In the northern Chinese city of Manzhouli, they say there is an elephant that simply sits and ignores the world. Manzhouli becomes an obsession for the protagonists of this film, a longed-for escape from the downward spiral in which they find themselves.

On New Year’s Eve, after Lei Xiao successfully brought her seemingly perfect boyfriend back to her parents’ home, she didn’t gain her parents’ trust. She remained constantly nervous about her temporary partner’s behavior while observing the reactions of her parents and neighbors in her hometown. Behind the apparent joy of the whole family, a larger lie was concealed.

In a small border town in Yunnan, five young men work hard to achieve their dreams but find it difficult to keep up with the demands of a materialistic society. The fourth brother, A Zhe, is especially troubled as he struggles to raise money for his fiancée's medical treatment. Driven by their desire for wealth, the brothers hatch a plan to rob a jewelry store, but their scheme quickly spirals into a dangerous crisis.

An accidental death of the suspect leads to the entire team of the Third Division being imprisoned. Six years later, team leader Cheng Bing is released but remains consumed by the case. Over the next eleven years, he lives a normal life while secretly tracking down the killer, determined to see justice served.