A burnt-out office worker, Chen Mo, is stabbed and sent back to 1983, where he becomes a low-level gangster.
His predecessor had nearly been hacked to death in a turf war. The moment Chen opens his eyes, gangsters are already rifling through his pockets.
He wants to leave the underworld behind, but is forced into a gang war.
Using his knowledge of the future, he swallows up rival gangs and seizes a smuggling dock.
He makes a fortune trading in scarce goods on the black market, yet still lives in a run-down tenement.
A beautiful, icy teacher tutors him, while a hot-tempered landlady takes a knife for him.
Just as he is about to reach the top of the underworld, a nationwide crackdown sweeps across the country.
Memories of his execution in his previous life suddenly flash back: history is repeating itself.
He burns the account books overnight and sends his sworn enemy to prison.
When police cars surround headquarters, he is explaining an English test to the teacher.
“Chen, your progress has been excellent,” the teacher says, adjusting her glasses. “But can you explain the difference between ‘smuggling’ and ‘black market’ in English?”
