His mission to better the lot of Peking’s citizens has put Fang Meng’ao on the radar of Inspector General Zeng Keda, the fearsome and ruthless commander responsible for maintaining order in the city. Naturally suspicious of Communists, his hunt for revolutionaries ensnares the young maverick.

The city has become a snake pit of treachery and double-dealing. Desperate measures, such as the currency reforms implemented by the Central Bank governor, plaster over the cracks of a fracturing society.

Out on the streets, the intellectual Yang Jinglun helps organise student protests and rebellions for those accused of siding with the Reds. With the nation embroiled in full-blown civil war, the tension builds and Fang Meng’ao becomes desperate. Can he evade Zeng Keda’s suspicious eyes?* Or will he fall prey to one of the many traps set in the city?*