During the war years, Lan Zeguang and Wang Tieshan joined the 709 Regiment of the 27th Division because they both fell in love with a female soldier named Yang Tao. The three of them developed a deep friendship, but Yang Tao never made a choice between them. A few years later, during the anti-bandit operations in Guangxi, the small team that Wang Tieshan and Yang Tao were in got surrounded by bandits. Lan Zeguang fearlessly led a small number of troops to go to their rescue. The three fought side by side, relying on each other for survival, until reinforcements led by battalion commander Liu Jiehe arrived. At the gala party, Lan Zeguang, emboldened by alcohol, publicly proposed to Yang Tao. Wang Tieshan also didn't want to fall behind, and thus a competition began between him and Lan Zeguang.