The action takes place in a provincial town around two friends, Grishko and Brand, working as deputy ministers of construction. They know who to bribe to solve any issue, who to press and who to threaten to get things done. Every day is a rat race. One day the Minister finds out that his reign will be over in a week, and all the future holds for him is a house-check, Kolyma camps and life behind bars, and both deputies will follow him under the convoy. However, the deputies do not like the prospect, and they decide to find a way to redirect the one-way ticket to Kolyma to someone else.