Lao Xu, a single father and Chinese immigrant in New York City, works at a jewelry store in a dilapidated mall in Chinatown. His daughter, Yuan Yuan, a dedicated flutist, is gearing up for an important audition. At work, Lao Xu is entrusted with a mysterious amethyst rock believed to possess the power to change one’s luck. Tempted, Lao Xu touches the amethyst and feels a change in his fortune. At home, Yuan Yuan reveals that the audition might be rigged and she will not be successful no matter how hard she tries. Desperate to help his daughter, Lao Xu steals the amethyst and has Yuan Yuan touch it without her knowing. The following day, Lao Xu sees Yuan Yuan off to her audition, knowing he has done everything he could for her. He returns to work only to find the store ransacked by real thieves. Lao Xu loses his job and goes home. He sits alone, imagining Yuan Yuan perform for him, and thinking about the bright future they could have in this promised land.