"Mafia Sets Up a Meeting" by Elena Nesterina, summary Automatic translate

Elena Nesterina’s children’s detective story was written in 2002. This book is a captivating teen mystery about a close-knit school group who take on the investigation of a burglary. The author recreates the colorful atmosphere of the early 2000s, filling the plot with amusing details of school life, the characters’ sincere experiences, and wholesome humor.

The book is part of the "The Fairest Mafia" series of stories. It ranks seventh in this popular series. Other notable stories in the series include "The Mafia Gathers at Midnight," "The Mafia Against the Indians," and "The Mafia Writes an Opera."

The Birth of the Flying Saucer

Eighth-grader Anton Mylchenko, known among his peers by the nickname "Humanoid," suffers from creative stagnation. He dreams of poetic recognition and elevated feelings, but instead endures constant ridicule from the energetic girls in his parallel class, led by Aska Alpatskaya. They pull Anton’s ears, tickle him, and paint his face with lipstick.

The unfortunate poet’s classmates, Arina Balovantseva and her constant protector, Vitya Ryndin, come to his aid. Arina has a cherished dream: to launch a controlled device resembling an unidentified flying object into the sky and devastate the entire city. Vitya, along with Kostya Shibai, spent about a month assembling this device in the school workshop. The device is made of slats, polyethylene, silver paper, and rhinestones. At the center of the disk is a solid balloon, which the boys plan to fill with helium from a small tank.

Prank and date

Kostya Shibay and Mamed Batyrov decide to rid Anton of his melancholy. Kostya plays a prank on his friend, pretending that the quiet Zoya Redkina is standing on the school steps, tearfully kissing his portrait. The agitated poet rushes to Zoya, who was actually learning a fable. Due to a misunderstanding, Anton invites Zoya on a date to the barberry bushes.

After school, they meet at school. During a walk, Anton tries to carry Zoya across a huge puddle but drops her in. To make amends, he gives her his jacket. They go to Zoya’s house for tea and cheesecakes. In the midst of their tea party, the girl’s drunken father returns and rudely throws Anton out. The teenagers continue to stroll the streets.

Launch and unexpected failure

Meanwhile, Arina, Vitya, and Kostya are carrying the disassembled flying apparatus to the Ledokol movie theater. The building is located on a hill, guaranteeing excellent visibility. Kostya’s aunt works there as a ticket collector, so the boys have easy access to the roof. They assemble the apparatus, inflate the balloon with helium, and release it into the twilight. Vitya controls the flight with a remote control.

The device looks very impressive. The flickering lights attract passersby on the street. The townspeople call the television, believing aliens are appearing. At that moment, Anton and Zoya appear on the roof. Suddenly, the silver edge of the dish peels off, and Vitya tries to move it higher. Enthusiastic, Anton begins loudly reciting poetry. A sudden scream causes Vitya to drop the remote control. The device shatters, the batteries fall out, and the dish, out of control, flies away.

Clashes near new buildings

The wind carries the light craft toward a new development. At that moment, local hooligan Lyokha Bykov is hanging out with his friends Potap and Dron. Lyokha, who only completed eighth grade, is considered the neighborhood’s terror. He wears a necklace of human teeth around his chest. Noticing a shiny disk in the sky, Lyokha shoots it down with a powerful slingshot.

Anton, who had just arrived, tried to salvage the debris and started yelling at the hooligans. Dron and Potap grabbed Anton and Zoya, who had just rushed over, threatening to beat them. Arina, Vitya, and Kostya arrived at the scene. Arina, with tears in her eyes, recounted the effort they had put into creating the device. It turned out that Lyokha respected aliens and was very upset that he had destroyed such a miracle. He returned the debris to the boys and offered his protection.

Robbery and new suspicions

Returning home, Anton realizes he’s lost his apartment keys. He and his mother enter the apartment and discover a complete mess. The television, VCR, and stereo system are missing. The thieves also stole three videotapes, including a rare restored film of "The Nibelungs," which Arina had given Anton. The thieves also carefully cut the telephone cord.

The police, led by Lieutenant Blitsnikov, are called in and find no traces of anyone else. The next day, the secret "Brotherhood of the White Hand" gathers at the home of the ailing Arina. The men swear over a candle to help Anton. Vitya and Kostya suspect Lyokha Bykov’s men, especially Dron, who has a criminal past. Kostya gives Lyokha a note inviting him to a meeting. Bykov agrees to meet that same evening.

Operation in the park and an unexpected witness

Arina, who has a high fever, decides to go to the meeting. To deceive the grandmothers, Zoya lies in Arina’s bed, pretending to be sick. Arina’s brother, Zakhar, secretly takes the boys to the park. At the meeting by the crocodile statue, Lyokha Bykov assures Arina that his boys didn’t burglarize the apartment. He promises to help with the search.

Soon, Lekha calls Arina and excitedly tells her about the film "Die Nibelungen" he’s watching. It turns out he stole the tape, housed in a distinctive chrome case, from a small-time dealer named Kalich. The mafia urgently arranges another meeting at the park, where Lekha brings Kalich. Kalich admits he bought the tapes from a lanky guy in a red-and-black Chicago Buffaloes jacket. The seller’s most distinguishing feature is his crew cut and shaved head with a ponytail.

Exposing a criminal chain

The next day, the mafia searches for a boy with such a hairstyle at school, but to no avail. A stroke of luck comes to Zoya Redkova’s aid. Returning home to pick up a notebook, she spots a guy on the street who matches the description perfectly. It’s Igor Sinelnikov, a former student at their school, now a vocational school student. Zoya tracks him to his building and calls Arina.

The boys piece together the facts. They recall that a month ago, Sinelnikov and his accomplice — the large and aggressive Garpun, who lived one floor below Anton — were questioning the poet about new technology. The mafia uncovers the criminals’ plan. At Sinelnikov’s request, classmate Aska Alpatskaya stole the keys from the absent-minded Anton’s jacket pocket during recess. Sinelnikov unlocked the apartment, stole the technology with the help of Garpun, and hid it. In exchange for her assistance, he took Aska to a nightclub. The mafia catches Aska at the entrance to the building and threatens her. The girl confesses to everything.

Return of equipment and a happy ending

Arina secretly leaves the house, dressed warmly. Lyokha Bykov, along with Dron and Potap, volunteers to provide backup. The combined group of teenagers corners Sinelnikov and Garpun in the yard. Frightened by Bykov, the thieves agree to return the items and take everyone to a fence named Binomich. In his warehouse, the guys find Anton’s equipment, check the registration numbers against the documents, and load it into a taxi.

Sinelnikov is now forced to work for Binomich for free, and Harpun no longer steals. Anton returns the equipment home, lying to his mother that he was simply lending it to Arina. The investigator arrives and closes the criminal case. The "Brotherhood of the White Hand" celebrates their victory at Arina’s, where Anton proudly reads his new heroic poem. In the finale, Lyokha Bykov invites Arina to a café, and she agrees to meet her bodyguard, Vitya Ryndin.