Hong Kong. American journalist Paul and his Chinese girlfriend - face a crisis. A troubling letter arrives from mainland China from Christine's long lost brother and they feel compelled to come to his rescue. There they find a village in turmoil and his brother's life in disarray. Their dangerous quest for justice begins set against a China beset by corrupt politicians, ruthless business interests where citizens, still in the long shadow of the Cultural Revolution have few rights in the face of an all-powerful system.