The narrator introduces us to the protagonist, a young man named Xiao-xinyu, who is trying to find his missing friend, Cuiping. The narrator explains that Cuiping is a kind of candied fruit, which can be found in many different stores. The protagonist explains that he bought a special version of the fruit, called tanghulu, which is more expensive than the regular version. He explains that when he and Cuiping were separated, he couldn't locate his friend after buying the premium version of tanghulu. He also explains that the government doesn't like martial artists, so they'll help him file a missing person's report and post a notice, which will only be considered a missing case if it's been more than three days since Cuiping has not been seen. He'll also draw a picture of Cuiping for the notice, and he'll explain that painting is an important skill for public officials because it requires a lot of time and hard work. He says that he's done painting, too, and that he can draw the protagonist's friend too.