Ransegem's interim mayor Carl Backx hopes to keep that post and the coalition, but his late predecessor Gaston Van Opstal's party claims the mayoral office and his own party's other alderman, banker Patrick De Groof, is furious when told his post was offered as compensation. Penniless, retired pro-cyclist Ludo grudgingly has to accept rescheduling their mortgage and running the new multi-purpose infrastructure, his bossy wife's dream. Retiring publican Tody digs up a time box he once buried with Gaston, and finds in it a letter stating only in-law Rene Van den Abeele is fit to succeed him as mayor. Town clerk Vic Willems seems an insomniac wreck.

The sleepy Flemish town Ransegem lives happily under popular mayor Gaston Van Opstal (NVA, nationalist), who guides all social life and is a national MP. Now old publicans Tony Verelst and Rita are retiring, he arranges for the only local celebrity, retired cycling professional Ludo Jacobs, to run the brand new social center's canteen with his wife, who pushes him to accept. Gaston planned to let his daughter succeed him as mayor i the upcoming elections, but dies in an apparent car accident. Senior alderman Carl Bacxk is acting mayor until the party assigns a successor. Everyone wonders who's the Chinese woman at the funeral.