Stealth Walker Review

Frankly speaking, I watched Stealth Walker (玫瑰行者) because of Zheng Ye Cheng as well as to get away from an overdose of romance dramas of late. After watching You Are My Glory, I think I need a break to recover from the sweetness of the YangDi couple! As for Zheng Ye Cheng, the last drama that I watched with him as the male lead was The Sleepless Princess. So, it has been quite some time and I thought I should give this crime thriller a go to check out his performance in a very different role. Below is my Stealth Walker review to give you an overall take on this drama.

My rating: 8/10
Episodes: 24
Type: Crime
Aired: August 2021
Images Credit: Youku

The Cast Of Stealth Walker

• Lin Peng as Lin Qiang / Wang Qian
• Zheng Ye Cheng as Zhang Xian He
• Li Zi Feng as Cheng Jing Song
• Wang Zhi Gang as Vice Captain Cao Yong Ming
• Sun Yan Xiang as Wang Sheng De / Ah De
• Luo Kang as Qiu Hu
• Vanessa Cai Die as Chu Jiao Jiao
• Josephine Yu Si Lu as Hong Jie

Main Characters

Lin Qiang / Wang Qian

Lin Qiang is an orphan who grew up among thugs until she was found by Captain Cheng Ji who is a high ranking narcotics police officer. Her father was also a policeman and Captain Cheng Ji’s good friend who died in the line of duty. With Captain Cheng Ji’s guidance, Lin Qiang becomes a student at the Police Academy. She is a smart and quick-thinking woman but could be reckless at times.

Zhang Xian He

Xian He is the foster son of a big drug lord, Boss Ma Hong Tao. He is responsible for the money laundering and investment activities until he arrives in Lingnan to try to settle a score with Qiu Hu on behalf of his foster father. Xian He is a mysterious man with a lot of guts and a clear head. He also has an adopted daughter named Coco.

Supporting Characters

Cheng Jing Song

Jing Song is a sniper for the SWAT team before asking for a reassignment to the narcotics division. He is Captain Cheng Ji’s nephew and wants to investigate his uncle’s death. Lin Qiang sees Jing Song as an elder brother but his feelings for her is more than that.

Vice Captain Cao Yong Ming

Vice Captain Cao is Captain Cheng Ji’s old friend and colleague in the Narcotics Control Division. He is a strict policeman who is willing to die in the line of duty to protect the public from the drug menace.

Wang Sheng De / Ah De

Ah De is Lin Qiang’s childhood friend. They have gone through a lot together on the streets in their younger days and he is a loyal friend. Ah De also has a sickly sister to take care of.

Qiu Hu

Qiu Hu is the local drug lord who has offended Boss Ma. He is the city’s drug supplier and would kill anyone who poses a threat to his dominance. Qiu Hu does not trust others easily. His two assistants are Lei Jie and Tar Coal.

Chu Jiao Jiao

Jiao Jiao is Qiu Hu’s pregnant mistress. She strikes up a friendship with Lin Qiang after the latter saves her from police detention.

Hong Jie

Hong Jie is one of the city’s drug dealers. She is also one of Qiu Hu’s larger buyers.

Synopsis

Lin Qiang is a student at the Police Academy but has a bad reputation for breaking rules. Her guardian, Captain Cheng, tries to get Vice Captain Cao to absorb her into the Narcotics Control Division but the latter is not keen to have her onboard. Then, Captain Cheng is killed while on a scouting mission and with it, the contact with the undercover agent that he was managing was lost. Lin Qiang is not satisfied with Vice Captain Cao’s investigation and takes it upon herself to capture the people behind the murder. While she is interfering in the police’s work, she has also managed to infiltrate the drug syndicate.

When Vice Captain Cao realizes her value and ability to gather intelligence, he arranges for her to be an undercover agent for the cops. As Lin Qiang tries to gather evidence to nab a local drug lord, Qiu Hu, she gets to know Xian He who also seems to be in the drug business. Xian He also has his own agenda against Qiu Hu. Lin Qiang decides to cooperate with Xian He since they have a common enemy. Both are making use of each other to achieve their aims although they also start to develop a little feeling for each other. However, Xian He suspects Lin Qiang is not who she claims to be.

