Xingyuan Restaurant built its business on providing group meals to an industrial park. However, its owner, Ma Xiulan, publicly offended a client over a last-minute request for additional tableware, antagonizing Hongrui Precision, a partner company. After workers were given the freedom to choose among several catering providers, Xingyuan's orders plummeted. Her son, Zhao Qihang, returned home to save the restaurant. Low prices and generous wages briefly revived the business, but cash-flow problems soon forced him to repeatedly revise performance bonuses and cut costs. The restaurant gradually abandoned dine-in service in favor of takeout, ignoring repeated employee warnings about supplies blocking passageways and dangerous electrical wiring. Eventually, an electrical fault sparked a fire, trapping employee He Xiuzhen and leaving her injured. Following the accident, the restaurant shut down, forcing everyone to confront the many mistakes made in running the business.