Dying to Survive

Divorced, alone, and on the brink of financial ruin, every day for Cheng Yong (Xu Zheng) is a struggle. Peddling imported Indian aphrodisiacs to try to make ends meet, Cheng Yong isn’t very successful, but it’s the only thing he knows how to do. Desperate to make enough money to make ends meet and pay for the surgery his ailing father urgently needs, Cheng Yong is willing to do just about anything. Naturally, when an unexpected opportunity presents itself, Cheng Yong is more than willing to take it. Approached by Lu Sihui (Tan Zhuo), a socially awkward sufferer of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML), Cheng Yong discovers he can make a great deal of money by smuggling a potent, but illegal, anti-CML drug from India into China. Realizing he can make the money he needs and help CML patients receive a treatment they couldn’t otherwise afford, Cheng Yong agrees to go along with Lu Sihui’s plan.  With his business now thriving, Cheng Yong expands his efforts, smuggling more medications into the country for the greater good. With an expanding sense of empathy for those who suffer from devastating illnesses, Cheng Yong continues his work, selling life-saving medications to those who would otherwise have to go without. But the police soon catch wind of a ring of illegal drug smugglers and vow to crack down on those caught selling them. With the police hot on his trail, will Cheng Yong be able to continue helping those in need? Based on the real-life story of leukemia patient, Lu Yong, “Dying to Survive” is a 2018 comedy drama film directed by Wen Muye.