The Driving Power

TING KWAI MUI is a righteous, benevolent heir to a gang leader. A self-proclaimed lady-killer, he is in fact happily married to a loving wife and is the proud father of their only daughter. His biggest fear is growing old and being told about it. MUI’s daughter MING CHU has grown up to be a fine young woman, which causes his concerns over her personal life. While doing grocery shopping for his wife LOK FU YUNG, he catches the eye of the sales lady LISA WONG. MUI gets injured in a football match. The doctor HUNG MIN tends to his wound, but MUI takes advantage to harass her and gets a good tongue-lashing from her. MUI comes to LISA’s rescue when she is harassed by a man. To prove his charm, MUI assumes the identity of YUNG’s brother LOK KAU KEI and asks LISA out. CHU seeks the company of her friend WONG KAI YIN to attend a ball, during which YIN asks to kiss her on the cheek. MUI appears to teach the young man a hard-learnt lesson……

LISA claims to be KEI’s girlfriend in order not to arouse YUNG’s suspicion. Nonetheless, KEI’s fragmented and incoherent account of his encounter with LISA fails the wife’s scrutiny. To clear YUNG’s suspicion once and for all, MUI puts on an act with the help of KEI and LISA. MUI’s philandering uncle TING HA seems not contented with marrying three women — his first wife FUNG WONG and two concubines SHEUNG SZE and WA MEI. His date with the fourth woman TO KUEN is chanced upon by the three wives, who beat up the woman in a fit of rage. After HA’s mediation, the three women agree reluctantly to his taking of TO as his fourth mistress. Learning that MIN’s clinic has been mortgaged to the TING family, LISA urges MUI to claim the property back as their love nest. But when MUI rejects her request, LISA takes her case to YUNG at the TING’s residence so as to make MUI yield……

YUNG follows WONG’s advice and conducts a routine inspection of the clinic before claiming back the property. The band of sworn brothers who work at the clinic plead for a leniency period so that they can raise money to redeem the mortgage, while promising that they will keep it a secret. YUNG has wittingly applied the wisdom of Chinese medicine learnt from MIN on the taming of her husband and wins the applause of WONG and other women. YUNG heaves a sigh of relief as MUI has passed the fidelity tests after returning from his work in the dance hall. The sworn brothers approach MUI to make an accommodation but with no success. CHU tries to keep an eye on her father at work by visiting the dance hall in the company of a friend. Though MUI is able to conceal his flirting with other women initially, his phony acts are soon exposed by MIN. CHU leaves in a rage and chances on LEI. She is consoled by him……

Though displeased with the hiring of MIN as their family bodyguard, MUI stomachs his discontent in order to conciliate YUNG. CHU solicits MIN’s help to find LEI, who happens to be seeking treatment in her clinic and is mistaken as one of the abductors. To pacify CHU, YUNG tricks MUI into giving his approval to hiring LEI as their family tutor. MIN is ordered by YUNG to follow MUI, but the husband manages to escape from the preying eyes of the spy to attend the meeting with the dance hall’s procuress JENNY and her new recruit, LILY. In order to hasten LILY’s move to his dance hall, MUI negotiates terms with BROTHER FAT of the Dark Dance Hall. Push comes to shove, and then fisticuffs, and the two men end up being detained by the police. YUNG bails MIN out and confronts MUI in the dance hall. YUNG mistakes LILY as MUI’s mistress and gives her a slap across her face before JENNY can offer an explanation……

Though MIN no longer works for the TINGs, she still delivers MUI from the deadly pursuit of his foes. When she realizes that she has wrongly blamed MUI, she offers him her apologies. CHU goes to MUI’s restaurant to observe her father at work. Instead, she learns the truth that both HA and her father are gangsters who often resort to violence, and that their secret dealings have been known to YUNG all along. She leaves in a fit of rage. MUI abandons his dance hall business to look for her missing daughter. CHU is finally moved by YUNG’s hearty talk and reconciles with her parents, much to the relief of LEI. MIN is prevailed on by YUNG to resume her work as bodyguard at the TINGs. MUI chances on LEI and CHU inside a theater where the young man is declaring his love for CHU and becomes so upset that he injures himself in the chaos ensues. LEI’s courtship of CHU receives everyone’s blessing, except the exasperated MUI……

