The Big Boss

Cheng Chao-an moves from the Chinese mainland to Pak Chong, Thailand, to live with his extended family and work in an ice factory. He wears a jade amulet and has sworn to his mother never to fight again. This vow governs his early choices and keeps him distant from conflicts as he starts a new life.

Cheng meets his cousin Hsu Chien when Hsu bravely confronts street thugs who beat his younger brother. He is tempted to intervene but refrains to honor his mother's pledge. The moment foreshadows the pull between family loyalty and his own vow of non-violence.

Cheng begins work at the ice factory and is drawn into a dangerous secret. An ice block breaks and a bag of white powder falls out, signaling illegal drugs. The manager later confirms the factory is a front for Hsiao Mi's operation.

Wang and Chang pick up the bag and are told to report to the manager that night. They refuse to participate in the illicit scheme, and the manager orders thugs to kill them to keep the drug operation secret. Their disappearance escalates the danger surrounding the factory.

Hsu Chien and Ah Piprobe Hsiao Mi about the missing workers and the drug operation. Hsiao Mi denies knowledge and threatens to involve authorities, prompting his gang to attack. Both cousins are killed in the confrontation.

Word of the missing workers spreads among the Chinese staff, and they refuse to work, rioting against Thai management. The situation intensifies as hired thugs join to restore order. The unrest exposes the factory's deeper corruption and exploitation.

During the chaos, a thug rips off Cheng's jade amulet, triggering his anger during the brawl. He defeats the attackers and is promoted to foreman by the manager to quell tensions. This new position places him closer to the power structure behind the operation.

The manager hosts a dinner where the boss cannot attend. Women, including Sun Wu Man, sit with Cheng and ply him with cognac. He gets drunk and spends the night with Sun Wu Man, waking to Chow Mei's presence as he leaves the brothel in the morning.

Because of his intoxication, Cheng neglects to follow up on the missing workers. He tells his family that he forgot, causing unease and distrust among relatives who expect him to help. Chow Mei tries to defend him, but the strain remains.

Sun Wu Man warns that Cheng's life is in danger and reveals that Hsiao Mi runs a drug trafficking operation. The warning heightens the sense that those involved will stop at nothing to protect the secret.

Immediately after the warning, Hsiao Mi's son, Hsiao Chiun, sneaks in and murders Sun Wu Man. The brutal act shows the extent of Hsiao Mi's reach and the personal risk to Cheng.

Cheng breaks into the factory and finds drugs stored away, along with the severed heads of Sun Wu Man and Hsu Chien frozen in the ice blocks. He is surrounded by Hsiao Chiun and his men and fights his way out. He defeats the gang and asserts his will against the criminal operation.

Upon returning home, Cheng discovers that the rest of his family has been murdered and Chow Mei is missing. He mourns by a river and swears to exact revenge on those who destroyed his family. The tragedy steels his resolve to end Hsiao Mi's operation.

Cheng storms Hsiao Mi's mansion as Chow Mei is freed by a sympathetic slave and escapes to seek help from the police. In a brutal duel, Cheng deflects a knife thrown by Hsiao Mi with his shoe and kills the Big Boss. He then surrenders to the arriving police, ending the battle.