With just 9 days left in 2025, the grand finale is here! The premium short drama series “Miracle,” co-created by China Media Group and Shenzhen, premiered on CCTV-1 in the prime 8 p.m. slot on December 22 and was simultaneously released on Tencent Video. Before its premiere, the platform already had 590,000 reservations from viewers eager to watch the moving story of ordinary people resonating with a great era.
The first story, “Breaking Through the Southern Pass,” features Yan Ni breaking her usual mold to portray an older food delivery woman running orders up and down the SEG Plaza in Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei. The two-part story, though only 40 minutes long, is filled with laughter and tears, exuding both coolness and passion, making anyone want to exclaim: This is Shenzhen, where it’s always the right age to break through!
The story begins with Sister Fan (played by Yan Ni), who has retired and come from her hometown to Shenzhen to visit her son, getting lost in the bustling, maze-like SEG Plaza. Finally finding the place, she discovers the shop locked up tight, with court seals and payment demand notices. Wanting to quietly help her son, Yan Ni decides to “re-enter the workforce”—the former stage performer becomes a food delivery runner in Shenzhen.
“SEG, SEG, two yuan per order!” Anyone frequenting Huaqiangbei is surely familiar with this call. As “China’s No.1 Electronics Street,” this largest electronics distribution hub in China pioneered a new business model for specialized electronics markets. The “one-meter counter” model incubated numerous business legends. Huaqiangbei nurtured well-known companies like Tencent and is now a gathering place for makers, building a unique market ecosystem integrating R&D, design, prototyping, and supply chain, helping global innovations land quickly. Time is money, efficiency is life. In this area, from morning till night, delivery mopeds buzz incessantly and runners hustle non-stop. This busy scene is both a true portrayal of the Shenzhen migrant community and a display of this young city’s vibrant energy.
Why are there so many delivery runners? A line from the drama hits the nail on the head: “There are about 15,000 people in one SEG Plaza. A food delivery rider earns about 6 yuan per order. They’re willing to spend 2 yuan to have someone run it upstairs, plus a dinner—that’s 60,000 yuan! And that’s not including coffee, fruit, late-night snacks. Add it all up, it’s a 100,000 yuan market per day!”
Quick-footed and sharp-minded runners certainly earn good money. But newcomer Yan Ni isn’t so lucky—orders get snatched, deliveries run late, she receives complaints, and gets collectively blacklisted by her peers, leaving her howling in frustration on a Huaqiangbei rooftop. It’s fair to say “Miracle” masterfully captures the short drama pace. The first 20-minute part of “Breaking Through the Southern Pass” condenses what a full-length series might take 20 episodes to portray. The second part is full of twists and memorable lines. Why are people willing to stay in Shenzhen? Because this city of youth and dreams does not let down anyone who strives. “Where there’s demand and information asymmetry, a secondary market emerges.” “If you want to do it, you can do it. If you’re willing to work, there’s work for you.” “Every pass is hard to cross, yet every pass can be crossed.” Especially when the disheartened Yan Ni raises a glass at a late-night food stall “to the tough passes,” which striving Shenzhener wouldn’t feel a deep resonance? We chase and build dreams here, and we also find our peace here.
The two short episodes left many viewers wanting more, with numerous fans spontaneously promoting the series on social platforms. One netizen praised the story for being short, refined,
