The film revolves around an orphaned boy called Fang Shi-jie (Jay Chou), who grew up in a kung fu school and becomes a talented basketball player.<ref name = "early-cast"></ref> Every morning, he is used as a punchbag in a demonstration by the principal of the school. When he uses shaolin iron vest (iron shirt) technique, as to not feel the principal's punches, the principal makes him stay on the streets for one night without dinner. He demonstrates his incredible accuracy to a down-and-out hustler, Wang Li by throwing cans into a bin almost ten metres away. Wang tells him, that if he can throw a coin into his mouth from twenty metres away, he would treat him to dinner. They go to a five-star French restaurant, where Wang Li's daughter works, and eat leftovers. Li convinces Shi-jie to help them make some money for themselves. After eating, they go to a Casino owned by one of Wang Li's old friend's son, Brother Hu. There, Shi-jie wins hundreds of dollars playing darts. The resulting fight causes thousands of dollars' worth of damage. The next morning, before school starts, Bi Tianhao, the principal of Fireball University puts the principal of the kung fu school onto his paylist. Then, after a massive beating by Bi Tianhao's thugs, Shi-jie is expelled. The next night, Shi-jie is once again sitting on the park bench where he met Wang Li, who is still there. On the pretext of helping him search for his family, Wang Li invites him to play basketball at 'First University' as the new star of its basketball team. Meanwhile, Wang Li capitalises on media interest in Shi-jie to make money via interviews and news articles.