Li Huiquan, age 24, has just been released from prison early for “good behavior”. With the help of friends, he manages to get himself back on his feet economically ,but day after day he sees his ideals and hopes battered and mocked. Through the trials and tragedy of Li Huiquan’s story, this film explores the social and psychological problems engendered in Chinese working — class youth by the pressures and changes in contemporary Chinese society.