West of Shanghai

On a train bound for lawless northern China, Gordon Creed plots to offer Jim Hallet enough money to repay his loan to Myron Galt. Creed hopes to secure a tidy share of the oilfield and outmaneuver Galt. He senses that the upcoming conflicts will hinge on money, influence, and control of the oil asset.

General Chow Fu-Shan occupies Creed's compartment on the train, en route to confront warlord Wu Yen Fang. The arrangement foreshadows shifting alliances and looming danger. Fang's man murders Chow on the train, triggering a rapid escalation of hostilities.

General Ma questions the trio about their motives, hinting at murky loyalties. The group then travels by horse to a remote town, where their plans may collide with reality. There they discover Jim Hallet and Creed's estranged wife Jane, who works for missionary Dr. Abernathy.

Captain Kung Nui and his followers overtake the town, turning the locals and travelers into pawns in a tighter power play. The occupation introduces immediate danger and political maneuvering. Jane and Hallet's bond remains strained by the upheaval.

Jane and Hallet admit their growing feelings, but Jane refuses to divorce, clinging to a traditional notion of marriage. The romance complicates Creed's plans and heightens the personal stakes for everyone involved. Loyalty, love, and duty become tangled in the town's turmoil.

Fang's men incapacitate and imprison Hallet, making him a prisoner of the rising warlord. The oilman becomes a bargaining chip in Fang's broader strategy to consolidate power. The captivity tightens the noose around Jane and Hallet's fragile relationship.

Fang arrives and attempts to persuade Jane to accompany him, bluntly asserting his dominance with the line 'I am Fang'. His seduction is a strategic move rather than a romantic gesture. Jane resists, reaffirming her loyalty to her marriage and beliefs.

With help from an ally disguised as one of Fang's soldiers, Hallet escapes his confinement and signals General Ma about Fang's whereabouts. The escape shifts the balance of control in the town. Hallet's action buys time for a counter-move against Fang.

Hallet bursts into Fang and Jane's private conversation, disrupting their plans and reminding Fang of their complicated history. Fang contemplates his next move as the tension spikes. The moment underscores how personal history fuels political calculus.

Fang recalls their shared past, including how Hallet once aided him, a memory that guides his current strategy. This recollection informs his moves as he navigates threats to his rule. The past and present collide as power plays unfold.

Fang steals Creed's $50,000, using it to pay Galt what Hallet owes. He then takes the money and offers it to Dr. Abernathy, extending the web of financial manipulation surrounding the oilfield. The cash game deepens the conspiracy.

Creed tries to gain leverage by bribing Kung Nui to rebel against Fang, aiming to see Hallet executed. Just before the firing squad can act, Fang's right-hand man Mr. Cheng kills Kung Nui. The betrayal consolidates Fang's grip on the town and his rivals' weaknesses.

Fang personally shoots Creed to fix the Hallet-Jane dilemma, but Creed survives the blast with a wound. The act eliminates Creed as a rival while preserving his leverage over the others. The violence underscores Fang's ruthlessness and willingness to sacrifice anyone for control.

Government troops force their way into the town, turning the fragile standoff into a chaotic battle. Jane and Hallet seize a moment to tend to his wounds amid the fighting. The town's fate is decided in the ensuing confusion and gunfire.

With the battle lost and captives at risk, Fang chooses surrender over continued bloodshed. He is taken out and executed by firing squad, marking the end of his tyrannical rule. Hallet's and Jane's immediate future remains unresolved as the crisis wraps up.