The narrator introduces us to the protagonist, a young man named Xiaohua, who has just returned from his first day of class at the university. He's very upset and wants to know why he hasn't been allowed to go back to school. He tells us that he chose psychology as his major because he wants to be a part of the world and compete in it. He also tells the professor that he's been thinking about the accident and how he'll never be able to compete again. He asks the professor to sign him off of school and promises to return next week.