China, 2003. Beijing-based New Dreams language school - founded by Meng Xiaojun (Deng Chao), Wang Yang (Tong Dawei) and Cheng Dongqing (Huang Xiaoming) - is being sued by New York's EES for allegedly stealing its TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam papers to give New Dreams' students an advantage in applying to US universities. Back in 1980, the three had met at Yanjing University in Beijing.