Wang Chaodong (Jiang Wu), a gangster who was once famous in Xicheng, finally returned to society after 18 years of imprisonment for intentional injury and attempted prison escape. At this time, his wife He Liping (Yan Ni) had divorced him long ago and took her daughter to an unknown place. Wang Chaodong, who was lost and angry, and his younger brother An Haotian (Lin Jidong) who had been released from prison earlier, found his cellmate Liu Changming (Li Baotian) and vowed to make him pay the price. Liu Changming was imprisoned for manslaughtering his wife. In order to be released from prison as soon as possible, he reported Wang Chaodong's attempt to escape from prison and was granted a commutation of sentence. Wang Chaodong, who was resentful, stayed at Liu Changming's home and made things difficult for this timid and fearful old man. In the process, they experienced the death of their cellmates, the hardship of finding a job, and the pain of their respective family affections. Coupled with discrimination from all aspects of society, their road to rebirth was extremely difficult...