Stealth Walker Ending (Spoilers Alert!)

Stealth Walker is the type of drama that feeds on viewers’ curiosity and anticipation on tracking down a drug lord’s identity and subsequently capturing him. The male lead’s background is not told upfront but gradually revealed. Hence, be forewarned that reading the spoilers will take away the enjoyment of this drama. It is unlike the romance genre whereby the ending tends to be predictable and viewers are only watching it for the sweetness it offers.

In Stealth Walker, Boss Ma is killed during a scuffle with Lin Qiang in the last episode. She stabs him in the neck after a car chase and a fight that involves an injured Xian He who tries to protect her. After that incident, the scene shifts to 3 months later. Lin Qiang is officially back as a police officer. She is also taking care of Coco while Xian He is already in another city to pursue a new case. He recorded a video clip for Lin Qiang before he left.

Xian He’s Background

Xian He’s mother was a drug mule for Boss Ma. She died after being beaten until the drug pellets she was smuggling inside her body broke. Boss Ma then took in Xian He as his foster son and raised him. While Xian He was studying abroad, the Interpol recruited him to be their informant. Xian He agreed because he hated drug traffickers after watching how his mother died when he was a kid. Hence, Xian He has been supplying information to the Interpol on the drug cartel’s activities. The confirmation of his identity is in Episode 22 when the Interpol and local authorities cooperate to capture Boss Ma.

Iron Sword’s Identity

Iron Sword is the codename for the undercover agent Captain Cheng Ji is handling. No one else knows his identity. Iron Sword has been working in Boss Ma’s drug syndicate for years to uncover evidence with the aim to capture him. During that time, he became close to Xian He as he watched him grow up. Iron Sword knows that Xian He is also a spy although he is unsure for whom Xian He is working for.

Iron Sword’s real name is Sun Da Peng and he is actually Lin Qiang’s father. Everyone thought that he has died in the line of duty. But he used that as a cover to infiltrate Boss Ma’s cartel. When his cover was blown, he sacrificed himself to protect Xian He from being implicated. He shot himself in the head. Xian He could then use the suicide to make it look like he killed Iron Sword as proof of his loyalty to the cartel. This is revealed in Episode 23.

What Is Boss Ma After?

Boss Ma is after Fang Lin who has the formula to produce a new drug. But Qiu Hu then abducts Fang Lin to force the latter to work for him. Before Iron Sword dies, he tells Xian He to save Fang Lin and send him to Vice Captain Cao. Thus, Xian He tries his best to do so to fulfill his promise to Iron Sword.

Apart from the new drug formula, Boss Ma also wants to regain control over the drug cartel which has been taken over by his nephew, Liu Bing, while he has to undergo treatment to his burnt face. Through plastic surgery, Boss Ma gets a new face to fly under the radar. He makes use of the moles in the drug cartel and tips off the police to bring down his enemies inside the organization.

Did Lin Qiang And Xian He End Up Together?

Stealth Walker has an open ending for the leads. They did not explicitly reveal their feelings for each other but it is obvious throughout the drama where their romantic interest lies. So, they are not together when the drama draws to a close with Xian He being in another city for a new case. But the ending scene indicates that the couple will meet again when Lin Qing asks Ah De if he wants to help her with another assignment.

What Happened To Other Characters?

• Jing Song is severely injured with burns all over his body when Boss Ma sets a trap to try to flush out Lin Qiang as the mole. He ends up in a coma. 3 months later, doctors are hopeful he would reawaken soon.
• Lei Jie is killed by Qiu Hu who mistakenly thought she was the mole.
• Qiu Hu is killed by his subordinate Tar Coal to avenge Lei Jie’s death.
• Tar Coal is killed by Liu Bing after taking delivery of Fang Lin.
• Hong Jie is killed by Liu Bing when she tries to steal his stock of new drugs.
• Liu Bing is arrested by the police.
• Boss Ma kills Fang Lin after getting his hands on the drug formula.
• Jiao Jiao cooperates with the police to save Lin Qiang. They remain friends.

