In Engenho Novo, the gas station attendant and mechanic Zé da Bomba is a cheater, playing a confidence game pretending that he is the millionaire José Pires e Camargo from São Paulo. His childhood friend Renatinho Pinga-Fogo is now the well-known social columnist René Doré and has introduced him to the high-society. Now, Zé da Bomba “borrows” the Cadillac of his boss every night and is a habitué of the fashionable Boite Astral, a night-club owned by Alfredo and his son Guilhermo that was promoted to the jet set by the artistic director Armindo Menezes. Further, he is dating the socialite Marilu Biscainha, the daughter of a wealthy banker Biscainha. Zé da Bomba’s sweetheart Sonia lives with her aunt Ofélia Canabrava and is the next-door neighbor of the gas station where he works with Veludo. Zé da Bomba likes Sonia, but does not see future in their relationship since he wants to climb to the higher classes and have a good job and position, and Marilu is the easiest way for accomplish his dreams. When Ofélia sees the picture of Armindo in the front page of the newspaper, she recognizes him as her former boyfriend Armindo “Tampinha”, who seduced her ten years ago and borrowed a large amount telling that he would build a theater company and she would be the lead attraction, but vanishing with her money instead. Ofélia hides herself in the Cadillac and goes to the Astral nightclub with Zé da Bomba. When she sees Zé da Bomba with Marilu, she calls Sonia to join them in the nightclub. Further, Ofélia calls Marilu and unmasks Zé da Bomba to his fiancée. Zé da Bomba vanishes and ten days later, he reappears working as a car dealer and decided to build a fashionable nightclub in the slums. He asks his friend Pinga-Fogo to promote the spot and invites Veludo, Ofélia and Sonia to work with him. But Alfredo and Guilhermo are not happy and decide to make a violent move against them.