Ten years ago, a wrongful arson conviction at the docks drove young detective Chen Yan to corner an innocent worker, Zhang Shun, and sent Chen himself from rising star in the police force to a down-and-out detective in self-imposed exile. He lives with guilt and alcohol, the scar on his brow a lifelong mark of regret.
Ten years later, a chained corpse surfaces in the river. The victim is Zhang Lei, Zhang Shun's son. What looks like a clean-cut gangland revenge killing is riddled with signs of careful, sinister planning. Chen Yan is drawn into the case and forced to face Shen Jinghan, the most courteous and ruthless man in Linjiang Ferry.
In a white shirt and gold-rimmed glasses, Shen is a celebrated philanthropist and the man steering the docks' underworld. He is merciless, yet holds fast to his rules: no drugs, no harming civilians. Every struggle and sin is for the sake of giving his gravely ill younger sister a chance to live.
As the investigation deepens, the shadows of the old case return. Scapegoats, ledgers, corrupt cops, revenge, kidnappings... Layer upon layer of darkness is torn away, revealing a conspiracy spanning ten years.
A former cop burdened by guilt and a tragic antagonist brought low by family ties begin as mortal enemies in fog-shrouded Linjiang Ferry, then become uneasy allies.
When the truth dawns, good and evil are finally divided. Some spend the rest of their lives atoning, some find redemption by holding fast to their principles, and some, at the end of the darkness, finally feel the river breeze on their faces as the first light of day breaks.
This is a tale from the docks about crime and punishment, obsession and redemption. When the fog lifts, justice will come.
