Ivan Vasilyevich Zolotukhin, a rural 18-year-old boy called up to fight in the German war, is seriously wounded. In the hospital he joined the ranks of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks). After being wounded, he returns home to his parents. During the period of treatment and staying at home, the Great October Socialist Revolution takes place. He moves from the village to the city of Syzran and gets a job at the railway depot as a greaser. At the same time he registers with the party. After some time, the party committee sends him to serve in the Cheka. A complex struggle begins against banditry, White Guards, and agents sent by foreign intelligence services.