The author wrestles with a multifaceted legacy shaped by her family's exodus from mainland China to Taiwan (外省人) and the Kuomintang's defeat in the Chinese Civil War. Her academic pursuits are intertwined with the echoes of her ancestry, revealing the profound impact of the Chinese Communist Party on her existence. Encounters with CCP operatives serve as a jarring reminder that the oppressive tactics of the past continue to influence her present.The CCP's long-term strategies not only threaten her personal identity but also symbolise a larger struggle against the erosion of freedoms.As she stands at the crossroads of her family's past and her own future, the weight of history bears down on her, compelling her to confront not only her own identity but the broader implications of a world currently grappling with the shadows of authoritarianism.