"Shanghai Red" centers around the journey of a young and modern Shanghai mother named Mei Li Zhu, who suffers the loss of her husband, and how she comes to terms with her state of depression. In her murderous journey of revenge, Mei Li meets Michael Johnson, an expatriate American from Chicago escaping his own dark past. Even though Michael's motives for being with Mei Li are originally laced with deception, he ultimately finds hope, love and honor through her.