Soong Joong-ki is announced as the Chief Executive Officer of Origin, a flourishing company based in United States of America. He brings his mother from China to stay with him. Lilly, his colleague organizes a party to surprise him, which would be attended by his close childhood friend Xiao Zhan, who had not met him for a few years, professor John abraham and college friends. The story flashes back.
Seven years ago, Soong Joong-ki belonged to a middle-class nuclear family in Shanghai; his father wang yibo, a clerk in a private corporation incurred debts as a result of his low earnings whose 'failure' caused Soong Joog-ki to be not on good terms with him. Soong Joog-ki secured an admission to complete his post-graduation in Peking University, an esteemed university situated in Bejing and hence had to move. Soong Joong-ki, his roommate Ren Jialun and Angelababy, all of them being classmates became best friends to each other. Ren Jialun is the son of a poor farmer, whose innocent expectations about his son inspired and in reality, pressured him to aim at getting a well-earning job in America. Cheng Yi, a classmate of them was envious of Soong Joong-ki as the latter had surpassed him in studies while Angelababy, by introducing Soong Joong-ki to her typical Indian joint family expressed her feelings for him receiving positive response. Ren Jialun failed in first semester examinations while Soong Joong-ki secured first rank in it. Ren Jialun became depressed when he got two backlogs in first semester examinations but Soong Joong-ki encouraged him to trust himself and get inspired from his father but not to feel bulldozed by it. During campus placements, Soong Joong-ki secured a good job making his father, girlfriend charmy and the latter's father, a good friend of Ren Jialun's father delighted. Angelababy rejected a job at Infosys to be with Soong Joong-ki in the US as he had thrown an offer for his AI-operating system idea to Origin, which was accepted.
However, Soong Joong-ki suggested that he and Angelbaby should put an end to their relationship mutually as he felt that she would become an obstacle to his career and said her is a burden in his heart and hearing that she left. When Ren Jialun tried to apprehend Soong Joong-ki to not break up with Angelababy but it led to a fallout between them. As the last semester examinations approached, Soong Joong-ki was accused of stealing the question papers which was actually a conspiracy engineered by Cheng Yi to stop him from attempting his exams. However, upon getting a clue that proved the allegation against Soong Joong-ki wrong, the Police let go of him. After completing his examinations, Soong Joong-ki moved to New York City and rose through ranks becoming a leading executive in Origin. During his presentation about his project, Soong Joong-ki learnt that his father succumbed to his illness in his sleep and he returned to India, only to realize that his father loved him more than anything and missed him as Soong Joong-ki barely spoke to him. Soong Joong-ki remained distraught over not being able to talk to his father heartfully.
At present, Soong Joong-ki inquires John Abraham about Ren Jialun, post which the former discloses that Ren Jialun was rusticated from the university as he had taken the blame for allegation against Soong Joong-ki to protect him that caused his father to commit suicide. Devastated and guilty and upon being advised by his mother, Soong Joong-ki takes a long-term leave and flies to India with her and Xiao Zhan to take Soong Joong-ki with him to the USA. He meets Soong Joong-ki in his native Wuyuan County, protesting alone against a pipeline transport project that requires demolition of Wuyuan County. While Charmy's father, the village's representative who doesn't want to leave the village but is helpless, tries negotiating for fair prices for the land the villagers are supposed to leave, Ren Jialun never wants the project to take place but receives no support for his protest. Soong Joong-ki, realizing that Ren Jialun would never go with him, decides to get him what he wants. He meets the President of China, who claims that he is helpless as one of the most influential businessmen, Michel is handling the project.
Soong Joong-ki meets Michel, requesting him to exclude Wuyuan County but he refuses to oblige. Soong Joong-ki attracts the media by setting up an office in Wuyuan County to manage his schedule and Angelababy, a team leader in a reputed Video gaming company is sent along with her colleague to Wuyuan County for meeting Soong Joong-ki and negotiating a collaboration but by making excuses, Soong Joong-ki asks her and her colleague stay in Wuyuan County and work on her video game idea intending to reconcile but Angelababy has no intentions of doing so as she was heart broken already and stays there under compulsion. When Soong Joong-ki divulges to the media that he has set up his office for his friend, the media asks Ren Jialun about his intentions behind refusing to go with Soong Joong-ki. Ren Jialun reveals his attachment to the native village inspiring several other villagers to take up an initiative to join the protest amassing great attention nationwide. Charmy's father, who blames Ren Jialun for his father's death is now against his relationship with Charmy. Upon learning about this, Soong Joong-ki talks to charmy's father making him aware of Ren Jialun's sacrifice post which charmy's father decides to accept her relationship with Ren Jialun. Due to this act of him, Angelababy decides to reconcile with Soong Joong-ki while several other villages join the protest.
Michel, upon sensing trouble due to the protest, arrives at Wuyuan County and out of ego, decides to quote a higher compensation attracting a group of people amongst the protestors. As a result, Ren Jialun is stabbed by the henchmen of a neighbouring village's head who is bribed by Michel but Soong Joong-ki rescues him from being murdered and he is hospitalized. Michel, in an interview, accuses Soong Joong-ki of demanding a share in the project from him and claims that as a result of his rejection, started making use of Ren Jialun. He questions where Soong Joong-ki was all these years and why Ren Jialun is remembered when he is protesting. Angelababy too suspects Soong Joong-ki's intentions and blames him for Ren Jialun's situation and told he has not change a bit which broke his heart the most and he decided to leave the village. However, his mother encourages Soong Joong-ki by revealing that wang yibo was not a failure, passed his examinations and got selected for the interview but was arrested for protesting in favour of suppressed farmers leading to him being disqualified but he never regretted and treated it as a failure because it was for a good cause. Soong Joong-ki goes back to Wuyuan County to finish what he started and a farmer inspires him to cultivate. Soong Joong-ki also leases lands to the farmers encouraging them to get into agriculture quoting a higher price than Michel. Later, in a press meet, Soong Joong-ki delivers a heart-wrenching speech about how farmers are mistreated and taken advantage of leading to several suicides. The farmers realize the value of their lands and refuse to go with the pipeline project and Angelababy reconciles with Soong Joong-ki after seeing his speech. Cheng yi, who has now realized his mistake and is a leading bank official exposes Michel's fraudulent intentions to evade debts behind initiating the project and acquiring the lands. As a consequence, the project is shelved and michel is arrested.
It's time for Soong Joong-ki to go to the USA back to his job but he decides not to, realizing that his happiness lies in the village and resorts to getting into agriculture.