▁major ▁power . ▁▁ 2 0 ▁years ▁later , ▁a ▁middle - aged ▁Ch eng ▁has ▁become ▁one ▁of ▁Shang hai ’ s ▁most ▁influ ential ▁ty co ons ; ▁amongst ▁his ▁ent ou rage ▁are ▁" F at so " ▁and ▁rival - turn ed - body guard ▁Lin ▁Hu ai . ▁He ▁maintain s ▁close ▁t ies ▁with ▁Hong ▁and ▁Hong ' s ▁wife , ▁L ing ▁H ush eng . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁he ▁has ▁a ▁sh ak y ▁relationship ▁with ▁Ma o ▁Z ai , ▁now ▁a ▁general ▁in ▁the ▁National ▁Revolution ary ▁Army . ▁He ▁meets ▁his ▁old ▁fl ame , ▁Ye ▁Z hi q iu , ▁when ▁she ▁vis its ▁Shang hai , ▁but ▁she ▁is ▁already ▁married ▁to ▁Ch eng ▁Z ha ime i , ▁an ▁anti - g overn ment ▁re bel . ▁They ▁are ▁caught ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁events ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁S ino - J apan ese ▁War , ▁which ▁breaks ▁out ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 . ▁After ▁surv iving ▁both ▁a ▁massive ▁air ▁ra id ▁and ▁an ▁ab du ction ▁attempt ▁from ▁the ▁Japanese , ▁Ch eng ▁has ▁Ma o ▁ar range ▁for ▁Ch eng , ▁Ye ▁and ▁her ▁husband ▁to ▁escape ▁to ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁in ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Shang hai , ▁but ▁is ▁forced ▁to ▁leave ▁Ba o ▁behind ▁as ▁Ma o ’ s ▁host age . ▁After ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁Shang hai , ▁Ma o ▁defect s ▁to ▁the ▁Japanese ▁and ▁is ▁appointed