At first, the story takes the form of a leisurely potboiler, revolving around Luo, a moody loner who offers pensive voiceovers as he reminisces about his time in Kaili and the significance of his return. He recalls his romance with the long-lost Wan Quiwen and wanders the rainy streets, where neon signs dot the shadows like islands of the past. Flashing back to 2000, he relives a gritty showdown with a local thug and the trauma of a murder of old friend Wildcat.