In 1927, Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang turned against the Communist Party of China and initiated a massacre of the communists. Qian Zhuangfei left his home in Beijing and went to Shanghai. Qian entered the service of Xu Enzeng, a cousin of Chen Lifu. In 1931, Gu Shunzhang, communist security chief, was captured by the Kuomintang and defected, betraying many other communists. Qian manages to warn Zhou Enlai but is himself betrayed by Gu Shunzhang.