The Mechanical King of a Chaotic Age

Synopsis

Lin Shuiwen, the protagonist of this novel, is of mixed Chinese and Japanese heritage. Born during the Republic of China era, he loves machinery and studied it in Japan before the War of Resistance Against Japan began. Kindhearted and opposed to war, he returns to China in 1937, only to discover that tragedy has struck his family and everything has fallen apart. To uncover the truth about his father's death, he joins the Kuomintang and develops weapons for the party and the nation.

When war breaks out, he discovers that the Kuomintang is in utter disarray. Abandoned by the party and nearly killed, he is saved by a chance encounter with his cousin, Sato Miyuko. After seeing the truth for what it is, he meets Cheng Hao, a soldier in the Chinese Communist Party. Guided by Cheng Hao, he joins the Party. Using his cover to infiltrate the Japanese army, he becomes an underground operative and double agent. In the end, he finds his father's killer and makes a contribution to the War of Resistance Against Japan, giving his life for communism.