Tidal Justice Files: The South China Sea Mystery

Beneath the neon lights of Nanhai City, crime and truth intertwine. Major Crimes Captain Zeng Tianming leads his team in confronting one shocking case after another. In “The Red Shoes with a Severed Toe,” a working-class dancer's dream ends with her life, while the deranged killer's hatred reflects a warped social mindset. In “The Silent Delivery,” the death of an office worker living alone exposes the plight of service workers under the platform economy. In “Mother's Love, Devoured,” an evil flower nurtured by indulgence leaves everyone shaken. From the anxieties of life on the urban fringe to the shadows of political power, from the dust of old school cases to the “perfect victim” trap in the court of public opinion, the cases are linked, with clues layered throughout. Forensic pathologist Du Bi'an's incisive analysis, officer Han Xiaolin's psychological insight, Lin Xiaobin's passionate dedication, the lawyer He Ping, whose loyalties are hard to read, and reporter Shen Xue, chasing online traffic: all these characters collide amid the labyrinth of crime.

Zeng Tianming must do more than solve crimes. He must also face the depths of human nature and society's entrenched ills.