The October Revolution hadn't happened, and the Bolsheviks had never risen to power. The year is 2023, and the rule over the Russian Empire is divided between tzar Nikolai III and a forward-thinking PM, Dmitry Orlov. Erast Fandorin, a 20-year-old police servant, has just been hired in the criminal investigations unit at the Petrograd Metro. His job is not that exciting, but the latest news is: right at the heart of the capital, a young and wealthy oil company tycoon has just shot himself in front of dozens of men. His suicide was captured on the patrol robot cameras. Fandorin can't help but suspect that this case is far more complicated than it looks and takes on his very first major investigation.