The twentieth year of the Republic was a year of great upheaval in old Shanghai.
Since the warlords seized power, fighting had raged across the country, leaving the people destitute and chaos everywhere.
Shanghai was especially turbulent, with foreign and domestic powers locked in a tangled struggle. Warlords of every size, underground organizations, and the Green Gang were all deeply entrenched.
The most powerful man in the city was a grand marshal. One stomp of his foot could make all of Shanghai tremble.
That year, Jiang Hongyun, an adjutant under the grand marshal, was investigating several disputes over military supplies when he found himself caught in a bizarre vortex. Several wealthy businessmen and renowned scientists had vanished without a trace, as if they had been secretly abducted.
Just as he was closing in on the truth behind it all, a mysterious car accident occurred.
After the crash, Jiang Hongyun fell into a coma. While he was receiving emergency treatment at the hospital, the evidence and documents he had gathered also mysteriously disappeared.
The incident sent shockwaves through the city. Rumors spread that it had been a planned and organized murder, and even supernatural explanations began to circulate. Strange tales filled Shanghai's streets and alleys. Some speculated about a conspiracy targeting Adjutant Jiang Hongyun, while others wondered what had really happened to the missing public figures.
With Shanghai teetering on the brink of disaster, Jiang Hongyun's only son, Jiang Wan Feng, was studying in Britain. As soon as he received an urgent letter from the family butler, A Fu, he abandoned his studies and hurried home without delay.
