- Male protagonist: Chen Yan: 35 years old, the manager of the "Yandao Barber Shop" in the old neighborhood of the city. He holds the scissors as steady as a rock in his left hand and the knife in his right hand with precision and sharpness. On the surface, he appears to be a gold medal barber who is good at listening and can "modify" the customer's temperament through haircuts. In fact, through the touch of the scissors and the frequency of the clipper vibration, he accurately captures the emotional weaknesses and secrets of the customer, and uses "heart-killing" as a weapon to clear career obstacles with the help of others.
- Core motivation: When he was young, his father (a grassroots cadre) was framed and died of an illness unjustly. His family fell into decline. He determined to enter the core of power and use methods other than "rules" to liquidate the participants of the year and rebuild the "fairness" that his father had pursued.
