Denis Baranovsky

A young writer brings a collection of short stories to a big Moscow publishing house. The manuscript stays at the office and mysteriously influences the lives of anyone who opens it and reads at least one page. There are four stories in the manuscript, and four readers whose lives are changed after reading them. The situations range from realistic to absurd to thrilling to create a rich portrait of life in contemporary Russia and showcase the thoughts, feelings and ambitions of people who live there.

The protagonist learns that his friend needs a large sum of money in currency for an operation abroad. In the meantime, the country is in the midst of an economic crisis: currency and commodity shortages, rising prices, and multiple exchange rates. In these conditions, not only the amount of money, but also the currency becomes a problem. To collect and convert the necessary funds, he attracts childhood friends and suggests taking a risk by using a "black" currency scheme. But is everyone ready to sacrifice personal comfort and plans for the sake of saving the life of even a loved one? It turns out that in a crisis you can lose as well as gain, but who and what, it remains to be seen....