The story is set in the early years of the Republic of China in Jiangzhou in the southwest region.

Even though it starts a little slow and it takes a few episodes to get accustomed to the protagonists and their dynamics, it becomes quite gripping in the later part.

All three of the protagonists : Qin Huo Le, Song He and Fan Xiao Fan have their own strengths and weaknesses. Together they form the heart, body and mind of a strong Jiangzhou Police force.

1. Qin Huo Le(Xia Zhi Guang) is the BRAIN of the trio. In the beginning Huo Le returned to Jiangzhou from abroad (Great Britain/Europe). He had been sent by his father to study law but psychology interested him more. He has an unwavering compass for truth guided by his principles and a quest to find answers. He becomes the psychology analyst of the force.

2. Song He(Caesar Wu) is the BODY of the team. Detective Captain of the Jiangzhou police force. He is more street savvy, being quite adept in martial arts and fighting skill. His background has not been revealed completely in the series but he is righteous and believes strongly in the justice system. He is trustworthy and reliable. In case he makes a mistake, even though a little reluctantly, he accepts it.

3. Fan Xiao Fan(Wang Zhi Yi) is the HEART of the operation. She is a female forensic doctor who acts as a coroner of Jiangzhou police force. Her father is the Governor of Jiangzhou, Commander Lei, the de facto ruler of Jiangzhou that gives her an opportunity to smooth things and open a few doors for the team. However her ingrained integrity and morality makes her a valuable member of the team.

In the beginning, I felt that maybe Xiao Fan would be a little weak but she managed to take me by surprise and became an essential glue that bound all three friends.
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It has a total of eight cases, due to the short duration of the drama, they seem to move on quickly instead of dragging on. (Very brief overview of all cases below)

Case 1 and 2. Human Clock murders ( title as per series) and Bomb threats.(Title given by me)
Qin Huo Le's father a renowned lawyer has been apprehended by Song He for murder of four people. These murdered people had been displayed as clock hands, each body arranged to shiw different time on the face of the clock. Huo Le couldn't believe his father was the actual murderer even though his father confessed to the crime.
*Also throw in a crazy bomber bent on blowing up the police station and other places of strategic importance. What is his grievance?


Case 3. Detective novels: The true wisdom is to know one's own ignorance. (Title as per series)
A reputed teacher of the school is found murdered in a bizzare manner. He is enclosed in a lantern and drowned. This scenario is very similar to a famous detective novel. After this murde,r the sale of the said book escalates. What follows are two more murders, all clues left by the murderer correspondences to the sequels of the famous detective novel.


Case 4.Three brothers: Beast walks alone, while cattle and sheep flock ( title as per series)
Three water bandits kidnap the daughter of a prominent business man. They demand the parents to come personally to ransom the girl. They cruelly kill the child in front of the helpless loving parents. Seven years later they kidnap the seven year old daughter of the same family( this daughter was born after their first daughter's death). This devastates the wealthy couple, they fear the same outcome as earlier, having already lost one daughter they are wallowing in grief over the possibility of losing their second daughter. (This case is personal for Xiao Fan because after the first daughter who had died was her very close friend, she believes herself to be responsible for his kidnapping and death as Xiao Fan had gone to get a rickshaw after the fall of her friend and her friend had been kidnapped as she was alone. After her friend's death, Xiao Fan decides to become a coroner)


Case 5. Badger enchantment: it is better to burn brightly than whither. (Title as per series)
A good hearted young man, the son of the Jiangzhou police chief who is considered a Playboy is found murdered in a brothel. Earlier that night he had a verbal argument with his business partner over his refusal to sell opium. After his death, his face skin had been peeled off by the murderer. Also there is a hint that he fell in love with a girl from the pleasure house but did later abandoned her.


Case 6.Theater panic: the desert is beautiful because somewhere it hides a well (title as per series)
The talented leading opera singer is stabbed by her male colleague on stage while performing in front of Commander Lei and the three seluths. This leading lady was compelled by the group leader of the Opera to perform on stage against her wishes. She no longer wanted to perform but as she was an indentured to the leader, he wouldn't allow her to quit. The leader wished to marry her to a rich person who would buy her at a high price. The male colleague who stabbed her was found to be under the influence of a drug that had been mixed in the soup he had consumed before the performance.

Case 7.The three tigers ( full title as per series not written)
The three tigers or the three pillars of Jiangzhou underworld are killed. These three prominent figures had a hold on the whole region. One was the owner of a gambling house, another the head of the rickshaw association and third the head of the pleasure house. The murderer of these three people seemed to have used hypnosis. The murderer in all three cases was a close associate of the deceased. The killer in all three instances was left disoriented after the deed. Huo Le who had earlier performed hypnosis was presumed to have met two of these people before their death. Huo Le was missing after the first two murders so he became the prime suspect. How will Song He and Xiao Fan save Huo Le? What is the truth?

Case 8. The Night God (tile given by me)
Who is this mysterious Night God? What is his agenda? So many criminals previously apprehended seem to be working for this Night God. On the other hand, Jiangzhou is facing an imminent war, there is a threat of invasion. Commander Lei has to rally his forces and make arrangements to meet the outside threat head on..but who is the real enemy? What sacrifices will be demanded from them to keep Jiangzhou safe.

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Some of the revelations at the end of the cases were brilliantly thought out and others quite expected. However the heart of the show is the deep friendship between the three protagonists and their dedication to uphold justice, this bond carried the show on its shoulder.

All the cases form short arcs and they are connected together to form a part of a bigger picture...I found that aspect to be well executed, it seems the previous arcs were cogs in a machine and when put together, they worked as part of a whole system. There is a strong hint of a second season.. whether the second season will pan out is anyone's guess.

Overall : A good mystery drama with strong main characters and endearing secondary characters.