In 1978, Meng Huaishan, a technical backbone at the county machinery factory, was forced by his fiancée Qi Yulan at their engagement banquet to give up his regular staff quota to his injured rival in love. Having compromised for half his life in his previous existence, he was ultimately let go by her hand at the edge of a cliff. Living a life anew, he pushed the watch back, refusing to give up the quota and calling off the engagement altogether. He turned around and entered the nearly bankrupt town machinery factory, revitalizing a dead factory with his craftsmanship and meeting Cen Xuemei, a quality inspector who understood him. Having waited half a life, she finally understood that nobody could afford to wait for a watch that ran a quarter of an hour fast.