The Thorn-Crowned Owl

The story takes place in the fictional megacity of Haimen, a vast port city. Thirty years ago, nine underworld families jointly signed the Dockside Pact, dividing up the underground world:

The Fang family controls port logistics, the lifeline of all cargo.

The Gu family monopolizes the entertainment industry, with casinos and nightclubs all over the city.

The Duan family controls the smuggling routes, with tentacles reaching overseas.

The Qiao family rules the underground banks and money-laundering networks.

The Bai family deals in arms and secretly colludes with foreign powers.

The Wen family trades in information and holds the city's every secret.

The Huo family brokers assassins, offering services to “solve problems.”

The Ying family controls the dockworkers' union and the labor force at the bottom of society.

The Su family runs legitimate businesses on the surface, but in reality serves as the nine families' “white glove.”

The central rule: the Dockside Pact has one ironclad law: the head of each family must be a man. When the story begins, this rule has never been broken. The heroine's birth leaves her in a difficult position: she is an outsider within her family, but an unexpected turn of events pushes her into the spotlight.