Shubei town, southeast China, the present day. Five years after he fled with RMB 800,000 from a bank robbery, Liu Chuan returns incognito to the town. Policeman Wang Laoshi, who was on duty at the time of the robbery and was demoted for letting Liu escape, is working in the same district police station to which he was transferred after the robbery and still keeps an eye on Liu. By chance, Liu stays in some small lodgings in Wang's district where Qin Xiaosong, a psychology graduate who's run away from her domineering parents, is staying. Next day, Wang spots Liu in the street and gives chase, finally handcuffing him in a deserted warehouse. At that moment, the town is devastated by an earthquake and the building collapses. Wang is knocked unconscious and Liu steals his uniform. After rescuing Qin, Liu finds himself roped into saving other townspeople and becomes a hero in the locals' eyes. Meanwhile, Wang recovers and sets out to hunt down Liu.

Zhao Guang is a hard-working chicken farmer whose self-made life has led him to dedicate himself to running the orphanage at his native Chinese village. His success with children leads him to local celebrity status, including a speech on national television. When Zhao innocently announces that he hopes to be the father of all orphans, however, he finds himself flooded with scores of kids from all over the area looking for a dad. To save the village's honor and retain his model-citizen status, he has to watch over no less than twenty-five unruly children, each turning his life upside down.