On the eve of 1987, the metallurgists of Magnitogorsk reported an industry record - sixteen million tons of steel were smelted. However, New Year's Eve at the plant became tragic. The blast furnace, which was working hard, could not stand it. One of the air heaters collapsed. People died. This is one of the examples that allowed the authors of the film to raise a serious problem - focusing on quantitative indicators at the expense of qualitative ones, leading to harmful consequences in the economy and society.