1921, NEP takes its first steps. The criminal element, taking advantage of the fact that the young Soviet republic, which was surrounded by enemies, had no time for it, raised its head: murders, robberies, thefts, fraud. The thieves' raspberry blossomed wildly. District police officer Pyotr Eliseev proved himself in the operation to capture a particularly dangerous criminal and was sent to be reinforced by the provincial criminal investigation department. A more experienced comrade, provincial agent Kolychev, became his mentor. And in their first joint case, the detectives encountered daring criminals who were excellent experts in psychology. And somewhere nearby there is a gang of cruel “woodcutters” who leave no witnesses alive. Finding them becomes a matter of honor for employees of the regional intelligence department.