Red Boy’s story takes place at the beginning of 1980s when the great thoughts of MAO Zedong taught us to study hard to achieve progress everyday and be well-behaving and rules complying youths. The hero LI Xiaowei is a 15 year old secondary school student. And the adolescent LI Xiaowei likes to draw nude women and often shows off his drawing skills by playing out some naughty tricks in public places. The drawings cause discontent in the school and his parents, who decide to impose control on him. His rebellious psyche reacts and he ends up leaving home and trying to find a way to survive. He then meets some “bad social elements” through his friends. LIU Shuzhi, the elder sister of a classmate, lends him the room of her ex-boyfriend TIAN Jian so that LI Xiaowei could accidentally meet and get to know TIAN Jian (who was on the “wanted list” of the Beijing’s police). TIAN Jian starts to take LI for small trading of old American garments. They become good friends and learn something new from each other. TIAN Jian sees his own past from LI Xiaowei’s excitement about the new life. After seeing the boy’s sketch drawings, he realizes how talented he is and decides to send Li Xiaowei back to school. But while trying to help, he gets himself caught by the police. Life seemingly returns to normal. However, their acquaintance had already quietly changed the life and destiny of both of them.