Are you a good person? Can you be a good person in a corrupt society? Welcome to contemporary Beijing, America's most ardent wannabe! Against the backdrop of this world metropolis, a young prostitute, Shen Te, gives shelter to the traveling gods and is rewarded with a small tobacco shop. But the harsh realities of business soon collide with her natural kindness, and she is forced to choose between being good or surviving in a cruel world. When commerce meets compassion and self-interest meets sympathy, we find out there's a little bit of bad in all of us.