In the 1980’s, Hong Kong has become a global economic powerhouse. Ethnic Chinese from overseas cross the sea to reach the city. Among them is young Chan Lok-kwun, who is using Hong Kong as a transit point after making the perilous journey across the sea. He risks his life as an underground fighter in order to make the money he needs to secure a better life. However, Lok is such a skilled fighter that he attracts the attention of the powerful Mr. Big. He tells Lok that he can secure a passport for him, but his true intention is to rob Lok of his life savings and force Lok to work for him. When an underworld bounty is put out on him, Lok unwittingly enters the Kowloon Walled City and ends up crossing paths with Cyclone, the Walled City’s leader.
"I think the cinematic depiction of Kowloon Walled City is not far from reality, the city was actually like that. Aside from the crime, the violence, and the drugs, there was also a sense of community, a sense of unity between people. My intention was to depict how the main character falls within this community, finds his place, and how he’s so accepted by the people there. /.../ I think of myself as an outsider as well because I was originally from Macau. I arrived in Hong Kong when I was 11 years old, so I took that into the spirit of the protagonist." (Soi Cheang)