The film begins with a prologue that quickly sketches the backstory of the protagonist: since childhood, Sakiko Suzuki was obsessed with cash.

Then, bank robbers kidnap her and stuff her in a trunk with a bright yellow suitcase filled with stolen money.

Sakiko escapes with the briefcase but falls into a river and winds up in an underground pool, where she tries to kill herself by drowning after letting go of the suitcase.

Moving out of her family's house, she returns to college to study geology, and also takes lessons in swimming, scuba diving, mountain climbing and driving, and buys much surveying equipment.

But she's uninterested in pursuing fame in either as a swimmer or mountain climber, wanting only to earn money to fund her quest.