In 2003, Han Dong, a teenager who dropped out of high school, arrives at Beijing with a dream of becoming a journalist.

A sprawling true-crime case illuminating the fates of ordinary people amid the tides of changing times.

Hiding among the gangsters is like walking on thin ice—can the fiery youth hold onto their original aspirations and prove themselves? As the wheels of time roll on, the gangsters' rampant activities and "spectacles" have faded away. Today's peace and security are our best "proof".

Ji Hong, a sanitation worker, is desperate to secure a school enrollment spot for her child. She finds herself subjected to inappropriate advances disguised as "jokes" by her supervisor at work. While her colleagues turn a blind eye to such behavior, the stubborn Ji Hong resolves to fight back.