Ai Changan and Shen Xia represent Huaqi employees along with other college students who have joined the company as interns. Their stories are connected to the Chinese automobile industry from which their livelihoods depended on.

In the mid-1980s, a group of college graduates came to an automobile factory located in the northwest to start their internship. Shen Xia who intended to study abroad witnessed the development of the 7-ton truck and decides to stay. Together with Ai Chang'an, a young technician at the factory, they begin their journey to turning the tide for the industry. The market is ruthless such that the new generation of dedicated men and women face countless difficulties. The backbone of Huaqi has almost been completely dug out by opponents.