On a piece of wasteland in midsummer in southern China, teenager Amao is on all fours being trained like a dog by a man. They part, and full of shame and fury, Amao finds he is surprisingly enthralled with the man’s state of superiority. He imitates the way the man carries himself and fantasizes about becoming that way. When he happens upon a white puppy one day, he gets a taste of that power, and a wild idea gradually surfaces in his mind, bringing a red hue to the night.