The world in the year 2064. Overpopulation? Famine? Religious wars? Dictatorships? On the contrary. At least, not in the Eurasian and North American regions. Securely fenced off from the rest of the world, life in these areas, with the exception of a handful of suicide bombings and regular border disputes, is constantly improving. Nowhere more so than at »Chez Max – German Cuisine«, a small, top-quality restaurant located in Paris' eleventh arrondissement. Its customers are, however, not only served fine food, but carefully monitored, their conversations overheard – because Max is not only the restaurant manager, but also an Ashcroft agent, a member of a secret government organisation whose mission is to promptly identify and weed out anything that may threaten the political status quo. Max leads a full and orderly life, oscillating between professional success and social commitment. The only spanner in the works is his Ashcroft partner, Chen Wu, a self-righteous loudmouth, who leaves no taboo unbroken, attacks every human weakness and takes liberties at will - all because of the spectacular successes he has achieved within the organisation. Until the day that Wu's own weakness is revealed and Max sees an opportunity to get rid off his partner once and for all.