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.