Mystery on the Shanghai Bund

In 1928, lights along the Huangpu River shimmered across the water. Shanghai’s nights were still dazzling, yet they concealed shadows beyond words. Red cheongsams, drifting cigarette smoke, and the low notes of jazz blended into a portrait of decadence and chaos. Liang Shuwen, a young detective from a family of scholars, was not yet thirty. After studying in Britain, he returned to China and devoted himself to private detective work, driven by his steadfast belief in justice. He firmly believed that “the truth is never afraid of being concealed.” He always wore a slightly worn but neatly pressed changshan, his refined features marked by quiet resolve. That evening, Liang Shuwen was going over case files in his office on Avenue Joffre when someone suddenly knocked urgently at the door. Outside stood a woman streaked with tears. Her name was Shen Yao, a star singer at a Shanghai dance hall, but now terror had drained the color from her face.