Unlike most of his peers, who lived a comfortable colonial existence in Shanghai's international settlement, Crow reported on floods up the Yangzi, negotiated the release of hostages from a Shandong warlord and slept in inns so grim he would stand his bed legs in kerosene to keep centipedes at bay.

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At the time, Shanghai was divided into three parts: the Chinese city, the British-led International Settlement and the French Concession, the latter two legacies of the Opium Wars in the 19th century.

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