Love and Faith

Karmaka Surjaudaja (Rio Dewanto) aka Kwee Tjie Hwei, Chinese-born, moves to Indonesia at the age of 10 months. He is brought by his mother (Irina Chiu Yen Tan) to follow his father, Kwee Tjie Kui (Ferry Salim), who have lived in Bandung. His childhood passes in limitations. As a result, he graduates from the high school in the same year with his brother Tjie Ong Kwee (Dion Wiyoko). He decides to let go of his dream and let his brother enters medical school. Since then he is never out of the hard work.

Being a sports teacher is his first job. He teaches in a Chinese school named Nan Hua. At the school, he meets a woman named Lim Kwei Ing (Laura Basuki), student, which makes him fall in love. But he tries to keep his distance, because he is her teacher, and Lim Kwei Ing derives from Lim Khe Tjie family, owners of large banks in Bandung. Finally in 1959 they are married.

In the transition times from the Old Order to the New Order, Lim Khe Tjie could not return to Indonesia. He is stuck in Hong Kong. Meanwhile the bank's business is on the verge of bankruptcy, because many traitors who undermine the bank’s asset. Kwee Tjie Hwei repels the board of directors and gives them to the prosecutor. Kwee Tjie Hwei also manages to break the threats from other parties.

Unfortunately, the economic conditions are not in favor of their big dreams. In 1965, political, economic, and security turmoil happens. The government takes monetary policy to cut the value of money from Rp1000 to Rp1. People panick, especially those who save money in the bank.

In the struggle to rebuild the business, Kwee Tjie Hwei experiences attempted murder three times. Finally Kwee Tjie Hwei successfully fulfill the mandate of his father in law in establishing a bank empire.