16-year-old Weibu is bullied at home and in school. His old neighbour Wang has been evicted from his home by his estranged family. His classmate Ling is having an affair with a school official and fears the release of a revealing video. They all have a common dream: to visit an elephant in the northern Chinese city of Manzhouli, which is said to be simply sitting still, indifferent to the brutality of the world.