The Journey: Tumultuous Times is the story of 5 young people unraveled over a period of 20 tumultuous years in Singapores history as the country strove towards and finally gained independence. 40年代，天鹰和蕙娘已届中年。两人婚后育有一子张佳，并收养一女张敏。日军空袭新加坡，天鹰带着张佳在街上救护伤者，与流氓胡为人结怨，种下祸根。局势告急，天鹏和天鹰两家决定乘船离开，天鹰一家在前往码头途中受阻……。

The Japanese military orders all healthy men to get a check-up at a designated zone. Traitor Hu Weiren discovers Tianying in the crowd and exposes him to the Japanese, causing Tianying to be detained. To save Tianying, Huiniang spends a huge sum of money and even gets herself injured in the process. 日军实行大检证，命令所有壮年男子到集中地接受检查。充当汉奸的胡为人发现天鹰，向日军举报，天鹰被捉走。蕙娘为了救天鹰，不但花了大笔钱，还搞得伤痕累累地回来，临死前要张敏带张佳去投靠石头和鸭子。

Hu Weiren tries to capture Zhang Min to offer to the Japanese military. While trying to rescue Zhang Min, Zhang Jia falls into the river with Hu Weiren. Hu Weiren rescues Zhang Jia and forces him to acknowledge him as his father. 张敏和张佳半路遇到胡为人，胡为人捉了张敏要去献给日军，张佳为了救张敏，与胡为人一起掉入河里。胡为人救起张佳，要张佳当他儿子。张佳为了打听父亲天鹰的下落，答应当胡为人的儿子，并改名胡佳。

Tianpengs son Zhang Yan returns from his studies abroad. Shi Tous daughter Minghui looks forward to seeing Zhang Yans return. Zhang Min is also in a relationship with Minghuis brother, Dang Yong. Hu Jia, on the other hand, has become the head of a gang. 天鹏的儿子张晏学成回国，天鹏和石头两家人前往码头接他。石头的女儿明慧和张晏经常通信，盼望着心上人的归来。张敏也和明慧的哥哥当勇相恋。而胡佳则走上一条不一样的路，成为流氓帮会的头目。

Fearing that he will implicate Tianpengs family and Zhang Min, Hu Jia decides not to acknowledge them. Dang Yong fights for rights for workers to get more benefits and Zhang Min fully supports him. 成为流氓的胡佳担心连累天鹏一家和张敏，不敢和他们相认。当勇积极处理工会的事，协助工人争取权益，免得他们被资本家剥削。张敏全力支持他，还告诉张晏当勇教了她很多东西，让她更看清这个世界。

Hu Jia and Bullet Head get into trouble after hitting a Caucasian police official. Hu Jias boss, Liang Si Hai, wants Bullet Head to take the rap. Hu Jia is reluctant to inform Bullet Head of his decision as he remembers Bullet Head still has a family to feed. 胡佳和弹子头因为打伤洋警司的事而惹上麻烦，堂主梁四海要让弹子头去投案顶罪。胡佳想起弹子头家里还有依靠他的弟妹们，不忍开口。弹子头却早就猜到，刻意将胡佳灌醉，想要去投案，不料却听说大妹小萍整晚没有回家……。

Bai Gou, another hooligan, wants Bullet Head to join their gang to get rid of Hu Jia and uses Xiao Pings life to threaten him into doing so. Refusing to accede to Bai Gous request, Bullet Head gets into a fight with Bai Gous men. 流氓白狗以小萍的性命为要挟，要弹子头加入他们的帮派，并要他除去胡佳。弹子头不肯答应，与白狗的人打了起来。胡佳突然出现帮忙，制住了白狗，也救出小萍，过程中胡佳和明慧再次见面。

Zhang Min leads her students on a protest and Dang Yong brings workers to support her. The situation goes out of control and the students go head on with the police. Minghui pulls the injured Zhang Min away and both get pursued by the police. 张敏带领学生游行示威，当勇带工友前来支持。不料局面失控，警察与学生发生冲突。明慧照顾不适的张敏，两人被警察追赶，胡佳出手相助，把张敏带回家里休息。胡佳认出张敏是自己的姐姐，张敏昏倒前似乎看到了弟弟张佳。