YUNG is hesitant over the invitation of the director of the home to perform in a fund-raising event. LISA, heavily indebted to a loan shark, applies to work as a taxi dancer. KEI takes pity on her and gives her money to send home. Knowing that MUI will not consent to her going on stage, YUNG rehearses the song numbers stealthily on the clinic’s rooftop balcony. MUI hires LISA’s service to seduce LEI. To KEI’s huge disappointment, she agrees to go along the plan. However, LEI ignores LISA’s seductive moves. The reason behind LEI’s indifference strikes her when she is nursing KEI’s wounds. MUI is displeased with the unshaken loyalty and trust his family has in MIN. Having found out that MIN has given YUNG a hand in her rehearsal, he denounces MIN for her nosiness. In turn, MIN criticizes MUI’s narrow-mindedness. MUI takes YUNG home. KEI and LISA again set up a trap for LEI……

LEI claims to be an inferior match to CHU so as to hoax the father of the bride to pay for the wedding expenses. Meanwhile, his buddy PETER MAK is celebrating LEI’s success in being taken under MUI’s wing. The family is so preoccupied with preparations for the wedding that they have forgotten to send an invitation to MUI’s grandmother LAU YUK LAN, who now lives in San Francisco. LAN is an authoritative and well-respected matriarch. Against the practice of polygamy, she has especially returned to Hong Kong to condemn HA for taking yet another concubine. Having learned about CHU’s wedding, she vents her anger on HA and MUI. LAN demands that LEI marry into the TING family, and LEI agrees. KEI is disheartened to learn that LISA has resorted to borrowing money from her employer in order to pay her debt to the loan shark……

LEI is in fact a swindler who has schemed to cheat love and money from his hoax marriage to CHU. Despite his best efforts, he emerges from the wedding almost empty-handed. PETER thus suggests that he stays at the TINGs waiting for the opportune moment to seize the family fortune. MUI appoints LEE as the restaurant manager, but LAN insists that the young man work his way up. LISA finds herself isolated by her colleagues and finds out that KWAN has been spreading rumors of her being plagued by a sexually transmitted disease. In settling score with KWAN, she learns that because KEI has a crush on her, he has lied to KWAN in order to safeguard her from his abuse. Though KEI’s words have smeared her name, she forgives him. MIN boosts to MUI about her popularity among her fellow disciples, and insists that she has rejected their courtship and remained single for fear that the sworn brothers will turn against each other……

Impressed by the women’s compliments on MUI, MIN begins to see him in a new light. MUI takes MIN to a typhoon shelter where he has delightful surprises installed for her. MIN is impressed with his thoughtfulness. MUI takes a drunken MIN home but gets locked up in her room by accident. MIN wakes up to see MUI sleeping by her side and banishes him in a fit of rage. She realizes her own fault too late. YUNG and others attend a seminar organized by the Women’s Association and chances on CHAN CHI SHING, her keen suitor years ago. LAN’s arrangement for MIN to meet SHING leaves a void in MUI’s heart. MUI helps MIN prepare for the date with SHING and has unwittingly shown his true feelings toward her. Though feeling incongruous with each other, MIN and SHING take a walk along the waterfront where they chance on MUI. It gives MUI a fright to learn that SHING is MIN’s date……

