The year is 2023, but the country stills follows noble traditions of the previous century, and this historical background is integrated into the hi-tech society. 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.