The film is adapted from the section "The Intelligent Conquest of Wuhushan" in Qu Bo's novel of the same name, telling the story of the People's Liberation Army's campaign to eliminate the bandit forces composed of remnants of the Kuomintang that were entrenched in Northeast China.

To help the Koreans against the imperialist Americans, Feng Yang, a scout for the Chinese army, must take a crack platoon to blow up the Kangping bridge in order to cut off the American retreat/reinforcement and make possible a major assault on American positions.

In 1946, Chiang Kaishek commits 200,000 troops to an attack on the Communist-held central plains of China. After the PLA main force in the area retreats, the Nationalists also capture the area around the Dabie Mountains. County Party Committee Secretary Liu and county organizations department director Mo Wenjie lead a guerrilla troop against the KMT forces. Will the film belief of the revolutionary cadre be able to overcome not only the enemy, but cold, hunger and betrayal?

People's Liberation Army troops overcome difficulties to find a route to build a bridge to Shizi Mountain.

Mother Feng and her family struggle to live before and during the Japanese invasion of China.

1943, the Japanese Army is falling back to the Pacific, leaving only collaborationist troops. Commissar Yang Xiaodong is sent to inflitrate the provincial capital.