Li Nanxing plays Song Zhigao. An orphan at birth in Vietnam, he was adopted by a plantation owner Song Bing, who has a daughter Song Liming (Cassandra See). Later, Song Bing passes away. Zhigao and Liming were separated.
Zhigao ends up being adopted by industrial magnate Zhou Huaizheng (Chen Shucheng), and becomes his son Nansheng's (Chen Hanwei) playmate. The Vietnam War strikes, and Zhou Huaizheng intends to transfer his assets and business Singapore with the help of his Singapore-based protege Zhang Yongkang (Zhu Houren). Little does Zhou Huaizheng know that Zhang Yongkang actually betrays him. As Huaizheng and his family, including Nansheng and Zhigao, are on board a ship bound for Singapore, guerilla soldiers attack and sink the ship. Huaizheng's entire family, except for Zhigao and himself, are killed. Utterly desolate, Huaizheng commits suicide.
By a stroke of luck, Zhigao manages to sail to Singapore. Zhigao wants to become a successful stock trader just like Zhou Huaizheng, and he works for Lifeng Company, owned by Zhang Yongkang. He reunites with Nansheng and Liming, and befriends Yongkang's daughter Yijun (Ivy Lee). Zhigao also meets his childhood friend Le Wenyi (Tang Miaoling).
Zhigao falls in love with Yijun, but Liming and Wenyi are in love with him. Liming is furious that Zhigao only treats her as a younger sister, and she deliberately marries and divorces rich men around her in order to cause Zhigao to feel guilty. As a result of the alimonies from the divorces, Liming amasses a significant amount of wealth.
Zhigao marries Yijun, but on his wedding day, he was set up by her elder brother Zhang Tianwu (Wang Yuqing), who wanted to shift the blame to him when he and his father were suspected of insider trading. Poor Yijun returns from her honeymoon only to see her husband go to jail. Zhigao vows revenge against the Zhangs.
Yijun gives birth to a son. When Zhigao is released from prison, he tries all means to see his son but is prevented by Tianwu. An accident kills Zhigao's son, and Yijun goes berserk. She later discovers that it was her father and brother who framed Zhigao and got him imprisoned, and she decided to kill herself as her death would provide Zhigao with a sum of insurance money as he is the named beneficiary.
Zhigao does well as a trader and befriends a stock genius who became his mentor. Once, he pits against Tianwu at SGX and manages to win $400 million by betting on the Nikkei Index. Zhigao, Nansheng and their friends become rich.
Zhigao has a one-night stand with Wenyi, who has stood by him all along. However, things do not work for this couple as it was discovered that Yijun did not die.
Tianwu abducts Yijun to threaten Zhigao to give up a takeover bid against his father's Lifeng Company. Yijun fights, and she is burnt till about 50% body damage. Yongkang further does not acknowledge Yijun in court to protect his son Tianwu (he claims that the victim is someone who resembles Yijun, but not her in person).
Zhigao has given up revenge, and only wants to have Yijun cured so that both of them can lead a happy life together. However, upon Yongkang's instructions, Tianwu tries to kill Liming and Wenyi, who was pregnant with Zhigao's son. Fortunately, Nansheng gets the police to save them. Tianwu is arrested.
Tianwu manages to escape from arrest and tries to kill Zhigao at his house. As Tianwu is about to pull the trigger, Yijun breaks the glass wall of her oxygen room and saves Zhigao. Tianwu flees but is arrested at the pier. Because of exposure to the air, Yijun's condition deteriorates. Zhigao brings Yijun to Yongkang and begs Yongkang to have a meal with Yijun, but Yongkang flatly refuses.
Tianwu is sentenced to death for the murder of Yijun. However, this does not quell Zhigao's resentment. Zhigao is bent on destroying Yongkang. He caused Lifeng Company's shares to plunge and affect the company's properties and shareholders so as to cause a hammer blow to Yongkang.
Seeing that Zhigao has changed, his mentor is disappointed. Zhigao has become obsessed with revenge against Yongkang and he has put it as his prime objective in life.
Eventually, Zhigao realizes his folly and decides to help Lifeng Company tide over the financial problems, thus saving many minor shareholders from bankruptcy. However, Yongkang commits suicide before he could receive news that Lifeng Company is revived.
With the death of his arch-enemy, Zhigao decides to become a monk in Thailand and lead a life away from secularness.