Some call the city the 'Splendor of the East'; others the 'Whore of Asia'. A melting pot of different nations fused by war and commerce, this is Shanghai of the 1920s. The Great Powers exploit China for its cheap labor, reaping the rewards of the booming opium trade. When a flotilla of ships carrying the remnants of the Russian White Army approaches the Shanghai harbor, the fragile balance of this international marketplace comes under threat. Among the refugees is Klim Rogov, an emigre journalist whose career and marriage have been claimed by the Soviet Revolution. All he has left are his quick wits and keen worldliness that come in quite handy in navigating the lawless jungle of Shanghai. Amidst the survival frenzy, all that keeps him going is the hope that someday he'll be reunited with his beloved wife Nina."