In the northern Chinese city of Manzhouli, they say there is an elephant that simply sits and ignores the world. Manzhouli becomes an obsession for the protagonists of this film, a longed-for escape from the downward spiral in which they find themselves.

In December 1941, as Hong Kong falls, Ye Jiatong, an undercover Communist agent posing as a horse racing writer, is tasked with rescuing hundreds of cultural elites and democrats. Facing threats from his former classmate Xue Yingti, who has joined the Japanese, and with the help of his former lover Ge Lu, Ye Jiatong navigates a dangerous web of intrigue to complete his mission.

In the northern Chinese city of Manzhouli, they say there is an elephant that simply sits and ignores the world. Manzhouli becomes an obsession for the protagonists of this film, a longed-for escape from the downward spiral in which they find themselves.