A Soul Lost in Shanghai

This story portrays the tangled rivalries and romances among Shanghai’s gangsters, as well as the love between Xu Wenqiang and Feng Chengcheng. Shanghai is a battleground of warring factions, where vendettas and killings abound. After taking part in a failed student movement, university student Xu Wenqiang arrives in Shanghai alone. He becomes close friends with the street vendor Ding Li and, with help from his classmate Fang Yanyun, enters the underworld. His courage and cunning soon make him a gang leader. Feng Jingyao, a powerful figure in the French Concession, recognizes Xu Wenqiang’s abilities and tries to recruit him, but Wenqiang politely declines. By chance, Xu Wenqiang saves Feng Jingyao’s daughter, Feng Chengcheng, and wins her affection. When a gang dispute leaves Xu Wenqiang and Ding Li with nowhere to turn, they seek refuge with Feng Jingyao. Chengcheng relentlessly pursues Wenqiang and eventually wins him over. The two plan to marry. But then Xu Wenqiang discovers that Feng Jingyao is conspiring with the Japanese to betray China. After much deliberation, he chooses to turn against Feng Jingyao and kill the Japanese. To escape Feng Jingyao’s pursuit, Xu Wenqiang flees to Hong Kong, where he meets Uncle Cheng’s family and resolves to live a quiet life. Chengcheng follows him to Hong Kong, leading Feng Jingyao’s henchmen to them. Uncle Cheng’s family is killed. Xu Wenqiang returns to Shanghai and begins planning his revenge. Chengcheng begs Wenqiang to leave with her and start a new life elsewhere, but he refuses. Disappointed, she marries Ding Li, who has always loved her. With Ding Li’s help, Xu Wenqiang succeeds in taking revenge and decides to find Chengcheng, who has moved to France. But he is killed in a hail of Japanese gunfire.