Ding Dagang, an excellent steelworker, was seriously burned in an accident when he defiantly tried to save the national property, and was sent to Donghua Hospital for rescue.
Fan Jikang, the hospital's chief of surgery, invited many famous experts to consult with him in order to save Ding Dagang's life. Some of them, citing medical literature from capitalist countries, thought the patient could not be saved and felt helpless.
Liang Shichang, a steelworker who sat in on the consultation, disagreed with this negative opinion and excitedly said that he would do his utmost to save Ding Dagang's life with his love for the working class, and his words gave the meeting a great shock.
Fang Qun, secretary of the Party Committee, pointed out that the literature of capitalist countries is not necessarily a complete scientific summary. The entire hospital was intensely engaged in the battle to save the life of the steel warrior. With the support of medical staff and the whole community, Ding Dagang endured one difficult and painful test after another. Feeling the seriousness of his injury, Ding Dagang asked for a talk with the Party organization. He poured out his gratitude to Fang Qun and hoped to live, even if he was crippled, to continue to work for the Party and the people. Fang Qun answered him firmly that he must be saved by all means. The cordial care of the Party organization gave Ding Dagang great encouragement and increased his courage to overcome the disease.
Ding Dagang's brave, strong and noble spirit, educated the masses, the city, the country spontaneously formed a love campaign for the rescue of Ding Dagang, everyone for the rescue of the steel warrior into a heart, out of a force.
Ding Dagang's condition has deteriorated again, his right leg was seriously infected by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Director Fan advocated the use of sawing the leg, but Fang Qun wanted to use the greatest strength to save Ding Dagang's leg. He found out from the letters from the public that a professor Xia, who studied microbiology, suggested using phage to destroy the Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Ding Dagang's body.
Fang Qun went to visit Prof. Xia for this purpose, and Prof. Xia was conducting the experiment. At this time, Ding Dagang's condition worsens, and Director Fan believes that it has come to the point where he must saw, and even Ding Dagang's fiancée agrees to this plan. But Fang Qun insists on doing everything possible to preserve Ding Dagang's leg, and the two different medical ideas create a violent conflict. Finally, the phage was cultured and Ding Dagang's leg was saved.
The next year, Ding Dagang fully recovered his health, and he returned to his post of steelmaking. On the day he married Zhu Xiuyun, Fang Qun, Director Fan and many others came to attend their wedding. A literary worker asked Fang Qun if he wanted to write this event as a theater script, but there was so much material in it that one didn't know who the protagonist would be. Fang Qun told him that the whole community is the protagonist of this play.