The story takes place in Huazhou Province. It includes Lingzhou City, the provincial capital and political and economic hub, and Cangling City, a rising industrial center plagued by collusion between criminal gangs and officials. All the counties, districts, and townships in the province have original names, with no real-world place names as reference, creating a wholly fictional provincial government and society. The timeline spans thirty years, from the deepening of reform and opening up through the nationwide anti-gang campaign and the full-scale anti-corruption drive, portraying the intense struggle between power, human nature, and desire amid the tides of the times.
