Kang In-gu is a middle-aged gangster navigating the complexities of his criminal life while striving to support his family, which includes his wife, Mi-ryung, and their teenage daughter, Hee-soo. His troubles escalate when he coerces a construction executive into signing a lucrative apartment development deal, only to find himself caught in a territorial feud with a rival gang. This conflict intensifies as he faces political pressure from Noh Sang-moo, the ambitious younger brother of his boss, Chairman Noh.
As tensions rise, In-gu’s family becomes increasingly disenchanted with his criminal lifestyle. His daughter resents his choices, while Mi-ryung's patience begins to fray, creating an emotional rift that deepens with each passing day. In a worsening environment plagued by labor unrest, In-gu suffers a serious injury during a confrontation with striking workers. In a desperate moment, Mi-ryung expresses her refusal to live in this hazardous world, and In-gu dreams of escaping to a peaceful countryside home with the money from the project. However, an intrusion into his personal life occurs when he stumbles upon Hee-soo's diary, revealing her wish that he were dead. This devastating discovery leads him to confront her violently, presenting a kitchen knife and demanding she fulfill her own words if they ring true. This shocking incident necessitates police intervention, further embarrassing In-gu in front of Hee-soo and leading to a painful estrangement from Mi-ryung.
In a cruel twist of fate, In-gu survives an assassination attempt orchestrated by three assailants. Despite pressure from his superiors to move on, he digs deeper into the incident, learning from his childhood friend Hyun-soo, connected to the rival gang, that the attack originated from his own ranks. The investigation points towards Sang-moo, who planned the attack to eliminate In-gu and take control of the lucrative construction deals. Driven by anger, In-gu confronts and brutally beats Sang-moo, only to face rebuke from Chairman Noh for his actions against his brother. In hopes of reconciling with his family, In-gu travels to Jeju Island, but rather than a warm reunion, Mi-ryung confronts him with the possibility of divorce.
Desperate to escape his grim life, In-gu visits Sang-moo in the hospital with intentions of making amends, but his effort backfires when Sang-moo betrays him by stabbing him. This betrayal ignites another violent altercation, leading In-gu to abduct the injured gangster and flee amidst a frenzied chase that culminates in a catastrophic car crash, resulting in the deaths of most of Sang-moo's men. Ultimately, In-gu drives Sang-moo to a hunting ground favored by Chairman Noh, intending to confront his boss, only to find that Sang-moo has died during their escape. When Noh arrives and discovers his brother's corpse, he immediately shoots In-gu in the knee, but in a fierce struggle, In-gu manages to take the gun and fatally shoots the chairman in retaliation.
After undergoing surgery, In-gu is left to dismantle the remnants of his old criminal organization while awaiting trial. He assures his family of his intention to leave behind his life of crime, yet secretly, he reaches out to Hyun-soo for a position within the rival gang. Once released from prison, he achieves his dream of purchasing the countryside home he longed for, but the emotional distance between him and his family lingers. Ultimately, Mi-ryung and Hee-soo relocate to Canada for Hee-soo's education, leaving him in solitude. A year later, he receives a diabetes diagnosis but remains entrenched in his gangster life. Alone in his new home, he watches a video sent by his family from Canada. During the viewing, a mix of emotions overcomes him—he smiles through tears before succumbing to grief, throwing his bowl of noodles across the room in frustration, and quietly cleaning up the remnants as the video continues to play.
