May evening. The chairman of the house committee Hallelujah comes to her in the case. He warns Zoe that she was ordered to be sealed - she has six rooms. After long conversations, Zoya shows Alliluy permission to open a sewing workshop and school. Additional area - sixteen fathoms. Zoe gives Alliluya a bribe, and he says that maybe the rest of the rooms are separated, and then leaves. Pavel Fedorovich Obolyaninov, Zoe’s lover, enters. He does not feel well, and Zoya sends the maid Manyushka for morphine to the Chinese, who often sells him to Obolyaninov. Chinese Gasolin and his assistant Cherub trade in drugs. Manyushka tells Gasoline, the famous swindler, to go with her and, under Zoya, to dilute morphine in the right proportion - he makes himself liquid. Gasoline sends with her his assistant, the handsome Chinese Cherub. Zoya gives Obolyaninov an injection, and he comes to life. The cherub announces a price higher than the price of Gasoline, but Paul also gives him tea and agrees with the "honest" Chinese that he will bring morphine daily. Zoya, in turn, hires him to iron in the workshop. The overjoyed Cherub leaves. Zoya tells Pavel about her plans, Manyushka, already dedicated to all Zoe’s affairs, leaves for a beer and forgets to close the door into which Ametistov, Zoey’s cousin, cheater and crook, immediately enter. He overhears the conversation between Zoe and Paul about the “workshop” that needs an administrator, and instantly guesses what it is. Manyushka comes running, calls to Zoya. She stiffens at the sight of a cousin. Pavel leaves them alone, and Zoya is surprised that she herself read how he was shot in Baku, to which Ametistov assures her that this is a mistake. Zoya clearly does not want to host him, but her cousin, who has nowhere to live, is blackmailing her with a conversation. Zoya, deciding that this is fate, gives him a place as an administrator in her business, prescribes herself and introduces Pavel. He immediately understands what an outstanding person is in front of him and how he will put the matter.

Fall. Zoe’s apartment is turned into a workshop, a portrait of Marx on the wall. The seamstress sews on a typewriter, three ladies try on sewn clothes, the cutter is busy. When everyone disagrees, only Amethysts and Zoya remain. They are talking about a certain beauty Alla Vadimovna, who is needed for a nightly enterprise. Alla owes Zoya about 500 rubles, she needs money, and Amethystov is convinced that she will agree.

Zoya doubts. Amethysts insists, but Manyushka enters here and announces the arrival of Alla. Amethysts disappears after several compliments made by Alle. Alla, left alone with Zoe, says that she is very ashamed of non-payment of the debt and that she has very bad money. Zoe sympathizes with her and offers a job. Zoya promises to pay Alla 60 chervonets a month, annul the debt and get a visa if Alla works for only four months in the evenings with Zoe as a fashion model, and Zoya guarantees that no one will know about it. Alla agrees to start working in three days, since she needs money to leave for Paris - she has a fiance there. In a sign of friendship, Zoya gives her a Parisian dress, after which Alla leaves. Zoya leaves to change her clothes, while Amethystov and Manyushka are getting ready for the arrival of Goose, a wealthy commercial director of the refractory metals trust, to whom the “atelier” owes its existence. Amethysts removes the portrait of Marx and hangs a picture of a nude. At the hands of Manyushka and Amethystova, the room is being transformed. Pavel arrives, who plays the piano in the evenings (and is burdened by this), and passes into the room to Zoe. Then - the Cherub, who brought cocaine for Amethystov, and, while he sniffs, changes into a Chinese outfit. In turn, the ladies of the night "atelier" appear. Finally, the Goose appears, whom the luxuriously dressed Zoya meets. Goose asks Zoya to show him the Parisian models, since he needs a gift for his beloved woman. Zoya introduces him to Amethystov, who, after greetings, calls out the Cherub and orders champagne. Models demonstrate to music. The goose is delighted with the way the matter is set.

Three days later, Alleluia arrives, saying that at night people go to their apartment and play music, but Amethistov gives him a bribe, and he leaves. After the call of Goose, who announces his imminent arrival, a happy Ametistov calls Paul to the pub. After their departure, the Cherub and Manyushka are left alone. The cherub offers Manyushka to go to Shanghai, promising to get a lot of money, she refuses, teases him (she likes the Cherub) and says that she might marry another; a Chinese man tries to kill her, and then, having released, announces that he has made an offer. He runs away to the kitchen, and here comes Gasolin - to make an offer to Manyushka, the Cherub comes running from the kitchen, the Chinese are quarreling. Escaping, Gasoline rushes into the closet. The doorbell rings. The cherub runs away. This came a commission from the People's Commissariat of Education. They all examine, find a picture of a naked woman and Gasoline in the closet, which tells that in this apartment they smoke opium and dance at night, and complains that the Cherubic woman is killing him. The commission issues Gasoline and leaves, assuring Manyushka that everything is in order.

Night. All the guests are having a lot of fun, and in the next room, alone, he is homesick and Gus is talking to himself. Zoe appears. Goose tells her that he understands what rubbish his lover is. Zoe reassures him. The goose finds solace in the fact that everyone calls and distributes money. The show of models begins. Alla comes out. The goose is horrified to see ... his mistress! The scandal begins. Goose announces to everyone that his bride, with whom he lives, for which he leaves his family, works in a brothel. Zoya captivates all the guests in the hall, leaving them alone. Alla explains to Gusya that she does not love him and wants to go abroad. The goose calls her a liar and a prostitute. Alla runs away. Goose in despair - he loves Alla. A Cherub appears, calming Goose and suddenly stabbing him under the shoulder blade. The goose is dying. The Chinese man places Goose in an armchair, gives the phone, calls Manushka and takes the money. Manyushka is terrified, but the Cherub threatens her, and together they run away. Amethysts arrives, discovers a corpse, understands everything and hides, breaking into a box of money with Zoyin. Zoe enters, sees the corpse, calls for Paul and goes after the money in order to escape, but the box is hacked. She grabs Paul’s hand and runs to the door, but they are blocked by the commission from the People's Commissariat of Education and Gasolin. Zoya explains that the Goose was killed by a Chinese and Amethystov. Drunken guests tumble out of the hall. Hallelujah enters; when she saw the commission, she says in horror that she had known everything about this dark apartment for a long time, and Zoe screams that he has ten in his pocket, which she gave him a bribe, she knows the number. Everyone is being taken. Zoya sadly says: “Goodbye, goodbye, my apartment!”