红字 (Red Numbers) : Synopsis

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RED NUMBERSis a Mandarin language dark comedy that follows an underdog’s fight against destiny, as he races against a hodgepodge of friends and foes, to uncover the winning lottery number that can bring him unimaginable riches. He learns along the way, the path to true happiness.StartFragment

XU XU is a Chinese migrant worker who traveled to Singapore to search for work, and a path to a better life. Working as a shampoo boy in a high-class hair salon, he is amazed by the world of possibilities, yet discouraged by the myriad of disparities. With a meager salary in one of the world’s most expensive cities to live in, Xu Xu barely has enough to make ends meet, let alone fulfill his dreams of attaining riches. And a nasty boss and equally difficult colleagues make his life even tougher.

One day, Xu Xu stumbles upon a senile old man, LAO GAO, and adopts him out of sympathy. Little did he know that his act of kindness would start him on the path to riches…Through the divinations of a geomancer called MASTER HUI, Xu Xu learnt that senile old Lao Gao was once a spiritual medium in a temple 5 years ago. He was bestowed with the magical power to interpret , auspicious numbers that helped worshippers to win the 4-Digit lotteries. His fame spread far and wide, and garnered him many followers, who hailed him as the “God of Wealth”. His magical powers brought him great fortune, but it brought him great troubles as well.With his tremendous wealth, Lao Gao’s children and grandchildren started living lazy and extravagant lifestyles. Conflicts and gambling debts soon broke the family apart.Lao Gao was invited to Malaysia to view the building of a temple that was dedicated to him. However, it turned out to be an evil plot to kidnap him. Bad news soon travelled to his family and followers in Singapore, that he was dead.

Five years later, he reappears in Singapore as a vagrant, his memories lost, and his past becomes a mystery.

Destiny not only brings Xu Xu and Lao Gao’s paths together, it also brings him Lao Gao’s children, a lazy, hen-pecked son called ZHI QIAN, and a confused homosexual daughter called ZHI JIN. The geomancer Master Hui tries to help them uncover the secrets to changing their fate.

Divining that Lao Gao is the key to Xu Xu’s prosperity, Master Hui advises Xu Xu to interact often with Lao Gao. Just before Lao Gao dies, he rewards Xu Xu with a dream for his kindness, a dream that may bring him tremendous riches.  

In Xu Xu’s dream, Lao Gao’s three children, Zhi Qian, Zhi Jin, and the late Zhi Gang appears. Through their different characteristics, they were each interpreted as an auspicious red number. But before the last mystical number appears, Xu Xu wakes up, and the last red number necessary for him to buy the 4-Digit lottery becomes a mystery.

Xu Xu, Zhi Qian, Zhi Jin and Master Hui together embark on a quest to uncover the last red number. In the comedic process through their suspenseful journey, they meet various obstacles. They also uncovered the evil plot that caused Lao Gao’s amnesia and eventually led to his death.

The evil plot was hatched by San Shu, the treacherous brother of Lao Gao. Working as an underground bookie that collected illegal lottery bets, San Shu suffered huge losses when Lao Gao’s powers to give red numbers helped many people win lotteries. To put an end to his losses, San Shu conned Lao Gao to Malaysia and attempted to kill him. Luckily, Lao Gao managed to escape and fled back to Singapore, but the injuries he sustained caused his memory loss.

Solving the case of Lao Gao’s death and discovering the final red number, Xu Xu races against time to buy the lottery before the betting station closes. On the way, he sees an old lady in distress and had to help her. He accidentally purchases the wrong numbers as a result.  

Will Xu Xu lose his pot of gold because of the good deed?

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