With the failure of his plan to wreck the date between SHING and MUI, MUI musters up his courage to declare his love for MIN. But MIN rejects him. MIN has drawn an auspicious divination stick for her romance and ignores MUI’s suggestion that the love of her life is standing right in front of her. KEI collects his protection fees in full thanks to LEI’s reminder. He praises LEI’s competence. KEI has gathered that LISA is trying to raise money for the treatment of her sickly aunt in her home village and fabricates a lie in order to borrow money from YUNG. However, his lied is seen through by YUNG. YUNG feels ill at ease to learn of SHING’s undiminished love for her. SHING encourages YUNG to make a comeback with no success. MUI sends MIN flowers every day, hoping to move her. MIN summons her courage to see YUNG at her place but holds back the truth for fear that it will upset LAN……

MIN has finally admitted her love for MUI. YUNG seeks MUI in the clinic but finds to her horror that he is holding MIN in his arm. The fellows make up an excuse for his affectionate behavior. When HA reproaches KEI for the mistakes he has made, KEI takes the blame and moves out of the TING family. LEI replaces KEI in the company, but MUI still refuses to involve him in their crucial secret dealings, despite LEI’s repeated protests against the minor post that MUI has assigned him to. Sensing YUNG’s approval and acceptance of the harmonious relationship between WONG and the three concubines, MUI makes a request to take a concubine. But the women’s hostile reactions overwhelm him. KEI is enlightened by YUNG’s unrelenting fight for a monogamous marriage and resolves to be self-reliant. YUNG gives LISA money so that she can let go of KEI. In turn, LISA has written her an I.O.U. voluntarily……

MUI confronts LEI with his fraudulent behavior, but LEI blackmails him with his affair with MIN. KEI suspects that LEI has evidence against MUI that refrains him from exposing his evil deeds. KEI is saddened to learn that LISA has chosen to stay with him not because of genuine love but because she sees him as her lucky star. MUI is savoring the dishes that MIN has specially prepared for him over a candlelight dinner when an interview broadcast on the air distracts him. It is YUNG who is sharing with the listeners the ways of a harmonious marriage followed by their favorite love song. The program leaves MUI high and dry. Having got wind that SHING is spurring YUNG on to making a comeback, MUI decides to move a step ahead and arranges for YUNG’s meeting with a recording company to discuss her contracts. YUNG is delighted to gain his support……

Thinking that HA is suffering from an incurable disease, WONG and the other three women harbor their own scheme to seize the inheritance. MUI accompanies YUNG to her first recording session, but YUNG’s performance falls short of the standard expected of her. MUI leaves her midway through the session to seek the company of MIN and incurs the displeasure of the fellows in the clinic. YUNG and SHING dine at the dance hall after the recording session and bumps into MUI and MIN. The chance meeting hugely embarrasses the foursome. MEI informs YUNG of the intimate rendezvous between MUI and MIN. While YUNG is appreciative of MEI’s concern, she feels guilty for having little faith in her husband and her good friend. She treats MIN to dinner to offer her apologies. A statement given by the boatman finally exposes the affair. A dumbfounded YUNG slaps both MUI and MIN and seizes the mortgage papers of the clinic……

YUNG makes MUI swear that he will stop seeing MIN, but when he learns that MIN has fallen ill, he tries to sneak out with deadly consequences. YUNG gives MIN money in return of her break-up with MUI, but MIN rejects her offer. YUNG mistakes her defiance as her yearning for a proper status. Deeply humiliated, MIN vows that she will not leave MUI. The two women get into a fistfight at the Women’s Association. Their row finally alerts LAN. The matriarch blames HA for his bad influence on the clan. MUI pledges to shoulder his share of responsibility, but when all eyes are set on him to reveal his decision, MUI declares that he loves both women with all his heart. Smelling big troubles ahead, HA pretends to suffer from a relapse to save MUI from his predicament. MUI’s affair makes the headline of every newspaper. The scandal agitates MUI’s clan uncles……

