Set during the background of the World War 2 Japanese surrender in 1945, the movie tells the tale of a lawless city where underworld crime runs rampant
In the early 1930's Shanghai, various forces raged in the storm and the society was in turmoil. Ding Yiqing, the daughter of a wealthy businessman from Ningbo, came to Shanghai alone and met Communists underground workers Dong Hongyu, Lin Mosheng, Du Ying and many others. They experienced the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan in 1938. After the Pacific War in 1942, they completed various tasks for the revolution, letting the passion of youth burn as they strive for their ideal day.
In a small Chinese town some years ago, two childhood friends contend with the harsh realities of a nation drastically transitioning from Socialism to Market Economy. A young boy looking for guidance accidentally gets entangled with local hoodlums. His neighbor and classmate, a decent young girl, tries her best to help him with his studies while staying afloat amid the chaos of modernization herself. They dream of a future where they can both leave the confines of their town, but an unexpected accident redirects their fates to something else entirely.