Based on the unique manga series “Zeni Geba” published nearly forty years ago, this is a story of a young man who, due to his unfortunate upbringings, becomes a "money crazy" criminal who only believes in money. Featuring the negative sides of the human race, this drama series makes the audience think about what the true meaning of happiness may be.

Futaro Gamagori (Kenichi Matsuyama) was born and raised in an extremely poor family. His alcoholic father Kenzo (Kippei Shiina) is unemployed, and not only does his violence leave a scar on Futaro's eye, but he disappears one day leaving his debts behind for his family to deal with. At age eleven however, Futaro (Ryusei Saito) believes that if you are honest and hard-working, your life will be a happy one no matter how poor you are, just as his mother Momoko (Kaoru Okunuki) had always told him. Then Momoko becomes ill and, unable to pay for decent medical care, she passes away.

Years pass by, and Futaro moves to a city far from home, to flee from an incident he might have caused in his childhood. He would now do anything for money, but keeps to himself, and struggles to find work by moving from factory to factory. In one of them he becomes acquainted with Terada (Tomorowo Taguchi). "Why is life worth living?" asks Terada, stuck with money problems of his own. Futaro mysteriously responds with an eerie grin.

这是一部由1970年出版，广受当时的年轻朋友欢迎的同名漫画改编而来的作品。主人公是一个对金钱有着异常执着的极度拜金主义者，名叫蒲郡风太郎（松山研一饰）的青年。
这部充满娱乐性的作品描写了蒲郡风太郎一边在充斥着金钱的世界里挣扎求存，另一边又困惑于「幸福到底是什么」。

风太郎少年时，父亲不但酗酒不务正业，更因向风太郎的母亲（奥贯熏饰）要钱不遂而打打伤风太郎，令他脸上留下永不磨灭的疤痕。另一方面，风太郎的母亲则教诲风太郎，即使贫穷，只要正直和努力地生活，幸福会来临。可是她却因为家境贫困，累坏身体，最终就因为没钱医病而死去。对风太郎来说，他的母亲是因为「钱」的缘故才死去的。因此令他对金钱充满了仇恨。后来因为一件事，导致他离开了这个他长大的地方……
数年后，风太郎受聘于一家派遣公司，过着每天在不同的工厂工作的日子。可是现在的风太郎已变成了一个为了钱什么事都会做的人……当他被另一个也面对金钱困难的工友问到：「到底人是为了什么而生存？」时，只是露出一个深沉冷漠的微笑，到底风太郎的心里在想什么呢？