Zhou Di, a boy from a poor family, was born in a muddy countryside, but he used mud as a step to climb the dangerous peaks of officialdom. From a grassroots official to the center of power, he has dealt with group disputes in towns and villages, dealt with factional games in the county government, and led reforms in the city, stepping on mud and reefs every step of the way. Faced with the suspicion of his boss, the rejection of his colleagues, and the temptation of interests, he used his "stone-like" toughness to break through the gaps in the rules. When he finally reached a high position, he was faced with a more cruel choice - to go with the flow, or to stay in the mud and clean up the officialdom's malaise?
The idea: On the ladder (mud ladder) built by power and filth, how does a soul (mud) from the bottom climb up (the ladder) with resilience, and when reaching the top, face the ultimate choice - whether to merge into the filth and become part of the ladder (go with the flow), or use the mud you are contaminated with as a weapon to try to cleanse the ladder (cleanse the disease). This is a profound fable about the alienation of power, the persistence of human nature, the cost of ideals, and the dilemma of class. It explores the possibility and tragic feeling of protecting one's heart in complex reality. It tortures everyone who climbs up: When the ladder itself is made of filth, can you avoid being swallowed by it? When you finally have the power to change the ladder, will you still have the courage to clean it?