1926. shanghai. a contagion, a madness, a monster – no one knows for sure. the book opens with a mysterious creature crawling from the huangpu river and leaving gang members from both sides dead. the contagion spreads, with the infected ripping their own throats out. but the city is teaming with so much activity and debauchery that this spreading madness is largely ignored. only juliette and roma seem truly interested in finding the source of this disease decimating the gangs’ numbers.. oil painting