An economics expert from the West is contracted by a large firm to assist in the reorganization of a debt-ridden steel plant in the former Eastern Bloc. Believing himself to be eagerly awaited, he finds that his position has already been taken: Another man has already begun the job in his name, obviously with official approval. What first appears to be a strange mix-up soon turns into a threat to his existence when he discovers that not only his professional, but also his private identity has been assumed by the stranger.