Stealth Walker Review – Enough Of Suspense

Stealth Walker is a crime drama that delves into the world of drug dealers and the intense rivalry to control the production and distribution chain. It is set in the year 2009. Hence, it has an olden day feel. The story is told largely from the female lead’s perspective and how the police is tracking all these drug lords. Hence, the male lead’s character will seem mysterious in the beginning as little is revealed from his angle.

There is little romance in this drama. So, you won’t get the intense relationship seen in Mysterious Love. The romantic sparks in Stealth Walker are nothing to shout about as this is not a love story for you to feel good over. Think of it as a police drama to avoid disappointment if you are expecting something sizzling between the leads.

Riveting Storytelling

The story is fast-paced with not much room for boredom to set in. At 24 episodes, it is definitely less dragged out than Never Say Goodbye which is another undercover drama. As you follow the plot, your interest will be heightened as to what will happen to certain characters and how the story will unfold. The mysterious male lead is cleverly done that you will be wondering who he is and how he is involved in the bigger scheme of things.

You will feel riveted to the story because it is told in a way that you cannot really predict which way things will go. There are certain points that you would never expect and that makes the story even more engaging. At the same time, the happenings are not too farfetched that would leave you in disbelief. It has a tightly focused plot which is perfect for a 24-episode drama. This makes it enticing to keep watching all the way to the end.

A Female Lead With Guts

Stealth Walker has a strong female lead who is quick-witted and gutsy. She may be hotheaded and reckless at times but gets better as the drama progresses. I like watching her resourcefulness in the way she gathers intelligence and infiltrate the drug cartel. So, if you like dramas with a focus on the female lead, this is one of them.

The male lead actually takes a back seat here as the female lead dominates the screen time. But he has a mysterious aura surrounding him which helps to raise his profile to match the female lead. Their relationship isn’t intense but I feel that it is just right for a crime drama. Otherwise, it will start to fall under the romance genre which will be a waste of the riveting plot about the drug dealings.

Acting

I have not watched any of Lin Peng’s works before. This is my first and I think she did well as Lin Qiang. She gives the character a natural tomboyish and badass demeanor which fits the story very well. There is no over-exaggeration in her acting although some scenes are pretty intense.

As for Zheng Ye Cheng, I have noticed him since he played a supporting character in Love 020. It is good to see him in a different role than the usual hero in romantic dramas. In Stealth Walker, he gets my attention with his charisma. His character is a sensitive and caring person in private but has to show his cold side in public. He is someone with a lot to hide. So, Zheng Ye Cheng successfully gives Xian He a deep and enigmatic appearance that viewers are naturally drawn to his story.

My Verdict – Deserves A Watch!

I think Stealth Walker certainly deserves a watch. If you have been watching too many rom-coms and idol dramas and want something different for a change, this should be in your consideration list. Of course, not everyone will find a crime drama to be their cup of tea due to some degree of darkness and violence involved. But if you don’t mind those kind of scenes, then do give this a go.

If there is one complaint to highlight, that would be the fact that the drama has a small degree of unrealism. The leads keep getting out of dangerous situations that pose a threat to their lives. Even gun shots won’t kill them. I guess it happens in most police dramas whereby the hero and heroine will survive somehow. Hence, you can expect this drama to be no different.

Other than that, I feel this is a highly watchable production for crime drama fans. For this Stealth Walker review, I would give it a score of 8/10. There is little romance in the story but plenty of suspense as to what will happen next. It is not the best undercover drama that I have watched but definitely good enough to spend your time on. Furthermore, good crime dramas like this is hard to come by and I would be happy to watch one when it appears. Catch it for the plot and great storytelling. Chances are you will follow this all the way to the end.