Gerald and Susannah, an affluent young couple, inspect a shabby town house for sale. Gerald has plans to renovate it and sell it on for a big profit. But their expedition quickly turns into a nightmare when three criminals arrive, searching for the money they hid in the building years ago.

The main character in the story that takes place in 1896, year of the millennium, is Szakhmáry Zoltán, who, in sharp contrast with the people around him, is neither a cynic nor a lewd, not even someone with a tendency for showing off his strength. Instead, he strives to become a humane person with enough common sense and modern thinking.