Danger on Every Side

Liu MengBeijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. · ChinaMar 2025

3.8

Word count: 219K words
Chapters: 123

Summary

He is a complex character — a demon of war. He moves through a black-and-white world of adversity, with both an angel and a devil hidden in his heart, yet he has always endured in silence. Battle leads him into another person's inner world, where he desperately covers up every fabricated illusion. He must unleash the devil within, because he has no other choice. This book comes from Liu Meng, the founding figure of China's new military literature. Blending the most cutting-edge elements of modern warfare, it is his newly conceived iron-blooded work portraying the secret and brutal world of public security fighters.

Editor's review

This book continues Liu Meng’s trademark hard-edged style, turning a public security officer’s covert operations into a battle fought both within and without. According to the source material, the protagonist is both a “demon” on the battlefield and a man whose heart holds an angel and a devil at once; a long-endured disguise gradually cracks under combat and forces the other side of him into the open. The work blends cutting-edge warfare elements, moves at a tense pace, and builds character around psychological conflict in extreme situations rather than a simple story of victory and defeat. Readers should note how the premise of “no other choice” drives the characters’ actions, and how, beneath the iron exterior, the novel probes identity, disguise, and cost. It suits readers who like military fiction and can accept a gritty style and moral grayness; those expecting light entertainment or thorough historical research should adjust their expectations.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy military literature and public security themes and want tense pacing and hard-boiled storytelling
Readers who can accept complex, morally gray characters and psychological struggle and do not require clear-cut good and evil
Readers drawn to cutting-edge warfare elements and operational detail who prefer strong plot momentum
Longtime readers of Liu Meng who hope for a continuation of his iron-blooded style and approach to character

Not a good fit for

Casual readers who prefer light, healing, warm everyday stories or light comedy
Readers sensitive to depictions of violence and conflict who wish to avoid brutal combat scenes
Readers expecting strict military research or historical documentary and unwilling to accept fictionalized storytelling

Reading tips

Accept the characters’ gray-toned setup first; do not rush to judge them with labels of good and evil—follow the action and watch the psychological shifts.
Pay attention to the turning points between “disguise” and “release”; they are key to understanding the protagonist.
If cutting-edge warfare elements interest you, note the equipment and tactical descriptions as you read so you can revisit them.
Reading one or two chapters at a time is enough; tense episodes are dense, and leaving some space helps with digestion.

About the publisher

Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. China · Founded in 1993

Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd. is a publisher known for its literature and history titles, with 2,065 books in the collection. Its publishing covers foreign literature, contemporary Chinese prose and essays, history, folk literature, and cultural books. Its list ranges from Sima Qian's complete edition of the Records of the Grand Historian to foreign classics such as The Book of Disquiet, All Quiet on the Western Front, Snow Country, The Stranger, and Jean-Christophe, as well as modern Chinese works including Teahouse and Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk. Its authors and translators include Yasunari Kawabata, Fernando Pessoa, Erich Maria Remarque, Jin Xinyi, Zhou Miao, and Chen Chao. Public information is limited, but its catalogue reflects a balance between Chinese and foreign literary classics and historical and cultural works.

版权信息
致谢
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FAQ

I haven’t read other works by Liu Meng. Can I read this one directly?

Yes. The source material indicates that this is a newly conceived work by the author, centered on a public security officer’s covert iron-blooded operations, and it does not suggest that prior works are required. First-time Liu Meng readers can start with the character’s situation and the main action line without worrying about continuity; if you like his hard-edged style, you can go back and read his other works later.

Is this book suitable for young readers?

The source material emphasizes that the book depicts public security officers’ covert, brutal iron-blooded operations and includes warfare elements and complex morally gray characters; the overall style is hard and gritty. Whether it is suitable for young readers depends on their tolerance and their parents’ judgment; if a reader is sensitive to depictions of violence and conflict, it is advisable to choose carefully or read a few chapters first before deciding.

Are the warfare elements in the book based on real research or fictional settings?

The source material says the book incorporates today’s cutting-edge warfare elements and is a military-literary conception within fictional creation, not a work of military documentary or historical research. Readers can treat it as a novel with modern warfare imagination and focus on the characters and plot; if strict factual verification is needed, consult professional sources separately and do not use this book as a basis for research.

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About the author

Liu Meng Author · China · 1977

Liu Meng, born on January 19, 1977 in Handan, Hebei, graduated from the Directing Department of the Central Academy of Drama and is a mainland Chinese writer, screenwriter and director known for military-themed fiction. He rose to fame in 2003 with Leave Me the Last Bullet and has since worked in war and military fiction as well as social novels. The library holds 18 of his works, including Load the Bullets, Sniper Life and Death Line, Wolf Fang, SWAT Force, As If Facing a Great Enemy and Danger Lurks on Every Side; he also wrote and directed the TV series I Am a Special Soldier. His writing focuses on the training, missions and daily lives of special forces and SWAT personnel, with fast pacing and tense plots, while also reflecting on the realities of military life. Some titles are also categorized as premium fiction or exam-related material. Beyond military subjects, the library includes a technical work, Shale Gas Drilling and Completion Technology; publicly available information is limited, so the specific background of that work cannot be confirmed.