The Rose-Colored Spy

Synopsis of The Crimson Sirens

Set in the guerrilla zones along the Jiangxi-Fujian-Guangdong border in 1934–1935, this novel follows the Crimson Sirens as they rally amid the artillery fire and take on the mission of escorting a secret map written in code and the descendants of Red Army soldiers. They fight their way out of desperate situations and race to find the Long March troops. From the secret warning encoded in the dying words of the Three-Character Primer to a traitor’s death cry on the battlefield, the newly formed squad is plunged into crisis. A deadly ambush disguised as a banquet hosted by local security officials, a predawn raid on the Mountain God Temple, and a nighttime assault by shadowy figures at Eagle Beak Rock: the enemy’s encirclement never lets up. Meanwhile, a hidden traitor within the squad clings to them like a parasite, misleading them with handfuls of wild roots for food, concealing knives, betraying them, and setting a trap to freeze them to death. Every step forward is strewn with danger.

In their darkest moments, the squad members let their faith light the way. Zhuoma scouts through the mountain forests, using whistles to navigate life and death. Chunxing charges into battle with her cleaver. Xiaolin grows from a green recruit into a fighter brave enough to protect her companions with throwing knives and go undercover in enemy territory. The copper pot not only boils up hot soup amid the artillery fire, but also conceals a secret of protection; after Guiying’s sacrifice, it becomes a symbol of vengeance and a legacy passed on. The squad survives one peril after another: underwater combat beneath a broken bridge, a counterattack against a bamboo-spike trap, a breakout from an avalanche in the snowy mountains, and assaults by miasma and venomous snakes. They uncover the truth hidden in an embroidered shoe and safeguard the handover of the secret map with their blood and courage. In the end, the squad bids farewell to the people of western Fujian and sets off to catch up with the Long March. Along the way, the Red Star shines with hope. The soldiers embody their faith through sacrifice, and the Crimson Sirens merge into the great tide of the Long March, pressing resolutely toward the light and keeping their fiery spirit alive through the flames of war.