小贩陆云生(吕良伟 饰)常为邻里抱不平,被租界总探氏黄金荣(郑则仕 饰)妻阿桂姐(斯琴高娃 饰)所赏识。未几,陆破获宋教仁被刺案真相,令黄名声大噪。黄对陆赏识,却招侯飞妒忌。陆、黄出面调息了军阀袁啸军劫取法国鸦片事件,发了财,变为大亨。由于黄误打了督军卢永祥之子,陆又去东北军军长毕树政处求情,还搭进了名妓老六(刘嘉玲饰),无奈卢、毕进一步勒索,被陆寻机反击。1927年,陆目睹国共反目,他反对镇压工人武装与屠杀共产党人;为了不被国民党利用,他打入商界,以经济力量与国民党抗衡......The story of the rise to prominence of Luk, a Shanghai fruit seller who became one of the most powerful men in China in the first half of the 20th Century. Gaining favor with the local Shanghai Police Chief Wong for his courage and know-how, Luk takes a job under Wong. When Wong sends Luk to foil the theft of an opium shipment by General Yuan, Luk, ever the opportunist, mediates an agreement between Wong and Yuan and soon, the French Consulate is "persuaded" to give the opium rights to the now rich threesome. After various conflicts and adventures, his fortunes then pit him on the side of the Kuomintang, who is poised to attack local laborers and student leaders. Realizing he has been used by the Kuomintang Army, Luk inventively creates an economic empire in order to destroy them.