The Bodyguard

In a northeastern Chinese city near the Russian border, Ding sees a man being stabbed by a gang. He hesitates to identify the assailant when summoned by the police, signaling his frail memory and reluctance. This moment casts a shadow over his credibility and future interactions with law enforcement.

The police bring Ding in to identify the attacker, but he cannot recall or name the assailant. His failure raises suspicions about his memory and past service as a security officer. The investigation proceeds while Ding remains an unreliable witness.

Investigators dig into Ding's background and discover he is a retired Central Security Bureau officer from Beijing. They conclude that his memory problems may be dementia, complicating the legal case and his personal narrative. The focus shifts from the street crime to Ding's frail condition.

Back at his home, Ding is repeatedly invited to supper by Park, a land-lord who is attracted to him. He also cares for Cherry, a little girl who lives next door, highlighting his loneliness and sense of responsibility. The domestic routine acts as a counterpoint to street violence.

Li becomes heavily in debt due to gambling and is forced by Choi, leader of the gang, to participate in a criminal assignment. Choi pushes him to steal the shoulder-bag from a Russian gang leader. The debt spiral tightens the web of crime around Li.

Li is driven to a hotel to carry out the theft and, after a protracted chase, manages to seize the shoulder-bag. He escapes with it but knows the debt hasn't been forgiven. The stolen bag becomes a ticking clock for everyone involved.

With the debt unresolved and the bag in tow, Li goes into hiding. The police realize Li has disappeared, triggering a city-wide search that pulls Cherry into protective custody away from Li's world. The disappearance heightens the sense of danger around Ding and Cherry.

Choi's gang targets Cherry and assaults Ding's home; to avoid arrest, two gang members retreat to the countryside while Cherry is sent to live with her aunt and uncle. Ding becomes the custodian figure for Cherry, taking on responsibility for her safety.

The aunt and uncle wish to eject Cherry, but Ding decides to provide for her living. He accepts the burden of caring for the girl, deepening his personal stakes in the confrontation with Choi and his gang. The protective bond between Ding and Cherry grows stronger.

One night, Cherry vanishes from Ding's home. Li suddenly appears with money to compensate Ding for his service, but as he leaves, Choi's gang ambushes him and kills him. The shoulder-bag is reclaimed by Choi's men, intensifying Ding's resolve to act.

Ding resolves to retrieve Cherry by force and visits the gambling house to demand Cherry's release. He overpowers around twenty gang members, but the Russians arrive to reclaim their money and begin killing Choi's men. Ding wounds Choi's leg in the ensuing melee.

The Russians intensify the conflict as police pursue the Russian leaders. Two leaders die when they crash into a truck during the chase. In the shifting power dynamics, Choi is betrayed and killed by two subordinates who accept a Russian bribe.

In the wake of the violence, Ding's dementia worsens and he is paralyzed by the loss of Cherry, yet the police clear him of blame. Cherry returns, explaining she simply ran off to a friend's house, and Ding clings to the memory of their bond as his world narrows.

In a scene after the credits, the two countryside criminals encounter drilling PLA military police, who pursue and capture the remaining stragglers. The militarized final image casts a backdrop of state power over the human drama.