Zhang Min finds Hu Jia very familiar with an uncanny likeness to Zhang Jia. Minghui declares Hu Jia is a gangster and insists that he cannot be Zhang Jia. Zhang Min feels very strongly that it was Zhang Jia she saw before she became unconscious. Minghui tells her it is just her hallucination. 张敏始终觉得胡佳很眼熟，很像小时候的张佳。明慧说胡佳是个横行霸道的大流氓，不可能是张佳，张敏却有强烈的感觉，昏倒前仿佛看到张佳就在眼前。明慧认为那是她意识模糊下产生的幻觉。

Zhang Min tries to convince her students parents to support her students movement but without success. Hu Jia uses another method to persuade the parents. In the process, Zhang Min realizes Hu Jia resembles her brother a lot. 张敏企图说服家长支持学生的行动，却被家长抢白一顿。胡佳以一番歪理帮她说服学生家长。张敏见胡佳说话的样子和口气很像小时候的张佳，又见他把街头流浪狗取名为“福气"，与小时候的张佳一样，不由得又再想起自己的弟弟。

Hu Jia meets Steven Chan to get help to save Bullet Head and is surprised to see Zhang Yan is actually Steven Chan. Zhang Yan wants Hu Jia to insult and hit Tang Shui Mei infront of Minghui to make Minghui hate him. 为了救弹子头，胡佳约Steven Chan见面，没想到对方竟然是张晏。张晏除了向胡佳狮子开大口之外，还要胡佳帮他做一件事。胡佳被逼在明慧面前糟蹋糖水妹的名声，甚至动手打她，令明慧对胡佳大感失望。

Dangyong and Zhang Min support Zhang Yans decision to join the Legislative Council election. Dangyong advised Zhang Yan to pick the party which has the potential to lead the people out of colonialism. 张晏打算参加立法议会选举，当勇和张敏均表赞同。当勇劝他选择一个有潜力带领百姓摆脱殖民统治的政党，而不是亲殖民地的政党。张晏不以为然，试探当勇是否加入地下组织，结果两人又因为政治理念不同而起争执。

Dangyong leads workers from a bus company on a strike for better benefits. The bus company sacks those workers who went on strike, creating a tense situation. Zhang Min brings her students to support the workers. 当勇带领巴士工友举行罢工，以便向资方争取权益。厂方将罢工的工友开除，局势更加不可收拾。张敏带领学生前来支持。罢工工人在门外阻成人墙，阻止巴士开出。张晏前来车厂给经理下指示，当勇骂他是殖民地政权的走狗。

The bus strike ends with the intervention of the Chief Minister. Dangyong and his team from the underground organization plan for another strike on an even larger scale that almost paralyses the city. Zhang Yan suggests having Dangyong arrested for leading the workers on strike. 在首席部长干预下，巴士工潮总算解决，工人恢复上班。但当勇却与地下分子再次策划另一轮的行动，很快的罢工再起，而且规模更大，令市区几近瘫痪。眼见局势不可收拾，张晏向长官建议将煽动工人罢工的当勇逮捕。

Zhang Yan bumps into Minghui when looking for Zhang Min. They heard of a riot ahead and that a Caucasian police officer intends to shoot. Minghui sees a Caucasian police officer trapped in the police car surrounded by civilians. She tries to dissuade them not to harm the innocent but to no avail. 张晏来找张敏，遇到明慧。两人听说前方有暴动，洋警察要开枪杀人，明慧即刻跑去，见一洋警察被困在警车里，被暴民团团包围。她尝试说服暴民不要伤害无辜，但没有人理会。洋警察见情势危急，拔出枪来，混乱中枪声响起……。

Hu Jia hides Dangyong in the forest when a spy tries to arrest him. Hu Jia feels strongly towards Dangyongs cause and decides to help him and Zhang Min and declares he sees them as his sister and brother-in-law. Zhang Min is puzzled by Hu Jias actions. 暗探要逮捕当勇，胡佳暗中帮忙，把他藏在树林的木屋里。胡佳见当勇一心帮助被欺压的工人，结果却被政府人捉，感到愤愤不平，决定帮助当勇和张敏，还坦言把两人当姐夫和姐姐看待，张敏不解胡佳的弦外之音。

