Chief Inspector Chen Cao of the Shanghai Police Department
is offered a bit of luxury by friends and supporters within
the Party – a week’s vacation at a luxurious resort near
Lake Tai, a week where he can relax, and recover,
undisturbed by outside demands or disruptions.
Unfortunately, the once beautiful Lake Tai, renowned for its
clear waters, is now covered by fetid algae, its waters
polluted by toxic runoff from local manufacturing plants.
Then the director of one of the manufacturing plants
responsible for the pollution is murdered and the leader of
the local ecological group is the primary suspect of the
local police. Now Inspector Chen must tread carefully if he
is to uncover the truth behind the brutal murder and find a
measure of justice for both the victim and the accused.