1. Main Character Profile
- Name: Shen Yanzhi
- Background: Former clerk in the Judicial Department of the Beiyang Government. He was dismissed after a wrongful conviction and opened the “Yanzhi Detective Agency” in the French Concession of Tianjin. He makes a living finding people's cats, investigating infidelity, and tracking down lost belongings, but in truth, he has keen powers of observation and a meticulous mind, and is especially good at spotting clues in the minutiae of everyday life.
- Personality: He seems frivolous and irreverent, always cracking jokes and full of humor, but he has principles at heart, sympathizes with ordinary people, and despises official corruption. He speaks English and knows the classics, and has some martial arts skills, having studied under an old boxing master in Tianjin Wei. He carries a fountain pen, which is actually a concealed weapon, and a thread-bound copy of The Record of Washing Away Wrongs.
2. Historical Setting
- Time: 1926, Tianjin Wei
- Setting: The French Concession and the Chinese quarter lie side by side, with grand foreign-style mansions and hutongs standing together. Remnants of warlord factions, foreign merchants and compradors, underworld gangs, refined men of letters, and ordinary townsfolk all mingle. Electric lights, telephones, automobiles, and Western-style homes bring a modern air, yet the marks of feudal morality and old underworld codes remain. Public order is poor, miscarriages of justice are common, and official police stations are inefficient, making private detective agencies the choice of many.
3. Recurring Supporting Characters
- Chen San: Shen Yanzhi's apprentice, 16 years old. A quick-witted, smooth-talking former street urchin who knows the ins and outs of Tianjin Wei's streets and alleys. He runs errands and gathers information, and occasionally provides crucial clues.
- Su Manqing: A 24-year-old reporter for the Ta Kung Pao. She returned from studying abroad with progressive ideas and the courage to expose scandals. She often crosses paths with Shen Yanzhi while covering cases. Sometimes they work together, sometimes they compete, and feelings quietly develop between them.
