Shen Zhao's cousin, Zhou Wei, begs the master shoemaker to join his struggling bespoke shoe store, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Thanks to Shen Zhao's craftsmanship, the store's revenue grows steadily over three years and business flourishes. But once success comes, Zhou Wei betrays his trust, treats him unfairly, and drives him out. Shen Zhao calmly walks away and opens Zhao Bespoke across the street, earning a reputation for traditional hand-carved leatherwork. Zhou Wei resorts to vicious price cuts and cuts corners in production, causing a major product failure and the collapse of his business. When industry competitors join forces to cut off his supplies and blacklist him, Shen Zhao travels to the frontier to seek out ancient craftsmanship techniques. His exquisite creations win widespread recognition among the elite. Refusing a lucrative acquisition offer from investors, he wins the gold medal at an international expo with his Eastern craftsmanship and publicly exposes the industry's corruption.