Minghui invites Hu Jia to join in the road repair works for the villagers. Hu Jia agrees and asks her to bring Zhang Min along, revealing that Dangyong has returned secretly and he wishes to see her. 明慧要胡佳和他们一起去给村民修路，胡佳答应，要明慧带张敏一起来，并偷偷透露当勇已经潜回国，他想和张敏见面。一路上明慧发现胡佳与小时候的张佳很像，开始对他产生怀疑。

Hu Jia rescues Hu Weiren from Bai Gou and intends to kill him to avenge his parents. Minghui suddenly appears to stop him. It turns out that Minghui has suspected Hu Jia to be Zhang Jia and has been following him.The demented Hu Weiren suddenly pushes Zhang Jia away and jumps into the sea and drowns. 胡佳从白狗手中救出胡为人后，将他押到海边，要为父母报仇。明慧突然出现阻止，原来她早就怀疑胡佳就是张佳，一路跟踪着他。疯癫的胡为人突然推开胡佳，冲入海里，迅即被海水淹没。

Zhang Min decides to move to the school hostel to avoid Zhang Yan. Zhang Yan objects to her decision and declares again that he will do what it takes to bring Dangyong down if he sacrifices her for his cause. Zhang Min sees Zhang Yan becoming more and more ambitious. 张敏为了避开张晏，决定搬到学校宿舍去住。张晏却不让她离开，再次表示如果当勇把她变成牺牲者，他一定会以最激烈的手段对付当勇。张敏看出了张晏想要往上爬的野心。

Si Hai instructs Hu Jia to capture Dangyong and turn him to Zhang Yan else he will be going against Xiao Yi Tang. Hu Jia agrees to do so reluctantly but decides to help Dangyong escape once again. 铁齿查出当勇的下落，四海要胡佳带人去捉他，交给张晏，否则张晏就要对付小义堂。胡佳无奈答应，但心情却矛盾不已。一番挣扎之后，他再次帮当勇躲过铁齿的追捕。

Zhang Yan sends people to raid Liang Si Hais businesses to threaten him in handing over Dangyong to him. Si Hai is well aware that Siu Yee Tong will be finished if he does not hand Dangyong over and thus forced Hu Jia and Old Cai to capture Dangyong. 张晏派人去扫荡梁四海的地盘，给他下马威。梁四海知道再不把当勇交出去，张晏一定会把小义堂扫荡得一干二净，于是逼胡佳和心腹老蔡一起去捉当勇。老蔡打听到当勇的下落，胡佳急忙跑去通知张敏……。

Zhang Min goes secretly to meet Dangyong on the day of Zhang Yan and Minghuis wedding. Zhang Yan gets someone to trail her and discovers Dangyongs hiding place. 张晏和明慧大喜的日子，张敏悄悄外出与当勇见面，张晏派人跟踪，得知当勇藏匿的地点，下令逮捕，还说如果当勇拒捕，就格杀勿论。他的话正好被明慧听见，对张晏竟然在结婚的日子要杀死自己的哥哥，感到震惊不已。

Tang Shui Mei and Hu Jia quarrels and he wrecks her stall in anger. Tang Shui Meis father tells her that Hu Jia will never like her. Tang Shui Mei decides to give Hu Jia up and to marry someone else according to her fathers wishes. 糖水妹和胡佳起了争执，胡佳一气之下砸了糖水档。糖水叔知道糖水妹喜欢胡佳，便说胡佳虽是个流氓，眼界却很高，是不会看上糖水妹的。糖水妹听了伤心，决定对胡佳死心，听从父亲的意思去嫁人。

Tang Shui Mei decides to get married. Hu Jia intends to acknowledge Tang Shui Mei as his sister and to give her a wedding present. Tang Shui Mei refused his offer. 糖水妹决定嫁人，胡佳表示要和她结拜为兄妹，以哥哥的身份送结婚礼物给她，糖水妹不领情。张晏决定利用白狗去对付胡佳，但白狗的手下个个怕了胡佳，没人敢去动他。铁齿建议从糖水妹下手，要让胡佳束手就擒。