In 1937, as the full-scale war against Japan breaks out, blacksmith Chen Dashan loses his family in Liuzhen.
He joins Zhou Zhenguo to form the Iron Spine Squad. Short on guns and ammunition, they are hunted by the Japanese army.
After attacking a supply convoy, Chen Dashan unexpectedly acquires a mysterious pocket watch.
At midnight, the watch reveals visions of the future, and their duration slowly grows longer.
With the watch to guide him, Chen Dashan's battlefield instincts sharpen, and he leads his squad to break through the encirclement.
While others struggle to fight with too few guns and too little ammunition, Chen Dashan uses the watch to lead his squad from strength to strength.
In the end, he leads them to liberate Liuzhen and witness the dawn of victory in the war against Japan.
