Lady on the Roof

“Story”

Chiu Man Yin （Lin Dai） is a beautiful, clever girl who comes from a family of notorious burglars. Her father, Chiu Hok Ting, appears to be a respectable noble, is actually a great head of the underworld. He gains his fame and worth from the booties of his house-breaking. Although he is quite wealthy, he is still as greedy as in the past. He even passes the skill of house-breaking to his children.

Since Man Yin has been accustomed to the teaching of her father from early childhood, she cannot understand that robbery is shameful and contempteous.

One day, Man Yin steals into a grand mansion. With the skill inherited from her father, she ransacked three families consecutively and finally breaks into a well-upholstered room which seems to belong to a wealthy family in appearance. But the owner, Szto Tai Wai (Lui Chin), an offspring of a noble, is himself in financial difficulty and has to depend on his uncle Szto Siu Lin (Yin Pang) for his living. At the time when Man Yin tries to search for the valuable things, she alarms Szto by carelessly knocking down a chair. Knowing that there is a thief in the house, Szto and his servant. Ah Kam (Ng Kar Young), try to threaten her to surrender. Man Yin hides in a shadow. She is not afraid at all to see that Szto is a kind gentleman. She finally comes out to face them.

Now Szto is a kind and simple-hearted man. He is fascinated by the beauty of Man Yin. He takes pity of her waywardness and wishes to rescue her out of the hell. Man Yin also likes the sincere and kind personality of Szto. She boldly admitted her guilt.

After talking for some-time. Szto persuades Man Yin to get off the idea of stealing, otherwise, sooner or later she would be arrested one day. He is sure that a beautiful girl like her would have a good husband to match for. Man Yin is greatly moved. Until then, she understands the guilt and wrongness of stealing. She decides to turn a new page in life. At the same time, she loves Szto at the very first sight. She encourages Szto to gain his own living and not to depend on the inheritance of his uncle for his future. The inside of Szto’s family has the same black mark as the Chiu’s. Szto’s grandfather got his wealth from unlawful ways. His father is extravagant and spends all that he got. Luckily his uncle can keep a part of it and take advantage of the money to get himself the honour of Duke.

On the next day, Inspector Butt receives an order to investigate the robbering case. He goes to see Szto in the hope that he may get some information, but Szto refuses to show his cooperation. Just as Inspector Butt starts to leave, Man Yin comes in with the handbag that she carried along yesterday. Being not aware of the presence of Inspector Butt, she openly expresses her gratitude to Szto. Inspector Butt finds out all the secrets in listening. When Man Yin is introduced to the Inspector, she is not afraid at all to know that he is a police officer. But Szto worries for her. At the same time, Szto’s fiancee Helen (Tong Chin) arrives to drop in for a visit. In a confusion, Inspector Butt searches the handbag of Man Yin only with the surprise to find out that the contents are all female underwears. He dares not to take any action without evidence. Helen misunderstands that Szto has got some infamous relationship with Man Yin; she runs away in anger.

The handbag that Man Yin carries along actually contains the robbery that worths several ten-thousands. Since she understands the wrongness and shamefulness of stealing, she wishes Szto to hand it back to the police for her. When she knows the identity of Inspector Butt, she skilfully hides the valuables in the pocket of Szto. After Inspector Butt and Helen have gone, she takes it out to show Szto.

With the troubles of the police and the misunderstanding of his fiancee, Szto feels very unhappy. But when he is with Man Yin alone, he forgets all his unhappiness. Later when he knows that she has accepted his persuasion to turn good, his liking for her changes into love. He is also moved by Man Yin and decides to start his own new life as well.

Man Yin finds out that Szto is not truly in love with Helen. They were engaged simply because Helen is a rich girl and Szto gets a noble rank in society. Man Yin has a desire to break this loveless couple and encourages Szto to become a good and responsible husband.

Man Yin is a clever girl. She continues to alienate Szto and Helen and at the same time persuades Szto’s uncle, the Duke of Szto Siu Lin, to stop the financial support of Szto. The Duke gives Szto a job and suggests him to ask Man Yin's hand in marriage.

Man Yin’s father, Chiu Hok Ting, knows that the change of his daughter is due to the affect of Szto. He goes to Szto’s house to fetch the booty.

Inspector Butt also comes to Szto’s house because he gets the information that the booty is stored up there. But because of the high rank of Szto in society, he just wants to fetch back the robbery.

All people concerned arrive at Szto’s house and among them, Man Yin shows to be the most clever. She plays quite well in making Helen to leave Szto in desperation. Chui Hok Ting is shameful that his skill cannot even surpass his own daughter, so he decides to turn back as well. Inspector gets a very good lesson from Man Yin; but finally he leaves happily with the booty. As to Szto, he is encouraged to get his own living by Man Yin. The story comes to a happy ending when finally Szto and Man Yin enter into marriage.