The principled and honest head of the city police department, General Firsov, is framed by his enemies on trumped-up charges of murder while hunting. But unexpectedly for them, the planned provocation is thwarted by provincial police captain Nikolai Semashko, in whose district the crime took place. After the charges are dropped, the general offers the energetic provincial a job in the city police department.

Semashko moves to the city, where he immediately finds himself caught between three fires. From the very first days, his new boss, Major Kudima, tries to throw the uncompromising general's foster child out of his cosy nest. Corrupt high-ranking officials, who are planning to oust General Firsov from the administration one way or another, suddenly realise that as long as Semashko is in charge, they can forget about these plans. Meanwhile, a storm is brewing in Nikolai's personal life. His fiancée Svetlana and her father, the owner of a large agricultural holding, had completely different plans for Semashko. Trying to lure him back to his native province with a carrot and stick approach, Svetlana and her father unwittingly create serious problems for Nikolai.

The captain's innate talent as an investigator allows him to solve complicated crimes, and his theories always turn out to be correct. But complications constantly arise, both at home and at work, sometimes putting Semashko in ridiculous situations, but more often in dangerous ones. And if the once provincial police officer dreamed of an interesting and exciting life, now reality has exceeded his wildest expectations.