MIN consoles MUI following his expulsion. At KEI’s persuasion, YUNG is determined not to give up her husband easily. MUI has no luck to find a job and worse still, he is fooled by KWAN. He resorts to borrow money from the dance hall but claims that he has found a job that pays well. Misconceiving that MUI has squandered the money he has borrowed from the taxi dancers on MIN, YUNG storms the clinic with the threat to claim the property. MIN refuses to yield to her demand to give up MUI despite her fellows’ pleading. LEI panics over the arrival of MARIA from England, his bride in another hoax marriage. He urges PETER to think up a countermeasure. With his loan exposed, coupled with YUNG’s threat to seize the property, MUI decides to move out of the clinic. His act has misled MIN into thinking that he is walking out on her. MUI gives MIN reassurances in a hearty talk……

MUI demands LEI’s explanation of his relationship with MARIA in the presence of YUNG and MIN, but LEI simply walks away with the woman. On the pretext of mediating for MUI, LEI incurs even deeper wrath between YUNG and MIN. YUNG sympathizes with MIN’s plight and the two women reconcile. MUI has nowhere to go. He is distressed by YUNG’s claim in the press that her heart has no place for him. CHU helps LEI fulfill a childhood dream. LEI is moved by her deep sentiments and folds paper airplanes just the way she has taught him as a blessing for her. MUI passes out in the streets after trying to gorge on a free meal with no success. Despite KEI’s protest, LISA takes him home. KEI introduces MUI to work in the Women’s Association, but MUI finds himself under fire from the women and has to seek YUNG’s mediation. KEI reprimands MUI for his grave mistakes……

YUNG gets hold of the evidence of LEI’s hoax marriage. She renounces MUI for covering up his own mistakes with LEI’s and ignoring CHU’s feelings and happiness. LEI agrees to leave CHU on condition that his lie will remain a secret so that CHU will remember him as a good person. LEI’s resignation tendered to HA astonishes the manager PAU FUK HING. PETER near falls out with LEI for fear that their scheme will end up in futility, but LEI reassures him. To shield HA, MEI is stabbed by his foe in an ambush. Her selfless act wins her HA’s trust and the dance hall business, but also the discontent of WONG and others. LEI blackmails HING with his affair with MEI so as to force him to involve PETER in the running of the dance hall. LEI and CHU attend a photo session at a studio to take photos as a memento. But CHU, who faints during the photo shoot, is found pregnant. For her daughter’s sake, YUNG allows LEI to stay by CHU’s side……

The fellows of the clinic now work as street vendors peddling medicine. They reconcile with KEI. KEI learns of the plight of the taxi dancers and brings them to the Women’s Association. MUI manages to persuade the director to give shelter to the women. PETER lures LISA to reveal their whereabouts. KEI chides LISA for her betrayal without knowing that she has a master plan up to her sleeves. KEI takes LISA’s joking remarks seriously and gambles his entire fortune on the sweepstakes. PETER realizes the LEI has gathered evidence against him of HA’s murder and plans to deal with him using CHU as a bait. CHU is dumbfounded to learn that LEI is an out-and-out swindler. LEI confesses his crimes to CHU and gains her trust. CHU urges him to turn himself in. With CHU kidnapped, MUI mobilizes everyone to search for her beloved daughter, but to no avail. YUNG raises money to pay the ransom at all cost despite MUI’s opposition……

CHU is heartbroken when LEI points a pistol at her, not knowing that LEI does so with a good reason. Suddenly, an explosion occurs in the warehouse. PETER and HING flee to their safety, while MUI and others are engulfed by a sea of flame when trying to redeem CHU. MUI is severely injured when saving YUNG and MIN. He is carried away from the scene by the two women and loses his consciousness before being rushed to hospital. LEI confesses to his crime and is found guilty of kidnapping. CHU vows to wait for his release. HA wakes up from his coma and is deplored to learn from MEI the events of the fatal day. SHING decides to return to England with his son. YUNG sees them off. LISA discovers KEI’s bagful of sweepstakes and throws them away in a fit of rage. KEI has unwittingly learnt about the winning sweepstakes in their possession, but realizes too late that they have been thrown away. The ticket has been picked up by a lucky tramp……