One of the heroes of the story accidentally finds a nugget, and this event radically changes the lives of the children in the quiet taiga village of Basmanka. Old-timers, geologists, and even... the criminal investigation department are drawn into the whirlpool of events. The boys' expedition ended successfully, and in this first serious undertaking, the teenage heroes matured and emerged from the ordeal with dignity. Nobility, perseverance, a sense of responsibility, a romantic vision of the world entered their lives forever.