From the tar rooftops of the old world, to the gleaming arcologies of the Neotopians... from the C-beams glittering in the dark of Tannhauser gate, to the D-Rings clattering on the latest Stepford models.... from the glow of orgone cabarets in under-city moloka bars, to the crunch of little glass vials under-foot in the flesh-markets of necropoli ... the people of Yǐngwān City espouse their high-minded virtues and engage in low-minded vices. Everyone here can't get arrested; everyone here wishes someone would.  

This is where the kaffeklatsch known as the "Gang of Four" make their home. The dragon, Xinjinmeng, the transuranic uranian who burns her bridges with other socialites before she even crosses them. The tiger Doctor Banks, accredited physician whose calm exterior is cover for a dark and monstrous abyss. The bird Lieutenant Ypsilanti, a veteran of the French Gendarmerie who knows where many a body is buried. The tortoise Professor Grafenburg, who pushes the limits of her tenure out of a desperation to keep her nihilism at bay.  Their capacity for malfeasance is limited only by their sloth and their cowardice.