A private detective agency is not a suitable business for an unmarried young Chinese woman, even if she used to serve in the police. Mei Wang's acquaintances discourage her from taking up this business, but she is adamant in her decision. And when an old family friend asks her to find a priceless jade seal, many kidnapped from a Beijing museum years ago, she agrees to help him. The search for the missing treasure leads Mei to social events, then to dark, deadly alleys, cheap bars and underground gambling houses, where crimes are committed and cruelty reigns. Step by step, Mei moves towards goals, not yet fully understanding where to look for the key to solving the mystery - either in the history of influential Chinese clans, or in the past of one’s own family...