In Shijiazhuang, the story unfolds with gang member Yu Cheng sharing an unusual tale about an elephant in a Manzhouli circus with a woman in bed beside him. He describes how the colossal creature remains motionless, whether fed or taunted. However, their moment is abruptly disturbed when the woman’s husband—one of Yu's friends—arrives home unexpectedly and, overwhelmed by the shocking scene, tragically leaps from the window.
Meanwhile, an elderly man named Wang Jin faces mounting pressures in his life. He resides with his granddaughter, son-in-law, and daughter, but due to the rising costs of caring for his granddaughter, he is coerced into vacating his own apartment for a nursing home.
Across town, a student named Wei Bu is jolted awake by the harsh realities of his abusive household, particularly the relentless anger directed at him by his father over their untidy living conditions. In a show of camaraderie, Wei meets his friend Li Kai, and together they express their concerns about the school bully, Yu Shuai, who happens to be Yu Cheng's younger brother. Tension rises when Li is wrongly accused by Yu Shuai of stealing his cell phone, leading Li to take the outrageous step of pilfering his father's pistol for self-defense.
Adding another layer to the turmoil is Huang Ling, one of Wei's classmates, who confides in her mother about a troublesome leak in their toilet, revealing the strain in their mother-daughter relationship.
Wei's academic troubles intensify when he confronts the school's vice-dean, who calmly informs him that the institution will close, forcing Wei and his peers to relocate to an even worse school. This revelation leads Wei and Li to confront Yu Shuai, who humiliates Wei regarding his father's disgraceful job loss due to corruption. In a moment of blind rage, Wei shoves Yu Shuai down a staircase, resulting in severe consequences for the school bully.
In an unfortunate twist, Wang's encounter with a stray dog results in his own pet being brutally attacked. Fuelled by a need for accountability, he tracks down the dog's owners, only to face hostility and denial from the man regarding the incident.
Wei's emotional journey takes a dark turn as he learns of his grandmother's death. Desperate for cash, he attempts to sell his pool cue at a local hall and encounters Wang again while disposing of his pet's remains. Their paths collide when they are confronted by the vengeful owner of the lost dog, leading to a violent altercation.
After a series of confrontational events and clashes with Yu Cheng and his gang, Wei confesses his desire to escape to Manzhouli to Huang, who mocks him for his dreams, stating he excels only at kicking a jianzi shuttlecock. Meanwhile, Huang meets with the dean in secret at a bakery, where Yu Cheng inadvertently finds himself sharing the same space, unaware that Wei is in the vicinity.
As revelations unfold—such as Li's confession of stealing Yu Shuai's phone containing damning evidence against the dean—the plot thickens. Wei's attempts to visit Yu Shuai at the hospital lead him to witness devastating family dynamics, leaving him in a state of self-loathing.
Yu Cheng grapples with guilt, blaming his girlfriend for his troubles and likening his life to a pit filled with trash. In a moment of chaos, Huang confronts her mother about an affair with the dean during a surprise visit from the couple, resulting in an explosive scene where she ultimately draws a bat and retaliates violently.
Wei's ill-fated journey to leave for Manzhouli is fraught with scams and violence, culminating in a confrontation with the scalper who cheated him, only for the situation to escalate when Yu Cheng's gang gets involved. Despite the loss of his brother, Yu Cheng offers Wei a ticket to Manzhouli after understanding his intentions.
In a dramatic climax, Li arrives and shoots Yu Cheng, claiming a false sense of pride, before tragically turning the gun on himself. The story reaches its poignant conclusion as Wei, Wang, and Huang converge at the train station, only to realize their tickets have been voided. In a spur of the moment, they board a bus and venture toward their dreams.
As night falls, they disembark by the roadside near Manzhouli, joyfully kicking a shuttlecock while the distant roar of an elephant reverberates through the darkness, hinting at the adventure that lies ahead.
