memory card, He Chufeng revealed that this type of camera used "real-time transmission signal," meaning "live streaming." Sui Yi was horrified, realizing her life for the past "few months" had been "live-streamed." Overwhelmed and crying, she muttered that "a disaster doesn't just happen," to which He Chufeng firmly stated, "Let's call the police."
