Act 17 opens with a flashback to the beginning of the novel, in which we learn that Dr. Bledsoe has returned to Shanghai, where he has been banished from the city by the local authorities. He is now a member of the local government, and he has come to help the people of the city deal with the aftermath of the earthquake. He has also returned to the city to find that many of the people have been killed by the undead, and that many more have been injured. He wants to find out the cause of the deaths so that he can help them, but he is afraid that he will not be able to do so on his own, since he is too weak. He resolves to awaken his innate ability, which will enable him to use his powers to solve the problem of the undead. He tells the people in the town that the undead are plaguing the town, and they are looking for "individuals with magical powers" to help them. He offers a generous reward for the individuals who succeed in defeating the undead